Self Publishing

I read a great article on self publishing in the Raleigh News and Observer this weekend. It's a good article because it reminds me of many things:

• Self publishing is so much more than just "vanity publishing" now - though publishers probably disagree (I think they have to at this point since their whole business model is based on being the gate keepers rather than the enablers)
• There are more ways to publish than ever with the NY Times now having an e-book best seller list and the Kindle being such a viable option for so many people
• That self publishing winners are currently non-fiction writers who find a niche in the market (Maybe this won't always be the case?)
• That excellence is required in self publishing due to the stigma.

A couple of things I would add

• Doing it yourself doesn't stop at books. Comics, movies, even tv shows are being done independently. More so than ever. The internet has made it possible to get your art in front of eyes in more ways than ever
• Being successful still takes hard work whether you try for the traditional route or blaze your own trail
• If your long term success depends on being "discovered" you might as well be playing the lottery
• You cna start something with very little risk in terms of cash. The only risk, I suppose, is in being laughed at. That's not much of a risk. If they laugh or ridicule, then chances are you aren't creating for them anyway.