Great information about Self Publishing

I put this info on Twitter as well as here in today's blog entry. Excuse the redundancy, but it seems really interesting and thus bears repeating.
I wondered across J.A Konrath's blog entry today and he discusses the state of Self Publishing. For anyone who doesn't know, Konrath is an already etablished print author, but his insight is still really interesting.
It's an eternal question for writers and it is getting to be a more commonly asked question as publication options, distribution options and marketing options become more and more varied.
I'm not taking a position on this one. It is a question for each writer/creative to decide when to seek acceptance by their industry's "gatekeeper" and when to go it alone instead.
This blog makes some compelling points though.

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.

Making it as an Independent Publisher

There is no doubt that  person who decides to launch all of their products independently has a tough row to hoe (to use a Southern euphemism - what can I say, I was raised on a farm).

D.A. Adams at Third Axe Press seems to be making it work.

How? A lot of writing and a lot of tireless work marketing and promoting his work.



('’)

Learn a new skill in 2009

What is something that keeps us from doing a lot of what we would like to do? The skills to make it happen. I have lots of ideas for things like screenplays, websites, online comics, novels, independent comics, independet films, etc. I don't have all of the skills to make these things happen. What are the possible solutions? Find someone to help me for free or "on the cheap" in which case I might get just what I pay for.
Of course I could save up and pay big bucks for one area or seek investors...pretty tough way to go.
Here is my suggestions...pick a couple of the areas and develop the skills yourself. We usually have more time in our lives than we think we do. I watch too much football. If I substituted football games for learning, then I could pick up some useful skills. So why not pick up a new skill this year? I am going to. My intention is to learn how to write a good screenplay. I have a few books on the subject and will try and hone this skill during 2009. I might pick more. I would like to learn website design...but one thing at a time. What are you going to learn?