The new picture of the publishing world, one where just about anyone can upload a book, assumes that authors – of either nonfiction or fiction – see themselves not only as creators in today’s marketplace, but also as entrepreneurs. It’s not a new concept. Many authors in the 19th century promoted their books and enterprises as well as themselves.
Musicians have been adapting to a new music marketplace for well over a decade. Although most authors are not performers – and more musicians need to rely on live performances to earn a living than through sales of their music – authors can do a few things that musicians do to expand their reach.
It used to be that the big event in a young band’s career was being signed to a major label. Being signed to a label can still be important but it doesn’t guarantee either money or success. More and more bands begin their careers by releasing their own music through their own sites, or through building a local base, a tribe of fans. They produce their music through technology now available to just about anyone.. A music band can, in fact handle a lot of the services previously provided by the recording labels.
Some bands manage their own distribution as well as tour dates, keep close watch over their social media and web presence, and try to grow organically (and perhaps virally) without interference, or without some of the advantages (distribution) and disadvantages (a certain loss of control) of being represented by a major label. What becomes important is how the band interacts with its public and how that public can reach the band. A band today isn’t considered any less worthy of consideration or regard than are acts signed to major labels.
In the same way, self-publishing no longer bears the stigma it used to, given that self-published books can be more professionally edited and designed than many a book put out by a traditional publisher, especially in an e-book format. What’s more, for a long time, authors have had to do their own marketing – beyond what a traditional publisher offers – and readers often expect that an author will have a dialogue with them beyond the book appearance. There really is no reason that self-published books – and self-motivated authors – can’t gain respect from the public, except for the imprimatur of a publishing house if an author still wants that credibility.
As I mentioned in my previous post about how publishers can take advantage of this new marketplace, the surge in self-publishing can serve publishers as a talent pool. Publishers can find in these self-published authors entrepreneurs who already understand the dynamics of a new publishing landscape. This can benefit publishers tremendously, since these authors are already ahead of the curve.
We’ll explore this topic in the next few posts.