Editor's Notes #44: How to Improve the Indie Author Reputation

What do you think of when you hear the words "self-published"?

Are your first thoughts positive or negative? Are you a staunch supporter of indies, or do you stubbornly hold to the "traditionally published only" standard and turn your nose up even at smaller presses?

There was a time, not so long ago, that I swore I worked with the only indie authors who actually cared about their work. The self-publishing bandwagon had driven through town and was full to bursting with writers who thought they could finally make it big with the next bestseller—with little to no work involved, of course. All those publishers who'd said a polite "no, thank you" to them were obviously wrong, and they were going to prove it by self-publishing and striking it rich as a result.

The authors whose manuscripts I worked on took a lot of pride in their work, making sure their drafts were revised, revised, and revised again. They agonized over each word, and were not hesitant about hiring a professional editor, typesetter, and cover artist to make sure their books were on par with anything you'd find on the shelves at Barnes and Noble.

Unfortunately, they were in the minority.

So many writers put out so many unedited, badly formatted books with homemade MS Paint covers that the good books were lost in the sludge, and their work was, as the saying goes, painted with the same brush, resulting in the words "self-published" becoming a term of derision.

Slowly, the tide has turned, but it has taken years of perseverance on the part of determined authors to change the public's perception of self-published authors—now known as indies.

Perhaps the biggest change has come with the realization that there are some really great authors out there who have nothing to do with the Big 5 publishers. Sometimes the simplest explanations escape us for a while, but eventually we catch on. The truth is that there are some garbage authors who get published and some terrific authors who don't. The luck of the draw . . . an agent who's having a bad day . . . an acquisitions editor who may have loved your manuscript but knows their company can't guarantee enough sales of it because it's a bit out of the box . . . someone who saw your manuscript come across their desk but couldn't deal with looking at one more werewolf book . . . all those things may contribute to you getting the "nope" letter.

As more of the higher-quality writers persevere and self-publish, readers are gradually beginning to trust them. Many readers are even surprised to find that some have even turned down publishers in favor of self-publishing because they want to retain control over their final product.

Let's face it: the odds are slim for a new author to break through the Big 5. If you look around, there aren't too many new voices out there in that elite group. The odds are even slimmer that a new author will get such a killer deal that they'll become The Next Big Name.

BUT. And there's always a but, isn't there?

When indie authors, as a collective or as individuals, continue to strive for excellence—learning their craft, polishing their words, and putting out the good stuff—they'll gradually change people's perception of what self-publishing is all about, and what it's not. Those who are willing to raise the bar and work for it will continue to rise in the industry while those who continue to publish the equivalent of a first draft will eventually find themselves without readers.

As the baseline for quality goes higher, readers will tolerate less of the dross. Balance will be restored to the force, dogs and cats will live in peace together once again, and "indie published" will be seen as an opportunity to read something unique and wonderful.