The book section at K Mart

Actually, Costco has a surprisingly high quality and varied book selection. I almost always toss one or two or four into my cart when I'm there, despite my promise to myself just to look at what's in the book aisle. I'm frequently shocked at some of the books I've seen there. Someone above mentioned Swamplandia, which I picked up at Costco.

 

I'm just as much of an amateur here as anyone else but I've been a consumer of indie, amateur, and digital media (games, music, fiction, film) since it started becoming available and the discussion should start at one big difference; barrier to entry. The barrier to entry is infinitely lower with self-published anything but the barrier to success is still determined by many factors. Self-pubbed work can and will succeed, especially as time goes on and artists figure out how the business will work. But here's the thing, in order to succeed the work will need to:

1. Not suck. Quality is key.
2. Be available. You've got to do the leg work of getting it onto the big 3 ebook markets and then as many smaller markets as possible.
3. Be advertised. You have to promote your work and this needs to be done in ways other than spamming your facebook, twitter, and forum friends. Guest post, podcast, email list, whatever it takes. It's a brave new world and I now spend more time viewing those pathways of advertisement than I do network TV, radio, or physical news media.
4. Be well written. Some (especially on this forum) might say this is the same as number 1 but the truth is you can have a great story to tell but if it's difficult to read because you got all pretentious on me or you have no idea what you're doing (yes, you do need to know the rules before you break them) I'm going to drop it quick. More so than a physical book because I probably only paid 2.99 for your work instead of 7.99 for a mass paperback. Or I'm reading a free promo ebook. So do your homework, don't get lazy.

So that's my two-cents. I'm throwing it in because not because I've achieved that success but because I've contributed to it. Minecraft (video game), The Blue Method (music group), Coming and Going On Bikes (short story collection), Live at the Beacon Theater with Louis C.K. (video) are all examples of indie self-pubbed art that followed these rules and have become some of my favorite works and, in some cases, huge successes.

 

No, just that we wouldn't be "slaves" to their judgment of popular any more. Apparently you don't know that if a bookstore doesn't have a book in stock, they will order it. And they don't stock books based on popularity at first - that come after the books are in the stores. After people buy them. People buying them is what makes books popular.

 

Well the net still wins against stores if only for cutting out the ordering middleman. I dont need a bookstore to order a book I can order myself. And some books will never be popular and so online is the best way to get them. The net has made getting the book I want at a better price easier. So to me, that makes me feel freer as a reader and a writer. No need to selectively quote to try and find something to argue against. I'm not attacking book stores. I'm merely expressing support of more access to the books I want. Thats a good thing. It's not calling anyone evil.

 

Kmart is not a good source for good books, try Half-Priced Books,Borders Bookstore, or even the Library.

 

I have to make an apology. I made an error, It wasn't a K Mart, it was the Target at 56th and Hwy 2 in Lincoln Ne. next to the Marcus Edge wood theater which was playing the Hobbit. The K Mart was shut down years ago and turned into a mini mall. Wow, that was embarrassing, but doesn't change my point. Although this Target does have a Starbucks coffee shop by the front door next to the bathrooms giving that "atmosphere" of snobbery.

 

So you're going to tell me putting your Books for sale on a popular website for FREE is better than putting ones books in a popular book store whilst being payed by the publisher to do so?

P.S : The comparison you made was scaled horribly.

 

I don't think I'm telling you that at all...

 

Let's put it in a way we can all understand.

A free download into a Kindle is worth more than 25 rejection letters and an empty spot on B&N's shelves.

 

Unfortunately my analogy was idiotic.

However, giving away a book for free and getting publicity doesn't put food on the table and would, in my view, be a longer process than continuing to pursue a publisher.

 

Then put it on FictionPress and be done with it. Amounts to the same, either way.

 

"Most isn't" my ass. Prove it.

 

About the top 2% of all submitted manuscripts end up on bookshelves.

 

Maybe your reading them wrong.

 

Maybe they just suck. Selbbin's not wrong, I've had the same problem. I think I've encountered, what? One good one? If that.

 

You have to admit that the average quality of books published traditionally is higher than that of self-published books. Even if there are a few great self-published writers, there are many more bad ones.

 

Uh...you seem to have vehemently rejected the idea of striving to be better, in almost all of your posts.

Your rejection of the idea of criticism in any form, rejection of the need for editing or polishing your writing, rejection of presenting your work in any situation where you might experience rejection, your apparent idea that six months to write a book is a substantial amount of time. You reject the idea that a reader might dislike a book by declaring that they're reading the book wrong.

People who want to work for years to create, and edit, and polish, the very best book they possibly can, clearly receive your contempt. Where have you indicated the slightest interest in becoming better at anything?

 

I get the feeling this is just another author who got his ego clipped by a rejection letter and now has to vent to the world about the injustice of it all.

Yawn...