Zune Social: 
But does the same apply to writers?
I recently decided to take the plunge into the realm of becoming an Indie Author, publishing my wares as eBooks online via Smashwords.com. Although I had already made my first short story sale to a forthcoming anthology, I decided to pursue the eBook, self-published route as the primary avenue for my writing, as opposed to trying to go through what is sometimes referred to as "NY", or the New York publishing scene. Am I grabbing my rifle and bandanna and starting a guerrilla revolution against the traditional publishing houses? Not at all. But I think that, as a writer, I should not be beholden to what a commercial editor may think is worth publishing. I believe that, in this day and age of the Internet and sites such as Smashwords (which makes your eBooks available in multiple formats, such as for the Kindle or Nook), writers are given more tools and power to express themselves, and we should move beyond this notion that we need to be accepted by New York to be of any worth.
For example, I recently released my latest eBook, a novelette called The Fear. From top to bottom, I handled every aspect, and it is a daunting prospect. I obviously wrote it, revised it, sent it out for feedback, revised again, and prepped it for release. I had to make sure the formatting was just right for Smashwords, and also handle the cover art. I even created a YouTube book trailer for The Fear. Then comes the promotion. Being an indie writer, you basically have to manage every detail if you want your book to have even a small chance of being noticed.
But self-publishing doesn't mean slacking on quality. You still need to be able to write well. You need to be able to edit, and revise, and have others check your work and give good critical feedback. It also doesn't mean that everything you release will be enjoyed or receive great feedback; but you will be able to learn from it and extend yourself as an artist.
Sort of like garage musicians. A band starts up, practices, and eventually plays gigs at bars or clubs. Eventually, maybe they record some songs, and put them up on MySpace. At that point, the public perception is that they are valid musicians, however independent, and they are granted some credence of art.
The perception is not the same for indie writers, which is a shame. The initial thought is that any author who self-publishes is going through a vanity press, and cheapens them. Indie writers have to fight harder to gain credibility than a musician, from a perception point of view. It's an interesting problem. It's one that needs to change. And I think, given time, it will. With the rise of eBook readers, we will see more and more of a scene develop for budding writers who will no longer go through NY to publish their stories, and will actually probably make a better profit by self-publishing. Already Amazon and Barnes and Noble have programs set up for writers to publish through their respective eBook stores. More and more companies are inviting writers to use this opportunity.
It's a seismic paradigm shift, and it is wonderful. Viva la revolución.
Julio Angel Ortiz, when not terrorizing the Inside the Circle community, maintains a blog at http://www.signaldotnoise.com.
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