Interesting Links #21: Indie FTW!
Most of this week’s links show how indie publishing is way better than traditional publishing.
-This presentation shows that self-published SF/F is basically dominating tradpub sales: 2018 SFWA Nebula Conference Presentation.
-A good look at the contemporary state of book market. 9 Top Marketing Takeaways From BookExpo 2018.
-This article examines how Netflix makes its production decisions for original content: Inside The Binge Factory. (I like the term “Taste Clusters”, though it does sound like an off-brand fruit snack.)
-More on the bad behavior of literary agents: What It Feels Like To Have An Agent.
-An explanation of why you don’t need a literary agent: Controlled By Fear. (That would be a good thriller title, come to think of it.)
-Back in 2010, I decided to stop writing novels because I was absolutely disgusted by the publishing industry and didn’t want anything more to do with it. (Fortunately, a few months after that, I discovered the Kindle.) PG’s explanation of “the custom of the trade” at the end of this blog post is an excellent reason why.
-I’ve done this in Windows for over 20 years. It’s a really handy trick! This Command Prompt Trick Searches Way Faster Than Windows Explorer.
-JM
Really glad to read all of this because I had been thinking about getting an agent because I thought they might be able to help me sell my current project but I’m now convinced I have at least as much chance of doing it myself. I think a lot of people are after some form of validation. They think that, in order to be really good, their work must be approved by someone “professional”, whether that be an agent, an editor or both, so that’s why they want to go the trad publishing route. I used to think that way but ultimately I realised that the only external validation that matters comes from readers. If your readers love your work what does it matter who published it? Not to mention, why would you want someone else to get paid for the work you did?
I am very pleased to hear that! Getting over the need for “professional” validation is a major milestone for a writer.
And even if you get an agent, all the marketing is still basically up to you as the writer. With indie, you can keep more of the money. 🙂