A clear-eyed critique of indie publishing myths: why “the cream rises” fails, how quality, packaging, distribution, and luck interact—and what to do instead.
While I was thinking about this post, I thought of hard it is to break through. The signal through the noise, and how it's so unfair.
But I also kept thinking about how hard it was in the past. Say, in the 80s. Your only chance was a publisher or a magazine. No matter how hard it is today, there are more options and possibilities than ever before. That's a positive thought!
"The useful distinction isn’t only quality, it’s intent (art swing vs product swing) plus execution."
This line really packs a lot, and it is something we can no longer deny.
Great article! 💯
Thank you! It's such a hard lesson.
While I was thinking about this post, I thought of hard it is to break through. The signal through the noise, and how it's so unfair.
But I also kept thinking about how hard it was in the past. Say, in the 80s. Your only chance was a publisher or a magazine. No matter how hard it is today, there are more options and possibilities than ever before. That's a positive thought!
So do you think overall writers have it easier today?
Not sure. There’s many more factors that makes it harder. A big one is lack of male readers.
Sure, there’s literary readers. But they are few and snobbish. They’ll only read pre-approved books, chosen by snobbish magazines.
Mitigating this is: algorithms + social proof can override old “pre-approval.”
The mass fantasy market seems wobbly. Yes, sales are up. But it’s because of Romantasy.
Comedy as well.
Would Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett be given a chance today?