Danny in a Newfangled World

The Little Book That Could

// June 19th, 2010 // Books

Big publishing corporations have little desire to support or encourage fledgling writers.  They’d rather publish yet another children’s book by Madonna or Jamie Lee Curtis than take a chance on an unknown writer.  Even if I were able to slip my manuscript under the locked door of the large presses, it’ll more likely remain as a door mat than be picked up and read.

They’re busy.  I get it.  They get thousands of manuscripts to review.  I get it.  So, may as well go it alone, I say.  What does any entrepreneur do when she has a business idea?  She starts a business!  While it’s common practice for the publishing industry to ostracize and belittle a self-published author, the reality is that self-publishing is a business just like any other.  When an accountant opens up his own shop, do the executives that head the accounting firms shake their heads and laugh at his self-absorbed attempts to “go it alone?”  No.  If an artisan makes and sells her own jewellery, does Tiffany’s laugh at the futility of her goal to try to sell something that is not as good as their own product?  No.

So, why should an author feel any different about publishing her own book?  It’s a business.   Here are the rules:

Write an awesome book. 

Create a product that the target market will love. 

Market the heck out of it using social media, word-of-mouth, book launches.

Sell, sell, sell the book. 

Danny in a Newfangled World is going to be the little indie book that could.  Can’t wait to introduce this cutting edge book to all the video game loving kids out there!  Coming this Fall 2010.