Thursday, May 10, 2012

Desperately Seeking Leaders and Rules


I’ve noticed this trend over time in the Indie author’s online community to latch onto individuals and give them the authority of a leader. Oftentimes, this leader isn’t really any more educated or talented than the masses that flock to him or her.

I understand the need to find someone – anyone – who can lead us through the maze of self-publishing, but here’s the thing that bothers me. Most of us are self-publishing to avoid the authoritarianism of the publishing industry. We could not break down their barriers, cross over into blessed territory and get ourselves published under their rules. Yet, the first time we get a chance to have complete authority over what we will publish, we look to others to make our rules, decide our fates.

We seem to hand over our future so easily. There’s been talk of creating a group that will confer a “seal of approval” on Indie books. Really? I cannot think of one single Indie author I think is qualified to make that judgment. Frankly, the publishing industry has done a piss-poor job of it themselves and they’ve been at it a hell of a lot longer.

Here’s another point. Over and over I hear about all the terrible writing out there, full of errors, etc. I’m currently reading an author who is absolutely fabulous, but his book is full of errors. If I have a choice between never reading his books and reading through the typos, I would easily choose dealing with the errors. This particular author has a very professional persona and I’m sure he doesn’t realize the book needs another edit. I will let him know when I’ve finished.

If we really want to elevate our profession, let’s tell each other the truth.  Hard to do, but so worth it. Consider what a real friend would do. In my opinion, creating some board of approval is a chicken s**t way to handle it and on par with joining the opposition (the traditional publishers), just not as honest. Come on, people, buck up and embrace your freedom. Let’s not look for ways to shoot ourselves in our collective feet. Get better at what you do. Free marketers live by your convictions and give this thing a chance to level out on its own. You know, there has only been a large population of self-publishers for about a year and half now.

I’d like to believe that we are not lemmings – that we are courageous people, willing to take a chance on moving forward without creating our own aristocracy.

38 comments:

  1. I'm not a lemming, I'm a lemur! Much more fun. And thanks for the post, Kathy. You've made some good points.

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  2. Thanks for reading it with an open mind, Laura! You, lemur, you!

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  3. I've noticed over almost three score years that the truth never bites - not telling it, always does. The choice should be simple - it makes you wonder why that is seldom the case.

    Great post my friend - no errors, typos, or lies.

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    1. Bert - I'm learning! I was so happy when Blogger came out with the preview option before posting. Thank you.

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  4. This behavior of us indie authors is reminiscent of what happened at the end of the Revolutionary War. After all that struggle, fighting, treachery and death, what was the first thing people wanted to do? Crown Washington King. We do need a revolution, but one within ourselves so that we can free ourselves from this reflex conditioned thought process that keeps chasing its proverbial tail. Thanks for calling us to task, Kathy. What a great place to start - with writers.

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  5. LOL - I'm so tickled at your reference to the new King George they tried to give us. I forgot about that. I think freedom can sometimes be very uncomfortable because it requires that we exercise control and responsibility over ourselves. Thanks Christina.

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  6. Really enjoyed this post - and although I hadn't thought it through the way you have - I completely agree. We need to enjoy this new independence but we also need to use it wisely and help each other as we do so.

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    1. Glad you stopped by Gilly - I think we forget that helping each other would go a long way. A sense of competition and fear of conflict seem to stop us. It's natural, I think, but that's what being human is all about - overcoming our fears and baser tendencies.

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  7. Good point. Instead of establishing a seal of credibility, how about we share the names of the best independent editors? Now that would be useful!

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    1. I love that! Also, I was thinking about this last night and wondered why we couldn't pool our resources and be readers for each other. I'm financially challenged as I'm sure others are. I am finally blessed to have a friend who has proofed my last few things and refuses to accept more than a lunch and gift card - wow! I'd be willing to proof a half-dozen books a year for other authors.

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  8. Great post, Kathy! I followed your blog. I'm all for authors banding together, but how do you accomplish that without someone taking the lead? David Brown's (@elenchera on twitter) wife started a co-op that disbanded due to lack of support while World Literary Cafe started by Melissa Foster is thriving because of her leadership and a strong support team. I hope this isn't the group offering a seal of approval because I put Melissa's book down due to all the errors. Maybe that's why they're now offering beta-reader and critique group matchups. That should be a great resource.

    I had to create my local critique group by posting an ad in my region's SCBWI site. I posted a series on editing on my blog because I can't generate enough interest in a poorly edited book to keep reading. And I can't keep sending a list of mistakes to authors whose books I put down and still have time to finish my own book. Now I exchange with a few indie authors whose first books met professional or near-pro standards.

    Oh, I included links to a couple of indie editors in my posts, one who critiques a big chunk of pages for $75. Another post explains all the different levels of editing from a firm that even provides ghost writing and has a large pool of editors to match each project.

    So, Kathy, if it turns out WLC isn't the kind of group you're looking for, you should get with Mrs. Brown and find out what problems she had with her group, revise the model accordingly, and start another. I think it may have been that she was stuck with all the work. Perhaps dividing responsibilities and rotating duties so each author has to shoulder certain burdens for a week or month at a time would work better. I would say good luck, but we know it's not luck you need. So happy editing!

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    1. WLC is not the group I was thinking of. I joined but honestly haven't interacted a whole lot. I'm not saying that there shouldn't be leaders. I'm saying that our hunger for leaders is disturbing - and almost anyone seems to qualify.

      Thank you for all the good info here.

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    2. You're welcome. And since I commented, I found out Melissa actually did have her book edited, but a file conversion into the kindle format that I read had failed to convey line breaks, etc. This brings up a whole other minefield for authors. Melissa went into panic mode until most of the errors were corrected, but there were a few that technology couldn't conquer. She posted about it here: http://www.melissafoster.com/blog/megans-way-2-help
      I hope that's sufficient to apologize and make sure not to scare off any potential readers.

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  9. Kathy, I agree that gatekeepers are not the answer. By the same token, I think any person or site is free to say "these are the books we think are exceptional" based on whatever criteria they choose. There are a number of sites that will not feature a book until it receives X number of reviews with an overall rating of Y. This is an example of double gatekeeping, i.e., one by the site, one by reviewers. So, I suppose what I am saying is that indie authors are free to publish their work, but scrutiny of that work comes in all shapes and sizes. If someone wants to put a "good book" seal on one of my books, I won't turn it down. But if no one does, I won't stop writing.

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    1. Excellent! This is exactly what I'm thinking. Of course, anyone can do exactly what you suggest and I think that's a good idea. I'm cringing at the thought of submitting something for a seal of approval.

      Scrutiny by the reader is the most powerful of all and frankly, when my book needed revision it was two readers who pointed it out. Too bad I hadn't learn my lessons before they had to tell me, but now I know.

      I'm amazed at the people who roar the loudest about this because more than a few have books of their own that have problems??? Are these the ones who will be laying a seal of approval on my manuscript?

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  10. Aha, I read my email from WLC, and they are the group, but it's not a single indie author seeking to judge a book. In fact, it's more like clicking the "like" button on Amazon or FB, so it takes a whole group of readers to agree that a book deserves the honor. Here's a quote from today's WLC email "...editing, storyline, development, and overall quality of these books will all be factors in recommending a book for The WLC Readers Seal of Excellence." There's a teleconference coming up, so be sure to participate.

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    1. LOL - I hadn't read this yet. No, it's really not WLC I was thinking of and in fact there are a number of them that are discussing this. But this excerpt is even more disturbing to me than what I had already heard of. Not we have storyline, development and overall quality of the books. Not just that it had been edited and has the correct formatting. Oh, boy - here we go.

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    2. Hey, Kathy, just stopping by in case you don't see my apology on my blog, twitter or email for assuming your were talking about WLC. Think I covered the bases? Freaky timing, though. And I hope you keep posting on this issue. Dish the details, please, because there's already a danger of some book bloggers gate-keeping by refusing to read indie books. And guess why? After reading too many poorly edited indie books, the book bloggers stopped accepting any indie books for review. Sigh.

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    3. Sher - I couldn't see your apology on your blog - couldn't see any of the comments when I went back. At least I'm not the only one having problems with comments on my blog. I accept and appreciate your apology.

      As a former journalist, that was tough to take, however - making an assumption like that would have gotten me fired.

      It was not my intention to "name names" - that wasn't the point. I'm trying to point to the mass of indie writers who seem willing to subject themselves to approval or review. I will most likely speak to every attempt to limit our freedom to publish as we go through this process and there will be many.

      I'm envisioning a group that decides to allow only "vetted" members in - so that readers know this author is part of the "Best Authors in the Whole Wide World" or whatever. Not so far fetched, I think.

      Anyway - I sincerely appreciate your apology. That's never easy to do.

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  11. Thanks Kathy for stressing the importance of editing for Indy writers. I love the ideas from others this has generated. In my opinion, editing by a skilled and experienced editor is a resource that can't be overlooked. We will never gain full respect and confidence from the reader until we collectively stop publishing works filled with errors.

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    1. I agree with you that works filled with errors have been a big part of our problem. I have been very much part of that problem, as you'll see if you read my post "I Did Everything Wrong". However, we are a new and growing industry - so we will have our pitfalls and we will grow from them and get better. The first automobiles were not exactly hits either because they had so much wrong with them, but along came a guy - Henry Ford - who figured out a way for them to be built with some consistency and viola - cars were something to be had - without any governmental mandate. I'm just saying we will work this out without building our own dynasty. Thank you for stopping by, Paul. I appreciate it.

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  12. I followed Sher A Hart's link over her, and you can check out my epic comment over there if you wish. But basically, I completely agree - we need to embrace the freedom (and responsibility) that comes with self-publishing. I'm a huge fan of editing (extensively), but not of the idea of putting a "stamp of approval" from anyone. There's only one approval a career writer needs: readers willing to spend money on your work.

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    1. Glad to hear from you, Susan. I think the "stamp of approval" is more unprofessional that the lack of editing in a way. Traditionally published authors who do outstanding work win awards and we're proposing to have a something that says our work is good enough to read.

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  13. Kathy, I've replied three times, but my post is continually deleted - just thought you'd want a response.

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    1. I'm sorry - I haven't seen it at all. I'm not sure why that would be.

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  14. Okay - so now I find that not only was the assumption made that I was talking about WLC, but it's gone on to another blog by Sher A Hart affirmatively that this is the group I was talking about.

    First - I was NOT talking about WLC - I don't get any emails or communications from that group even though I've signed up twice.

    Second - There are several groups talking about this. And there are several groups coalescing around an Indie writer.

    Third - I'm not pointing a finger at any one person or group. I'm pointing a finger at an idea. That is the idea of giving up a freedom some of us have waited years to see arrive.

    I'm quite unhappy at having had this assumption made as an "announcement" -

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    1. Oops, here's another base I missed. Sorry again, Kathy! Apologies with sugar on top.

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  15. THIS IS A COMMENT FROM MELISSA FOSTER WHICH WOULDN'T GO UP THROUGH BLOGGER FOR SOME REASON.

    Kathy, just a quick response to this blog post. I see where you are coming from, but I think what you see from not just WLC but many other groups, is that we need a way for readers to flesh out the non-edited from the well written and professionally edited books. Our Seal is not decided on by peer authors, our Seal is decided upon by readers who will have clear criteria with everything from head-hopping to structure, development of the story, and of course, editorial quality. What it will NOT reflect are personal opinions on the story itself. There would not be a need for this if indie authors all had their work professionally edited, but there is such a race to the finish line, that many skip that vital step. We are not trying to be gatekeepers by any means, but how many times have you heard the slams from readers about the "crap" indies put out. If there is not some means of reader approval (not publisher approval) then indies as a group suffer.

    The great thing about any seal or award or commendation of any kind is that it's just that - a visual seal, which means that those who do not want to take part in it don't have to, and those who want to ignore it are welcome to.

    I think we all want the same thing--quality books to be published. Someone mentioned giving resources for editors, and WLC provides many, including a downloadable PDF with many editors, cover artists, and even publishers an marketing assistants.

    We're not here to tell people if they can publish or not. Our vetted books will simply gain a Readers Seal of Excellence, which will validate the quality of the book. We have editors and the ex Copy Chief and Head Writer for the Book of the Month Club, and it looks like we'll have a top literary agent vetting books as well. So please, before you disparage any group, or the value of vetting books, take a look at what is defined, because at least for WLC, it's not an author to author vetting program, and we take it very seriously.

    Thanks for sharing your blog space, and Sher, thanks for sharing your post. I noticed above a comment about my writing, and all of my books have been professionally edited several times over. I fear you read Megan's Way when the formatting was mangled and the initial caps were lost, as well as truncated sentences, and other issues that mirrored editing errors. I wrote a whole blog post about it and the file was replaced immediately (of course, not until after 40,000 copies had been downloaded over a week's time - Ugh). Live and learn.

    Thanks again, Kathy. Write on.

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  16. Thanks for the comment, however, AGAIN I did not disparage any group. None at all. I'm taking exception to a group of Indies (which has been proposed by some) who will dispense a seal of approval. AGAIN - I had no idea of WLC's plans so therefore I couldn't possibly have been disparaging that group. You're right - it doesn't sound anything like what I've heard proposed previously.

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    1. THIS IS A SECOND REPLY FROM MELISSA FOSTER. (it's terrible she can't post this herself - sorry everyone)

      Thank you, Kathy, for posting my response. I see that you were not speaking about WLC, and even if you had been, it would have been fine. We all have opinions, and it's okay. Thanks again for a thought provoking post!

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  17. Hi Kathy, first time visitor and follower! Great to meet you. I use a similar theme in my books, although there are always the protagonists who wish to impose their version of "moving forward." So true to real life. We only have to look at the headlines to see this happening all around us.

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  18. Hi, Stephen - So glad to have you! I will check out your books immediately.

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  19. Well you've stirred the pot this time, LOL. And I love it! Speaking the truth-- sometimes in a private way rarely comes back to bite you.

    The truth is most(most) Indie's would jump at the chance to be with a Big 6 publisher-- no matter the restrictions and no matter what we say. In the meantime writing a book, having it edited and learning the format is what we all should do.

    It's these kinds of post that make me love you and respect you so much!

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    1. Thank you Dannie. I really have tried to stay out of the fray, but just can't be silent on some of these things. I love writing and I love writers. It is actually painful to me that the fight to keep our sudden freedom to publish unfettered is even necessary. Your support means a lot to me, especially because you showed me how important honesty with each other is in this process.

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  20. I know plenty of books that were published by major publishing houses that still had grammatical errors and typos in them. The real issue is whether or not they make the narrative unreadable. As long as the reader isn't putting down the book a few errors are not such a critical thing.

    Having said that, I do think there is a real need for an easier way to find or get beta readers and critiques. I agree that honest discourse and fixing the issue at its source are really the best ways to improve the image of indie published work.

    Better access to cheap or free critique and editing services may light the path.

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  21. If I get some time, maybe I'll be able to put something together where authors can volunteer to read each others' stuff - both for critique and proofing. I agree that this would really help.

    Candace Bushnell, author of "Sex in the City" (which I've never read), wrote another book called Trading Up, which someone gave to me. This thing - traditionally published - sits miles below most of the Indie books I've read. It's just one of the many books I've read over the years that made me wonder "How did this get published?" Someone subjectively decided that this was a good bet. As we move into "regulation" of the Indie experience, we will become slaves, literally, to this sort of judgment call.

    Thanks, Mike for your comments.

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  22. Kathy,

    Always nice to have someone who makes us all stop and think before we run off and act. I can appreciate your concern that we Indies may too easily give up our hard won freedom. To submit to the authority of a single individual would be no different than allowing and agent/publisher to decide whether or not our book is good enough to print. I have no desire to submit to their "Query Letter/Wait Forever" method.

    One problem that we as Indies have that traditional authors do not is a stigma. As you pointed out, some TP books are horribly edited, but no one is writing blog posts about how we should banish these books from the face of the Earth. However, there is a thread on the Amazon Kindle boards entitled "How to Avoid Indie Authors". Those not putting out professionally written and edited work are adding fuel to this fire. So there is a need (in MNSHO) to differentiate those works that do measure up. If readers recognize that a respected group of readers, authors, editors, etc. has put a book through such a process, it gives the Indies a leg up over the dismal competition. Of course this will always be voluntary. I personally like this method better than Amazon's ratings as those can be manipulated by both authors (getting friends to rate them up) and their detractors (giving anonymous one star reviews).

    I think the WLC has come up with a good system and I believe we will see many more in the future. Poorly edited books will always be around (unfortunately), but there is no reason for good Indie authors to suffer because of it. Thanks for the soapbox time. :)

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    1. Hi, Edward - I saw that thread. I do agree that there needs to be a huge improvement in output. I saw WLC's offer to valid a writer's book - and it's a reasonable course. I wonder how many groups will jump in and come up with seals of approval? We'll see.

      Even the most diligent Indie authors, who are now quite respected and revered, put out badly formatted and badly edited material in the beginning. I did it myself. I do believe that it has been the product of a wide open marketplace with no rules. I personally think it will settle down on it's own - as I know at least 10 authors who have re-edited and re-formatted their books as a result of this hubbub.

      Time will tell but as long as these "seals of approval" don't keep unknown and not yet "popular" (among other writers) from being read I guess they are harmless.

      Thanks for stopping by Edward - I appreciate your thoughts.

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