If milk is left by itself, it homogenizes. While getting its homogenization on, the lighter fatty portions rise to the top. Need a visual? Oil and water. The fatty oil sits on top of the heavier water. Once the homog party is done the fatty portions are skimmed off the top and made into … yep, cream!
Yummy cream!
So, what’s that gotta do with books?
Shh, put the pickets down. Take of the team shirts and just listen…
I’m not taking a side.
And I’m not saying one is the water and one is the oil… because they’re both amazing platforms and, yes, the cream always rises to the top.
The cream is the author.
You know there just is no way to write an Indie publishing piece without mentioning Amanda Hocking. Many say she’s a flash in the pan. Many say she’s the exception to Indie publishing. I don’t think so and --if you believe the New York Times-- St. Martins Press bet at least 2 million dollars and a 4 book deal that she isn’t.
We can argue price point, and quality and “flooding the market” but in the end, Ms. Hocking had to deliver a damn good story.
Does that take away from traditional publishing?
NO!
I think all of us at one point in time picked up a book and ten pages, ten minutes or ten chapters into it, closed the book looked at it and said, “What the hell was the publishing house thinking!”
To that reader, not the cream.
To another, maybe the cream of all cream.
The Cream Skimmer = The E-reader.
I love e-readers because I get the sample pages! If you don’t have me in those first sample pages then, sorry, I’m not buying the book. I don’t care if you’re Traditional, Indie or meat on a stick! I’m not buying ya.
All of that to say: Write the best book you can. Then Revise, Edit, Polish, Revise, Edit, Polish and submit.
Submit to the agents.
Submit to the editors.
Submit to the Betas.
Submit to the Indie’s.
Submit to the process.
But ultimately the person who decides whose book is the cream are the readers. And when they speak, trust me, the whole world listens … and then picks out a team t-shirt with a hot dude on it. But, that’s another post.
Soooo true! It's a strange time in the publishing industry. But say whatever you want, the indie movement combined with digital publishing has packed a one-two punch in the way things are done. I don't mean to vilify traditional publishing, quite the contrary. The climate is just different. The industry has to adjust to change.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love your submit statements. Especially submit to the process. That pretty much sums it up, now doesn't it?
"meat on a stick" LOVE THAT!
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree. It's all about the story. I don't care if it's published in crayon. Just hook me and let me escape for a little while into a well-written story.
Thanks for the comments Beth & Liz! They mean so much to me.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I'm very happy being self-published, but I have nothing against traditional publishing. At the end of the day, most readers don't care who published it, as long as you write a great story and pay attention to quality (everyone should work with an editor, in my opinion).
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