I’ve been studying independent publishers and their websites the past couple weeks in preparation for starting my own publishing company. It’s fascinating. First, there is a ton of publishers “out there,” both indie and established. Second, there is another ton of authors and author-wannabees. And finally, it’s all up for grabs.
So why shouldn’t I join the fray? I’ve written for years and earned my living as a corporate ghost for many of them. I’ve had my creative work published in such recognized places as The Chicago Tribune Magazine. I’ve shared author rights with others and have been published under my own name as well. I’ve blogged since 2004, which probably puts me in the senior category of “Words Online.”
But the real reason isn’t to promote my own writing (although that certainly is a secondary goal). It’s to have control over the entire process from writing to editing to designing to printing to promoting. Perhaps that’s why Leonard and Virginia Woolf established Hogarth Press. Or why other indies began.
I’m also disappointed that so much current literature is dystopian, regardless of whether it’s for adults, young adults, or children. Think Station Eleven, The Hunger Games, and The Girl Who Could Fly. Someone recently said it’s because the future and the paranormal are the last frontiers. That makes sense, but I hope it’s wrong.
Somewhere out there should be readers who want a “gentle” view of the world. I hope to find them.
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