The well-informed writer: Editor's Notes, February 2003
Published: December 26, 2002
With advanced technology making the printing process cheaper and more accessible than ever before, more writers are considering self- and print-on-demand publishing. It's unfortunate, though, that discussions of these publishing methods still revolve around extremes.
At one extreme are the amazing self-publishing success stories. Richard Paul Evans, for example, self-published The Christmas Box before it was picked up by Simon & Schuster and went on to sell more than 8 million copies. At the other extreme is the lingering stigma that if you self-publish, you aren't a real author.
Unfortunately, both approaches couch the discussion of self-publishing in emotional terms (which are extended to POD as well). The last thing you want to do is decide to self-publish because you think it's a way to be a bestselling author. On the other hand, you wouldn't want to dismiss doing it yourself or using a POD company because of an artificially imposed
value judgment.
Both methods are basically additional tools for writers, but as with all tools, you need to know if they are right for the job. To help you make that determination, we've put together a package of stories with the most important points you need to know about self- and POD publishing.
Arlene S. Uslander's primer on self-publishing shows you how self-publishing works and alerts you to problems that might occur. Brenda Rollins explains print-on-demand technology and discusses a variety of options, while John F. Harnish gives you a list of questions you should ask before you sign up with a POD publisher. We hope these articles will help you make informed decisions about your publishing options.
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Our mission is to bring you articles-whether about the business or the craft of writing-that are informative and instructive, and provide the essential resources you need as a writer. This is something we think about as we plan, assign and edit each issue.
So, I am proud to share with you the news that The Writer is the recipient of a 2002 gold Folio Editorial Excellence Award in the publishing/journalism category. It's especially meaningful to us, because the award is based on how well a magazine fulfills its mission. |