BY KERI LYMAN
I
f you���re an area writer hoping to publish a book, one thing is undeniable:
the publishing world has changed dramatically over the past few years. Big
publishing houses used to control the market. However, according to
Publishers Weekly, as of 2009, 76 percent of all books released were self-published by writers, and that number has been and is increasing exponentially
each year. As a result, the number of large publishing companies, such as
HarperCollins, is shrinking.
So what does it mean to self-publish a book? That depends on whom you
ask. In the strictest sense, it���s defined as the author overseeing the entire book
publication process, from layout and printing, to marketing and distribution.
However, many writers use the services of self-publishing, or indie, companies
that help put a book together and sell it ��� but at a cost to the author. Large, traditional publishers, on the other hand, usually cover all the costs of producing
the book and often give the author an up-front advance. Still, it should be noted
that more and more of these publishers are now putting the burden of marketing directly on the writer.
No matter how you define it, self-publishing means that more writers will
have the chance to be published authors than ever before. ���It���s becoming
tougher and tougher for good publishers to do for authors what authors cannot
SPRING/SUMMER 2013
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north bridge magazine
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