So I’ve been researching independent publishing ever since I discovered that some of the books I was buying and reading were released independently. There was a day where self-publishing was a form of vanity press – only those whose writing could never be picked up by a true publishing house would self-publish. Those days are gone, and what’s left is a changing world with lots of questions.
With the emergence and popularity of e-readers, the world of publishing will have to, sometime soon, figure out its role in e-publishing. Amazon and Barnes and Noble both have ways to self-publish books for the Kindle and Nook. I’ve bought some books from http://www.lulu.com that can also be read through an e-reader. I have a Kindle, so I read a lot of books from there. I’ve found some really great books from writers I’m sure I would never have thought to read if not for recommendations online based on other finished books.
This past week, E.L. James got the star treatment from her independently published book Fifty Shades of Grey. Started as a piece of fan fiction for Twilight, the book was self-published by James, who worked as a television producer in London. Through the bidding war for the movie rights, James was offered $5 million for the rights. Although the book eventually did get a publishing deal, she reaped the benefits of the immediate popularity, and continues to benefit now with a paperback version to be released this month.
There is more to discuss about self-publishing, and articles like this one from The Atlantic highlight the ins and outs. However, I want to question the immediate rise of Fifty Shades. First of all, to use the word salacious (a word the narrator Anastasia uses a lot) is an understatement. It has been dubbed “mommy romance” and other not-as-clean descriptors. The characters are not rounded, and the language is clichéd. Yes, I read it, and I’m left unsatisfied.
The erotic book tops the New York Times bestselling e-books list. If you’re considering self-publishing, you can’t help but wonder how to get on that same list. But I question if it takes titillating subject matter to get that kind of flash attention? James is not the only successful independent author out there, but she’s definitely hit the jackpot. I have no interest in following in her bawdy footsteps. But she’s definitely got my attention as it could be the beginning of a change in the publishing world.
Tagged: Atlantic, E-book, James, London, Nook, Publishing, Self-publishing, The New York Times Best Seller list, writing
Falls Into Writing 
Yes. I’ve written more than my share of blog posts on the subject. The self-publishing boom is producing a ton of garbage right now. The bright side of this is that it will even out and eventually the people who keep at it will be the ones who survive.
What’s hard is knowing that something like this book made it all the way to the millions and got a huge movie deal. I’ll have to search your archives on your thoughts.
Have to admit….I gave ‘Fifty Shades’ a read purely because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and was left completely confused by it.
The writing just isn’t very good; it’s hackneyed and full of cliches, the characters are flat and wooden, and the story/plot left me cringing and angry.
Don’t get me wrong I think it’s wonderful that a self-published author can hit the jackpot like E L James has, but despair that it’s with something like this.
I’ve read some wonderful self-published work (on my kindle mostly) that is well written and insightful but hasn’t got anywhere near the momentum and recognition that this has.
As a writer it makes me sad, as it reader I despair.
Great post.