Self Publishing Expo

This is from the peops at mediabistro.com. I actually had planned to attend this last year but my schedule and budget didn't allow. They are featuring a manuscript critique which I think is great for self published authors. The cost is $125 to attend the seminars and panels, and $350 if you want go as an exhibitor and sell your books. It looks like they've got some great sponsors this year, and with shift in attitudes about self-publishing, I'd be surprised if there weren't an editor or agent or two attending to find some new talent. Might be worth a trip!


Self-Publishing Book Expo Will Feature On-Site Manuscript Critique
By Maryann Yin on Sep 16, 2010 08:23 AM

The Self-Publishing Expo will take place on October 2nd in New York City. The Expo will feature a random drawing, awarding one lucky reader a free self-publishing package from CreateSpace worth $1,798.

Scheduled panels include "Do I Need an Agent?", "Working with Your Local Bookstore", and "Design & Illustration, How Your Cover Can Sell Covers." Industry speakers who will participate include Andy Carpenter (Principle ACD & Co.), Jeff Reich (The Writer Magazine) and Liz Perl (Simon & Schuster).

Besides a packed schedule of panels and speakers, attendees can look forward to "a special one-on-one editorial manuscript evaluation. Participants are asked to submit a 1-2 page synopsis and a 5-page sample in advance of the show. Each submission will be evaluated by a member of the Consulting Editors Alliance and each participant will get a one-on-one feedback session at the Expo."

Self Publishing is...IN?

A lot has changed in the year since I self published my debut novel, The Bum Magnet in October 2009. And I do mean a lot. When I first considered putting my book out myself, just after the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards Contest had dashed my hopes for an “easy” road to a publishing contract, self published authors were still the scourge of the publishing world. You could hardly speak the word “self-publish” without watching someone’s face curl in disgust. Why in the world could you possibly want to put your book out there yourself when there’s all these publishing houses and big advances to be had in the traditional route? Or…if you can’t find a traditional house, then your work must really suck, so why would you want to embarrass yourself. Or…self published authors, on average, only sell 50-100 books (a few more if you have a larger social network), so why waste your time?

As a matter of fact, the only segments of the publishing industry who didn’t shun self published authors were the authors themselves or the range author support business who wanted to exploit them for the thousands of dollars many were willing to invest to get their masterpieces in book form.

My, my, my how times change. One year later and now even reputable major news papers like the New York Times are touting self publishing as a viable option. Don’t believe me? Check it out for yourself here, here, here, and here. It’s amazing to me how quickly perceptions about self publishing are shifting. Amazing. As more authors come into the fray and find success, industry perceptions shift. Self publishing isn’t a dirty word anymore. As a matter of fact, some authors like J.A. Konrath are making a good living from his titles listed on Amazon’s Kindle book store.

In a time not too long ago, literary agents and industry experts would tell authors that if they self-publish their book, they would NEVER be considered by traditional publishers. Such advice was prevalent…all the way up until traditional publishers started plucking authors from the ranks of the self published, like Lisa Genova, Boyd Morrison Zane, Mary B. Morrison, E. Lynn Harris, and the list goes on and on, giving them advances and turning some into instant best sellers. I know of several deals in the last year where self published authors with Kindle e-book best sellers were offered book deals by big six publishers. Now? Publishers, like Louise Burke at my own pocket books, say that they trawl the Internet looking for self published books that are generating great buzz and reviews so they can snap them up. It’s a win-win situation for them so why not? Self published authors are coming to houses big and small with market-tested material, minimizing the financial gamble that publishers have to take, particularly in today’s sluggish economic climate. As time goes on, I believe self publishing could become the new slush pile.

What’s more? Publishers Weekly, which used to fall in stark opposition to self published authors within industry debates, has recently changed its tune. Not only do they say self publishing is “getting respect,” they are launching a service geared toward self published authors, including a supplement to their magazine that features self published works and a slim chance at getting a their book reviewed…for a “small” fee of course. While many argue that their service should be free to authors, the point is that even PW had to face the hard truth—self publishing not only isn’t going away, it is growing and becoming more legitimate in the eyes of the general public everyday.

So, what’s my point you ask?

My point is simply this…if the so-called stigma of self publishing is one of the reasons (excuses) you’ve used not to put your book out there yourself, scratch that one off the list. If cost is an issue, you’re on the cheap indie author’s blog—use the vast information I’ve provided to help you publish on the cheap. Don’t let your work collect dust in a drawer. Dig it out, polish it up, and publish it.