Guest
post by Tahlia Newland
The
advent of ebooks and print-on-demand technology have revolutionised publishing.
For the first time ever, it is relatively cheap and easy for anyone to publish
a book. That is wonderful news for the authors with excellent stories who just
missed out on getting a publishing deal. Such authors can now take their books
directly to their readers; and if they have a professional attitude, get the
help they need, and follow the exact same steps as those taken by a traditional
publishing house, their book can be as good as anything put out by a mainstream
publisher.
In that
scenario the reader gains access to many great books that they would never
otherwise see, sometimes for no other reason than that the time wasn't right
when the author approached a publisher. Books for niche markets appear, books
that would have been rejected as simply not in fashion, or as only relevant to
a small number of readers. The big publishers can't afford to take risks, but
authors can and will, and the result can be new and exciting literary
movements. That's the good news.
The bad
news is that if authors publish just because they can, without due consideration
as to whether or not their book is worth publishing, or if they aren't
well-educated and diligent in following due process, their product could be
substandard, and there is nothing to warn the readers. Instead of getting a
wider range of excellent books, the reader could face an overwhelming array of
poorly conceived and executed ones.
In
reality, both exist side by side, and since you really can't tell a book by its
cover, if you buy a self-published book without due research you risk getting a
bad one. On the other hand, if you refuse to buy self-published books you miss
out on the many gems available at bargain prices.
Mainstream
publishers were called the 'gatekeepers' because they kept the dross out of the
book market. In that climate, readers could be confident that anything they
bought would be a decent story and properly edited and produced. Now that
anyone can publish a book, that assurance is no longer there. This is a dilemma
for readers. How do they make sure they don't waste their money and time on an
inferior product?
Readers
don't want someone to tell them what they can or cannot read, but they also
don't want to have to try to work out if a book is of a professional standard
or not before they buy it. The gatekeepers aren't gone, but the fence has gone, and
if readers are to make the most of the influx of new reading material without
choking in the flotsam, they need someone to point them in the right direction.
It's not always the best books that float, either; many excellent ones drown due
to lack of marketing skills and advertising budget, and some poor quality books
float simply because their author knows how to market.
In this
climate, book review sites are vital, especially ones like Goodreads that show
a wide variety of reader opinion, but even more important are reviews by people
with qualifications in writing and editing. These are the people who know what
makes good writing and can evaluate the craftsmanship of a book. Following their
recommendations will save us from buying substandard books. This is the role of
the Awesome Indies site. You may not
necessarily like books listed on the site, but you can be sure that they are
well-written and produced.
The Awesome Indies only lists books that
reviewers with professional writing or editing qualifications have approved as
meeting the same standards as those published by mainstream publishers. If you
want to browse for the best Indie books, this is the place to do it. It’s kind of like a quality Indie
book store.
Here is a
quote from one reader that sums up how readers are responding to the site.
I found your site, its aims and
professional approach not only impressed but also enthused [me]. Here, it
appeared, I’d found a genuinely credible arbiter, a respected winnower of wheat
from chaff. Clive S. Johnson http://www.flyingferrets.com
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About the
author
Tahlia writes
contemporary fantasy and magical realism with a metaphysical twist for both
adults and young adults. She likes stories that are inspiring & empowering
and that question the nature of reality, mind and perception. She has published
several works of fiction, all awarded the Awesome Indies Seal of
Approval. Her most popular books are You
Can’t Shatter Me and Lethal Inheritance.
Tahlia is an
avid reader, a respected book
reviewer, an extremely casual high school teacher, and an occasional mask-maker. After scripting and
performing in Visual Theatre shows for 20 years, she is now a bone-fide
expatriate of the performing arts. She lives in an Australian rainforest, is
married with a teenage daughter and loves cats, but she doesn’t have one because
they eat native birds.
