The Cost of Independence

For years I have written fiction (and some non-fiction) and enjoyed the creative process immensely.  As I have mentioned before, it is like base jumping from Mount Everest without a parachute.  But the traditional publishing industry was always the daunting gauntlet I had to fight through (just like every other writer, poet, screenwright) just to get my stories published. 

I equate the attempt at traditional publishing (even of very short pieces of literature) as trying out for the Olympic team (winter or summer) or auditioning for the leading role in a major Hollywood box office epic.  It is fiercely competitive!  Even when what you have written is well-written and page-turning, it can still be rejected by numerous and varied editors of several magazines and publishing houses.  Depressing?  Mmmm, somewhat, maybe ... not really, really. 

I get it!  I surely do!  Especially now that I have gone over to the "indie" side of things.  Actually, I got it way before I decided to go indie with my stories, but now that I am in the mode of publishing my own pieces, and working with the digital platforms out there, finessing the distribution angle, the marketing involved, and all the editing (that must be done completely "in-house"), oh, yes, now I really understand why the publishing industry is so daunting. 

It's a business.  Pure and simple.  The stories are a product, and the publishers and the editors are acting in the very smart role of being business managers first.  They have to do so, otherwise they lose money, become unprofitable, and go out of business.

Now that I am doing things completely on my own, I see the amount of time and effort and capital that goes into the process of delivering a product (a story) to the market.  I always knew this on the subconscious level, but nothing brings clarity to the situation when confronted with the reality. 

So, I have a great appreciation for the traditional publishing industry.  Still, I am glad I made the move to go independent.  It is not without its additional work, but I love it anyway.  As the owner of a small business, I am already used to producing a product, finding customers, marketing, packaging, distributing, etc.  Hence, the extra things I must do now, time-consuming as they may be, are actually good fun! 

And when it is all done (if it ever really and truly is), I see the fruits of that labor in the form of a quality story that reaches many readers.  It costs considerably, but independence is exhilarating ... almost as exhilarating as base jumping from Mount Everest without a parachute.