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Vision 80

 

Indie Corner:

The New World of Publishing:

Different, Yet the Same

By

J.A. Marlow

Website

Copyright © 2015, Lazette Gifford, All Rights Reserved

 

Traditional.

Small press.

E-First.

Indie.

Hybrid.

So many ways to publish and to get published. At first glance they appear so different. But, on second glance? Do all of the above have anything in common?

Something very basic, something that has not changed even in this new world of indie publishing: The need for education.

Education requires research to gather good information to help you make good decisions. Just like in the rest of life, we continue to learn and grow with time. With the world of publishing changing from practically day-to-day, this is all the more important, especially if one wants a long-term career in the field.

So, as a final article for the Vision Indie Corner column, I wanted to provide a few links to help you along your way.

Forward Motion for Writers: Forward Motion remains active and is a great place for questions, support, and for asking for advice. Not only about the writing process itself, but also about the various publishing paths. From the start Forward Motion encouraged active writing and staying in the writing habit and that will not change.

Forward Motion Indie Publishing Board: Located in the Forward Motion forums, this board will continue to provide information, help, and resources. To encourage productivity, Forward Motion hosts the yearly publishing "Indie 'No Fear' Challenge" (link: http://fmwriters.com/zoomfm/index.php/forum/indie-no-fear-challenge/3890-2015-indie-no-fear-challenge-guidelines).

"Reference Guide to Indie Publishing: This is a reference document located in the "Indie Publishing Board" in the Forward Motion forums. It is continually updated with new information, distribution opportunities, how-to's, reference links, and more.

The Copyright Handbook: What Every Writer Needs to Know by Stephen Fishman J.D.: This book is essential as it deals directly with copyright law and how it pertains to writers. Read it! Understand what copyright is. Understand what it is you are licensing or selling. NOTE: This reference book is primarily for United States copyright law.

Directory of Literary Lawyers: This is a constantly updated list of Intellectual Property lawyers specializing in the publishing business. You will want one of these on your side not only for any publishing contract, but to also look for problems and copyright grabs in agent/agency contracts. Some literary writers can also act as an agent, and will typically do so for a set fee instead of a percentage for the lifetime of a contract.

Writer Beware Resources Writer Beware Blog The Writer Beware websites are a great resource to check before accepting any proposal or contract, clueing you in on problem publishers, agents, agencies, and outright scams.

The Passive Voice: The Passive Guy gathers publishing and writing articles from all over the internet on a daily basis, helping a writer to keep up to date with new developments. This will help you know the players as well as any current issues.

Kris Rusch's Freelancer's Survival Guide: Unless a writer is on-staff, they are pretty much independent freelancers. Kris Rusch put out a series of posts with practical advice and information for anyone trying to survive in the writing market.

"Killing The Sacred Cows of Publishing" by Dean Wesley Smith: Just like in many aspects of life, there are myths that are taken as truth. Dean tackles various subjects in the publishing field and reveals the truth about many of these myths. Even more great information can be found in the comments section where other long-time professionals replied with their own information and stories. A great eye-opening series!

David Gaughran: David has been keeping track of various issues in the Indie Publishing sphere, including the many insidious and changing forms/names of Author Solutions.

Joanna Penn: Joanna put together several great reference lists concerning not only the publishing process, but also writing, marketing, and making a living.

Joel Friedlander of "The Book Designer": Not only is this the home of the "E-Book Cover Design Awards", but it's also a great place for various articles about Indie Publishing. Plus, once a week he does a wrap-up of various interesting blogs and articles around the net.

There are so many other references and help around that it would be impossible to list them all. The above will get you started. The world of publishing is changing fast and in unexpected ways. Remain diligent and committed to continuing your publishing and writing education.

You will never regret it.