Thank you for this! As a newbie to the forum, I have to admit that this forum title had me more than a little offended, along with the requirement that we use "self-publishing" in this way. I understand and respect the rules of the group...but I had felt as if this was an insult to a group of writers. Your explanation makes it not quite as offensive to me.
I think I'm just hyper-sensitive. Been insulted for my publishing choices a few too many times!
I really like your explanation!
*smiles* I'm glad it helped. I've been an avid reader longer than a lot of today's writers have been alive and I have tremendous respect for writers. And though I do write and have written, I can't write fiction to save my life—I just don't have the storytelling gene. And that hurts my heart.
Thank you. That's good to know. I love encouraging other authors, and I love what I do passionately. I'm comfortable with the choices I've made.
This seems like a very good place to hang out. I'm enjoying getting to know everyone...and hope that I can learn to use these terms with clarity because I also would not want to inadvertently insult anyone!
I wonder if it is just me that grew up with "self publishing" being used as a derogatory term?
I think it's unfortunate that self-publishing has a poor reputation. I read three to five books a week and have for as long I can remember (that's a long, long time) and a quick count for the past two years indicates that just over a third of the books I've purchased for my Kindle were self-published. In fact, the two most amazing YA fantasy series I've read and reread over that two-year period were self-published with obvious care and attention to detail. So here's where I think—and that's just my opinion—the problem with self-publishing's reputation comes in: impatience; i.e., books that aren't ready are being self-published. Too many of those books I bought needed an editor. The stories had great potential—
those authors definitely have the storytelling gene—but in a number of cases, the writing chops just. weren't. there. yet. Also, I know misspellings happen and if there aren't too many, I just gloss over them. Malapropisms are another deal entirely; those can ruin a story and cause me to close a book even when I want to know how it ends.
So, if this reader has one piece of advice for writers, it's this: make your word choices with care.