If you're an indie author, thank you for all your writing and publishing work, and for flying the flag for self-publishing in 2017.
On your behalf I'd like to extend my thanks too to the ALLi team, for their continued dedicated service to fostering ethics and excellence in self-publishing: Dan, David, Debbie, Howard, Jay, John, Michael and Sarah… take a bow.
What indie authors do is important. We sometimes have to endure misunderstanding, snobbery or hostility, but we know that everyone who self-publishes well is advancing an important cause.
Not just through the ideas and insights we spread through our writing but also how we run our author business.
Not just what we publish but how we publish. Not just the method of publication but the intention behind it.
Back in 1934, the writing teacher Dorothea Brande wrote about the impact of a good book, in her book, Becoming A Writer. “If it is sensational, shoddy, or vulgar our lives are the poorer for the cheap ideals which it sets in circulation; if, as so rarely happens, it is a thoroughly good book, honestly conceived and honestly executed, we are all indebted to it.”
Through our readers, through our other products and services, and through the press, PR, social media and other promotion we do to support our books, when we do our job well, our influence reaches wide and deep.
This is equally true of author business.
Just like the impact of a good book, it's hard to overstate the positive impact of an honestly conceived, passion-powered, well-run, author enterprise.
In addition to our ideas, we are showing by influence and example that this is the creative age, that writers don't have to ask permission anymore, that we can walk our own way not just to publication but all the way into a creative life that works, for us, and for our families and our communities.
We hope we've helped you along your way in 2017 and look forward to working with you again next year.
We'll be on holiday from 23rd Dec through Jan 2nd but the blog will run over the break, to look back at the self-publishing year and look forward to what's coming for indie authors in 2018.
So stay tuned.
In the meantime:
