Avoiding mainstream publishing.

I made an early choice to avoid mainstream publishing. In fact, the only way I was lured back into writing at all was because I could dodge that whole process. (I had three mainstream mass market books published in the early 80's--but it was such a huge hassle, I decided it wasn't worth it.)

But like many people I talk to, I assumed self-publishing was a vanity thing.

My friend, Jared Folkins came in with a short story starring a drunken spaceship captain named "Duncan McGeary." I thought it was really good.

"Keep writing," I said, "and when you get an agent, hook me up."

Jared then proceeded to explain to me the new world of publishing, which completely opened my eyes.

Nevertheless, when I finished "Led to the Slaughter" and thought it pretty good, I sent sample chapters to over 100 agents, In return, I got 60 form rejections and 40 non-answers.

I was stunned. I'd been published before, I'd had an agent before, and most importantly, I'd told enough people the idea of combining the Donner Party with werewolves to know that it was a pretty good idea,

Here's the thing. I didn't necessarily expect any agents to take me on, but I did expect some interaction. Having the door slammed in my face was the shocker.

Anyway, I thought to myself, "Fine. I'll do it myself like I planned."

Eventually, I did go with smaller publishers, because I simply have no way to promote myself. But I was blissfully ignoring "The Big Five" (five publishers who encompass most of mainstream) until the executive editor of the sixth largest American publisher contacted me, told me he thought "Led to the Slaughter" was a "brilliant premise and beautifully written" and asked if I wanted to try to write something for him.

I ended up selling him a "ghostwritten" book for an author who--and I'm not exaggerating--whose every book makes it into the top ten mass market best sellers (despite the author having been dead for years. Heh,) Got paid pretty well for it, too,

I'd hoped this would be a entry for a book under my own name. I offered him "Deadfall Ridge," which I thought was a good book.

No answer, Not a rejection...just no answer at all. I asked him if he was interested in "anything I've sent" him. Apparently, that was too uppity because I've now not heard back for two years. Meanwhile, the book I sold, which was incredibly timely when I sent it, has been gathering dust.

So that was my current experience with mainstream publishing. Meanwhile, "Deadfall Ridge" went on to do very well for itself.

So that's the end of that.

But now, I think: "Thank God."

1.) The demise of Baker & Taylor is yet another indication that mainstream publishing is struggling.
2.) Barnes and Noble is rickety, and if they go under, it will be another dagger in the heart.
3.) I see authors all the time swallowed up by mainstream publishing, trapped by the slower schedules and lack of promotion on the part of the publishers. I see authors being dropped when they don't hit it big. I figure many of them just give up.
4.) I felt I was treated badly by the mainstream agents and publishers in my first writing career, and this latest experience, if anything, has shown that matters have gotten worse.
5.) The irony is that we'll all--mainstream and indie writers alike--will be dependent on Amazon. So why not cut out the middle man and go directly to Amazon?

But mostly, I love writing the books I want when I want and seeing them in print relatively fast, with at least as good covers and editing as mainstream, and probably no less promotion that I would get from the Big Five, and with immediate communication with my publishers (along with encouragement and respect),

Like running my own business for the last 35 years, I love the independence of it, and I suspect that I'm much happier than I would be dealing with mainstream publishing.