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GRANT LEISHMAN

publishing rules - what a load of old bollocks!

10/1/2017

8 Comments

 
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Every so often, I get my blood boiled a little by some arrogant, mealy-mouthed, so-called expert who pontificates on Facebook or wherever, that there is so much crap in the e-book marketplace and that it demeans the other indie authors' work.
It is a crock of shit!
This is just a continuation of the age-old argument and fallacy that was perpetuated by those in the publishing industry.
We know better than you and we will tell you what you can and cannot read.
For well over a hundred years now, a small group of self-appointed experts has decided what the great reading public will have the opportunity to read.
THOSE DAYS ARE GONE FOREVER!    

The ability to easily self-publish through Kindle Direct and Createspace, among others, has exploded both the e-book and paperback book world, like never before - AND THIS IS A GOOD THING! 
I know there are other outlets for e-books online, but I'll focus on Amazon simply because they are the behemoth of the industry. Amazon is a marketplace and like any good marketplace, it is the market that will sort out the good from the bad, the wheat from the chaff. Most importantly of all, it is no longer the role of some self-appointed Gods to decided who will publish and who won't.
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I get extremely hot under the collar when someone tells me (and many other indie authors) that if we can't afford to hire a professional editor, then we should wait until we can, before publishing.
THIS IS A CROCK OF SHIT AS WELL!
When we, as independent authors set out to write our masterpieces, not one of us, for a second, thinks it is or will be good enough, but it is our baby. It is the sum collection of our dreams, our hopes, our aspirations and most of all our imaginations. For many of us it is the culmination of years of thought, plans and sheer hard work and we all, to the best of our abilities and finances try to polish it and make it perfect, but in the end, we publish what we believe is the best we can produce.
Yes, I'm sure it would be lovely to have it polished and tweaked by some industry professional, and believe me, we ALL aspire for perfection, but if you think I or my friends are going to hold back from the opportunity to publish our work and share it, just because it doesn't meet your "professionally edited" standards, then think again.

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There is this perception among the literary establishment, that indie authors can't or won't conform to the rules of grammar and style. My answer to this is whose grammar and style are we talking about here? The grammar and style that most of us of my generation learned at school and University no longer has absolute power in the world of publishing. 
There is a new generation of readers who frankly couldn't give a flying rat's behind about grammar and style. What concerns them is story. The baby-boomers still desperately hanging on, for dear life, to their Oxford comma's and dangling participles are a dying breed and will quickly find themselves in the minority as they depart this mortal coil.
Accept it people, our way of writing is disappearing quickly and soon all of the self-effected elitists and grammar nuts will go the way of the dinosaurs.    

The real success of the "Self-Publishing Revolution" is revealed to me every single day as I read cutting-edge, fresh, exciting and new literature from fiercely proud and fiercely competent indie authors.
​

Whether you like them or not:


INDIE AUTHORS ARE HERE TO STAY IN ALL THEIR GLORY AND NON-POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.
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Finally, a tiny little plug for myself. If you'd like to read some good, honest, stories, with heart and soul, self-edited for sure, with a minimum of errors (but I'm sure some, nonetheless), by all means, pop on over to Amazon and check out my portfolio to date: 

Till next time, have a wonderful, peace-filled day! 
CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!

EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITIES LIFE PRESENTS TO YOU AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!

HAVE A GREAT LIFE AND SPREAD THE LOVE!

CHANGING THE WORLD – ONE READER AT A TIME
8 Comments
Angel Ramon Medina link
10/1/2017 09:25:45

Which is the building blocks of what my writing group is built upon! Well said my friend, rules are for squares. We indies will take over soon enough and we will do double better. Much love and respect. Rock on!

Reply
Grant Leishman
10/1/2017 10:25:28

Cheers for that Angel. Appreciate your support and your comments.

Reply
Fred
10/1/2017 13:14:07

Excellent post! Very, very true. It's a brave new world and there's some great books being written and published by unknown and indie authors!

Reply
Grant Leishman
10/1/2017 17:12:55

Thank you so much for your comment Fred. Yes, it is a brave new world and there are some stunningly good indie authors out there, many of whom I am privileged to call my friends. Indie authors will be in the majority before very long, of that I am certain.

Reply
Dusti Rodes link
10/1/2017 14:07:08

"Thank you for this, it makes all the drudgery of the establishment view, disappear into the ether.
As someone who is proud to be known as a 'poet', even though it has never been fashionable, I always say that it has taken me over fifty years now to develop 'my voice' I don't intend to stop anytime soon! My writing may not be much but it will be the legacy that I leave the world!"

Reply
Grant
10/1/2017 17:11:02

As someone who is totally in awe of poets and their skills, thank you for your comment. Yes, you are so right. Our legacy to this world is our writing and to hell with what the "establishment" thinks about us.

Reply
Catherine Byrne link
10/1/2017 17:46:21

While I think good editing is a must, I agree that we all don't need a professional editor. I edit my own work (and often for others too) Check me out for quality.
In fact I have seen some dreadfully edited work for which the author paid, not one, but two professional editors. I also do my own covers (another no no)
But -- bad English is off-putting for me.

Reply
Grant Leishman
11/1/2017 06:19:56

Thanks for the comment Catherine. I totally agree, editing is a must, but we all do what we can to make our work as perfect as possible and sometimes that does just mean self-editing. I also have seen many instances where "professional editors" have left books still riddled with typos and errors. I do proofreading also for others (often unpaid) but it is about helping where you can. The object of my blog was to stimulate discussion about the way some Indie authors are condescending and patronising to others and it certainly seemed to achieve that. Thanks for your participation in the discussion.

Reply



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