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| Rick Daley |
Time
is a precious commodity. The mandatory activities that so rapidly consume it—the
day job, soccer tournaments, swim meets, cooking, and yard work—take such a
toll there’s hardly time to exercise, or take my wife out for dinner. On top of
that, I need to make time to write. The time I have left for pleasure reading (oh,
that lonely, meager amount) … well, it cannot be wasted. Or rather, I cannot
stand to see it wasted, because surely it can be.
When
I invest my time in a book, I need to get something out of it. I either want to
lose myself in the entertainment of genre-fiction (i.e. haves me some brain
candy!), or I need to be actively engaged in learning new things (i.e. get my
geek on). Many Kudos to the author if I can achieve both in a single read … That’s
awesome! But honestly, I’m fine with just one or the other. I like to have
options.
So
that being said, let me tell you why I’m taking the time to read Indiestructible … and it’s not just because
I am a contributing author. This collection of personal essays is entertaining and
thought-provoking. I’m honored to share the pages of Indiestructible with Jessica and the other fine authors who donated
their precious time to help provide advice and encouragement to writers of all
levels and genres.
Independent
publishing is not going away. It’s a new frontier for small business, both in
America and abroad, and there are many who are working hard to bring great books
to market. It doesn’t represent giving in, giving up, or copping out. It’s a
lot of work, an investment of time, and an honorable endeavor.
Some
people still question indie quality, though. Are there issues with indie book
quality, since there are no gatekeepers, and professional editing is optional?
It depends on what you consider quality, and what you classify as an issue.
Think
of it this way: The tomatoes you buy at the supermarket look good … they’re all
the same size, and each one is all shiny and round. At the farmer’s market, though,
the tomatoes look more … real. Instead of being smooth and uniform they have
contour and diversity. And the flavor. You don’t get that same robust flavor
from the mass-produced tomatoes.
Think
of indie publishing as your local farmer’s market, with fresh organic wares,
not the mega-supermarket waxed-fruit that is Big Five Publishing. It’s small
business going up against the corporation.
Please
help support it. Every voice counts!
________________________
 |
| Just $0.99 on Amazon |
100% of proceeds will be donated to BUILDON.org, a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.
Contributing authors:
Alex J. Cavanaugh <> Angela Brown <> Anne R. Allen <> Briane Pagel <> C.S. Lakin <> Ciara Knight <> Cindy M. Hogan <> D. Robert Pease <> Dawn Ius <> Emily White <> Greg Metcalf <> Jadie Jones <> Jessica Bell <> Karen
Bass <> Karen Walker <> Kristie Cook <> Laura Diamond <> Laura Pauling <> Laurel Garver <> Leigh Talbert Moore <> Lori Robinson <> Melissa Foster <> Michael Offutt <> Michelle Davidson Argyle <> Rick Daley <> Roz Morris <> S.R. Johannes <> Stephen Tremp <> Susan Kaye Quinn
________________________
About Rick Daley:
Rick Daley
lives in Lewis Center, OH with his wife and two sons, and they all live with a
neurotic schnauzer named Leo. His hobbies include cooking, playing guitar and
bass, running, yoga, and wrestling great white sharks.
Just kidding about that last one.
Rick is the author of THE MAN IN THE
CINDER CLOUDS, a gripping tale about Kris Kringle and how he came to be known
as Santa Claus. It wasn’t easy. It’s a fun read during any season for anyone
who has ever believed in Santa Claus.
Rick is also the author of RUDY TOOT-TOOT, a
hilarious tale about self-control (and the lack thereof) that will keep kids in
grades 2-4 laughing … and turning the pages.
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I enjoyed that analogy comparing the indie market to the farmer's market. And just like the indie market, the farmers put their wares on display showcasing the high level of work - or lower - that went into producing the diverse end product to choose from.
ReplyDeleteI think the high end of quality in both traditional and indie publishing has become the same. People are choosing their options, and great books are being put out in both forms. I think the bottom end is very different, though. Anything can (and will) be published through self-pub. There's a large amount of fairly unreadable stuff on the market that the reader has to navigate. But, at the same time, I don't really think this is a problem. It doesn't take long to make a judgment about things (a blurb, the first page, etc.), and the community plays a bigger role. I think people who read indie books tend to be tapped into the online world: they'll read online reviews, hang out on Goodreads (or other such sites), and connect with friends to find out what's good. This can actually have a lot of benefits with regard to having a vibrant reading culture, where we actually talk about books and stories. Though, you know, there are trolls, too. But I hear they taste excellent once barbecued.
ReplyDeleteYou gotta cook 'em low and slow, that's the trick.
DeleteThe quality can be just as good on both sides - or just as bad.
ReplyDeleteBryan's comment above about people who read indies are those who are connected online is probably very true. Another author posted about her visit to a high school this week, and out of ninety students, not one was on Goodreads and all of their favorite books and authors came from the largest publishers.
The tomatoes are a good analogy. And I think the farmers are getting better about what they bring to market--some great rare heirloom stuff. But I DO think there are still farmers bringing things that aren't ripe yet, or worse have some rot to them. I read my indies mostly by recommendation from other writers because they have standards that suit me. I've had books recommended by non-readers and they are less squirmish about poor writing if the story is good... Me, I don't need error-free, but it needs to be close.
ReplyDeleteNice to see you here, Rick! Self publishing is an alternative and I plan to keep it mind when I'm tired of rejections. Not an option at the moment. Good luck to those of you traveling the self-publishing road. Many seem to be agree it's a better option.
ReplyDeleteNIce three package set, Jessica. I'm reading the Six Senses at the moment.
Thanks! I've been very under the radar for the past year, my day job is like a day and evening and some weekends job. It's really cramping my style, but food and a mortgage are kind of cool so I roll with it, you know?
DeleteThe Farmer's Market analogy is a little confusing, but so what! I get the point, and it's a valid one.
ReplyDeleteJust say E-I-E-I-O t the end of it and it all makes perfect sense ;-)
DeleteLove the Farmer's Market analogy... but then again, I loves me some big tomaters!!! Off now to buy the book. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteGreat analogy! Everyone's got a choice. It doesn't get any better than that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback...And thanks again to Jessica for putting this project together, and giving me the opportunity to participate!
ReplyDeleteI don't question quality of Indie books anymore, but that question was erased in my mind a couple years ago. Now I choose books based on my style and I'm not afraid to try new ones!
ReplyDelete