Monday, March 18, 2013

"Torpedo of Publishing Truth Tour - Stop 1"

"Torpedo of Publishing Truth Tour - Stop 1"

"I'm not fair game. I'm not a soft target. It's over. There's a new sheriff in town. And he has an army of assassins." -Charlie Sheen

Welcome to the first stop of the Violent Torpedo of Truth Tour 2013! First off, a big thank you to my good friend Gene. I decided to make this stop about shattering the stigma of self-publishing for two reasons. First off, Gene has agreed to begin writing novels in the Gunship series along side me. And second, he's the most positive person I know.

So let's break the stigma of self-published authors, shall we? You know, the one that has tried to convince readers it's not to be respected. A last ditch effort by an aspiring author to see his or her work in print. To shatter this stigma, we first need to look to its origin. Traditional publishing houses and their authors. Yes, it's true, the gatekeepers have lost their foothold on the industry and their tactics are sad and trollish. Together, they have crushed the dreams of many.

The truth is, if you're publishing with a traditional house or plan to, unless it's for a six-digit contract you're an idiot. Pardon my brashness, but the chants of idiot continue to rise from the smoldering dust of an industry that once was. Because the truth of the matter is, self-published authors are published authors. And while those who once controlled the path to legitimacy would have you believe we are simply broken authors huddled at our car trunks selling garbage, the fact is we have forced our way into legitimate best-seller lists everywhere. Here, let me prove my point: http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/self-published-authors-take-two-of-top-five-spots-as-prices-edge-up-for-ebook-best-sellers/

Why is this industry filled with those who are bitter and want to see you fail? Simply put, they worked hard to get to the party and cannot stand to see anyone show up without an invitation. They feel they've earned their stripes and taken the hard road, only to see us show up surrounded by pretty girls in our shiny new Lincolns.
No traditionally published author wants to see you do well as a self-published author. It makes them feel less spectacular. So what is the trick to success? Like a Lindsay Lohan mug shot, there are many. But none more important than confidence.

I cannot tell you how often I talk to an aspiring author who lacks confidence. Simply looking for a traditional publishing contract in order to feel accepted, feel as though they belong at the party. Before publishing Gunship, I was in talks with TOR, which is respected by every science fiction reader. As I began to realize they take stories and alter them for the sake of money(which I understand from a business viewpoint), I began to realize that I like my party better. I like the idea of being creative, in control of my own product and ended the talks on my own terms.

So as an author, if you've been rejected by traditional publishing houses, don't despair. Do what I did, arrive to the party with a prettier girl then they had and upstage them. That's what happened with Gunship, and it continues to crush many TOR authors. Self-publish your work instead, it's a lot of work, but there is success to be had from it.

And if you're an aspiring author, don't allow another author or publishing company to beat you down. Don't seek a vote of legitimacy from these trolls, because the hardest person to convince should be yourself. Once you truly believe you are an author...you are an author.
The great Rocky Balboa once said:
"Who's got the right to tell you that(no), who? Nobody! It's your right to listen to your gut, it ain't nobody's right to say no after you earned the right to be where you want to be and do what you want to do!... You know, the older I get the more things I gotta leave behind, that's life. The only thing I'm asking you guys to leave on the table... is what's right."

If you enjoyed the blog, be sure to check out at http://tinyurl.com/gunshipportal, and feel free to contact me on Twitter(@johndavisbooks) if you need any help along the way! Thanks again to Gene Yohannan for hosting the first stop of this rocking tour! Next stop, http://lostdutchmanghost.wix.com/blog-books-and-more as I talk target marketing.




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