Seeing as how I am not quite finished my planned editorial (teaser: a look at what the world would be like if it were run by Fans) I will instead take this space to mention an ad program we are working on for the magazine.
Over the past ten years my personal attitude towards self-publishing indie publishing has evolved in a BIG way, evidenced in no small way by the strikeout that appears in this sentence.
I don’t mind admitting that I was “agin” the whole thing.
My personal history (stretching back to the Eisenhower Administration) had informed me that there were certain ways to do things, and those certain ways were done those ways for good and certain reasons. Like magazine and publishing editors were supposed to be gatekeepers on the quality of the work that was allowed to be seen by the public and that “vanity presses” were just that, if not outright scams, preying on the hopes and desires of people who fancied themselves “authors”.
Don’t get me wrong. I obviously (magazine publisher) still believe that there is a place and a need for the presence of experienced professionals to serve in critical roles (the definition of critical here referring to critique) that can help shape, improve and focus not only an individual author’s works, but the field as well.
But there is also something to be said for the opening up of opportunity and for placing more control into the hands of the creator. It’s no secret that there are at least a good handful of traditionally published works that were initially stymied because they could not find a “fit” within the traditional structure. Their subsuquent success has proven beyond question that “art” and “business” do not always align and, in failing to do so, deny us all many opportunities.
Not to mention that those same business pressures have gutted the ranks of the midlist, again, removing valuable works from the mix.
Enter the ability to self-publish and, perhaps more importantly, to self-market. As so much of science fiction has suggested over the past 9 decades, technology & science will provide.
I should have known that the early years of self-publishing were going to be a “cluster”. But I was looking at things from the inside and it struck a personal chord – the one informed by a drawer-full of rejection slips, the one that said, to me, that short-cuts were not a legitimate way to become an author.
Fast-forward a decade. Indie authors are finding success and acclaim – especially those who have recognized that there is something to be said in favor of those gatekeeper functions, whether they be crowd-sourced or the hiring of professionals to fill that much needed outside perspective.
By the time that SFWA opened up membership to Indie Authors, I had changed my mind; I put my two cents in, strongly advocating for the inclusion of Indie authors in that organization, believing, as I still do, that both the author and the organization benefit. The author by gaining access to the many services SFWA provides and perhaps most importantly, putting these new authors in touch with seasoned professionals. The organization by gaining access to new generations, new thought, new sensibilities.
For many of the same reasons, we have decided, here at Amazing HQ, to offer an advertising program specifically targeted at Indie Authors, designed to compliment, enhance and leverage the other promotional efforts that Indie Authors engage in, priced at what we believe is a very affordable rate, well in line with the kinds of budgets that Indie Authors have for such things.
The program includes both print, electronic and web-based components and is designed to offer extended exposure.
Seeing as how many Indie authors have set up their own small presses and author collectives, this program is open to small and micro presses as well.
We’re rolling out the program this week, so if you are interested, please feel free to contact me here at Amazing. (Steve at amazingstories.com)
