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Notes -
I just picked up the first Craig Alanson book, Columbus Day. It’s so painfully self-published. Minimal cover, no logos, I’m not even sure it had a copyright page. And there is a distinct lack of editing. This made more sense when I read the author’s note in the back, in which he expressed shock and delight at the reception for what he described as “talking beer can” novels.
He also wrote about the Amazon self-publishing process. I think it’s pretty neat that was even possible. What would have been a total vanity project in 1970 has shifted more and more towards viability. Not for everyone, but as a way to clear these underserved markets.
But prestige can’t be democratized like publishing. It’s much closer to zero-sum. Every award that goes to a webnovel is one that doesn’t go to an ingroup novel. I don’t just mean that in a CW sense; conventional awards are entwined with conventional publishing, so they’re incentivized to hype up the latter.
Point is, I think the practicality of self-publishing is directly opposed to success in the awards and conventional publishers. It’s a threat.
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