I think I’ve commented before on the schism between webcomics and print comics. Let me explain. No, there is no time. Let me sum up. There are a number of print comics who believe that only those who have been accepted by a syndicate are to be considered “professional”. Webcomicers are merely overrated T-shirt vendors.
It got me wondering if publishing houses would look upon their digital rivals in the same way. Or, are they even rivals at all? Here’s how I look at it. Before the advent of the Intertube, writers who wanted their work published had to go through one of the major players. Otherwise, their manuscript would never make it to print and thus never find an audience.
Now, the author has the ability to reach thousands upon thousands of people through a digital medium; be it online journals or digital distribution through devices such as Amazon’s Kindle. Not only that, but bookstores themselves are starting to offer small-scale publishing through the Espresso Book Machine.
More creative control goes to the author since she doesn’t have to submit to the whims of a publisher worried about whether or not it’s a risky investment. Bookstores cut their overhead by not having to buy a ton of books up-front and hoping that they’ll sell. More choice is given to the consumer and the purchasing process is made simpler; no more “Sorry, that book is out of stock”. Seems like a win-win to me.
Yet the prejudice remains against the self-published. I think the root lies in the competitive nature inherent in the publishing culture. There is a sense that only the books deemed worthy of publication by a panel of editors deserve to be read by the public. Now, I am in no way trying to detract from an editor’s ability to determine what is quality material. They spend their careers reading through a lot of dreck searching for the diamond in an ever growing see of rough. But I can also see the argument that they are like the movie critic who can determine whether or not a movie gets released.
Of course, seeing as how I’m trying to get a job with a number of these companies, I could just be a gigantic hypocrite.
