Self Publishing is to Writers What American Idol is to Singers

Do you have a child or student who wants to be the next American Idol superstar?  The Fox megahit makes it possible for anyone to pursue their singing dreams.  But what if you have a student or child who harbors dreams of being a published author instead of a singer?

Recent articles appearing in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, and on websites like CCN.com, have prompted an increased interest in the concept of self-publishing. Yet, in spite of growing evidence that self-publishing is poised to replace (or at least match) traditional publishing in the future, many conventionally published authors (and those striving to become such) still view self-publishing with contempt because they feel self-publishing authors are "cheating" somehow. After all, getting a book published traditionally has always been "hard work."  Those who have done it (or long to) perhaps feel as if self-published authors are not paying their dues.

But are self-publishing writers really "cheating," or are they simply taking advantage of wide-spread changes taking place throughout the entertainment and business worlds?

Let's examine other industries:  The same Do-it-Yourself (DIY) fever is sweeping through the music industry. Or, to be more accurate, has already swept through the music industry.  Musicians (talented and otherwise) are no longer waiting for acceptance from the "establishment" and instead, are distributing their music through iTunes, finding their audiences through Myspace, and broadcasting their music videos via YouTube.   It is safe to say the music industry has irrevocably changed.  Musicians no longer give
95% of their Royalties to the "industry" and customers no longer buy CDs from brick-and-mortar music stores. 

Are these musicians cheating? No. They are still paying their dues, but now the invoice comes after their music has already become available. They still must market aggressively to obtain listeners, but at least they have something to market.   The audience determines which of those musicians
succeed and which of them fail. 

This is no different from the self-publishing book industry.

Is this "cheating," per se, or has the do-it-yourself mentality simply removed unnecessary hurdles that prevented talent from being discovered faster? You see, talent is the one common denominator and talent cannot be purchased. Cast members of Survivor have their fifteen minutes of fame and then disappear back into the abyss. The try-outs for American Idol feature thousands upon thousands of "hopefuls" standing in lines around city blocks and yet the main competition is comprised of just a handful.  Most had their
opportunity to shine, and their audience rejected them. But at least they received a shot.

As the recent New York Times article states, self-publishing companies are thriving, and that is because self-publishing companies give writers their shot, their fifteen minutes, their chance.  They are American Idol for writers. They make it easy to publish a book. If "publishing a book" is your dream, you're going to be happy with the result.  And if your dream is to be successful, famous, rich, or a combination of the three, you're going to receive your chance, but just like everyone else who is successful, famous, or rich, you are going to need to bring something special to the table.

Most reasonable people recognize this. Those who don't may become disillusioned, but listen - if it were easy to become a bestselling author, a multi-platinum recording artist, a player for the New York Knicks, or a
highly-sought-after runway model, then everyone would do it.  

It is safe to say that "becoming a rock star" is a dream that almost everyone can acknowledge, if not personally identify with; although if the ratings for American Idol are any indication, it might actually be a dream nearly everyone can identify with, too.

However, just because iTunes makes the distribution of music easy doesn't mean every artist is going to become a success overnight. And just because standing in line for American Idol is easy doesn't mean all those people are going to win an Oscar and sing the National Anthem for the Super Bowl. Lord knows there is only one Jennifer Hudson.  American Idol didn't make her a success; talent pours from her soul. She would have found success tripping through the dark blindfolded.  But American Idol shined a light on her, and
she reflected back.

Self-publishing companies shine a light on writers.  It is the writer's job to shine back. Some authors do, like Gang Chen, who earned over $100,000 in royalties in just six months publishing with Outskirts Press.  Has his book sold a million copies? No. But by any reasonable benchmark, Gang Chen is a
successful self-published author. 

Success is never guaranteed. All writers are different, and just like all contestants on American Idol are different.  But if you are going to self-publish your book, you're better off publishing with a company where
your chances for success increase.  Above all, you have to believe in yourself and you have to work hard. Success rarely comes easily for anyone, but now, thanks to self-publishing companies, everyone has an equal chance. They will shine the light on you. What you do with that light is up to you.

About the Author:
As the president and CEO of Outskirts Press, Brent is actively involved in numerous writing, publishing, and trade organizations nationwide. He is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist, a two-time Inc. Magazine Fast-5000 award-recipient, and the award-winning author of numerous books including Sell Your Book on Amazon and Self-Publishing Simplified, the second of which is available as a free e-book at
http://outskirtspress.com/p/ebooks