Former Harper Collins CEO Jane Friedman was the keynote speaker at a recent seminar where she implied that self-publishing was now a viable launch point for a career as a traditional mainstream author. Her presentation signaled the fact that the bigger companies as well as high powered agents were now more willing than ever to go off the chart to find what they need.

Not too many years ago a writer’s only true option to legitimate author status was to query literary agents and hope for the best. Publishers at that time were willing to take chances on new unpublished writers but certainly not a self-published one. Those days seem to have vanished while the industry tries to balance the need for revenue growth with a rapidly shrinking market.

When I exited New York the term “independent or self-publishing” was never mentioned let alone given credence, however that attitude has changed dramatically in today’s new publishing millennium. It is not uncommon today for editors to scour the internet searching for new writers who can fill an immediate need. This search includes websites that market, sell books or lend space to upcoming writers and newly published authors.

These eyes are focused on content as much as the promote ability of the writer and any new writer or recently published authors not taking advantage of these opportunities by providing content to the web or profiling themselves are missing out on one huge shift in the marketplace.

The big factors detracting from the potential of all independent authors is the fact that there are too many poorly written, unedited books and eBooks floating around and the number of snake oil salesmen and scam artists in the self-publishing world seem to be soaring.

Mega websites like Facebook and Twitter are developing into terrific filters for the unintended and unforgiving to the dishonest experts but these folks are clever and seem to find ways around this. There needs to be a specific place where any writer or author can go for answers and the large social media websites are not the only solution.

There are free web sites for writers and authors, one in which I am involved is NothingBinding.com where you can post a profile, video, book cover and excerpts at no cost. This site is now the home to thousands of writers, authors and titles attracting editors, agents and many other publishing professionals searching for new opportunities. In addition, this newsletter and my own WritersReaders.com web site is intended to provide honest and accurate information for all types of publishing questions and it too is free.

As the market continues to change and the publishing habits of the big companies change alongside, the need for quality written content will grow. Any writer hoping to attract an audience must become a part of the new social media phenomena. The necessary filters of good from bad will also evolve and eventually benefit the independent author community. The key is to become involved, learn how to attract an audience for your writing, research many sources before making a decision and never, ever believe it will be easy.

The book publishing industry is changing and authors need to change or become left behind. It is the totality of your writing that will become an asset as well as attracting fans and followers of your writing. It takes time and patience but you get out what you put in. Follow the simple publishing rules and the possibilities are endless.

Once the writing is complete and editing in progress, that would be the time to have a preliminary discussion about the next step. Once the revising and rewriting is complete and the manuscript is ready to go, then is the time to launch into the next phase. However that next phase is dependent on the personal goals for the writer and whether or not the manuscript is strong enough to meet those goals.  

Final marketing, publishing and distribution decisions are highly dependent on the strength of the writing, genre and current market conditions. It might mean writing the query letter and shopping to agents or making independent publishing decisions. However none of that should happen before the manuscript is complete, done, over and finished. I’m all for getting an early start but not too early, the writing comes first.

There was a time when the business focused on books and building the career of writers. Unfortunately with the takeover by large corporate media giants that mission changed and as a result many great books and even greater writers never got the chance to become published. It is possible the world may have missed the opportunity at the next great American writer, we just don’t know. My call is for writers everywhere to take a new approach to their publishing habits and get back to producing quality content. 

I’m an advocate for writers, plain and simple. My background and experience has given me a tremendous opportunity to share what I know with writers around the world. I can honestly say that publishing, in any format, without professional editing is a sin against the reading community. Too many writers are quick to publish without seeking the proper guidance and advice of an editor. The publishing world is drowning in bad writing, bad books and just bad publishing. It’s time to stop before we give the world the impression that Americans are just bad wordsmiths.

There are no secrets and never any shortcuts! Having spent more than two decades in the New York publishing world I can honestly say that many great writers with terrific books never achieved publishing success even though their publisher spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and let out all the stops to try. It’s neither easy nor quick to become a successful author and sitting down in front of a large crowd of people who all paid a lot of money to listen to how anyone can become a bestselling author is totally bogus.

Anything is possible, if a writer will practice their craft by writing lots and lots of material. Hire a professional editor to help them become a better writer. Focus on becoming the best writer you can be. Don’t fall for get rich quick schemes and never let your dream die. Publishing is a highly competitive business and there are over one million new titles published each year. If you do the right things including reading and researching competitive titles and authors, you have as good a chance as any to be the one who becomes the next big bestselling author.

Searching for an agent with a weak manuscript will be wasted time and energy. The manuscript is not complete until you have a professional editor read for feedback and critique your writing. Once the critique is complete you can self-edit to the best of your ability before attempting that next step in the publishing process. If your choice is to publish on your own, then spending money on production and marketing with a less than stellar manuscript will result in bad word of mouth which can be disastrous for sales. 

Every publisher worries about content and whether they have packaged and priced the product correctly followed by a focused marketing campaign. But all is for naught if the writing is poor, the story doesn’t flow, dialogue is shoddy and the characters are not fully developed. Publishing companies cannot sell a poorly written book anymore than they can sell great literary writing; it has to be a good story or message written in a manner that is pleasing to the consumer. Who better to help make that decision that an objective professional editor. Consider a critique; it’s the next logical step after you have finished your writing.

Writers should not try and emulate another writer’s style, chapter length, or characterization. Writers need to write their own story and not worry about the market, sales potential or whether their characters fit the times. These are questions for your editor and every writer, regardless of their success level must utilize the skills of an editor.

Rarely can any writer copy the exact style of a bestselling author and their attempt is highlighted by their inadequate storyline which often times makes the work not publishable. Writers should be inspired by the craft and encouraged by their ability to tell a story or share a message. Publishing is not about great writing, it’s about good storytelling.

I’ve spent my entire working life in publishing and it wasn’t until I started writing that I realized the importance of a good editor. I’m fortunate in that I have worked with many great editors in New York. But I never quite realized how important they were to the success of publishing in general. I hate to say that they were often taken for granted.

Without editors and their objective yet caring and professional set of eyes, I’m afraid many words and sentences just wouldn’t be as clear as they become after the work of a great editor. I’m partial to editors, because their skills and ability clear up my own words. If you have a good editor, then thank them, if you don’t, then find one. Writing and editing go hand-in-hand. For those who believe editors change the meaning of your writing, then all I can say is, you aren’t working with the right editor.

Book sales are cyclical. If you look at the past 30 years you’d see the highs and lows of category sales. What publishers try to do is catch the rise to the top and avoid the dip to the lows. As an author, there is no way you can try to match or write to that cycle.

Forget about market timing. It won’t work. Write the story you were destined to write and focus on making it entertaining, enlightening and informative. Consumers will always buy good books so make yours as good as possible.

Authors have told me time and again that going back to correct the little things in your writing is a never ending process. The manuscript will never be as good as you want. That is why you need an editor, someone who can help you with the process of laying the manuscript out in a logical sequence and help with character or story development.

If you’ve never worked with a true professional, then you need one. Editors help writers establish their voice and improve their writing, self-editing is a long road that never ends.