Publishing

This is a huge decision to make. On the one hand, indie or independent publishing gives you almost complete control of everything but if you are starting out with no previous track record, having the agent that traditional publishing has can be a bonus. The pages in this section will give you information about both options and links that have been tried and used and are recommended by other authors. Research, research, research because once you choose and sign a contract you are stuck there. Be certain about your choice!

Wikipedia defines “Publishing” as:

Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature, music, or information — the activity of making information available to the general public. In some cases, authors may be their own publishers, meaning: originators and developers of content also provide media to deliver and display the content for the same. Also, the word publisher can refer to the individual who leads a publishing company or imprint or to a person who owns a magazine.

Traditionally, the term refers to the distribution of printed works such as books (the “book trade”) and newspapers. With the advent of digital information systems and the Internet, the scope of publishing has expanded to include electronic resources, such as the electronic versions of books and periodicals, as well as micropublishing, websites, blogs, video game publishers and the like.

Publishing includes the stages of the development, acquisition, copyediting, graphic design, production – printing (and its electronic equivalents), and marketing and distribution of newspapers, magazines, books, literary works, musical works, software and other works dealing with information, including the electronic media.

Publication is also important as a legal concept:

As the process of giving formal notice to the world of a significant intention, for example, to marry or enter bankruptcy;
As the essential precondition of being able to claim defamation; that is, the alleged libel must have been published, and
For copyright purposes, where there is a difference in the protection of published and unpublished works.

The National Literary Awards defines independent or “indie” literature as “books published outside of mainstream publishing.

You are going to find that both publishing methods are going to require a lot of research and a lot of work. Don’t worry, everyone in this community has been there and done that and are making time to provide resources to help you.