All in the Family Tree

It's had a bad rap.

The publishing industry has gone through radical transformations in the past half century and, as a result, many reputable publishers perished or were gobbled up by aggressive competitors. The few remaining giants have set a gold standard and, unfortunately, their sights are largely set on writers they can shepherd towards best-seller status. I don't begrudge the talent, institutions, and financial scale required to produce great books — in fact, I am enormously grateful for the contribution they make to our collective humanity.

But I do take issue with a hyped-up, book-selling market that, too often, serves up mediocre writing to earn a tidy profit for multi-mode media monsters.

Back in the day, a writer could starve to death waiting for a literary agent and a publishing house to take them into their stable. Now, with free-lance top-notch professional and creative resources for hire, a writer and a self-publisher can co-create a book that is just as handsome as any in the gold standard class.

I'm self-publishing my first book because I have a story to tell and, at this age (not telling, but let's just say, getting on) I don't have time to run the gauntlet of traditional publishing.

Did it produce great writing? I will leave you, dear reader, to be the judge of that.

— Susan