Comments on: The self-publishing debate http://christopherkeelty.com/2010/06/the-self-publishing-debate/ Official web site of Christopher Keelty Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:24:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kristian Bland http://christopherkeelty.com/2010/06/the-self-publishing-debate/comment-page-1/#comment-1064 Kristian Bland Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:44:56 +0000 http://christopherkeelty.com/?p=1094#comment-1064 I think something everyone should take away from the discussion is that there are *always* gatekeepers. Whether they sit at a desk in a New York publishing house, or they're twenty-somethings in Topeka who run a massively popular website - your stuff just isn't going to get seen until some form of "authority" points it out to larger groups than your family and friends. It's true, with enough work and a certain willingness to be a hyperkinetic machine of self-promotion, you might be able to link-share your site into some level of notoriety, but this kind of thing is a practice that typically leads to a cyberspace circle-jerk of mutual ego masturbation. Sure, you start getting more hits to your site if you promise to hit other sites, but all you're doing is expanding your bubble of family and friends, not truly increasing your readership. That only happens when some sort of gatekeeper deems your content worthy and links to your stuff. That way lies true readership, especially if the content goes a bit viral and spreads to other gatekeeper sites. The whole idea that you can write the Great American Novel and quietly slap it up on Amazon to have it sell millions based on its merit alone is just unrealistic - even if it's truly the best book ever written. Hell, I'm enjoying this site a great deal, but I never would have found it if Jay Lake hadn't pointed it out. I trust him as a provider of quality links, so I followed his advice as a gatekeeper. It's the way of the Net and the World. -Kristian I think something everyone should take away from the discussion is that there are *always* gatekeepers. Whether they sit at a desk in a New York publishing house, or they’re twenty-somethings in Topeka who run a massively popular website – your stuff just isn’t going to get seen until some form of “authority” points it out to larger groups than your family and friends.

It’s true, with enough work and a certain willingness to be a hyperkinetic machine of self-promotion, you might be able to link-share your site into some level of notoriety, but this kind of thing is a practice that typically leads to a cyberspace circle-jerk of mutual ego masturbation. Sure, you start getting more hits to your site if you promise to hit other sites, but all you’re doing is expanding your bubble of family and friends, not truly increasing your readership. That only happens when some sort of gatekeeper deems your content worthy and links to your stuff. That way lies true readership, especially if the content goes a bit viral and spreads to other gatekeeper sites.

The whole idea that you can write the Great American Novel and quietly slap it up on Amazon to have it sell millions based on its merit alone is just unrealistic – even if it’s truly the best book ever written.

Hell, I’m enjoying this site a great deal, but I never would have found it if Jay Lake hadn’t pointed it out. I trust him as a provider of quality links, so I followed his advice as a gatekeeper. It’s the way of the Net and the World.

-Kristian

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