The rise of self-publishing

Self-publishing has been on an upward trajectory for over a decade, but has gained exponential strength even more recently. What is happening in publishing and the wider world to drive this?

In this post, I will look at self-publishing and the factors powering it. I will compare it to traditional publishing. My next two posts will examine the pros and cons of self-publishing versus traditional publishing, the finances of each, the skills needed to succeed in self-publishing, and the nuts-and-bolts of what needs to be done to self-publish.

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What if you had no limitations?

The first step to conquering your dream of publication is owning that dream. But most people don’t fully commit to their dreams. They accept a level of success within their comfort zone, “dream” of bigger, but crush that dream with a multitude of self-imposed limitations.

In his book, Put Your Dream to the Test, Dr. John C. Maxwell outlines 10 questions to help you see and seize your dreams – the first being the question of ownership. In order to own your dream, you must first be sure it is your dream and not the dream someone else has for you, then commit to that dream in a way that assumes no limits to your potential for success.

But how can you take ownership of your dream in a way that assumes you couldn’t fail? Here’s a five-part method for doing just that.

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Busy TAA People: Steve Barkan

An article by TAA member and former Council President Steve Barkan, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at UMaine, and Michael Rocque, Associate Professor of Sociology at Bates College and a UMaine sociology alumnus, received the 2020 Outstanding Contribution Award from the Division of Biopsychosocial Criminology of the American Society of Criminology.

The article, published in Critical Criminology in 2018, is entitled, “Socioeconomic Status and Racism as Fundamental Causes of Street Criminality” [26(2):211-231]

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Using a writing matrix to maintain academic productivity

In their recent TAA webinar, “Writing a Dissertation and Beyond: Tips & Tools for Launching and Maintaining Your Academic Writing Productivity“, presenters Danielle Feeney and Margarita Huerta discuss research-based, practical tools and tips that have helped them successfully complete dissertations and launch productive academic careers. Among the tips and tools shared during their presentation was the use of a writing matrix.

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Most useful textbook and academic posts of the week: January 8, 2021

What goals have you set for yourself in the past week? It’s the New Year, the time of resolutions and planning, so I know you have set them – even if you have creatively named them something else because “you don’t set resolutions”. As you define your goals, whether for the new year or simply for the new day as you continue to grow and develop as a writer, I encourage you to consider the words of Ted Turner who said, “You should set goals beyond your reach so you always have something to live for.”

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Round up all those stampeding ideas

Do ideas flood your brain like a herd gone wild? Do you flail around, physically and metaphorically, trying to corral them and drive them into the barn? Are you going mad trying to figure out how to use them all?

I am almost constantly barraged by ideas for essays, stories, poems, novel slivers, quirky descriptions, and metaphoric pearls. Ideas surface everywhere: as I edit clients’ manuscripts, wash dishes, huff through workouts, wait on line, watch people, meditate, fall asleep, and even during tactful small talk at business dinners.

All the deluging ideas used to make me groan. Sometimes I’d even feel envious of writers who complained about their sparse fits of inspiration. I’d grouse internally that my ideas never seemed to stop. How would I ever get to them all, much less organize them or make something of them? Most would end up in a mass of ragged notes or on scraps stuffed under the scanner.

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