FAO Quotables

"But being right, even morally right, isn't everything. It is also important to be competent, to be consistent, and to be knowledgeable. It's important for your soldiers and diplomats to speak the language of the people you want to influence. It's important to understand the ethnic and tribal divisions of the place you hope to assist."
-Anne Applebaum

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

BTIRAM:Vinjamuri on the the Indie vs. Mainstream publishing throwdown

Best Thing I Read All Month (BTIRAM) or F is For Foot in Your Mouth

The article Publishing Is Broken, We're Drowning In Indie Books - And That's A Good Thing by David Vinjamuri (@dvinjamuri)  is the best thing I have read all month.  

As a former English major, I love these types of pieces--I crave them--I keep the them open on a tab in my Chrome browser and read and reread them all month when I am bored in class.  

Vinjamuri writes beautifully and clearly about the tension between Indie and Mainstream publishing.  He also exposes what a jerk best-selling author Sue Grafton is.  About Indie authors she said:

To me, it seems disrespectful…that a ‘wannabe’ assumes it’s all so easy s/he can put out a ‘published novel’ without bothering to read, study, or do the research. … Self-publishing is a short cut and I don’t believe in short cuts when it comes to the arts. I compare self-publishing to a student managing to conquer Five Easy Pieces on the piano and then wondering if s/he’s ready to be booked into Carnegie Hall.

That quote alone is enough to ensure I never pay to read a word Grafton writes.  Not that it will affect her, I know, but I will consider it my small part to strike back against pompous authors that make imprecise, illogical and inane comparisons.  

If you are undecided on the merits of Indie publishing, might I suggest you start here with Hugh Howey's gripping novel (series) Wool.  



F is For Foot in Your Mouth by Sue Grafton








PAST BITRAMs:

Gunpowder and Lead on Islamism

LINKS:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidvinjamuri/2012/08/15/publishing-is-broken-were-drowning-in-indie-books-and-thats-a-good-thing/print/

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