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| Read the current Monday Report below! |
The ULA Monday Report!
This week's report by JEFF POTTER
"Independent" Now!
For Books! Fly the Indy Flag!
GREETINGS!
I recently launched a free, open, public online petition to call
attention to an itsy-bitsy easy-to-fix structural inadequacy in the
book trade that is holding back independent work. A problem of
a sort commonly improved. (I presented another petition to "free
the book" in the previous MR.)
To make a long pitch short, I suggest the term INDEPENDENT
be added to the list of categories used to describe and label books
within the trade. Categories are short lists of keywords entered
into online tagging/search systems. They are also printed on the
back covers of books in the corners. They are commonly
combined: "Fiction/Literature," "Sports/Fishing/Essays," etc.
"Independent" could have a big effect just by being an extra tag
added; in some stores this designation could get its own shelf, if
desired.
Taking control of your label is an obviously powerful move.
Consider FREE TRADE coffee, or ORGANICALLY grown, or
FREE-RANGE chicken!
This is not an angry fix but simple common sense!
So please feel free, no matter where you stand upon the literary
spectrum, and lend your signature to a RAISED PROFILE FOR
INDY LIT making it more justly labeled and thus easier to find
and viable. And PROUDLY, like indy music and indy film, with
its own category indy lit would finally make a NAME for itself!
In the meantime, in the upcoming novels (for Wild Bill
Blackolive) I've just gone and DONE SO MYSELF! ...And I'll be
printing the "Independent" category on all my ULA PRESS
book covers from now on!
--Jeff Potter, member ULA
Here's the full petition link: http://petitiononline.com/indyflag
And here's my full petition pitch:
"Independent" Now, for Books!
FLY THE INDY FLAG!
To: Readers, Writers, Publishers, the Book Trade...and Amazon!
We, the undersigned, declare that the publishing world should
recognize the category "Independent" in its list of book
categories.
Music and film have an "independent" category—it's time for
books to have the same option!
Thankfully, this is an easy fix---new categories are ADDED ALL
THE TIME.
Today, an independent book has little hope of larger success, of
being reviewed or distributed on its own merits.
Having such a label could make all the difference!
For the most part the pariah status has fallen to literary writing.
But in many other fields as well an independent book is
handicapped. Its main asset—its independence—is a liability
only as long as this quality is ignored! An indy book submitted to
the media for review almost always is ignored, rejected out-of-
hand because of its indy status and not "worthy" of mention.
Today, the less indy is a book the more likely it is to be reviewed
and stocked in a store. The more deals and concessions a writer
or publisher makes with corporations on every level, the more
likely the book is admitted into the Market. Because the indy
aspect per se is never considered an asset—it is not even
mentionable or listed! But, take heart, with a label comes
leverage!
So: let's give indy publishing its name!
The contrast is remarkable—independent music and film have
their own feature columns in various major media, and are
readily "flagged" and found in all searcheable category-lists, but
independent publishing has nothing! Time for independent
publishing to get at least that much respect and public access!
If independent publishing makes A NAME FOR ITSELF, it
might just break through!
In the book trade, a big advertising budget, an established
publisher, a credentialed author (i.e., part of the system) and a
mainstream distributor are all required conditions for review
and stocking in stores. The indy press predictably lacks all these
things. Yet the indy press publishes many of the best books
overall. Which then sink into oblivion except for a few cult
insider fans.
In contrast, what does indy publishing have going for it? Nothing
but authenticity—nothing but its OWN NAME. So, let's start
using it! And let's first employ that indy label where it counts
most.
Thank heaven this is an easy fix commonly done throughout the
culture, as the categories list is constantly being expanded
anyway. (Think ORGANIC produce, FREE-TRADE coffee,
FREE-RANGE chicken.)
Furthermore, bias against independent, DIY media based on
"where it comes from" is as outdated in today's Internet-age as it
has been always ignorant. Good grief, BLOGS get more respect
today than the independent press does! So, to the entire book
trade: DROP THE BIAS! Drop the attitude! We're here to help
with this simple suggestion. And this petition.
Categories, after all, are short lists of keywords entered into
online tagging/search systems. They are also printed on the back
covers of books, in the corners. And they are commonly
combined: "Fiction/Literature," "Sports/Fishing/Essays," etc.
"Independent" would be another extra tag or category and could
get its own shelf, if a store desired.
Independent writers and publishers have long had to make their
way outside the System. Often they do quite well, relying on the
direct access to specialized audiences and target markets. But the
result is that there are two separate publishing worlds in our
society—one is mentioned frequently in public media, well-
reviewed, and stocked in general-interest bookstores—the other
is segregated and marginalized in specialty niche ghettos.
The situation is far worse for the general interest and
mainstream literary field: here there is no specialized audience,
by definition. Yet the independent voice has what the general
public needs! That voice is prevented from accessing this
audience! And the audience is, in turn, kept away from it! By
using the "independent" label (or having a search engine do it
for you) anyone will be able, for the first time, to find the
independent voices of our diverse society.
It's like back when African American music first gave a folk life
to the cities of America—it wasn't reviewed, considered or aired
on the radio. It was big, yet it was as if it didn't exist. Getting
down with a name is the first step toward revival!
One reason why the book trade makes pariahs of independents is
that the Industry prides itself on an IMAGE of independence.
But the corporate and academic literary establishments have
many concerns other than merit, while merit is the only standard
for independents. Marketing, career, credentials, and legal
concerns, like image itself, all take precedence. Tawdriness and
conformity are just two results of the dominance of corporate
and academic values. Values which (rightly) emphasize
systemization and orderliness. Beholden media have their uses,
but they are simply not the places to look for the best and most
relevant art...or art that has any independence and in turn
respects its audience.
Refusing to grant someone a name is a way of making them
"disappear." Why would anyone want to prevent an alternative
sort of literature? Because independent literature is a threat to
captive literature!
But the only hope for popularity of literature again in this
country, of any kind, corporate or not, emanates from the
"independent" field. A domain where artforms always gather
energy. This provides for the greatness that corporations then
spin out into product-lines and which academics study.
Amazon and Google have had viable effects on independent
media. But we say that they need to take this further step.
"Independent" signals diverse, inclusive values that can be
sought on its own merit or noted as an add-on feature. It's a label
that says "This book has no strings attached." Though books
flagged with this new tag might seem to be unrelated on the
surface, they will soon be seen to have much in common.
Grandly, there's no need to wait for anyone's permission to make
this happen! Starting NOW, the ULA PRESS is printing
"Literature / Independent" on back covers in the category-label
corner. (See http://ulapress.com.) Join us today! We of the
Alliance welcome anyone, everyone, to add the "Independent"
flag to their own list!
===============================================
Jeff Potter runs ULA Press and OYB Books.
===============================================
CLICK HERE TO READ THE PREVIOUS MONDAY REPORT!
GO HERE TO ENTER THE MONDAY REPORT BOX.
This week's report by JEFF POTTER
"Independent" Now!
For Books! Fly the Indy Flag!
GREETINGS!
I recently launched a free, open, public online petition to call
attention to an itsy-bitsy easy-to-fix structural inadequacy in the
book trade that is holding back independent work. A problem of
a sort commonly improved. (I presented another petition to "free
the book" in the previous MR.)
To make a long pitch short, I suggest the term INDEPENDENT
be added to the list of categories used to describe and label books
within the trade. Categories are short lists of keywords entered
into online tagging/search systems. They are also printed on the
back covers of books in the corners. They are commonly
combined: "Fiction/Literature," "Sports/Fishing/Essays," etc.
"Independent" could have a big effect just by being an extra tag
added; in some stores this designation could get its own shelf, if
desired.
Taking control of your label is an obviously powerful move.
Consider FREE TRADE coffee, or ORGANICALLY grown, or
FREE-RANGE chicken!
This is not an angry fix but simple common sense!
So please feel free, no matter where you stand upon the literary
spectrum, and lend your signature to a RAISED PROFILE FOR
INDY LIT making it more justly labeled and thus easier to find
and viable. And PROUDLY, like indy music and indy film, with
its own category indy lit would finally make a NAME for itself!
In the meantime, in the upcoming novels (for Wild Bill
Blackolive) I've just gone and DONE SO MYSELF! ...And I'll be
printing the "Independent" category on all my ULA PRESS
book covers from now on!
--Jeff Potter, member ULA
Here's the full petition link: http://petitiononline.com/indyflag
And here's my full petition pitch:
"Independent" Now, for Books!
FLY THE INDY FLAG!
To: Readers, Writers, Publishers, the Book Trade...and Amazon!
We, the undersigned, declare that the publishing world should
recognize the category "Independent" in its list of book
categories.
Music and film have an "independent" category—it's time for
books to have the same option!
Thankfully, this is an easy fix---new categories are ADDED ALL
THE TIME.
Today, an independent book has little hope of larger success, of
being reviewed or distributed on its own merits.
Having such a label could make all the difference!
For the most part the pariah status has fallen to literary writing.
But in many other fields as well an independent book is
handicapped. Its main asset—its independence—is a liability
only as long as this quality is ignored! An indy book submitted to
the media for review almost always is ignored, rejected out-of-
hand because of its indy status and not "worthy" of mention.
Today, the less indy is a book the more likely it is to be reviewed
and stocked in a store. The more deals and concessions a writer
or publisher makes with corporations on every level, the more
likely the book is admitted into the Market. Because the indy
aspect per se is never considered an asset—it is not even
mentionable or listed! But, take heart, with a label comes
leverage!
So: let's give indy publishing its name!
The contrast is remarkable—independent music and film have
their own feature columns in various major media, and are
readily "flagged" and found in all searcheable category-lists, but
independent publishing has nothing! Time for independent
publishing to get at least that much respect and public access!
If independent publishing makes A NAME FOR ITSELF, it
might just break through!
In the book trade, a big advertising budget, an established
publisher, a credentialed author (i.e., part of the system) and a
mainstream distributor are all required conditions for review
and stocking in stores. The indy press predictably lacks all these
things. Yet the indy press publishes many of the best books
overall. Which then sink into oblivion except for a few cult
insider fans.
In contrast, what does indy publishing have going for it? Nothing
but authenticity—nothing but its OWN NAME. So, let's start
using it! And let's first employ that indy label where it counts
most.
Thank heaven this is an easy fix commonly done throughout the
culture, as the categories list is constantly being expanded
anyway. (Think ORGANIC produce, FREE-TRADE coffee,
FREE-RANGE chicken.)
Furthermore, bias against independent, DIY media based on
"where it comes from" is as outdated in today's Internet-age as it
has been always ignorant. Good grief, BLOGS get more respect
today than the independent press does! So, to the entire book
trade: DROP THE BIAS! Drop the attitude! We're here to help
with this simple suggestion. And this petition.
Categories, after all, are short lists of keywords entered into
online tagging/search systems. They are also printed on the back
covers of books, in the corners. And they are commonly
combined: "Fiction/Literature," "Sports/Fishing/Essays," etc.
"Independent" would be another extra tag or category and could
get its own shelf, if a store desired.
Independent writers and publishers have long had to make their
way outside the System. Often they do quite well, relying on the
direct access to specialized audiences and target markets. But the
result is that there are two separate publishing worlds in our
society—one is mentioned frequently in public media, well-
reviewed, and stocked in general-interest bookstores—the other
is segregated and marginalized in specialty niche ghettos.
The situation is far worse for the general interest and
mainstream literary field: here there is no specialized audience,
by definition. Yet the independent voice has what the general
public needs! That voice is prevented from accessing this
audience! And the audience is, in turn, kept away from it! By
using the "independent" label (or having a search engine do it
for you) anyone will be able, for the first time, to find the
independent voices of our diverse society.
It's like back when African American music first gave a folk life
to the cities of America—it wasn't reviewed, considered or aired
on the radio. It was big, yet it was as if it didn't exist. Getting
down with a name is the first step toward revival!
One reason why the book trade makes pariahs of independents is
that the Industry prides itself on an IMAGE of independence.
But the corporate and academic literary establishments have
many concerns other than merit, while merit is the only standard
for independents. Marketing, career, credentials, and legal
concerns, like image itself, all take precedence. Tawdriness and
conformity are just two results of the dominance of corporate
and academic values. Values which (rightly) emphasize
systemization and orderliness. Beholden media have their uses,
but they are simply not the places to look for the best and most
relevant art...or art that has any independence and in turn
respects its audience.
Refusing to grant someone a name is a way of making them
"disappear." Why would anyone want to prevent an alternative
sort of literature? Because independent literature is a threat to
captive literature!
But the only hope for popularity of literature again in this
country, of any kind, corporate or not, emanates from the
"independent" field. A domain where artforms always gather
energy. This provides for the greatness that corporations then
spin out into product-lines and which academics study.
Amazon and Google have had viable effects on independent
media. But we say that they need to take this further step.
"Independent" signals diverse, inclusive values that can be
sought on its own merit or noted as an add-on feature. It's a label
that says "This book has no strings attached." Though books
flagged with this new tag might seem to be unrelated on the
surface, they will soon be seen to have much in common.
Grandly, there's no need to wait for anyone's permission to make
this happen! Starting NOW, the ULA PRESS is printing
"Literature / Independent" on back covers in the category-label
corner. (See http://ulapress.com.) Join us today! We of the
Alliance welcome anyone, everyone, to add the "Independent"
flag to their own list!
===============================================
Jeff Potter runs ULA Press and OYB Books.
===============================================
CLICK HERE TO READ THE PREVIOUS MONDAY REPORT!
GO HERE TO ENTER THE MONDAY REPORT BOX.
| Questions, Comments, Submissions? Email to: report@literaryrevolution.com |