What I Tell You Three Times is True
Well, if you follow the strategy for indie writers outlined in Parts 1 through 4, you will be a busy little beaver. What with acting as a publisher and public-relations expert; developing and executing engagement strategies for social media; developing single-source production; writing a blog; and wittering about your terribly bad-hair week.As Alice said, "I lost count," when the White Queen asked, "What's one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one?"
You’ll never have time to write that best seller!
Maybe you should open a co-op bookstore….
Return of Craft
It’s possible to be an indie writer today because of the return of craft. The tools of writing and publishing have become accessible because of the digital and network revolution we have experienced, driven by Moore’s Law and the vision of Steve Jobs. For example:- The Apple Macintosh revolutionised film and sound production, making it possible for one person to edit and master a commercial film on one machine. Singer Buffy Sainte-Marie was one of the first to take music production to an indie craft level using an early Macintosh. Today you can storyboard and edit a movie with a $20 digital-clapboard application on the iPad.
- In manufacturing, you can design a physical gizmo using open-source CAD software from Google, and produce a working prototype using an inexpensive desktop 3D printer. A year ago small 3D printers were $15,000; now you can get desktop models for $1,500 or less. Once you’re satisfied with the prototype, you can send the CAD files to one of thousands of low-volume manufacturers in China and have batches of one to several thousand made.
The Challenge
But it’s a lot of work, and we don’t all have the multi-faceted talents needed to pull this off successfully. Some of the challenges an indie could face include:- Access to editors and peer reviewers
- Promotion and social-media smarts
- Production expertise in the technology of small-scale single-source publishing
- PDF and ePub production
- Collaborators to provide voices for audio books
- Book design and typography
- Expertise in producing video trailers for YouTube
Obviously part of the solution is to collaborate. One person might have an interest in developing a specific skill, and another another, and another another, until you lose count.
But what if you…
Open a Co-Op Bookstore
There are all kinds of models for collaborating online. Some things are easier than others to do online. You can share a work in progress, and get reviewers’ comments, but the final polishing might be easier with a face-to-face discussion.Also, collaborating online is not conducive to cross-training. There’s a lot more “throw it over the wall” going on, and fewer opportunities to share technical skills. Not everything can be put into words.
So this is my idea. Independent writers join together in a club or association for the purpose of collaborating in the many skills required to be successful. I think there should be a physical meeting place, a kind of drop-in centre in some ways, and also a production centre where writers can access tools and be trained in their craft.
Location is important. It should be visible to the public, and encourage community involvement. That’s why I’m calling it a bookstore. A location next to a college or university might be ideal. In my town, I would put it on the main drag between a coffee shop and a print shop.
One of the important functions of the co-op would be to function as an umbrella publisher and promoter for the group using some of the techniques discussed in Parts 1 through 4.
Next Time
This is the final article of five in this series for independent writers. Hopefully it has included some useful ideas. Many of them had little to do directly with social media; however, social media cannot be discussed without an understanding of the greater social context.The next blog article will be the start of a new series addressing social media and some other type of business.
