The Unexpected Sign That Traditional is Here to Stay

If you listen to online chatter for long, you see the line drawn in the sand. Self-publishing is Everyman's choice of book making. Traditional has shifted to a bit of an elitest environment. I know great authors in both realms, and I'd sit on the back porch drinking a bourbon with either side.

It's like people and their cars. Some like gas efficiency and others like luxury. Some like sedans, and others (like me) prefer their truck. Each has different goals and desires. It's a personal comfort. Who says one way is the best for all?

I see people wringing their hands or rubbing them together in gloat in articles all the time about traditional being dead. Oh please. How naive can they be? Business models may change, but there will always be a demand for a gatekeeper, especially by authors who don't want to bother with buying ISBN numbers or hiring a graphic artist for the cover. Some people have no desire to self-publish.

But what totally convinces that traditional is firmly footed is Amazon. Most of us think of Amazon as a self-pubbing advocate. Pubbing via Kindle and CreateSpace have certainly catapulted many an author into print or e-print. However, Amazon stealthfully took a different direction recently. They developed a traditional press - with several imprints.

Montlake Press seeks agent-submitted romance novels. Yep. First a mystery imprint (Thomas & Mercer), then romance. Amazon is in the traditional publishing business, y'all. Regardless of what you think of the titanic company, Amazon's a pace-setter. In my opinion, they recognized a void between the old-school Big Six publishing world that's still a bit stuck in 1970, and self-publishing. You had a sea of great writers, with platforms, who wanted their books traditionally sold.

I think it's absolutely cool. How about you?