The Mouse Will Roar

A publishing industry professional tweeted today that those who are self-publishing should not have the nerve to call themselves publishers.  In some contexts, perhaps that is true, except I believe it was leveled at PlotForge.

As we prepare for the release of Multiplayer, PlotForge, Ltd. has registered over and over – Library of Congress, Bowkers for ISBNs, the Independent Book Publishers Association, and others – as a publisher.  Apparently, that bothers some people, who think the publisher should be listed in these places as John C. Brewer.  They are wrong.

If John were doing this on his own – receiving cursory editorial and line-edit assistance from a friend or freelance editor – then he should be listed as the self-publisher.  But that is not how PlotForge works.  Rather, PlotForge performs many of the same functions as a traditional publisher.  From many editor-requested rewrites, to marketing, to artwork production, John has the benefit of the PlotForge team: not just our other authors but hired specialists as well.  This isn’t just John putting out a typo-filled work (and John has no idea when to use a comma), crossing his fingers, and hoping for the best.  PlotForge is an independent publisher, and will eventually add new authors who are willing to endure the rigorous PlotForge approach to ensure great stories, intriguing settings, and characters you’ll think you’ve met.

So why does this bother the traditional industry?  If small independent publishers don’t put out products you will buy, then the Big Pub has no reason to take notice of us. But what if we can?  Then small pubs like PlotForge have an advantage.  We are nimble.  Our time from start to finish is years less than Big Pub.  And at PlotForge, we listen. The people we are writing for tell us they are looking for entertaining fiction that leaves them thinking as well.  That’s what we strive to provide.

So is the elephant afraid of the mouse?  If we are producing novels you want, they should be, because it is you, the reader, who will make the decision.

PlotForge, Ltd.  Proud member of the Independent Book Publishers Association since 2011.