Several years back, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) created a special level of membership. It's called PAL, Published and Listed. Only those authors who have their books printed by a publisher on the SCBWI list can receive such high status. Embarrassingly, when I was a member of SCBWI, I was a PAL member.
Why am I embarrassed by that? Because, I had managed to get one short script published in Plays Magazine (March 2002...yay) and Plays is on the SCBWI list of real publishers. I haven't been able to repeat the process, though I tried. I do have other scripts, on the other hand, that are better traveled than I, distributed through my theatre company. But here's the problem: I'm pretty sure that there are self-published authors who have sold more books and made more money than I have with my one script sale.
For some reason, that doesn't count with SCBWI. I could be a PAL member but indie (self-published) authors such as the group known as the Indelibles can't be. It just doesn't seem right.
Some of the indie authors are top notch. In fact, it was through their self-publishing that they got noticed by "real" publishers. Eragon, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Switched all started out as independently published books. I would be so mortified if I was ever introduced to those authors as being a PAL member. There are many more indie authors that I will not admit to them I was PAL; they might want to know my credentials!
I think the only way self-publishing is fake publishing is if the authors are getting fake readers and fake money.
Why am I embarrassed by that? Because, I had managed to get one short script published in Plays Magazine (March 2002...yay) and Plays is on the SCBWI list of real publishers. I haven't been able to repeat the process, though I tried. I do have other scripts, on the other hand, that are better traveled than I, distributed through my theatre company. But here's the problem: I'm pretty sure that there are self-published authors who have sold more books and made more money than I have with my one script sale.
For some reason, that doesn't count with SCBWI. I could be a PAL member but indie (self-published) authors such as the group known as the Indelibles can't be. It just doesn't seem right.
Some of the indie authors are top notch. In fact, it was through their self-publishing that they got noticed by "real" publishers. Eragon, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Switched all started out as independently published books. I would be so mortified if I was ever introduced to those authors as being a PAL member. There are many more indie authors that I will not admit to them I was PAL; they might want to know my credentials!
I think the only way self-publishing is fake publishing is if the authors are getting fake readers and fake money.
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