Self Publishing
Definition
Private publishing, or more notably "self-publishing," is the option that authors have of copying and distributing their works on their own. It involves independently bearing all costs associated with releasing a piece of media without the assistance of a third-party publishing house in order to maintain all creative control every step of the way. [1]
Origin
Self-publishing, while appearing to be a relatively new concept, writers have been doing it for centuries. The world’s first movable type printing was invented in China around 1040 AD, but Johannes Gutenberg introduced the mechanical printing press to Europe in 1439. This innovation enabled the mass production of books and led to the rise of publishing houses, such as Cambridge University Press, founded in 1534.
As publishing houses grew, writers either signed with them (giving up rights and royalties) or, if wealthy enough, self-published. Because printing equipment was costly, self-publishing remained rare and exclusive for centuries.[2]
Examples
- Benjamin Franklin often published his own works, including The Way to Wealth in 1758, and his yearly pamphlet, Poor Richard’s Almanack.
- Between 1738–1820, English poet and painter William Blake self-published some of his best-known works, including Songs of Innocence and of Experience and The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Blake wrote the text, designed illustrations, and etched them onto copper plates. He then printed and colored the pages.
- In 1811, Jane Austen went the vanity-publishing route after her manuscript for Sense and Sensibility was rejected by publishers.[2]
Conclusion
The thing that drives many authors to resort to this practice is not the quality of their work, but the subject of its content. Controversial works often have to be self-published to prevent the tarnishing of third-party reputations through publishing problematic content. It's a path that has become one that is known all too well. The industry has moved from a past in which self-publishing was likely to be viewed as “a foolish act of hubris” to the current moment, in which it is more “likely to be applauded as a legitimate act of self-expression." [3] Ultimately, authors often resort to self-publishing to preserve control over their prized work aesthetically, intellectually, and economically.
Sources
Robinson, Solveig C. The Book in Society: An Introduction to Print Culture. Broadview Press, 2014.
