It’s Publetariat founder, April L. Hamilton here.
When I founded Publetariat way back in 2008 it was because in all the online writer groups I knew of at the time, “self publishing” was a dirty word. Indie authors were openly mocked and shunned at worst, snickered at behind their backs at best. I wanted to provide a safe and useful online haven, where self publishers could feel welcome and empowered, know they were part of a nascent—but important—movement and growing community, and have access to the kinds of information and resources they needed most.
Since then, indie authorship has gone mainstream. The majority of established, traditional authors and publishers have now come to view self-publication as a legitimate option, and at times a smarter business choice than going the mainstream route.
Guy Kawasaki and Joanna Penn (one of Publetariat’s earliest supporters and contributors) have brought the role of authorpreneur into focus as a realistic career option.
Artist-technicians like Joel Friedlander have generously shared all they know in the areas of book design, fonts, layout, ebook formatting and more to help self-publishers create a finished product that can hold its own against the most highbrow mainstream published book.
The hybrid publishing model has emerged to place indie authorship and mainstream publication side by side on a more level playing field, the explosion of social media has provided authors and would-be authors with more direct access to their fans and prospective readership than ever before, and indie boosters like Dana Lynn Smith have stepped up to teach authors the internet marketing ropes.
Publetariat needs to evolve, to better address the sea change in indie authorship and the many new issues, opportunities and challenges indie authors now face. However, since I’ve spent the last few years redirecting my focus toward a career more specifically in tech and tech blogging, I am not the best person to guide Publetariat into the future. Paula Reichwald will now take the helm.
I’ve known Paula for nearly twenty years, and in that time she’s become my closest friend. She also happens to be an experienced web developer, software engineer, a WordPress, CSS and ebook formatting expert, and she’s pretty darned handy with digital graphics too. On top of all that, she’s a blogger and a NaNoWriMo veteran with a passion for books and authors.
I know I’m leaving Publetariat in more than capable hands, and I look forward to seeing Publetariat continue to grow and change with its readers under new leadership.
Keep writing, keep publishing, and keep your dreams alive.
– April L. Hamilton
10/25/15