ROWAN WRITING ARTS
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        • Glassworks Launches Issue Fifteen
        • For Futuristic Consideration: An Exploration of Careers in Writing
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"Self-Publishing: A Change in perspective"

By Sean Farley
As a Writing Arts major, getting one’s work published is usually considered the ultimate goal of any writing project. And for most people, getting published usually only comes in one form: the traditional publishing route of submitting work to an external publishing house, having them read that work, then offering you either an acceptance or rejection. For writers, rejection is basically second-nature: we often accept that most of our work will require long hours of editing and numerous revisions before it even approaches the point of being acceptable for publication. And even then, it’s not always a guarantee. So when I talked to Jason Luther, a professor of Writing Arts at Rowan, on the topic of self-publishing and how it can circumvent the long, tedious process of traditional publishing methods, I have to admit I was a little skeptical
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​Jason is currently set to teach a “Self-Publishing” class here at Rowan in Fall 2019, a course that he has introduced to the department’s curriculum as a means of teaching students how their work can be published without going through traditional means, as well as how to promote and advertise their work so that it actually reaches its target audience. With the rise of digital publishing alongside the increased popularity of genres such as fanfiction and personal blogging, it’s no surprise that self-publishing has skyrocketed in terms of its popularity among young writers. Whereas previously, self-published works such as Zines had to be printed in a physical medium, which could become increasingly expensive for those wanting to distribute their work to a larger audience, digital publishing has essentially removed all barriers for people when it comes to putting their writing out into the public. 

​To be honest, this complete and total lack of boundaries was something that initially put me off self-publishing, primarily because I felt the medium was almost “too free” to actually contain any substance. While the traditional publishing methods can definitely be a total hassle, and an expensive hassle at that, I felt like some level of gatekeeping was still required. At least to ensure some basic requirements such as factual accuracy for nonfiction and grammatical accuracy for basically everything else is maintained. However, Jason revealed that traditional publishers aren’t the only “true” method of addressing potential writing issues such as these. With self-published work, the author has a direct line of communication between the writing and its audience. Because of this, the public itself acts like its own content filter, with books sinking or swimming based on their own merits, rather than adhering to the guidelines of a traditional publishing house.
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While it’s technically true that self-publishing allows for “anyone to publish anything,” success is still measured by how much of that content actually resonates within its audience, creating a much more collaborative writing space that removes traditional boundaries such as editors and sales expectations. Instead, self-published works are essentially edited by the writing public, with feedback constantly being exchanged between authors as they work to develop their writing and improve upon their skills. Being someone that had definitely believed in the power of traditional publishing houses and the value they could bring to one’s work through the rigorous editing process, this idea of community-based revision and an overarching collaborative writing process between individual authors was not something that I had previously considered.

​Another benefit of writing within the self-publishing community that Jason Luther touched on was the pace at which an author can actually produce their work and immediately get people reading it. Traditional publishing houses often require authors to go through long periods of bureaucracy during which very little writing is actually being done. Instead, many hours are spent filling out papers and signing permissions for the corporate and legal side of things, rather than improving upon the writing itself. With self-publishing, an author can immediately put their work into the public sector as soon as they feel it is ready, allowing them to receive feedback and improve upon their own work much faster than those that choose to slog through the traditional publishing process. 
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​This is not to say self-publishing is entirely without its own issues. One of the most common potential problems that Jason Luther spoke about was marketing and promoting one’s work in the self-publishing community. With so many authors producing so much content so quickly, it becomes fairly easy for one’s work to get lost in the massive ocean that is the self-publishing sector. However, because self-publishing is such a collaborative industry, the marketing of one’s work is also something that can be extraordinarily collaborative. Events such as Zine Festivals are held throughout the US, allowing authors to bring their own work and sell it within these writerly communities. In certain cases, such as Kickstarter or other crowdfunding websites, the writing itself could also become its own marketing campaign, amassing backers and gaining public traction while simultaneously funding the author’s own work. 

As someone who entered this discussion of self-publishing from a fairly skeptical and dismissive point of view, I must say that Jason Luther has really opened my eyes about the possibilities of self-published work. It’s more than just an “easy way out,” it’s an entire ecosystem of writers all working to create new things and offer feedback to each other in order to elevate their own skills. There’s a culture to self-publishing, a history, and a method that keeps the scene growing and thriving with each passing year. It’s a gateway to possibilities where the only restriction is the author’s ability to create something that sticks with their audience.
Other Articles
  • An Interview with Devon James & Rachel Barton
  • Confession Travel Writer  ​​
  • CCCA Career Fair: Having Your Future in Mind 
  • Alumni Success: Entering the Working World 
  • Behind the Scenes of Rowan's Hiring Process
  • Writing Comedy
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  • Home
  • Advising
  • Programs
    • Undergraduate Programs >
      • Minors >
        • Writing Arts Minor
        • Creative Writing Minor
        • Technical & Professional Writing Minor
        • New Media Minor
    • 4+1 (B.A.+M.A.) Program
    • Degree in 3
    • Certificates of Undergraduate Study >
      • CUGS in Creative Writing
      • CUGS in Technical and Professional Writing
      • CUGS in Writing Studies for Educators
      • CUGS in Professional Communication
      • CUGS in Writing for the Environment
    • Graduate Programs
  • WA Major
    • Writing Arts Journey
    • Required Courses >
      • General Education >
        • Science and Mathematics
        • Social and Behavioral Sciences
        • Literature, History, Humanities, and Language
      • Introduction to Writing Arts >
        • History & Materiality of Writing
        • Issues in Writing
        • Technologies & the Future of Writing
      • Methods Choice >
        • How Writers Read
        • Tutoring Writing
        • Communication Theory
      • Creative Choice >
        • Creative Writing I
        • Writing Children's Stories
      • The Writer's Mind
      • Writing, Research & Technology
      • Senior Seminar: Methods of Analysis and Evaluation of Writing
      • Portfolio Seminar
      • Free Electives
      • Literacy Studies >
        • Writing With Technologies
        • Situating Writing
    • Elements of Language >
      • Rhetorics of Style
      • Linguistics
      • Semantics
      • Editing for Publication
      • American English Grammar
      • Introduction to Anthropological Linguistics
    • Concentrations >
      • Creative Writing >
        • Writing Comedy
        • Writing the Young Adult Novel
        • Creative Writing I
        • Creative Writing II
        • Writing Children's Stories
        • Writing and Craft for Elementary Students
        • Writing Fiction
        • Writing Poetry
        • Writing Creative Nonfiction
        • Screenwriting I: Writing the Short
        • Screen Writing II: Writing the Feature
        • Magazine Article Writing
        • Fundamentals of Playwriting
        • Film Scenario Writing
        • Tutoring Writing
        • The Publishing Industry
        • Professions in Writing Arts
        • Internship
        • Research Practicum
      • Publishing & Writing for the Public >
        • Introduction to New Media
        • Self Publishing
        • The Publishing Industry
        • Writing for Popular Culture
        • Publication Layout & Design
        • Rhetorical Theory
        • Environmental Writing & Rhetoric
        • Writing for the Workplace
        • Writing Comedy
        • Professions in Writing Arts
        • Fiction to Film
        • Participatory Media
        • Photojournalism
        • Online Journalism I
        • Media Law
        • Applied Media Aesthetics: Sight, Sound and Story
        • Internship
        • Research Practicum
      • Technical & Professional Writing >
        • Introduction to Technical Writing
        • Writing for Nonprofits
        • Scientific Writing and Rhetoric
        • Medical Writing and Rhetoric
        • Tutoring Writing
        • Writing for the Workplace
        • The Publishing Industry
        • Professions in Writing Arts
        • Internship
        • Research Practicum
    • WA Learning Community >
      • Publishers
    • Portfolio Seminar Overview >
      • PS Analysis Statement Assignment
      • Checklist
      • Core Values
      • Questions Concerning Core Values
      • PS AS Peer Group Instructions
      • Portfolio Contents and Uploading
      • PS AS Rubric
      • FAQs: Students
      • FAQs: Instructors
  • Internships
  • Careers
  • Faculty
    • Faculty Resources >
      • Best Practices in Online Learning
      • Syllabus Requirements
      • HyFlex/Remote Learning
      • Canvas Support >
        • Writing Comedy
      • Accessibility in Online Courses
      • Racial Equity Online
      • Supporting Developmental Writers Remotely
      • Building an Online Classroom Community
    • Acknowledgements
  • Blogs
    • Writer's Insider Blog >
      • Spring 2021
      • Fall 2020
      • Spring 2020
      • Fall 2019
      • Spring 2019 >
        • An Interview with Devon James & Rachel Barton
        • Confession Travel Writer
        • Self-Publishing: A Change in Perspective
        • CCCA Career Fair: Having Your Future in Mind
        • Alumni Success: Entering the Working World
        • Behind the Scenes of Rowan's Hiring Process
      • Fall 2018 >
        • Singularity Press: Rowan's New Start Up
        • Writing Arts Club
        • How Can We Evaluate Creative Writing?
        • More Inclusive Events for Technical Writers
        • Guest Speaker Manuela Soares
        • Glassworks Reading
        • Spotlight: Taylor Henry, Recently Published Rowan Alum
      • Spring 2018 >
        • Publishing and Writing for the Public: A Reconstructed Concentration
        • What You Think You Know About Technical and Professional Writing is Wrong
        • The Toni Libro Medallion Award Winner: Myriah Stubee
        • An Interview with a Publisher
        • Excellence in Writing Arts Medallion Winner: Sara Skipp
        • The College of Communcation and Creative Arts 6th Annual Student Awards and Showcase Ceremony
        • Rowan Alum, Marissa Cohen, On Self Publishing and Advocacy
      • Fall 2017 >
        • Upcoming Classes in the Writing Arts Department
        • The Writer's Journey Blog by Earl Garcia
        • Rewriting The Department's Social Media Platforms
        • Rowan University Writing Arts Club Reinvents Mission
        • Glassworks Launches Issue Fifteen
        • For Futuristic Consideration: An Exploration of Careers in Writing
      • Spring 2017 >
        • Technical Communication: An Overview
        • A More Inclusive Future for Technical Writers
        • Easing the Tension: Breaking Down Technical and Professional Writing
        • Growing the Technical and Professional Writing Concentration
      • Fall 2016
      • Spring 2016
      • Winter 2015
      • Fall 2015 >
        • 2014 and Prior >
          • Archive
    • The Bulletin Board
    • RU Writing? Podcast
  • Creative Writing
  • Writing Center
  • Alumni
    • Undergraduate
    • Graduate
  • Awards
    • 2021 Emerging Writers Scholarship
    • Denise Gess Literary Awards >
      • Rowan University Award for Poetry
      • Edward J. Czwartacki Award for Fiction
      • Pat B. Tweedie Award for Creative Nonfiction
      • Award Winners
    • Excellence in Writing Arts Medallion Award
    • AnToinette Libro Graduate Medallion Award
    • Past Awards >
      • 2008 Hollybush Writing Competition
      • Write Rowan, Right Now! Contest
  • Student Groups
    • Rowan Writing Arts Club
    • Avant Literary Magazine
    • The Whit Newspaper
    • Her Campus Rowan
    • Odyssey at Rowan
    • Singularity Press
  • Calendar
  • ECCCA
    • RU Deptartment of Writing Arts - Home
    • News & Announcements
    • Rowan University - Home
    • Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts at Rowan University - Home
    • Student Groups