Thursday Temerity & the Indie Author

te·mer·i·ty
təˈmeritē
    Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." This line is from the movie the "Princess Diaries."


When you tell your friends you are self-publishing a book it is first viewed as you having the temerity or audacity of doing such an act. They know you on a level that may not be what you think of yourself. To be bold. To be confident. To have the audacity to see your work in print. It's a drive which few other than an author understands. A true friend will applaud and secretly admire your courage.


Literary agents and the NY type publishers will discount your decision as fool-hardy akin to suicide of any authorial career. Who are you to know better than them...the experienced, the gate-keepers, and key holders of what is literary?

Over the years I have watched the publishing business change from many small fishes in a big ocean to huge fishes in a small pond and the pond is getting smaller.  The pond is getting smaller with the advent of e-publishing. Each one of the huge conglomerates are pushing for elbow room. I find it interesting that they are jumping into the boat. They have finally realized in order to get to the bigger pond across the road they must comply with a new set of rules or die.


Temerity is needed by an author who is breaking into the market. While confidence levels fluctuate depending on sales and marketing efforts, the courage it takes to make the initial leap is mind boggling...sort of like my penguin friends in the picture. While an author, like me- may have a file cabinet drawer full of rejection slips from various agents and publishers over the years, we have the courage to say "no" my work is more important than the opinions of the gate-keepers. It has value. It should be read. It should be out there in the world for all.

You as the indie author have the temerity, courage, and audacity to put your neck on the chopping block. Win or lose is no matter, of course we all want to win. We are guided by the reading audience. We give the reader what they want and when they want it...which was yesterday. 


Supply and demand figures on what is available by self-published or e-published authors is an avalanche of product that there is a varying demand for. A supply glut, but times are changing. Look at it this way...you are the pioneer crossing streams and mountains to get to the promised land on the other side. The way is perilous, hard, and many times you want to give up.  

If you lack the confidence, courage, backbone, or temerity to see your work in print...then an indie author is not something you want to even consider. For me, it's an informed  choice.


Keep writing and loving the Lord.