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Aren't the publishers still big gatekeepers? Are there any examples of works by unknown authors that rose to prominence without going through a big publisher?
by massysett 10y ago
Aren't the publishers still big gatekeepers? Are there any examples of works by unknown authors that rose to prominence without going through a big publisher? (I wouldn't count something by a prominent author, as they have the name recognition to not need a publisher, at least not as much.)
- ioddly 10y agoSure. Anthony Ryan's Raven's Shadow series was picked up by a publisher after the first book was self-published. (It also took a major dive in quality IMO, but he seems to have recovered with his newest novel). I think this is becoming a more common pattern (popular self-published book leads to larger deals), although I'm just a reader and not involved in the industry.
- kryptiskt 10y agoHugh Howey is one.
- lb1lf 10y agoDepends on what you mean by 'rose to prominence', but Andy Weir's The Martian (being one of the most fun science-y novels I've read in recent years) started life as a number of blog entries before being self-published (only to be picked up by a 'real' publisher once the buzz had started)
- CamperBob2 10y agoJ. K. Rowling comes to mind. Scholastic wasn't a "big publisher" in the traditional sense, more of a niche marketer. Tom Clancy would also qualify, I think.