I’m now planning to self-publish on Kindle. It seems this is the way of the future. Joe Konrath and Barry Eisler have published an eye-opening conversation on the subject here
Near the end of that discussion, Barry says:
“To turn a manuscript into an actual book and get it into the hands of a reader, we still need an editor, line editor, copyeditor, proofreader, jacket copy writer, bio writer, cover art designer, and digital formatter.”
I wonder if this is true. I have read here that Scrivener version 2, the software package running on Apple computers, will convert text into various formats for epublishing, including the .MOBI Kindle format.
One notable bestselling book that I have read on Kindle shows no evidence of having been edited or even proofread by anyone.
I accept the need for a cover art designer. As for the rest, surely I can write my own blurb (jacket copy) and my own bio, and do I really need all those editors? And if not, who ensures the quality of what’s published?
