The real wealth of the traditional publisher is their backlist. What they have published over the years and kept in print.

Yet today’s traditional publisher does not seem to value this wealth or perhaps does not understand it. Much of it is going out of print.

Out of this travesty a new form of publishing is taking place. Part of it is the resurgence of the self-published author who reclaims his or her work and puts it back in circulation as an e-book.

This is the health and future of our culture. It is going to generate sales for the out of print author and make us much more keenly aware of what we are in the process of losing if we allow the traditional publishers to stay in charge of who gets published.

How many of us have heard the awful words from a well-respected publisher that they would like to publish our work but, and this is a huge moment of truth they think they are pronouncing, there is no market for what we write?

My answer to them is they are fools and clowns masquerading as publishers. The role of the publisher is to find that market, to be inventive and creative in opening up the audience for a vast array of work that needs to be read.

When and if you hear a publisher say those nasty words to you, do not despair. It is truly their loss, your gain and you can find and will find the best way to have the work published. They just won’t be able to seduce you with that awful soul destroying hope that you can cash in on casino publishing and your book too will make millions.

We are really the majority here, we indie folks.

What do you think about that?

Deborah Emin is the Publisher of Sullivan Street Press, www.sullivanstreetpress.com