Kris Rusch wrote a few weeks ago that the gold rush is over in
indie publishing; in fact, it’s been over for some time now.
There’s no surprise to many of us. Neither is it cause for
panic (or jubilation, if you’ve thought the indie revolution was a bad thing). Busts
follow booms. It’s the nature of things.
For a long, long time, I’ve made my home in Alaska, the
state that has the most volatile economy in the nation, dependent as it is on
the boom-bust development of resources like oil and gold. For a forthcoming book, I’ve also done a huge amount of research on the granddaddy of all booms,
the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush. So it’s impossible to resist probing what the
metaphor illustrates for authors, whether they’ve been publishing independently
or watching from the sidelines:
·
When the
boom begins, the attraction is as much—maybe more—about independence and reward
for hard work as it is about wealth. As with would-be and midlist authors
who felt squeezed out of traditional publishing, most of the prospectors who
came North felt squeezed out of opportunities within the dysfunctional economy
of the 1890s.
·
Statistically
speaking, by the time you hear about it, the so-called “easy money” is gone.
For the most part, those who were already milling around in the vicinity of the
Klondike when the first nuggets were found were the ones who made out well. By
the time word reached everyone else, the best claims were all taken. The same
has happened in indie publishing, where authors who jumped in early (2009-2011)
found the biggest followings among readers. As with the miners, not all who did
well were skilled; some were just lucky.
·
The
volume of interest causes big problems. When a boom begins, there’s never
enough infrastructure in place to deal with the influx. The sheer numbers
complicate the situation for everyone. Confusion reigns. Sound familiar?
·
The
resource has limits. No matter how many miners, there’s only so much gold.
For books, there are only so many readers, and those readers have only so much
time to read.
·
When the
reality hits, most quit. With a lot of grumbling and excuses over what went
wrong, some move on to the next big rush—from the Klondike, it was Nome; from
indie e-books, who knows? Others will give up completely.
·
Aside
from those who arrived early on, the ones who do best are those who “mine the
miners.” Though the good Klondike claims were gone early, the entrepreneurs
who set up shop to feed and house the miners (and keep them in liquor) did just
fine. Some even hung around after the rush was over. In indie publishing, those
who market services to authors trying to figure out how to promote their books will
in many cases do better than the authors themselves.
·
When the
rush ends, nothing’s as it once was. Klondikers tore through the landscape
and created havoc among indigenous cultures. Post-boom, publishing has also changed
in ways we’re still trying to figure out.
·
Despite
the hardships and challenges, a certain percentage of those who came for the
opportunities will stay because they like this new way of life. As with
those who settled in the north, indie authors are here to stay—wiser for their
troubles, better focused than they might have been, and content with the new
landscape.