My Ten Years in Newpub: ACKS To Grind Appearance
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Last night, I joined Alexander Macris—Autarch mastermind and creator of the Adventurer Conqueror King System—on his ACKS To Grind live stream. We had a wide-ranging conversation about gaming, writing, and myriad topics in between. If you missed it, the video is embedded below.
For those just tuning in, I’ve spent the past decade in newpub; writing, editing, publishing, and selling books without seeking the approval of legacy gatekeepers. Along the way, I’ve seen promising authors rise, burn out, or lose the plot entirely. But I’ve also watched indies build loyal readerships and produce work far beyond what oldpub would have allowed.
Here are three key lessons that came up in the stream:
1. Established Authors Must Promote New Talent
Newpub isn’t legacy publishing. We don’t have a decrepit corporate structure funneling fresh meat into the grinder. So we have to have skin in the game.
That means if you’re a successful indie author, you owe it to the next wave to pay it forward. Promotion, mentoring, feedback; no matter what form your support takes, it matters. The pipeline doesn’t exist unless we build it ourselves.
I wouldn’t be here if guys like John C. Wright, Larry Correia, and Jeffro Johnson hadn’t thrown me a rope early on. Now I return the favor when I can. If you’re an author with a platform, it’s incumbent upon you to help newcomers get a leg up. After all, the trope of the self-made man is a Boomer spook.
2. Oldpub Is a Negative Value Proposition
The legacy industry doesn’t just offer less than it used to. It takes more.
Today’s oldpub contract gives you no control, no audience access, no marketing budget, and no long-term income. All you get is a dwindling advance and a contract that would make a mob lawyer blush.
Image: AMC
Authors don’t need deadpub. Neopatronage has erased every justification the big New York houses had for existing. (Just ask Brandon Sanderson.) All oldpub offers now is creative handcuffs and a fading illusion of prestige.
3. Editing Is Not Optional
The freedom afforded by newpub doesn’t mean skipping the hard parts. Your readers don’t care how raw and authentic your unedited first draft is. They want a good book.
That means hiring a real editor. Every successful author I know invests time and money into editing. Not only does a legit editor credit mean the difference between a publishable book and a hobby draft, it hardens you against accusations of A.I. slop.
Newpub rewards quality, and that means quality control. No matter how skilled you are, there’s no substitute for an objective second set of eyes on your book Get it edited.
I had a blast talking shop with Alex. If you’re serious about writing—or tabletop game design—this stream is worth your time. Watch it, and take notes. Then get back to work. Because no big publisher is coming to save you. But if you build the right skills and help others do the same, you won’t need saving.
Wath the full stream replay here:
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