Material World: the difference between Big 6 and indie, brought to you by Madonna and Nicki Bluhm

One of the things I love about indie publishing is the feeling that I'm getting a more intimate experience of the story.

A lot of Big novels in recent years felt overly edited to me. As I gain more experience as an editor, I can see another editor's handprint more clearly. The book has been produced to an extent that most indie authors frankly can't afford, and (I would hope) would resist, even if money was no object.

To illustrate: "The Material Girl" is a great song. Catchy as hell, tons of mass audience appeal, and as you're about to see, it holds up both fully produced and in the raw. Here's the classic version we know and love: Here's the same song by Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers. Intimate, raw, unfiltered, not glossy. Suddenly, the lyrics are conversational and accessible, the tone is between you and me. Two ways to deliver the same story. I love them both, but I've kinda had enough of books that are slickly produced and sanitized for my protection. As a reader, I'm ready to connect with authors more intimately. And as an author, I'm comfortable connecting with readers in jeans and tee shirt instead of my fancy pink dress.

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