How To Re-educate Librarians About Indie Books?

Sigh. Here we go again. Why are they, the very people I worshipped from childhood, who stood in the forefront of so many populist causes I care about, who at least appear to champion the proliferation of books and literacy, why are they so contrary about learning about indie publishing?

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone informs me, a founding member of the board of Independent Authors Guild, that self-published books are just poorly produced self-indulgent crap of interest to no one but the author and few family members and friends. The latest instance is a librarian at the Washington Talking Book and Braille library. Danielle King wrote,

We do frequently get requests from authors who have self-published books and unfortunately, they haven't been of a very good quality and we haven't felt they are appropriate for our collection or been something that would be popular with our patrons.

I replied that I would not be at all surprised. I am sure they get a combination of book length racts, reminiscences of wacky family life, and stories about just how remarkable "my beautiful guide dog, Sally, was."

I had written to her to advocate for a change in policy to reflect the changing nature of publishing and in particular the development of the indie publishing industry. I started out just wanting my own novel recorded, being a local author and all, but when I understood the policy would automatically mean the the rejection of lots of great books, I changed my focus to asking for a general policy change. I found out quickly that yet again I had to do some re-education. And I thought librarians were more savvy than that.

I got this same response from Jim Fruchterman at BookShare.org, and from a friend who works for the Smithsonian Libraries. They are not the only ones. They are stuck in outworn notion of what an indie book is. They picture photocopied and largely unreadable rants, ladies' auxiliary cookbooks, and books about family histories printed in Courier New. Is it possible they just don't know about the sorts of books coming out of the indie publishing industry? Books in under served genres like historical fiction, books that simply are not fated to compete with John Gresham or his ilk? Books with their own simple, honest integrity, written with intelligence, professionally produced, that indeed "would be popular with our patrons".

What I will try to do with this exchange with Ms. King is to have a chance to share what indie publishing has become, an alternative to mass production and quick profit. You know my own strongly held belief that the arbiter of what is good in a novel in particular is the reader. Those very people Ms. King serves. I realize that library resources are limited, but why deny fans of certain genres what's coming out of indie publishing for no better reason than that the professional librarians don't know they exist yet?

I think one thing I will do is send Ms. King the list of books that made the IPPY semifinals.. that ought to enlighten her. If my book never gets recorded, sobeit... but at least the greater cause will be served.