I feel discriminated against every time I hear of a book prize contest or
similar literary event, only to learn that I’m disqualified on the basis of
my book being self-published.  I took every precaution to make sure my books
were the best they could be.  I worked hard on getting them printed at a
good price.  Yet I keep running up against the same prejudice each time I
want to promote my books.  I feel like the literati are treating me like an
untouchable and a lepper.  The latest excuse given to me, when I wanted to
be included in an e-book of Alberta authors was that I wasn’t published by a
«recognized» publishing house.  I was told that there are so many authors
that a line had to be drawn somewhere.
Only a few books are published each year by these corporations.  They reject
thousands of manuscripts and only publish the ones which they figure will
earn them money.  I can understand that but I’ve been told that these
publishers believe that self-published books are inferior, filled with
errors and shoddily put together.  To me, this is just the same as saying
that people with dark skin are inferior or that disabled folks are less than
human.  I hope my books become famous so I can rub it in that those who
rejected my books missed out on being the ones to publish my work.
Respectfully,
Bruce Atchison – author of Deliverance from Jericho (Six Years in a Blind
School) and When a Man Loves a Rabbit ((Learning and Living With Bunnies).