My books were attacked constantly by the Communist Party for not hewing to the Party line. I have never hewed to a Party line of any kind.
I publish my own books, so there isn't a certain editor I owe the book to at a publishing house.
I've always felt writing is an art. Publishing is a business. I felt strongly if I was going to write, I would write what I wanted to, and if the 'market' didn't respond, there was nothing I could really do about it.
As an author, I realise, you're on your own. You have to do everything you can to help The Book. If I make sure people know it's out there, they can make up their own minds whether they want to read it.
I bristle at the implication that only with the help of a Big Six editor does a novel lose its self-indulgent aspects. Before the advent of self-publishing, there were plenty of self-indulgent novels on the shelves.
Some authors are quite happy - and have the time - to do it all themselves, which is great.
When I realized that I can invest in my own marketing and do exactly what I think needs to be done - well, then it just feels like, what is the benefit of having a publisher?
Don't try to outguess what's going on in publishing, and write what you want to write.
