As our discussion series about independent publishers continues, I'm reluctant to abandon further exploration of that demon word "professionalism" as it defines--okay, "helps" define--"legitimate" indie publishers. So many quotation marks in play; so many innocent terms that might be considered fightin' words, but this week we'll share a few more definitions, all of which will be examined in more detail in upcoming columns. Consider these thoughts as conversation starters, or "re-starters." Ah, those quotations marks again.
Fred Ramey, co-publisher of Unbridled Books, made some intriguing observations last week. As promised, here are a few more: "Could it be that publishers are discussing 'professionalism' online and at the trade shows in order to counter the charge that we are 'gatekeepers'? That's such a facile and free-form accusation, I think, though it is based in a real frustration both with what is published and with how it is published.
"Most publishers, I imagine, are resistant to the accusation that we set ourselves the task of keeping people from being published--keeping the gates. Self-publishers publish their own works--which I think is laudable, even in some ways enviable: to have that good faith in the value of your work, to believe in it sufficiently to undertake the task of entering it to the artistic, cultural, conversational cloud.
"But, by contrast, the charge that publishers give themselves, is to bring the work of others into that indefinable reading world. We endorse that work--with our investment and our colophon; that is, we stand behind the work of others, as people who are outside of the creative literary process itself--not disinterested people, certainly more idiosyncratic than objective, but still, people who are not the creators of the work. Unfortunately, this effort seems, suddenly in these exchanges, no longer to be laudable. Sometimes it sounds as though the effort is no longer even quite fully respectable. Do we use the term 'professional' as a defense against that new (if long-welling) perception of what we're working toward? I fear that sometimes we do.
"We must admit that it’s possible—even likely—that publishers have earned their way into this situation. This seems to me to have been a two-phase development made unexpectedly significant by technologies. The first is that the industry has published such a great number of books for so long that it’s fair to say if we’ve been attempting to be gatekeepers we have been performing horribly. The second phase has been that--as a result of that flood of books--the quality of what’s being published has fallen steadily to the point that the word 'masterpiece' can now be thrown around pretty easily and pretty early. That, too, may be a defensive term in this open-mic world."
Arielle Eckstut, an agent and the co-author of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: How to Write It, Sell It, and Market It... Successfully! (Workman): "Professionalism--especially when it comes to self-publishing and independent publishing--relates directly to being entrepreneurial, authorpreneurial if you will. Granted, a book is not a hair-care product, but when you go to sell one, it is a product nonetheless. I've found that all successful self-published and independently published authors do a substantial amount of the following: research, networking, writing and persevering. And these are all things that any author can do. Plus, with all the new venues and platforms available to writers, your chances of actually getting a book out there are better than they have been at any time in history. And of course, the more professional you and your package are, the better your chances."
Nancy Mills, publisher of Pie in the Sky Publishing and president of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association: "The definition of professionalism shouldn't be any different in the publishing business than any other business. There are certain rules in the business world that apply straight across the board. Because there is so much competition, in virtually every aspect of the book business, professionalism is paramount. In my opinion, professionalism is made up of equal parts of consideration and expertise. For the same reason you wouldn't arrive up at your attorney's office without an appointment you should never assume that a bookseller is sitting around, waiting for an independent publisher, author or small press representative to arrive for a pitch. 'Why don't you carry my books?' is just below 'You suck!' on the list of the least professional opening lines with a bookseller. Respect for others' time and being mindful of all the obligations and responsibilities that booksellers have today must be uppermost in the process." 
Teresa Funke, author and president of Teresa Funke & Co. (and one of the panelists on the recent MPIBA trade show panel "Independent Publishers & Independent Booksellers, Can We Talk?"): "Indie authors need to be as professional as they can be. They need, first and foremost, to get their books professionally edited and designed. They need to produce good support materials and a solid marketing plan. They need at least a rudimentary website or online presence. They need business cards. And they need an established method for dealing with the various types of booksellers they will be working with. They need a good invoicing and shipping system, for example, or better yet, a distributor. And they need clear contact information on all of their materials. If an author does not provide these things, she needs to think of herself as a hobbyist, not a professional. There's nothing wrong, by the way, with being a hobbyist writer, just as there's nothing wrong with painting as a hobby or playing the piano. But if you want to take that next step into the 'real world' of selling and marketing your books, you need to be professional. And the more professionally an author behaves, the more professionally she'll be treated."
Can we finally release--or at least parole--"professionalism" from the harsh confines of its quotation marks? Stay tuned.--Robert Gray (column archives available at Fresh Eyes Now)