By Edward Nawotka

At BookExpo America you’re seeing the newly confident self-publishing industry take a rightful place among the traditional publishers. Outlier authors have been invited to address the conference — Bella Andre, who wrote for us earlier this year, was invited to speak at the annual IDPF event — and hundreds (nee thousands) of others are walking the halls making their pitch to whomever will listen. Increasingly, we hear reports of self-published authors being approached by overseas publishers for rights. And, with the boom in the number of titles, the segment appears to be a juggernaut in the making.

As self-publishing transitions into an organized aspect of the industry, with its own infrastructure, vocabulary and mores, what “brand value” does it hold? Is there a unique appeal to a self-published author, beyond their methodology of publishing? Does the moniker “self-published,” “DIY” or “indie” provide a distinct appeal?

Independence, freedom, liberty are all words that have a strong resonance in the American pantheon of political verbiage. How about in publishing?

Let us know what you think in the comments.