Guest Post by Walter Rhein

Why Independent Writers Matter
by Walter Rhein

Within every society there is a fairly narrow set of boundaries for what constitutes acceptable moral conduct. In early American history, the concept of slavery fit within this standard, and when Mark Twain challenged the morality of slavery in ‘Huckleberry Finn’ he helped to create the kind of social awareness that eventually moved the moral compass of our whole society. The problem is that challenging the moral perspective of a society is a contentious and therefore hazardous action. An author who achieves a high standing within the literary community of his or her age, becomes reluctant to examine the existing moral structure. It is only the independent writer, who does not fear to lose a position of social stature, that is free to anticipate the moral standard of a better world. 

Educated people often complain about the quality of film and literature that is widely available. There is the pretense that only the very best scripts are made into films, but you only need peruse titles like ‘Sharknado’ to come to the realization that this isn’t the truth. One of the most successful entertainment franchises of our time is the series of films featuring Marvel superheroes. Although these films are great entertainment, particularly for munching on popcorn in an air-conditioned theater on a hot summer day, these films leave no lasting impression or engage in any controversial topics. 

Even more artistic films from major studios are relatively conservative. In our contentious era, studios are fearful of any controversy as a viral outbreak of social justice outrage can kill a film before it even premieres. Modern studios are prone to cutting ties with their talent at the first sign of controversy, even for transgressions as small as a series of ill-advised, disavowed tweets from decades ago. This is despite the fact that these same studios have various examples of racism, misogyny and exploitation in their vaults. 

Because the effort to challenge the moral compass of a society is inherently controversial, it is becoming less and less likely that the leaders of our established artistic communities will be inclined to do so. Those who have earned reputations as great modern writers have done so by existing within the narrow corridor of what is considered acceptable moral conduct. By the time they have achieved a hard-won status, they have allowed themselves to become indoctrinated against taking certain kinds of risks. 

This is not to say that all independent writers are champions of a higher moral standard, they most certainly are not. Independent writers cover the entire spectrum. Some independent writers fall neatly within the moral standard of our time. There exist too, unfortunately, a significant group of independent writers that endeavor to take us back to reprehensible times of moral depravity. But there are also a small group of independent writers that, due to their low profile, are able to wrestle with important issues free from the pressure of imminent and unfair social justice prosecution. 

It really is a very exciting time for publishing. Innovations like electronic books have made it possible for small publishers to release dynamic works at low cost. These publishers still approach their novels with the same diligence of editing and refinement of the major publishers, but they aren’t afraid to engage exactly the type of challenging issues that most of the educated populace complains is absent from mainstream media. The problem is that the general public still hasn’t come to fully understand the full potential of independent books. 

If you’ve ever found yourself complaining, “There’s nothing at this bookstore I really want to read,” or “There’s nothing on television I really want to see,” then take a dive into some independent books. Read the excerpts, peruse Reddit chatrooms for recommendations, and above all write reviews on everything you engage with. The simple fact is, when it comes to the major publishers, your review, your voice, will not bring about any change. It’s only in the independent community that the reader can help shape the literature of the era. 

For those of you who wish to discuss this concept further, please don’t hesitate to write me at the email provided below. Also, please check out my latest release from Burning Bulb Publishing: Paperclip. I don’t claim that this is a book that will change society as we know it, but it is a good read, and it does take a dozen or so chances that you probably won’t see in a release from a major publisher. If you’re sick of the same old safe stories, why not try something that might surprise you? 

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About the Author: 
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Walter Rhein maintains a web page about travel, musings on writing, and other things at StreetsOfLima.com. His novels with Perseid Press include: The Reader of Acheron, The Literate Thief, and Reckless Traveler. His novel The Bone Sword was published with Harren Press, and his novel Beyond Birkie Fever was originally published with Rhemalda Publishing. He currently splits his time between the US and Peru, and can be reached for questions or comments at: WalterRhein@gmail.com.