The History of Self-Publishing
Self-publishing isn’t new — in fact, it’s one of the oldest traditions in the written world.
The first known evidence of writing dates back to around 3100 BC, with ancient Egyptians recording their words on papyrus scrolls. These scrolls weren’t mass-produced or distributed by publishers — they were, in essence, the earliest form of self-publishing.
Fast forward to 1440, and Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized the process. By introducing the printing press to the Western world, he became the first true self-publisher of the modern age — laying the foundation for the publishing industry as we know it today.
The tools have changed, but the spirit of self-publishing lives on.
Self-Publishing vs Indie Publishing
There are two main reasons why many Self-publishers are trying to move away from the "Self-Publishing" label.
“Self-published” is still sometimes associated with inferior quality.
While the stigma is fading, there are people who still think self-publishing means poor quality. Before the rise of ebooks, self-publishing largely meant authors giving exorbitant amounts of money to vanity presses to create print copies of their books, most of which never sold.
Then Kindles became popular, and the indie (independant) publishing “gold rush” began. Suddenly, anyone with the time to slap a cover onto their book and upload it to Amazon was told they could be making thousands of dollars a month. Understandably, a lot of the books that followed were made quickly and on the cheap, leading to inferior quality.
These days, however, many self-published titles are just as professionally made as the ones coming out of the big publishing houses. But their authors, understandably, don’t want to be associated with the poor-quality titles in the field. The term “Indie Publishing” allows them to avoid that.
What’s the Difference Between a Self-Publisher and an Indie Publisher?
Originally, an Indie publisher was simply a Self-publisher who formalized their process by creating a publishing company for their own book. When successful, some expanded their services — allowing other self-publishers to publish under their imprint.
The key distinction?
Control.
Unlike traditional publishing, Indie publishers offer guidance, support, and sometimes just the use of their brand — but the author always retains full rights and creative control.
Good Indie publishers act as partners. They help with the countless tasks required to bring a book to life: formatting, editing, cover design, ISBN registration, metadata, and more. Some offer comprehensive packages; others simply provide a professional platform for self-publishers to stand on.
In the end, whether you call yourself a Self-publisher or an Indie author, what matters is the quality of your work — and your commitment to publishing it professionally.
ISBN's
The ISBN of a book is recorded in the appropriate national library and can be viewed on many sites. One such site is https://www.worldcat.org/ The ISBN can be registered against the authors name or publishing house or indie company. As an example here is how War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy is listed on Worldcat