I am giving this book five out of five stars not in comparison to all the other novels I have recently read, most of which have better covers, higher production values, and stronger substantive editing, but in comparison to what I thought a self-published novel would be like to read.

I “met” April L. Hamilton on the Amazon Breakthrough Novel forum, where we soon found we disagreed on the way serious fiction writers should view the option of self-publishing. I argued that self-publishing by definition diluted writing quality, because self-published books had not been subjected to the kind of editorial scrutiny and attention that a publishing house provides. I felt that self-published novels should continue to be ignored by literary awards programs and major books sections, firstly because no qualified selection committee had chosen to publish them, and then because they had not benefited from the quality editorial input that forms part (ideally, at least) of the standard publishing process. Without some screening mechanisms, book reviewers and awards-selection committees would soon be buried in drivel.

April argued that with the advent of easily accessible on-line print-on-demand publishing, and the availability of good editors for hire–not to mention designers and layout artists–the self-published author today can obtain the same quality input on their work as a publishing house provides. She also made a strong argument that with the ongoing mega-sization of the publishing industry and loss of mid-range houses, most writers who were formerly referred to as “mid-list” authors would probably never see their books in print at all if they left their destinies to the establishment. Their only certain course of action, according to April, was to go independent (or “indie,” as she calls it).

My thinking has been changed by my exchanges with April and others of her mind-set. I still will not self-publish my own fiction, or recommend that others do so, no matter how hard it is to find a publisher and an agent these days. But now at least I can see why some people with actual writing talent might choose to go this route, with no detriment and possibly some advantage to their careers. Self-publishing today is not the same as “vanity” publishing used to be–or at least not necessarily the same. Even if most bookstores will not stock self-published books, they can still be marketed and sold on-line, and thereby provide some income–as well as attention–to their authors. I have seen self-published books reviewed in major papers, and one recently won a literary prize. In the case of print-on-demand, their authors are also doing a favour to the environment.

Snow Ball surprised me for the quality of its appearance. It is not up to major publishing-house standards, but I’m sure that within a few years CreateSpace-type companies are likely to overcome the current shortcomings in this area. I was also surprised with the quality of the copy-editing: there were a few typos here and there, but that happens even in books by major trade publishers. But I was especially surprised with the quality of the story April L. Hamilton has written. It was complex and well-structured, effective and absorbing. Snow Ball is a is a social commentary on the “celebrity” phenomenon as much as it is a light-hearted mystery about a man who suddenly disappears and the woman he leaves behind. The irony and sardonic humour of the social observations don’t detract from the fun of the story itself and, although it would have benefited from substantive editing (as would this “review,” I surmise, now that I see how long it’s grown and how little of it is actually a review), the novel was well paced and interesting.

With her Indie Guide to Self Publishing, April L. Hamilton has become a standard-bearer for writers looking for a sure route to publication. With Snow Ball, she shows what can be achieved by an author who would rather publish her own novel than never see it in print at all. I still believe that most of the people who will take advantage of the new technologies to self-publish their fiction are simply going to create drivel that we’ll have to wade around in–hoping we can find signposts to the good and possibly even excellent before we are completely buried. But as well as being enterprising, April is a careful and imaginative writer, and when I add together her writing abilities with her determination, I have no difficulty giving her five stars… even if she is being judged in a category in which she is almost by herself, at least for now.

Rating: 5 / 5