CreateSpace is on its final legs as Amazon completes its absorption into KDP Print this month, but it goes out with a bang, not a whimper.
By the final of the Prix Renaudot in November CreateSpace will be history, but it might just also make history.
When Actualitté posted the shortlist for the Prix Renaudot a few days ago the list was impressive for its literary content, but seemingly unremarkable in any other way.
But then a closer look revealed something quite out of character for a prestigious literary award nomination.
Tucked away in the list of 17 titles up for further consideration is Bande de Français, a book by Franco-Israeli author Marco Koskas, published by Galligrassud.
Galligrassud? Actualitté spotted that Galligrassud is in fact a contraction of names of publishing houses and that the book was actually self-published using Amazon’s CreateSpace.
Presuming Renaudot does not have an exclusion clause prohibiting self-published books from being nominated, then this title will now have to be given due consideration as a possible winner of the prize.
But given the book’s self-published credentials have now been outed it raises the question whether this will in itself colour the opinion of the judges.
And should the book not be the final winner there will no doubt be suggestions in some quarters that the book’s self-published credentials were a factor in it not making the top spot.
Either way, the book seems likely to race up the sales charts thanks to the attention it will now get.
And already there is talk of a new conundrum this all raises. How is it that a book shortlisted for a prestigious literary award cannot be found on the shelves in bricks & mortar bookstores?
Via Actualitté.
