“There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity” ~ Tom Peters 

I love it when I re-read a book and gain more from it the second time around. There are often hidden messages, concepts and all sorts of things that fly over our heads the first time around. 

About a year ago, a book came into my hands called “The Hourglass Principle”  by Ray Kelly III. It is written by a person who has spent a lifetime in sales. The book addresses the issue of building a business and the choices that we have in doing so. He mentions that throughout the process, we may come to a crossroad where a decision must be made of how to proceed. Sometimes there are two choices – we can take the short route, often sacrificing our beliefs and convictions or we may take, perhaps, a more challenging route allowing us to remain true to our selves. As author Ray Kelly III points out, “Integrity is the only thing we carry with us from career to career.” 

I began to think how integrity applies to the reasons why people decide to independently publish. For many, the choice is easy. After talking with a traditional publishing house, the author often realizes what is at stake is the piece of work they have poured their heart and soul into writing. If they hand their manuscript over to a traditional publisher, it could ultimately be sacrificed. Their words may be changed, a rewrite with a different slant may be requested. It may be marketed by people who do not share the approach or the same values. The cover design choice may even be out of their hands. 

What would you do, if given the choice?

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