There used to be three distinct avenues of opportunity open to the aspiring author upon finishing a novel, although to most writers one was an avenue of last resort. You either sent your precious manuscript off to an agent in the hope of snagging a traditional publisher, you waited for the few weeks every year when the major houses opened their doors to gather a slush pile from the hordes of the unsolicited (a freak occurrence, these days)…or you opted for self or indie publishing, something that - let’s face it - has always carried with it the not so faint whiff of desperation. 

Then, a few short years ago, the gap began to close.