John Edgar Wideman—author of about two dozen books, MacArthur genius grant recipient and winner of PEN/Faulker, O. Henry and James Fennimore Cooper awards—is publishing another book. No news there … until one notices that the publisher is Lulu, the self-publishing service.

From Wideman’s statement in a Lulu press release:

“Lulu seems to represent a very live possibility as the publishing industry mutates. I like the idea of being in charge. I have more control over what happens to my book. And I have more control over whom I reach.

“I have a very personal distaste for the blockbuster syndrome,” Wideman continued. “The blockbuster syndrome is a feature of our social landscape that has gotten out of hand. Unless you become a blockbuster, your book disappears quickly. It becomes not only publish or perish, but sell or perish.”

Wideman is the first client of Lulu’s VIP service, which includes things like design, media outreach, promotion and marketing. So he really doesn’t need a big publishing house for anything. He’s also publishing and selling some of his backlist through Lulu. Are freedom and control his only motivations for going it on his own? Probably not. I’m sure the unconventional nature of the new book, “Briefs,” and possible lagging sales on his other titles could make publishers as wary to work with him as he is to work with them.

He’s basically doing his own small, independent press. Maybe he’ll just do this for his own art, or maybe he’ll later publish new voices this way.

I’m sad about a business that bets on Lauren Conrad and Madonna instead of a genius. What does that mean for those of us who have no fame or erudition street cred (not to mention money)?  Are other established authors going to cut out the middle man? And if they do, does that make more room for upstart authors or does it just let the big publishers focus on the next new book by a Snooki or a Kelly Rippa? How sad for writers and readers.

I’m happy for you, John, but scared for the rest of us.

Lulu press release