Self-publishing stands up: All self-published authors have been asking for is a little respect, and 2014 was the year that the book industry started to take notice. The Toronto International Book Fair announced it was hosting a new self-publishing award, and The Writers’ Union of Canada voted in favour of giving membership to “qualified” authors. But perhaps the clearest indication that attitudes are changing can be found on the six-figure cheque Edmonton writer MJ Summers received when HarperCollins Canada bought her self-published romance novel Break in Two.