Self-Publishing to Traditional Publishing: I Spy a Trend

First off, this is not an argument, rant, or railing against either form of publishing. It's just that I've spotted something popping up on Publisher's Marketplace during the past few weeks, and I'm just a sharing kinda guy.

Caution: Your eyes may glaze over...

October 18, 2012
		Fiction: Women's/Romance		Samantha Young's bestselling self-published ON DUBLIN STREET, said to have sold over 150,000 ebooks in a month, a sexy contemporary romance set in Scotland, about an American woman who left her tragic past behind to start over in Edinburgh, whose carefully guarded world is shaken to its core by her new roommate's sexy older brother, to NAL, already republished in ebook form, with a trade paperback on December 31, and a second book for publication in 2013.
		October 16, 2012
		Fiction: Women's/Romance		NYT bestselling author Teresa Mummert's first three books in her self-published BEAUTIFUL series, starting with WHITE TRASH BEAUTIFUL, about a young woman living in a trailer park with her mother and abusive boyfriend, and the lead singer in a band who walks into her diner -- he tries to show her that there is more to life, but being with him will come at a high price, to Lauren McKenna at Gallery, in a significant deal, at auction, by Kimberly Whalen at Trident Media Group(world English). Film: Joseph Veltre at Gersh
		October 12, 2012
		International rights: UK Fiction		James Oswald's self-published thriller NATURAL CAUSES, to Alex Clarke at Michael Joseph, in a good deal, at auction, by Juliet Mushens at PFD(UK/Commonwealth, excl. Canada). rmills@pfd.co.uk
		October 12, 2012
		Non-fiction: Cooking		Creator of food blog Macheesmo.com Nick Evans's untitled cookbook, featuring hundreds of inventive and refreshing ways to use common leftovers in new dishes, with photos, and based on author's self-published book, CORNERSTONE COOKING, to Lara Asher at Lyons Press, for publication in 2014, by David Dunton at Harvey Klinger (World).
		October 11, 2012
		International rights: UK Fiction		Mark Sennen's self-published TOUCH, the first book in his Charlotte Savage series, a police procedural set in Plymouth and Dartmoor, a Kindle bestseller said to have sold over 73,000 units, to Claire Bord at Avon UK, in a three-book deal, for republication in January 2013, followed by a paperback in April 2013, by Claire Roberts at Trident Media Group (world, excl. NA).
		October 10, 2012
		International rights: Fiction		James Oswald's self-published crime bestseller NATURAL CAUSES, to Andrea Best at Goldmann, in a good deal, by PFD for German rights -- with a four-publisher UK auction underway, by PFD. rmills@pfd.co.uk
		October 5, 2012
		International rights: UK Fiction		Abbi Glines' self-published THE VINCENT BOYS and THE VINCENT BROTHERS, to Emily Thomas at Hot Key Books, by Caspian Dennis at Abner Stein, on behalf of Lauren Abramo at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (UK/Commonwealth, excl. Canada). labramo@dystel.com
		October 5, 2012
		International rights: UK Fiction		Nick Spalding's self-published romantic comedy novels, Love... From Both Sides and Love... And Sleepless Nights, to Charlotte Hardman at Coronet, in a good deal, for republication first in ebook and then in paperback, by Jon Elek at AP Watt (UK/Commonwealth).
		October 4, 2012
		Children's: Young Adult		Abbi Glines' SEABREEZE "new adult" series, including the successfully self-published BECAUSE OF LOW and WHILE IT LASTS plus two more books, about the goings-on in Sea Breeze, Alabama and the to-die for romances of its beloved inhabitants, again to Bethany Buck at Simon Pulse, in a major deal, by Jane Dystel at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (world English).
		October 4, 2012
		Children's: Young Adult		Tammara Webber's self-published NYT and USA Today bestseller EASY, about a 19-year-old grappling with both the aftermath of a sexual assault and the excitement of a new love interest, to Don Weisberg at Penguin Children's, in a two-book deal, with the ebook publishing on October 9, 2012, and a paperback to be published by Berkley on November 6, 2012, by Jane Dystel at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (NA).
		October 3, 2012
		Fiction: General/Other		Richard Bard's self-published BRAINRUSH and BRAINRUSH II: THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY, and the new BRAINRUSH III: FINAL JUDGMENT, an adventure series featuring a combat pilot, to Alan Turkus at Thomas & Mercer, in a good deal, for all to be republished and published in 2013, by Scott Miller at Trident Media Group.
		October 2, 2012
		Fiction: Women's/Romance		USA Today bestselling author Molly McAdams' debut, self-published novel, TAKING CHANCES, in which a girl leaves home and her rigid, career Marine father to go to college and live life her own way, finding friendship, unexpected love from two men and finally the true meaning of family, to Tessa Woodward at Harper, in a significant deal, in a three-book deal, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency (world).
		October 1, 2012
		Children's: Young Adult		USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Donovan's self-published THE BREATHING series, about life-changing love, unspeakable cruelty, and one girl's fragile grasp of hope, to Tim Ditlow at Amazon Children's, in a good deal, with REASON TO BREATHE for publication in January 2013; BARELY BREATHING for publication in March 2013; and OUT OF BREATH for publication in June 2013; in a three-book deal, by Erica Spellman Silverman at Trident Media Group. UK and Commonwealth rights to Razorbill, in a good deal, by Alexander Slater on behalf of Erica Spellman Silverman at Trident Media Group.
That's just in October ALONE!!! What is happening here, folks? It seems pretty obvious. Agents aren't just reading queries in the slush. They're trawling the self-published bestseller lists and rushing to sign up those books who have built a following. In effect, self-publishing has become an alternative slush pile, except those who are cherry-picked from it have already gone and made a bunch of moolah. Why do these authors want to go the traditional publishing route after being successfully self-published? My theory is that being traditionally published gives them validation. (UPDATE: See the comments for some great thoughts about other positives.) Despite all their self-earned success, they still can't resist the fact that a "big" publisher wants them.  And I don't blame them in the slightest. One never knows what the future will bring, but I have a strong hunch we'll see an ever-increasing number of these stories. Until, one day, this will be the way the system works. The times are certainly a-changing. After all, next year you won't be able to get your hands on a printed copy of Newsweek. Screen, baby, screen. How do you think this is going to shake out? Have you read any self-published authors who "turned" traditional? What did you think?