by
Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
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| Image by Purpleslog, Flickr |
Sometimes when I’m scanning my blog reader or reading
through some of the messages from writer loops I’m on, I’m stunned by the lack of recognition
or acknowledgment of the rapidly changing industry on traditionally published
author blogs. This applies to some agent
blogs, too, although certainly not all of them (among agents, Rachelle Gardner
is probably the very best at addressing the topic.)
through some of the messages from writer loops I’m on, I’m stunned by the lack of recognition
or acknowledgment of the rapidly changing industry on traditionally published
author blogs. This applies to some agent
blogs, too, although certainly not all of them (among agents, Rachelle Gardner
is probably the very best at addressing the topic.)
These authors will write about the writing craft, querying,
the waiting period before their books release, promo…nothing about switching to
digital or any of the upheaval they must surely be experiencing/aware of in
their dealings with traditional publishers.
the waiting period before their books release, promo…nothing about switching to
digital or any of the upheaval they must surely be experiencing/aware of in
their dealings with traditional publishers.
I’ve
certainly seen changes in publishing and I haven’t been in the business nearly
as long as some other writers. For one
thing, it used to be fairly standard with paperback mysteries that contract
extensions were in 3-book increments.
Now you’ll frequently get a contract extension one book at a time.
certainly seen changes in publishing and I haven’t been in the business nearly
as long as some other writers. For one
thing, it used to be fairly standard with paperback mysteries that contract
extensions were in 3-book increments.
Now you’ll frequently get a contract extension one book at a time.
In my online interactions, I’ve been surprised at the lack
of conversation regarding switching to digital and POD.
From time to time, a traditionally published writer will get in touch
with me when they’re exploring going to self-pub…but only to ask if I know
cover designers or editors, never to ask my opinion on making the switch. This is interesting to me, considering I’ve
got a fairly high profile as a hybrid writer.
of conversation regarding switching to digital and POD.
From time to time, a traditionally published writer will get in touch
with me when they’re exploring going to self-pub…but only to ask if I know
cover designers or editors, never to ask my opinion on making the switch. This is interesting to me, considering I’ve
got a fairly high profile as a hybrid writer.
Occasionally, I’ll rock the boat a little. I’ve urged writers I know to experiment—to try
putting something up as a self-published book or short story. This is met by a variety of reactions…many
times negative ones.
putting something up as a self-published book or short story. This is met by a variety of reactions…many
times negative ones.
I’m just surprised there aren’t many other hybrid writers
like me. There are more every day, but
not nearly the number that I’d expect.
like me. There are more every day, but
not nearly the number that I’d expect.
Here’s
what I think is going on:
what I think is going on:
The main excuse I’ve heard for not exploring self-publishing
is time. Some writers have got contracts
for several years into the future and don’t see themselves starting another
series for self-publishing. One writer told me that she just didn’t have the
time to write anything other than the series she was already working on (and
was contracted out for years for.)
is time. Some writers have got contracts
for several years into the future and don’t see themselves starting another
series for self-publishing. One writer told me that she just didn’t have the
time to write anything other than the series she was already working on (and
was contracted out for years for.)
I’ve also observed a sense among some authors that if they’re
publicly vocal about self-publishing that it will somehow hurt their
traditionally published career…that it will hint at their unhappiness with
traditional publishing or imply criticism of it when they don’t actually feel
that way.
publicly vocal about self-publishing that it will somehow hurt their
traditionally published career…that it will hint at their unhappiness with
traditional publishing or imply criticism of it when they don’t actually feel
that way.
Some writers aren’t connected enough with the writing community
to know how best to approach self-publishing or see it as a huge time-suck of a
challenge.
to know how best to approach self-publishing or see it as a huge time-suck of a
challenge.
There also seems to be a preconception that self-publishing
is for projects that aren’t commercially viable. If they have something to
publish, they’re hoping to shop it to traditional publishers—they think it’s too
commercially attractive to self-publish it.
is for projects that aren’t commercially viable. If they have something to
publish, they’re hoping to shop it to traditional publishers—they think it’s too
commercially attractive to self-publish it.
For some, there still seems to be a stigma attached to
self-publishing. Some writers appear to believe
that self-publishing would make it appear that they were dropped by their
publisher or that their series were discontinued.
self-publishing. Some writers appear to believe
that self-publishing would make it appear that they were dropped by their
publisher or that their series were discontinued.
Some are so used to having the production process taken care
of (titling, copywriting, editing, design, formatting, and interior design)
that the thought of taking on these aspects of the business is completely
overwhelming.
of (titling, copywriting, editing, design, formatting, and interior design)
that the thought of taking on these aspects of the business is completely
overwhelming.
Others seem to be running into non-compete clauses. More on those contract clauses in this post
by Kristine Rusch: “Competition.”
by Kristine Rusch: “Competition.”
And here’s just a general observation: the group that seems
to be most enthusiastically making the leap to self-publishing (and with the
most commercial success) appears to be the romance writers. Frequently, these are really savvy writers. Many
of the romance writers that I’m acquainted with are older writers (middle aged
and up) who have been in the business for decades and have huge backlists. They’ve very nimbly adapted to the changing
industry and are finding significant commercial success…sometimes for the first
time in their careers.
to be most enthusiastically making the leap to self-publishing (and with the
most commercial success) appears to be the romance writers. Frequently, these are really savvy writers. Many
of the romance writers that I’m acquainted with are older writers (middle aged
and up) who have been in the business for decades and have huge backlists. They’ve very nimbly adapted to the changing
industry and are finding significant commercial success…sometimes for the first
time in their careers.
This topic might engender some discussion…the reason I’m
bringing it up at all (since I’m not exactly the type who wants to be a lightning
rod of any kind) is out of concern for these writers, moving forward. And the fact that I’m somewhat frustrated and mystified. If these writers are
simply satisfied with their current situation…I’m wondering how long that’s going
to continue being true as advances decrease and bookstores close. As publishers
tighten their belts and take on fewer manuscripts. As publishers merge or close
their doors. I’m wondering why they aren’t
testing the waters and exploring a bit. I think many of the above reasons for not exploring self-publishing
are hooey. I worry these writers are burying their heads in the sand and some of them are great writers–I would miss their stories.
bringing it up at all (since I’m not exactly the type who wants to be a lightning
rod of any kind) is out of concern for these writers, moving forward. And the fact that I’m somewhat frustrated and mystified. If these writers are
simply satisfied with their current situation…I’m wondering how long that’s going
to continue being true as advances decrease and bookstores close. As publishers
tighten their belts and take on fewer manuscripts. As publishers merge or close
their doors. I’m wondering why they aren’t
testing the waters and exploring a bit. I think many of the above reasons for not exploring self-publishing
are hooey. I worry these writers are burying their heads in the sand and some of them are great writers–I would miss their stories.
If you’re really cautious about self-publishing and you’re
traditionally published, there are ways you can minimize your risk. Write under
a pen name. Write a short story or
collection of shorts as an experiment. Spend
time each day developing a new project for self-publishing. Or spend time
figuring out if you can get the rights back to some of your backlist. Start
reading up on industry changes, if you haven’t already. Read blogs by writers
and industry insiders like Jane Friedman, Porter Anderson, Mike Shatzkin, and
Kris Rusch.
traditionally published, there are ways you can minimize your risk. Write under
a pen name. Write a short story or
collection of shorts as an experiment. Spend
time each day developing a new project for self-publishing. Or spend time
figuring out if you can get the rights back to some of your backlist. Start
reading up on industry changes, if you haven’t already. Read blogs by writers
and industry insiders like Jane Friedman, Porter Anderson, Mike Shatzkin, and
Kris Rusch.
Consider your career…this is a business. Tune in.
That is all. :)
There are likely as many different reasons as there are writers — but I suspect that feeling of being overwhelmed is a really big one. They don’t know where to begin, and they don’t know who to trust.
I mean, many may have agents and publishers whom they have always trusted who are firmly against self-publishing — so even if they see what’s going on in the self-publishing world, their most trusted advisors clearly can’t help. Meanwhile, those who are successful at self-publishing include newbies who know nothing… How do you know who to trust?
And last, for people who have been successful for a while: they know how hard it was to get where they are now. They may fear that it will be as hard to make it in self-publishing. Which might be true… but that’s why you do both.
All we can do is help people to trust themselves. Trust their fiction. Trust their readers.
Another EXCELLENT post! The publishing world has undergone such changes. I decided to change my path almost a year ago because of it. Like you there are some authors I would miss desperately if they stopped!
Elizabeth – I think you’ve nailed the reasons an author might not be in a big hurry to go to self-publishing. I think one of the biggest concerns authors have (well, authors I know) is that they don’t know enough about self-publishing, so they are anxious about it. It is a big step after all. That’s why I love blogs like yours and sources like the Writers’ Knowledge Base that offer all sorts of user-friendly info about it.
Some writers just don’t want to self-publish. The same as one med student might want to open his own private practice and another is happy to work in a hospital.
Self-publishing and traditional publishing are very different processes. It’s more than just editing and cover design. There’s marketing, planning a release schedule, dealing with returns or shipping complaints. It’s running a business, rather than just having a career, and not everyone has the aptitude for it. I see a lot of self-published authors on various forums release their books as fast as they can, with no consideration for building interest or using the anticipation of the next release to boost sales. There’s a reason Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings came out in stages rather than just waiting until all three movies were complete and releasing them all at once.
On the other hand, some people lack the discipline to really push themselves without some form of deadline. Speaking for myself, knowing that there was a rough point in the year where my publisher would have filled up its release schedule for the following year was a massive help in motivating myself to get the work done.
Some traditionally-published authors, like myself, simply enjoy the relationship with their publisher, and the way working with a good editor can bring about surprising changes. Even my cover design was a pleasant surprise. It’s not what I would have asked for if I’d commissioned it myself, but I love it and I feel it fits the book perfectly.
I do agree that every author owes it to themselves to take every option into account and to keep up to date on changes in the industry. Any choice is valid so long as it’s an informed one. The tricky part, I suppose, is figuring out which authors have made that informed choice, and which ones have made their choice because they either feel that traditional publishing is the only legitimate option, or believe that self-publishing is the future and anyone else is a dinosaur.
Great topic. I think that younger writers will definitely look at all options. Whether, the writing world likes it or not, technology is here to stay. Those who don’t at least look into self publishing will have a lot of catching up to do in the future. On the other hand, if I had a publisher and they loved me by way of contract, I’d probably let them do the hard work. But, I love the idea of self-publishing.
The Daring Novelist–The trusting is something I should have mentioned and it’s a good point. Many traditionally published writers are used to placing their trust and careers in the hands of others. I understand–I have an agent and editors that I trust.
But that’s for the traditional side. I still trust them for that side of my career. If I didn’t, I’d be pretty crazy to keep them on. But I have that whole other side (frankly, the more successful side)….the self-published side. And there…I trust myself. And I trust myself to put together a good team, or to fire my team if I find I *don’t* have a good team.
The fear is a big part of it…but that’s why being a hybrid is so great. That’s exactly right. I wouldn’t dream of telling anyone to chuck their literary career with the trad. publishers and try self-pub…but having a hybrid approach makes a good deal of sense.
Paul –I think those are major reasons–lack of time or interest in running a business. But I do think we have got to look out for ourselves. (This whole post is me trying to be all writers’ mother, which I’m not and I should mind my business…but once a mom, always a mom…ha!) I’m saying that we can have *both* things. That we can be hybrids and enjoy the best of both worlds.
I think learning the other side of the business is going to be an extremely important skill, moving forward. I think that we can eliminate all risk in learning it…most cautious scenario (and I’m a very cautious person)….write the book (maybe even just a short story), hire a team–maybe not even an A team, but a B team (or a C team), put it under a different name, upload it to platforms, watch how it sells, try different things to make it sell better….and even take the book back off the market, if we want to. Learn tons. Experiment over!
But! I do think there are people who genuinely don’t have the time to take something like this on. These are people with twin babies in their house who still may not be getting very much sleep. :) My sister has twin infants and I don’t know how she does it! This is an experiment better taken on when you genuinely do have more time and babies are older. I had one baby at a time and even then I couldn’t have taken on an experiment like this!
Would you believe me if I told you they’ve been sleeping from 8pm to 7am almost every night since they were 10 weeks old? ;-)
You’re right, as time goes on, we are going to need to learn more about the business and be able to adapt. Hybrid-writing (you should trademark the term!) is the best of both worlds, if you’ve got what it takes.
Paul–Lucky!
I’ve still got one who doesn’t sleep through the night. :) He’s 16 and I have to go in and take out his earbuds and fuss at him in the middle of the night (he’s an insomniac like his mom, but at least he should TRY to sleep, don’t you think?)
I would have thought so! :-)
Another excellent post, Elizabeth (such a lightning rod!). I’ve been experimenting with self-pubbing–maybe in twenty or thirty years I’ll have it all figured out!
Paul–It’s most vexing! And vexing when they’re suddenly bigger than we are and they used to be able to be cradled. :)
Jemi–Thank you! And yes…that’s what is so upsetting to me. I’ve got a few in mind–authors I would really, really miss. What if their contracts weren’t extended and they just didn’t take the next step and try self-pub? Ugh.
Margot–Thanks! Yes, there’s gobs of info online that helps lead us through the process…even Luddites can get it, I’m sure. It’s just a matter of setting aside a few afternoons to read up.
If my publisher chose not to accept my third book, my first choice would be to shop it to another publisher, but without being able to bring the rights to the first two with me, I know that would be very difficult. So if I couldn’t provide that, I would definitely self-publish.
I’ve put far too much work into the Locked Within series to let it sit unfinished.
Fear of the unknown is a huge factor. I think that’s the big elephant in the room. You have to learn something new…yikes, who wants to do that?
There’s been so much change, so fast in the past few years. It’s mind-boggling and overwhelming to anyone. Especially the more experienced writer. I’m surprised to hear how romance writers have adapted so well. I wonder what their secrets are…
Paul–And you have to think of your readers. Unfair to them not to have your excellent stories continued to their conclusion.
Unknown–There is definitely some fear, for sure. The difference for the romance writers, I think, is their *amazing* community. Very tight-knit. Very info-sharing. They’re all about the $15 online writing classes, etc. I think they encourage each other along. And they’re just really scrappy. It seems almost counter-intuitive that they would be, but they’re some of the toughest in the business.
Well of course ;-)
Here is a reason why people who ONLY want to publish traditionally should still think about doing some self-publishing:
It’s getting to be a bargaining chip. As contracts become more draconian, authors need to be very careful of what they sign, and they need to insist on the removal of some language. It’s much easier to do that if the publisher knows you have an option.
Chuck Wendig posted an article here:
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/04/17/when-can-i-use-work-by-another-artist/
It’s about whether or not it’s okay to quote another artist without their permission and the comments raised a very interesting point about a serious danger in self-publishing.
Legal issues.
The average aspiring author has no clue about what Fair Use actually means or what they are and are not allowed to repeat, quote, or reference in a book. When you have an agent or a publisher, they have their own legal advisers to cover you in that regard and will advise you when you’re stepping over the line. And in the event someone does decide to sue over something in one of your books, you have a potential buffer in the form of the publisher’s lawyer to address the matter.
I don’t think this is a nail in the coffin or anything, but it’s a real issue that I haven’t seen addressed very well in any discussion about the differences between traditional and self-publishing.
Teresa–That’s a reason being a hybrid is so nice…I’ve got some books that I just have to deliver to the publisher and promote upon release and they do the rest. Then I have some that I hire out for and coordinate all the details. Best and worst of both worlds…ha!
Paul –Chuck is a very sensible man (if a rather profane one…ha!) He’s also a very successful hybrid author. I have a lot of respect for him. Great post.
And this is a *critical* issue for writers, but still no excuse not to self-pub (says Elizabeth stubbornly!). We should really just avoid this referencing that requires permissions altogether…whether we’re traditional or self-pubbed writers. Penguin has had me outright change two different things in my books (one reference to Food Network, one to the Memphis in May festival) because of legal concerns and they’ve indicated to me on other occasions that I should just avoid referencing others’ work. The books worked just as well without these references. With my self-pubbed books, I completely avoid using trademarked property or lyrics of any kind. The best post I’ve seen on the topic is from Jane Friedman’s blog: http://janefriedman.com/2012/01/23/permissions/ . I’ve practically memorized the post! And you’re absolutely right–it’s a rarely addressed issue. Anne R Allen actually had a wonderful post on this as well recently (Mar. 17): http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2013/03/so-you-want-to-use-song-lyrics-in-your.html . Rarely do I see this addressed. None of us has the money to be sued (I’m speaking very broadly of writers here, but I’m sure in that group), so we need to exercise the most caution possible. Since I’m not a lawyer, I just avoid it and make all my stuff up now. Besides, referencing other artists’ work dates our own work…another issue. :)
Alan–I think you *will* have it all figured out! And thanks. Yes, that’s me…so controversial! Ha!
Camille–A good point. I have definitely heard of some odd language in some contracts from big houses lately.
I format books for a lot of different authors, and now that you mention it, most of the e-books are romance. (And the hot and heavy kind.) One author writes these books under a different name and she’s producing them very fast – and she’s also a NY Times best selling author under her real name.
Complacency and fear are lousy reasons NOT to do something.
The biggest issue here is that refusing to learn about self-publishing is like refusing a life-jacket on the Titanic.
Publishing is in the greatest state of flux since Gutenberg. NOBODY knows what it’s going to be like in 10 years, even 5 years. To remain willfully ignorant of your options, leaving the thinking to your agent or publisher, is a good way to go down with the ship.
I’ll row my own boat, thank you very much.
Diane–It’s really amazing. I’m in one loop with a lot of trad. published romance writers and they’re completely on top of the business end–and exploring all the platforms for their work. It was a romance writer who really got me to pay attention to audiobooks.
Joel–The most frustrating thing to me is thinking how much I’m going to miss these *stories!* There’s sometimes almost a resignation among trad. writers on the subject….just that nothing is going their way or that everything is changing. And it’s really an exhilarating time. They just need to give it a go. They don’t have to totally stop what they’re doing…they just need to explore all their options.
I don’t know why they are so hesitant. Me, I’d just have to think of something else to write!
Alex–Hoping you’ll keep writing! Or switch to songwriting. :)
I’ve just recently decided to give self-publishing a go for my next YA romance book. I have three traditionally published novels and several short stories, and I’m interested in seeing how different SP is from traditional. I read an informal survey done by Marie Force, in which many romance authors told of their experiences. I’ve decided to dive in and become a hybrid author, too. Thanks for bringing up the topic.
Excellent post. I find that many of the traditionally published authors who pooh-pooh self-publishing just don’t know enough about it. They’re thinking of the “vanity presses” of long ago. But I agree with you. If they followed the changes in publishing, particularly the bloggers you mention, they’d see the opportunities.
I went straight to self publishing and it has been an amazing and positive experience. I wouldn’t rule out traditional publishing and I do think people need to be more open minded. In some circles self publishing is the elephant in the room and I’m hoping it will change with time. Hybrid authors, like you, Elizabeth, have the best vantage point in terms of seeing the results of both. I think many traditionally published authors are afraid of the unknown and feel it is a step down from going via and agent and an editor. I hired a cover designer, two editors and found beta readers and, although it is a lot of work, I have enjoyed the freedom and control over the process and the response from readers has been amazing. It feels like a closer link to the market in some ways.
I wonder if you saw the results of the author survey Digital Book World did to try to unpack why authors prefer traditional publishing: distribution and marketing top two reasons cited. http://bit.ly/15j8l5Y
Suzanne–Good luck with it! I hope you’re pleased by the results you get. :) It takes a little time, but the rewards continue on for years (not as much of a limited shelf life.)
Dina–I do think it’s hard for them to shake the perception of vanity presses. That stigma is taking a while to dissipate.
fcmalby–I’ve heard self-publishing called “artisanal” before (can’t recall where I should attribute that.) It’s true–we get more of a sense of the craft of publishing when we’re doing it ourselves.
Peter–Thanks for coming by!
I did see that report and it surprised me, I’ll admit. For one, traditionally published writers should know that we don’t really get marketing support on any major scale (not midlist, anyway. No offense intended to our PR folks at the publishers.) And distribution…well, that just frustrated me. Distribution to the bookstores is a handy thing now, but as bookstores close, that’s going to become a lot less important.
I’m not published yet, traditional or otherwise, and I tell ya, the main thing that keeps me from self-pubbing is fear of being overwhelmed. One thing I know for sure: I will never rule it out!
Julie–It is definitely easy to be overwhelmed. I think learning this stuff a little at a time can help to prevent that feeling.
Hi Elizabeth .. I see it as a land of opportunity, with plenty of choices and chances to be made – we have to test the waters somewhere along the line, the sooner it’s mastered, we can address some other ways ..
Cheers – great interaction you’ve had going here .. Hilary
Love the concept of hybrid writer. I have articles and essays traditionally pubbed and look forward to working with editors. My novel and two more in final stretch are self-pubbed. A lot of hard work and finding the right people to help, but I’m happy with the POD and ebook format. Historical fiction is a bit harder to promote, but my novel is on books clubs now and word of mouth. One of my novels I would loved to be picked up traditionally, but have been close too many times. Thinking self-pub.
Hilary–Well put! Yes, a land of opportunity, for sure!
historywriter–I bet it can be a challenge to promote. You’d probably have to target book bloggers who read it? There are a couple of really good historical writing blogs I read, too: http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.com/ is one and…ugh, my memory is blanking out on the other.
I think there does come a point where we can just hit a wall while shopping a manuscript. It sounds like it’s a sound book with good reactions from publishing….so definitely consider putting it out yourself.
The bargaining chip point made above is key. Traditional publishing is a joint venture between the publisher and the author, yet historically it has not been conducted with the transparency of honest joint ventures. Contracts have always bristled with clauses leaving loose ends “at the discretion of the publisher” and “in the publisher’s opinion”. The publisher’s risk is also significantly less than the author’s, in most cases, and the revenue split has never reflected that.
All of this has been made possible because authors had no alternative. Now they do. The value of self-publishing may be that it functions as a BATNA to drive publishers towards fair, transparent, equal contracts. We can’t just expect that to happen spontaneously, however. I am still being offered publishing contracts whose terms are nearer to serfdom than partnership. Authors need to be refusing to sign those, striking through clauses, rewriting the fundamental author/publisher relationship. Publishers will bluster, but they know things have to change.
Dave–Well put. And I do think publishers are realizing there’s been a sort of awakening for writers. The awakening involves how we see our writing career and how we proactively approach it. Contracts factor into that awakening in a huge way. When given an “industry standard” or “boilerplate” contract in the past, authors really had no alternative but to take it (well, or shop a manuscript *again* with other publishers…or put the work back in a drawer.) Now we have options. And that’s empowering.
“The publisher’s risk is also significantly less than the author’s, in most cases.” I find this puzzling. In terms of financial risk, the portion of the advance paid before the manuscript is completed is completely the publishers–it’s a loan made well ahead of any opportunity to recoup the payment. By risk, do you mean that the author has to spend a great deal of time and creative energy no knowing if he or she will earn anything beyond the advance? To the extent that a book contract conveys a “partnership,” I think it’s important that we consider closely the balance of risk.
Peter–Good point. Hoping Dave will pop back in to answer that since this is a topic that dances into more econ and math than my English major brain is happy with. I’m imagining that what Dave is referring to is creative risk or brand risk. If an author writes a lousy book, his brand is dealt a heavy blow and readers might avoid his next project. Could receive a fairly crippling blow to his career. To recover, he might even have to write under another name. In trad. publishing, he could be blackballed. But no one will say “Oh, that was a Random House book. Well, I’m certainly not going to read any of *those* again…” The publishers spread out that risk by putting out many titles a month.
In addition, I’ve heard it said recently that the switch to digital is dramatically lessening the financial risk that the publisher is accepting (distribution, printing, transporting/storing books, warehousing). So, in that respect, they’re taking on less risk now than they did.
I do like these two posts that tangentially cover the topic: http://elflands2ndcousin.com/2013/03/12/when-to-jump-the-art-of-asking-and-the-economics-of-writing/ and http://janefriedman.com/2012/10/26/do-publishers-need-to-offer-more-value-to-authors/
Thank you, Elizabeth. I’m warry of putting myself in the position of defending publishers (though I was one for many years, as well as an editor, author, and bookseller). You right that an author does have a lot at risk if his or her work is not received well (whether well written or not). You’re point about the econoics of publishing in the digital age is one that’s made a lot. But I think it’s premature to come to any conclusions.
The three major dynamics I see are these. Publishers (and authors) are benefiting from a transition to digital as people buy eBook editions of books they may already own in paper. (This phenomena happened in the music industry in the shift from vinyl to CDs.) The other major benefit is that Amazon is selling eBooks on a whole sale bases (non-agency terms, the vast percentage). As you probably know, the proceeds paid to publishers are based on the lowest-priced edition available. (When the hardcover is the only other edition available, this means Amazon is loosing money on every eBook sale.) The third dynamic is marketing. We simply don’t know what the costs will be in driving digital sales in a world with fewer and fewer bookstores. 50% of all Amazon purchases are “made” before the buyer even visits the site; that is, the consumer has clicked-through to Amazon to fulfill a sale. No marketing cost was involved on Amazon’s part. I think the economics of this hidden marketing cost is going to loom large as bookstores decline, the number of published books continues to explode, and less time is spent reading books.
Peter–“…less time is spent reading books.” Now that gives me chills. I think about it often. Although my own children are avid readers (did they have a choice, being in my household?), many of their friends never read.
Amazon holds a tremendous advantage and one they’re obviously leveraging to its fullest extent. Now, I *did* read that survey/study on Amazon purchases and that surprised me. I get many of my personal books from the Amazon “people who read this book also read this” algorithm. In addition, I’ll admit to being a subscriber to their “Kindle Daily Deals” which leads to impulse-buying a couple of times a week. But I’m *open* to browsing and discovery. Occasionally, yes, I go to the site to get a book that I’ve heard about on a book blog (my other main source of book buying info.) I’d like to think that study isn’t true or that they simply talked to the “wrong” buyers.
And I appreciate your coming by. I owe a lot to publishers and appreciate what they’ve done for me. But in addition to feeling frustration with authors, I’m also feeling some frustration with publishers being less-nimble in adapting than I’d like. I enjoy my hybrid status and would hate to never work for publishers again.
There is brand risk, as you say, Elizabeth. But actually I was thinking of simple financial risk. Writing a novel can cost a year or more of the author’s time – and time, as we know, is money. I have rarely had advances that pay more than a couple of thousand dollars per month of writing time, and that usually paid after the book is complete, so the greater risk is mine. I’m not saying here that publishers aren’t also taking a share of the risk, but their share of the back end has been historically way out of proportion. It’s now time for us to set that right.
I’m not sure I agree with your definition of a financial risk.
Unless you’re self-employed in a job that leaves you able/required to work potentially all day, every day, or have some other money-making activity in your free time, I wouldn’t consider writing to be any kind of financial risk. My day job keeps me busy from 9am to 5:30pm, not including travel time or my lunch hour. I can write whenever I want outside of that and it costs me nothing.
There’s a risk of investment, sure, but that’s an emotional, mental, and time investment, not financial. And certainly, that same risk is there for self-published authors, who also have to shoulder the cost of editing, cover design, etc.
I can’t see any situation where an author would have actually put their own money into a book with a traditional publisher on anything close to the scale that the publisher themselves would.
Unless, of course, the publisher insisted that the author pay for the book to be published. In which case, run. Run away. Fast.
I’ll hop in here and note that I think Dave’s work likely takes a larger time investment than most (mine, for sure)…he creates interactive books. In particular, I think, Frankenstein, which I read a good deal about online. :) Paul, as a gamer, you might be interested in clicking on his site.
Going back to a point that Peter made about our losing readers…I think this approach (transmedia) is going to rope in quite a few more. I’m hoping it works well, moving into the future.
Wow, that definitely would involve more time, and probably money, to produce. Sounds awesome though, I’ll definitely check it out. I love any kind of interactive story.
Paul–Looking at it, I’m thinking definitely a substantial financial investment, too. For me to even consider doing something like this (although interactive/transmedia mysteries would be very cool…like a game or like the movie “Clue”), I’d have to do a Kickstarter-type thing. Love the idea, though.
If I had the resources I’d love to be able to learn to do something like that. Games like Mass Effect really showed how deep and engrossing an interactive storyline can be.
Paul–Not a gamer myself, but my husband and son are. Son particularly likes storylines in games like Elder Scrolls-Oblivion. The possibilities just boggle the mind. Even interactive approaches on a very small scale (like video clips or bits of music) will be interesting to play with in the future. I’m sure we’ll have to figure out how to compete with 21st century distractions to find readers.
I wonder if it’s as simple as “caring about what people think”.
In the early days of self-publishing, such authors and attempts were met with derision. Some authors can’t shake that, and care what people think…so they stay traditional.
Another may very well be these authors lack an entrepreneurial spirit and/or technical savvy. They have no idea how their Author Central Dashboard works (and it shows), so they sure aren’t going to try to do anything “fancy” like format a Word Doc, create a cover (or hire someone to do so), write back matter, etc.
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I think both your posts are spot on, Janet. I work in admin for an internet company and you should see how many people want something as basic as a website or an e-mail address for their business and have no clue how to even use a computer. There are still a lot of people in the world who resist learning to use new technology.
I’ll admit, one of the reasons I wanted a traditional contract for my first novel was to have the satisfaction of knowing a publisher, a professional in the industry, thought my book was worth taking on. That was a lifelong dream of mine and I’m glad I got to have it.
I think a lot of people who’ve dreamt of being a published author for a long time have that same wish, and maybe the idea of self-publishing feels like selling their dream short because they don’t get that immediate approval and acknowledgement of success.
Janet–The “Vanity Press” days, yes.
Oh, there are some real Luddites out there, for sure! (I have members of my family call me up all the time for tech support…as if I really know what I’m doing! And all I do is Google their problem and then share the solution with them in a digestible way.) They could hire someone pretty easily, though–for a real range of prices. But this worries them, too…they’re not sure where to start.
Paul–I’ve definitely seen that resistance to learning new things–especially new things that involve computers in some way.
Yes, there is a sense of validation that comes with the process of being accepted by a traditional publisher. It can give a writer that feeling of self-confidence in our work that writers struggle to achieve. That’s why I think a hybrid approach is a good one…you get the best of both worlds. Not everyone can be a hybrid, of course…some won’t make it through that gatekeeping process. But the ones who’re already trad. published can try self-pub. It’s just the other way around that’s tougher to achieve.
I’d love to pick your brains about becoming a hybrid author some day (seriously you need to trademark that term!).
My goal is to eventually consistently put out up to 4 books a year, and I know a single publisher probably can’t commit that amount of resources to a single author. So at some point I’m going to need to take the plunge.
Paul–Email me anytime. :)
I’ve written 3-4 books a year for the past couple of years. It’s possible to make this work for trad. publishers (I’ve done it), by writing two series. Can be draining, but in some ways it’s nice to switch off every few months to another project. So you write a book in Jan. for a Jan. release the following year for one series. Write a book by late April for a release in another series the following April. Then late-July for a possible late-year release for series A in the next year (I’ve had 2 releases in a series in the same year with trad. publishers…about to do it again this year with a Feb and Dec. 2013 release in the same series.) But…you’ll *definitely* be able to do it if you self-pub. Very easy release sched. there and for the same year instead of the following year.
Brilliant, thanks!
Of course, I need to work on shaking this day-job before I have the kind of time I need to work on that many series’ at once!
Paul–Ugh. Yes, the day job is always an energy-stealer. That’s the real problem, I think–lack of mental and physical (maybe even spiritual!) energy after leaving a day job. Strictly *time*-wise, though, energy aside, it takes a surprising lack of time to write 3-4 books a year (if you write a fairly clean draft which I do 75% of the time…but this current draft is a major disaster.) I shoot for 3 1/2 pages a day. I divide that writing time in half for first thing in the day (I don’t have babies needing me then, like you would!) and then early afternoon, just after lunchtime when I’m carpooling.
I use my lunch hour in work, typically hitting 500-750 words a day. Then if I really want to plough in, I’ll get up early on weekends to snag a couple of hours of writing time before the girls wake up.
Paul–Sounds like a good schedule!
It’s worked well so far. I’ve managed to reach just under 30,000 words on Book 3 of the Locked Within series since early February working on that schedule.