First, don’t forget the Summer Breeze Anthology to support breast cancer research, and my giveaway for military families (a copy of Life, Liberty, and Pursuit and a gift card) – please spread the word!
I’ve read a lot of blogs this last week about changes in the publishing industry. As the fabulous Laura Pauling says, it’s enough to give you whiplash. But something real is happening.
Beginning writers are advised to learn the industry. But what if everything about the industry is changing before your eyes? My first glimmer of the consequence of this was back in April, when I posted on writing to trends and asked, “What if everything we’ve been told is wrong?”
Then I read Robin Sullivan’s insightful post about the NEW RULES, where she says, for authors to be successful, they need to write a series to establish themselves – the exact opposite of an industry that discourages you from writing the second book in that series you’ve started until you’ve got a book contract (from that industry) in hand.
Then I read a post by Indie author Susan Ee about how the industry couldn’t move fast enough to get her angel book (which is awesome, BTW) into readers hands, so she did it herself, and was wildly successful.
Then I read John Locke’s book (How I Sold a Million e-books in 5 months) and this quote smacks me in the face:
“When I invested my own money to start my insurance agency no one accused me of making a vanity investment. …When Bill Gates and Paul Allen invested their time and money into developing code for the Altair computer, no one accused them of writing vanity code. But if Bill Gates and Paul Allen invest their own money to write a book, they’re no longer businessmen, they’re vain!”
And a lightbulb goes off in my head.
When a businessman can come into an industry and turn it on its head by ignoring the rules, and be wildly successful, then change isn’t coming. It’s already here.
And the thing that has changed is our VALUES.
Now value (read: money) is found in writing a series quickly, building a fan base, and ignoring all the rules heretofore set by the industry. Value is found in giving customers (i.e. readers) what they want, quickly, not two years from now.
I know I’m sounding like a self-publishing advocate. And maybe that’s the path I will end up on (I’m still pursuing traditional publishing, as of this moment).
But my point is this: More than ever, writers need to trust their own intuition. Take risks. Envision the career you want to have. Then go make it happen.
Because it’s a Wild West out there, people, and you don’t want to be a stuffy East Coast scribbler hiking up her petticoats and saying “Ew!”
Or maybe that’s just me.
Please leave your erudite thoughts in the comments! I very much want to hear what you think of all this.
p.s. and there’s this post by the amazing agent Rachelle Gardner (via Nathan Bransford), that is the driving force (I believe) behind so many quality authors choosing e-publishing.
Great, great post, Sue. The barrier to entry is certainly far different today than it was even a few years ago. My one fear is that quality will be diluted (perhaps already has) by the rush and for slower writers such as myself, the price-point trend is somewhat scary (seriously, how many musicians spend a year on a single song?)
@Bane I actually think the quality of self-pubbed books is going UP, and here's why: many authors who would have kept holding out for the traditional path, who are very high quality writers but just couldn't get one of the slots, are now turning to self-pubbing. Susan Ee is one example, but there are others. Lots.
Price point is another issue, one I'm still wrapping my head around. JA Konrath would say that pricing isn't what matters, it's total revenue. But pricing impacts the industry as a whole. Do low priced ebooks devalue books? Or get them in more hands? Like I said, still figuring that one out.
It really is amazing how fast the industry is changing. I agree very much that writers need to decide what's the best for them–or even the best for a particular book. There are just so many options and so many things to consider, and I've chosen to go a couple of different routes so far.
@Laura I agree heartily about the different options for different books. Because they have different markets, no? And I'd love to hear about your small press experience sometime… 🙂
I have to go read that post from Nathan Bransford! It's fascinating what's happening, and a little scary. *Lifts pettycoats* (though I worked at Old Tucson, and though my character was the "lady" of the town more often than not I'm the one who got the bad guy in the end so watch out) <– taking a metaphor to it's maximum! LOL.
"More than ever, writers need to trust their own intuition. Take risks. Envision the career you want to have. Then go make it happen."
I'm adding this quote of yours to my writing journal.
@LisaGG Ok that mental image of you in petticoats is NOT working for me. LOL I keep seeing this werewolf skittering around in lace. 🙂
@EastCoaster I'm glad you like it (and not offense with the "East Coast" comment! LOL)!
Erg… "no offense"
Sue, definitely think overall quality has gone up in sum… I'm more worried that the rush to publish will dilute the potential quality of literature out there.
For the most part, probably doesn't matter given the superficial nature (and I don't mean this in a derogatory way) of our mainstream culture.
I think what people like to call "the rules" are only patterns, and patterns change all the time. You are right about trusting your instinct here. I like the idea of imagining the path you want your career to take and then making it happen! 🙂
@Bane Ah, I see I misunderstood what you meant. And that is definitely possible, although quality is a pretty subjective thing.
@Dianne We humans like to detect patterns and make them into rules – so true!
I'm not organized enough to run my own business, which is why I have a job, and I'm not creative enough to do everything it takes to create a book, which is why I want to just write the story, and get it published traditionally. But this is an exciting time.
Like Bane of Anubis, I worry "that the rush to publish will dilute the potential quality of literature out there." Altho it's not really a worry, because readers will and are becoming the new gatekeepers. Which is awesome. But writers need to be very careful and make sure their work is ready for publication before they click that button. That's where the publishing industry has been so helpful, guiding writers through the editing process to get that ms. polished and ready for publication.
Susan, did you write this blog entry for me?!?! I've just self-published a book (Saving Redwind) because my agent told me that I should. Her thinking – get your stories out there while we wait for the traditional publishers to get back to us about the stories that are on submission. I reluctantly put the book out as an ebook. But my audience (middle grade readers) most likely do not own an ereader, so I put it up on CreateSpace. But before doing all of this, I had a professional proofer go through it and a professional illustrator do the cover.
Even after getting the proof in my hot little hands today, I still feel weird. I can't get it out of my head that I should've been published by a traditional publisher.
But that John Locke quote really makes sense to me! Thanks for sharing it. I always see his tweets about that book, but have never bought it. Maybe I should so I could get over myself!!
@Matthew You're not fooling me with that "not creative enough" stuff, but I totally respect the desire for traditional publishing (I've got it too!). 🙂
@KarenG Readers definitely know how to find the books the like – friends, mostly, and recommendations from all quarters. I 100% agree about working your rear-end off to make sure that book sparkles before venturing out to publish.
@Kris It intrigues me that your agent is so savvy, telling you to e-pub while waiting on subs (and that's not the first I've heard of that, either). I hope you'll keep us posted on your experience, especially with a middle grade book (I have more than a passing interest in that!). The first chapter of John Locke's book will definitely help you shed that baggage – celebrate your accomplishment! 🙂
Knowing a few self-pubbed authors, I know for certain I couldn't do it myself. Even traditionally (and agented) published authors I know have trouble with marketing, but on my own I'd sell like 3 copies. 😉
I also wonder about the YA and MG market for e-books. I have a Kindle and my 10-year-old would like to read a book on it (I just got it), but if I wasn't such a huge reader, our house wouldn't have one. And with the lure of thousands of game sites out there, I doubt he'd fire up his computer to read (even though he reads quite a bit)…
erica
@E&C Kids won't read on the computer (heck, most ADULTS won't read on the computer) – but my kids read on my Nook all the time. And there's more e-book YA titles out there (and more and more MG) than you might expect. It's common to think that kids don't have e-readers, but YA has a strong presence in e-books. Ebooks were 25% of all YA sales in January – it's almost certainly more now. And then there's Amanda Hocking…
Yeah, its all turning on its head – but its "all good" for authors as there are more options now. Self-publishing isn't for everyone but many are making it work for them. It was a big factor in my husband getting a six-figure contract for his fantasy series, the Riyria Revelations. More options is a good thing – and thanks for plugging my blog on publishing!
@Robin !! I've been gobbling up your posts since I discovered that first one. Thanks for sharing all the great data you have there – and congrats on all of your (and your husband's) success! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Great post, Susan! The wild west is a very intriguing place and I don't want to be the one saying ewww. Thanks for stirring my thoughts on this. 🙂
@Leisha You are definitely not the petticoat type! LOL! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Everything I read with traditional publishing says the author has to promote the book anyway! So it makes a lot of sense to consider all your options, stay flexible…. very thought provoking – thank you.
I agree with Margo. The key is flexibility and keeping an open mind. I'm reading as many posts as I can to try and understand the e-direction of things. It's challenging, exciting, and maddening.
It can be mind boggling, but exciting too. Just read a long post by an agent about why self-publishing can be a dead end street for a writer. I don't think so. I think it's just a different one.
Great post.
@Margo So true…no matter what path you take, you need to be ready to promote your work.
@Leslie Wrapping my mind around all this gives me a headache sometimes. Or I just crawl under my pillow for a while. Or just write. That usually fixes it. 🙂
@CLee And I just chatted with a writer whose agent advised her to self-publish while she waited on submissions for other work! I think everyone is still trying to figure all this out, agents and editors included.
Love the Wild West analogy, Susan, as it feels just that vast and scary when you are setting out. I think what may apply to other genres in publishing is not necessarily true for picture books. I am simply trying to remain open as I continue to research these moving patterns.
Wow, John Locke's quote really made me think. I hadn't thought of it that way before. Very good post, Susan.
@Joanna Picture books are a strange land I know little about and just view their loveliness from afar. 🙂
@Sharon I know, right? And I think authors invest a lot in their work (think conferences, stamps, printing out MS), even if they don't self-publish.
I've read several self-pubbed books that have been very good, and one that was very, very bad. There will be an increase in poor quality books due to lack of editing for some self-published authors.
I think there will also be a rise in self-pubbed books that are highly successful, giving the medium a bump in credibility. As that happens, different filtering systems will crop up to help sift through the slush. Some filters will be public/social in nature (never doubt the power of word-of-mouth advertising, especially in these days of Twitter and Facebook). Some filters will be professional, though, because ultimately there is money to be made by providing this much-needed service, and people will find a way to make it.
@Rick The scammers are one of my biggest (and enduring) concerns about the writing industry (not just the self-publishing part, but certainly there too). Sifting through the worthy value-add services and the ones that just make money off aspiring writers requires that writers be savvy.
I'm excited about all the changes. To me, it seems that authors have more choices now than ever before. If one avenue doesn't work, we have more to choose from. How awesome is that?
Thanks for linking to my post. It is interesting. And I love love that we have options! 🙂
@Julie and @Laura Choices are awesome, agreed all around on that.
I think the rush to publish has diluted the quality of books. At first, I was skeptical. But the fervor of the self-published promoters made me rethink my stance. After seeing a few poorly written books, reading that breakdown of the self-published author in March, and reading several bad first chapters, I know there's a problem out there.
Most writers have an agent who helps polish work. Then they have an editor that helps them go through several rounds of edits. Than a copy editor combs the book. There's a reason books take a long time to come out. It's not a perfect system, but it ensures fewer typos and grammatical errors.
The reality is that few self-published authors will have more than modest (and I mean low) sales. And if after a few books, they want to try to go the traditional route, won't they be surprised to see that their tiny sales, along with all the tiny sales have chipped away at those traditional publishing houses. And even fewer books will be bought by those publishers.
I know there are some good self-published books out there. And there are a myriad of reasons why people choose to self-publish. But I've read more bad books than good ones. Truth be told, most people write 1 or 2 manuscripts, can't believe they haven't been published. They get antsy. They don't know that sometimes you have to write many manuscripts to get your work up to snuff.
If we could get every self-published author to pay the $ for real editing, the quality might be better.
I have a friend who was asked to review a self-pub book. It was filled with awkward sentences and typos. It detracted her from the story. The author didn't want my friend to write that in the review. Stories like these make me long for gatekeepers.
I just came across this interesting take on the subject:
http://dianechamberlain.com/blog/2011/07/the-mistake-so-many-self-published-authors-make/
@Teresa The chances that someone's first novel is ready to be published (self or traditional), no matter how much that author has worked on it, are pretty small. I'm sure that author is completely right that her first novel wasn't ready. And anyone considering self-publishing their first novel should think very long and hard about that. And probably write a couple more novels before they decide that first one is ready (I suspect they'll change their minds).
But just because some people make the mistake of publishing too early, doesn't mean that everyone self-publishing is making a mistake. I know (personally) a couple self-pubbed authors who are creating quality work that rivals what's on the shelf.
Are self-publishing authors chipping away at traditional houses? That's a reasonable question, and I'm not sure I know the answer. After all, if the self-pubbers never sell anything, then the answer has to be no. But there are some (the mega-sellers) that are certainly selling at a low price point that publishers can't compete with. How will that shake out in the end? I'm not sure. But one thing I'm sure of: things aren't done changing yet.
Thanks for your great comment!
I know there's good stuff out there; but sometimes they're hard to find in the crowd.
If every self-published book sells a certain #, I would think, taken in total, they'd make a dent in overall sales in the long run. But I don't know. It could be worst-case scenario.
Great post, Susan. After reading the conversation between Barry Eisler and Joe Konrath a few months ago (I believe Nathan Bransford addressed it in one of his posts), that was quite an eye opener. Since then I've read so much on many different sites that backs up what they said. We're witnessing a historical transition period in the publishing industry, and it's mind boggling. I've been part of excellent critique groups for over ten years now and watched each of us grow and learn the craft and hone our skills. We've learned so much from each other, and some are going the self-pubbing route after coming so close with the traditional publishers many times. I have to say I'm quite excited that my friends' books will soon be in print, but better I think it's a crime that their work will never be considered for a Newbery or other awards because they're not done the traditional way. Well, the sales will speak for themselves. I admire them for taking charge of their own careers. I'll support them 100% and I'm seriously considering following in their footsteps.
At first I was concerned that the market would be flooded with poor quality products and how bad it will reflect on all self-published authors. The thing that makes me feel better is that buyers are able to preview any books they're contemplating buying, so they're able to tell if it's an amateur piece or a well written book worthy of their time and money.
It will be interesting to see what kind of changes the next few years bring. Thanks for all these links. I'll check them out.
Oops, I meant to delete the word "better." My bad.
@Teresa If you assume that readers are a fixed number, then yes, self-pubbers in-total could be taking sales from traditional pubbers. I've heard anecdotal evidence that total readers is dropping but I wonder if that is changing with e-readers (see this WSJ article, now dated, that showed readers reading 3x as much after purchasing an e-reader).
@Lyn I know exactly what you mean! I've critiqued MS's and thought "this isn't ready" and others where I thought "Why isn't this already published?" But who am I to think that? Just a reader who is also a writer, but all they need are readers who like their work. That's all Locke had. Best of luck to your friends!