Today’s post is written by Florence Fois, a finalist in The First Ever Write It Sideways Blogging Contest. Pleasure to have you, Florence!
You want to self-publish your book in either e-format or standard print. First you might consider the possibilities of both the traditional and the most modern methods to publish your novel.
Self-publishing is a very old concept, used as far back as the days of Dickens, and into early 1900 American Literature, where bards and novelist gathered in small exclusive groups and published each other.
Its latest incarnation began a few years ago with three or four major companies like iUniverse, Xlibris and Publish America, to name three. Author House has become the parent company of iUniverse and Xlibris. There are dozens of other new publishers and the rules of self-publishing have changed so fast, it can be difficult to form a logical game plan.
In traditional publishing, as early as two years ago, the skinny was you had better give the agent and/or the editor a 99% polished ready to wear novel. On the heels of this news, we then learned … you had better be prepared to do your own publicity and market your own work.
This doesn’t sound much different from self-publishing, does it?
To Self-Publish or Not
The controversy and the arguments on both sides have raged during this past year, but do not bode well for the inexperienced newcomer. The latest surge in self-publishing, in particular e-publishing has been fanned, not by the novice, but by major authors and well-known agents, adding a new wrinkle to the old page.
Once again, aspiring writers are in direct competition with writers who have everything they do not: an established career and readership, name recognition, and big bucks.
One major best selling author has done so already with her print publications, and I think her next move will be into direct e-publishing. Janet Evanovich has been her own publisher and agent for several years. She no longer hands over any percent to anyone. She represents, publishes and markets her own books with the help of her husband and two children, a cottage industry of her own and a mighty successful one at that.
Add to this, Ms. Evanovich has recently put out the word that she is looking for co-writers. Soon, she will be in direct juxtaposition with James Patterson in creating not only their own cottage industry, but also a mega-million dollar operation, par to none.
Will big names like James Patterson and Nora Roberts be the next to make the jump to e-publications? Patterson and Roberts have already gone over the one million e-sales mark, with sales continuing to climb. How long, if ever, will it be before Ms. Roberts abandons Putnam?
How many other top best selling authors will make this move in the next year or two? The predictions are from astronomical to ridiculous. Why not?
With the advantages far outweighing the disadvantages, many authors will find this a better route. More of the profit and none of the risks that ate up a huge percentage of their royalties. There will no longer be stock piles of books, massive returns, and the heavy costs of printing. The paper, personnel and problems of print publications will vanish. When downsizing and budgets cuts began, the major publishing houses reduced or eliminated their editing departments, leaving many editors jobless. By the dozens, these self-same editors became literary agents.
Read this article on Outer Banks. I quote:
In an unprecedented move, the Wiley Literary Agency struck a deal with Amazon to publish 20 classic titles as ebooks on the Kindle. According to reports, this is the first time a literary agency moved into the publishing business.
Wiley Literary Agency has concentrated his efforts on his backlist of classic titles. However, it is not difficult to project that one of the major agents we all follow will announce within the next year they are forming their own indie publisher to make greater opportunities available to aspiring writers.
The first of these might be agents or former agents like Nathan Bransford, well positioned to make this move, with over a million followers and one of the top ten writer blogs in the country. Jane Friedman’s blog on Writer’s Digest, Publisher’s Weekly and dozens of others will run the story and it will become viral.
How many inexperienced writers still believe they can succeed in the traditional scenario of send a query, find an agent, get a publisher and establish a writing career?
Where do you see yourself and your writing career three years from now, ten years from now and is what you thought you would be doing the same today as it was last month, three years ago, ten years ago?
Please weigh in on this important subject. I look forward to reading your comments.
Florence Fois has been writing in different ways all her life. She currently writes novels about NYC women on the edge of discovery, danger and fun, and her blog Ramblings From The Left is about the characters in her life. Follow her on Twitter, or check out some of her guest blogs and interviews here and here.
Very nice overview of the seismic changes going on in this business. This will be affecting all of us–both writers and readers.
Thanks Anne. I find it odd that many young writers think self-pub’d is “new,” when in face it’s very, very old. It’s the market that has changed. Also, in the early eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, editors were cheaper and used as a matter of form.
It will be fun to see what happens 🙂
Florence,
This is a great look into the ever-increasing world of self-publishing. You make some very great points!
Christi Corbett
Thanks my good friend. It will be fun to see what people do in the future 🙂
Richard Curtis is an agent who launched his clients’ midlist titles via eReads (http://ereads.com/) quite awhile back. Long before Wiley announced, I think. What the agents aren’t doing, though, is publishing NEW material (with the exception of 1 or 2 titles that eReads just put out). The agents STILL are hoping to sell to legacy publishers and then repub the books once the rights are returned to the authors so the books don’t simply go out of print. Since these agents are ALREADY invested in these books and since the authors will likely STILL owe a commission if the authors repubbed the books themselves, it makes financial sense for the agents to help out in the case of out-of-print midlists and for the authors to work with the agents in doing so. An important distinction.
I do think the agents’ roles will change in the near future, but they haven’t — yet — crossed over, and I’m not sure they will in that sense.
What’s the financial incentive for agents to begin acting as publishers? What’s the incentive for an author going with an agent/publisher rather than just publishing on their own or approaching any of the scores of indie e-book publishers already out there with fairly decent royalties who provide editing, cover, conversion, and targeted marketing?
I’ve recently self-pubbed a cross-genre ebook and a multi-author anthology. But today I’m working on getting a more mainstream novel traditionally published. I’m quite willing to accept that tomorrow, this might not seem like the best option.
Thanks for you thoughts Phoenix … I am not sure what the roles of the agent will be in the future. I wanted to explore all the options and point to recent changes. Although Wiley is only doing his backlist, it will be interesting to watch as role cross and lines begin to blur.
I appreciate you taking the time to stop and think about this 🙂
Florence, this is the best all-in-one place summary I’ve read about what’s going on out there. It’s a decision I had tabled until the “right time,” but now I’m definitely going to do some more research. I think the question may be “why self-publish?” but “what’s the best way to go about it?” I had no idea about Janet Evanovich. Thanks! –Debra Eve
It is going to be very interesting to see how this market and the interest in self-pub changes in the next few years. Appreciate your support here and on Twitter 🙂
Nice job explaining a fascinating topic!
Thanks, Monica. It’s a topical subject and I enjoyed the work 🙂
I chose this post as one of the finalists because it was the only entry I received that dealt with the publishing business, and because it really brings to light a lot of current issues for writers.
My thoughts on self-publishing have softened a lot in the last few years, but I think there are good and bad reasons to do it, and everyone needs to make the decision based on their own circumstances.
I think some newer writers talk themselves out of doing what it takes to have the possibility of being picked up by a traditional publisher (that is, practicing for years, taking writing courses, reading widely, joining a critique group, etc.) because they read about how difficult it all is, and how relatively simple it is to self-publish instead.
The thing is, anyone can self-publish, but those who are really successful at it are wonderful writers, most of whom have probably already been writing for years. Janet Evanovich, for example, doesn’t need a traditional publisher anymore because her name is already so widely known, she can take care of everything herself.
So, if you’re planning to self-publish and be successful at it, you still need to put in as much effort to learn and practice the craft of writing as you would if you intended to traditionally publish your work.
I think self-publishing in ebook format is a great option for bloggers who want to release products to their audiences. I’m working on a productivity guide for mother-writers as we speak, and hope to have it released by the end of the year.
But, am I giving up on the traditional publishing scenario? Not just yet.
Thanks for a thoughtful post, Florence!
You are so right about Janet E. About two months after Joe Konrath published his first post about converting his “free” on-line books to amazon e-books, I wrote him a note and asked what he thought these changes meant to aspiring writers. His answer … “not much different.” He believed that without name recognition, inexperienced writers would face the same up hill battle they do with the print media.
Thank you so very much Suzannah, for this opportunity and for your comments as well 🙂
Absolutely, Suzannah & Florence. The market will still sift out those who don’t put in the time to learn and practice the craft. Self-publishing just evens out the playing field a bit, and gives specific works a better chance. I think Joe Konrath’s take is on point.
This is scary. If the traditionally published big hitters start muscling in on eBooks, as I’m sure they will, that’s going to make it difficult for the rest of us. I hadn’t thought of that! I wonder is there any danger that a new layer of “gatekeepers” might emerge to vet (and veto) material sent to the ePlatforms (I know the ePublishers have their own sluch pile already). That seems likely, which would put us right back where we started. Here are Kindle’s submission guidelines, and don’t expect your form rejection in less than three months.
I was going to wait at least 6 months before creating my first eBook on Kindle. Now I’m thinking maybe I should go sooner, to establish my claim to Kindle-space before the gatekeepers arrive!
JB … my only advice (although I’m hardly qualified) is to warn you against rushing in too quickly. Think carefully about how you want your work presented and if you don’t spend a single nickle … put a dime on the table for a professional editor.
Good luck to you whatever you decide and thank you for taking the time to read and comment 🙂
This is an excellent description of how self-publishing is changing, with even best selling authors (who have been published traditionally) electing to self-publish. I’ve been writing and publishing for many years, and I’ve found that self-publishing is not a good place for the novice writer. It’s a good idea to become polished and gain some experience in the industry before you self-publish, because, as you mention in your post, writers still need to market their books, which can be frustrating.
Thank you for visiting, David. I agree completely. The major pitfall for an unknown, inexperienced writer is jumping into the mix too early. I think most of us need time and the learning curve of rejections, critiques and rewriting before we venture into that vast ocean alone.
I don’t think it’s right to characterize PublishAmerica as a self-publishing group like iUniverse or XLibris. The author signs her rights over to PA through a very restrictive contract. Self-publishing means the author has control over things, and that’s not what happens with PA.
Back to topic. As things stand right now, if my book is published through a major trade publisher I will get a check for thousands of dollars and my book will sell thousands of copies. Not so with self-publishing. My specific book might not be promoted, but the product line, the imprint, the brand name will be. Most authors see the value in having a book contract.
As a reader, if I buy a book from a Tor Books or Vintage Contemporaries or Algonquin Press or Ellora’s Cave, I can be confident that the book lives up to the editorial standards of that respective publisher, that it is of the requisite quality and that it is the same general sort of book that they publish. Self-published books have a well-deserved reputation for not being very good, and they will continue to do so. As self-published ebooks are sold by online retailers side by side with those from trade ebooks, consumers are going to wary and see who the publisher is. Publishers will have to do more work establishing their brand name.
There’s a market for cheap ebooks, and there’s a market for more expensive books that have higher quality control. For me, a book that’s worth reading is a book that’s worth paying ten dollars for, or maybe more.
Paper copies of your book at the bookstore help sell your book to that sector of the book-reading public that still read in paper. People find books by browsing through bookstores. I don’t know how many books have struck my eye at the local B&N, only to have me go home later and download the Kindle edition.
Some think that the ebook market is going to keep growing and in a few years eventually marginalize the paper editions. That might happen, but it’s also plausible that the market share of ebooks will level off at some percentage. Nobody really knows. There’s a risk involved in printing paper copies, but it’s a risk that can bring additional sales. The risk is lower for known quantities such as Janet Evanovich.
I don’t believe the trade publishers are going away. Self-published books will proliferate, most of them not being very good. But I also expect that new publishing entities will spring up, establishing their own brand names.
The only thing we can be really sure of it that five years from now the publishing landscape will look much different than it does now.
Thank you for that clarification about Publish America, Rachel. Although many have put them in the same category, I appreciate your comments.
I don’t think trade publishers or printed books are going too far. A point I wanted to make is that “self-publishing” is not a totally new phenon, only how it is being utilized by authors and those companies they work with.
I quote a post from todays Anne R. Allen’s blog, written by Jeff Carlson … “Right now there are 900,000 ebooks on Kindle.
500 of ’em are selling great; 1,500 more are selling well; the next 10,000 are doing all right; another 20,000 sell a steady trickle; and the other 868,000 are selling zipperooni, maybe 15 copies total to Aunt Mavis and the author’s buddy Steve.” (Read the entire post:http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2011/04/ready-to-be-wrublisher-priter-some.html )
While raw numbers may delude some into thinking e-pubs will bury trad. pubs … the reality has a very long way to prove itself.
I agree, Rachel … five years from now the landscape will indeed be a different road to travail. Thank you so much for your thoughtful response 🙂
Great post! As one of the 1500 who are doing well, I’m thrilled with my decision to self-publish. It’s been the right decision for me. As for needing an editor, anyone who thinks that’s an automatic with a NY publisher should read this recent post and comments at Smart Bitches: http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/index.php/weblog/comments/navarros-errors/
Great points, Florence. I love that I have this kind of control over my destiny…. not the industry itself that has control over my work. It really is becoming the wave of the future where readers make the choice… and let’s face it, there’s a reader for everything, even tho there may not be an agent for it.
I think that last point … “… there’s a reader for everything, even tho there may not be an agent for it.” is quite correct. It does indeed give the writer total control of their own destiny. I only caution that writer’s remain vigilant about the “how” in self-pub’d …
Thanks for taking time from you busy holiday schedule to visit 🙂
Great post! I had no idea that Janet Evanovich was working without an agent or a publisher at this point. I find all of the changes so fascinating. I’m staying out of the fray for now . . . just working at writing the best book possible.
You have the best idea. Not to hurry, learn the most you can and do the best job 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
It’s a brave new world. I think we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg now. In some ways, it’s a miserable time to be a writer; in others, it’s very exciting.
Yes Susan, a writer who worked twenty years ago was met with an entirely different reaction. Agents were more open and the whole process of getting between the boards was less complicated.
Whether people find it more exciting might be personal perspective.
I appreciate your coming over to leave a comment 🙂
Florence,
Great post & great discussion! I’m like Debra Eve in that I’ve tabled my decision until I get my manuscript ready. I also like the discussion that, whatever decision, the stakes are the same: don’t send something out into the publishing world too early.
I definitely think we’ll see more authors–bestselling, midlist and debut–going with independent ebook publishing. There’s almost a sense of “why not?” in the air. Sure, a lot of junk will get thrown out there, and it will be incumbent upon authors to market their work, as they do now. Those with good writing and good marketing will rise to the top.