A new year. The fortuitous year of 2008. Why fortuitous? The number eight has all sorts of lucky associations. For the Chinese, eight signifies wealth and prosperity.
There are a lot of other things one might wish for, of course – long-life, health and happiness, peace on Earth, a winning season for the Seattle Mariners – but wealth and prosperity definitely rank right up there.
Which brings me to the subject of publishing. I've received many submissions lately, and I'm honored that there are writers out there who take the time and care to put together some very thoughtful query packages.
But to be fair, I need to comment on publishing relative to the great boons of life, wealth and prosperity foremost among them.
* * *
The world of publishing is changing rapidly. Small bookstores are closing. Chain bookstores are reinventing themselves. General retailers are selling books. Online book retailers are selling everything. Big publishing houses are reorganizing and making movies. Self-publishing is growing. Digital print-on-demand printers are expanding. Traditional offset book printers are closing. Book distributors and wholesalers are flailing. Increasingly eyeballs are directed from books and television to the on-demand, customized offerings of the internet.
None of this is necessarily bad. Computers are changing the distribution of content. Changed distribution systems will open and close doors. No big deal.
But will the great hive mind of the internet change the nature of content in addition to distribution? I think so. Hallelujah. World peace as the consequence of freed consciousness and evolved culture. And good-bye to the mass media-created phenomenon of neurotic celebrities. Maybe we'll even score a winning season for the Mariners.
* * *
Despite the influence of the internet, however, the publishing industry is currently still key to success as an author. The best route to success as an author is still to find a well-connected friend who can lead you to an enthusiastic agent. The endorsement of your agent sets your manuscript out in the crowd and wins the moral and financial backing of a publisher. A large publisher can present and polish your work to fit into bookstore categories and reach appreciative audiences; your circle of readers will grow, and wealth and prosperity will accrue.
Or so the story goes. Content creation sites and companies are cropping up every day. Shifts in power within big media and big publishing are underway as creators explore new distribution and publicity models to achieve better financial returns and personal artistic reward.
So, for aspiring writers the options are confounding. But whether you choose self or subsidy publishing, publishing through a small house, or traditional publishing, the need to win over readers is the same. The need to create an effective vehicle or package for your material is the same.
* * *
And if you are one of those great people who sent me a query, let me extend my gratitude, and my recognition of your inspiration and courage.
Let me also offer some advice.
Don't sell yourself short. Pursue publication with a reputable, established publisher if writing as a career is your ambition.
Don't lose perspective. Be aware of the book buyer. Books are discretionary; think of the choices facing the consumer: books, braces for the kids, or new tires. I cannot emphasize this point enough.
The world of publishing is organized around established markets, particularly age groups, e.g. children, young adult and adult. Though the internet creates blended audiences, you still need to define your audience, whether it be limited to your friends and family, or extend further, for example: teenagers and adults with an environmental awareness, or all females over the age of thirteen bored with the he-man heroes of traditional romance genres.
Many publishers and imprints serve niche markets, and many prefer material that clearly fits in a category over something that is hard to categorize, however brilliant or well-presented. Innovative publishers such as ourselves will redefine current categories and pioneer new markets and categories.
Pioneering new markets includes developing different voices, and developing a dialog with prospective authors who may not necessarily fit into bookstore categories. But the author still needs to give a description of the prospective market for the work.
Understand that publishers invest in design, editing, printing, etc., and a sales level above ten thousand is necessary simply to recoup this investment. Explore the online world where even successful authors with large established publishers promote themselves daily with blogs, podcasts, and videos. Publishers need to like you, be excited by your material, and perceive you as an author with some computer savvy who can self-promote. It's a partnership, requiring a reasonable chance of return on the publisher's investment.
* * *
As you embark on your publishing journey, remind yourself of all those things that make writing worthwhile: prosperity, enduring artistic achievement, spiritual development, entertaining your friends, making new friends, contributing to culture...and...dare we say it...world peace. And who knows, we may even make the journey together
No comments:
Post a Comment