Comments on The Rejectionist: Special Guest Post: Publishing Industry Eviscerati...

Heidi, we don't know. We kind of think that is...

2009-10-12T10:42:10.567-04:00

Heidi, we don't know. We kind of think that is a really obvious question, too. Right? Does this not seem like an obvious question, everyone? But corporations ALWAYS know best, so perhaps we are just stupid.

Perhaps I am just naive as I am new to the interwo...

2009-10-12T10:03:26.541-04:00

Perhaps I am just naive as I am new to the interworkings of publishing, but why have publishers not figured out that keeping their advances relatively low for all authors would benefit everyone? Publishers would not be constantly biting their fingernails over sales, non-blockbusters wouldn't feel like non-successes, and perhaps consumers would find some other books of interest because advertising would not be solely focused on a few novels.

Why is a small advance with a reasonable royalty package such a fear for publishers? Because they might actually have to pay an artist what they are worth rather than paying for a name?

Ah, publishing would make so much more sense if managed by those who actually make it run (authors, agents, assistants, etc.)

heidithornock.blogspot.com

I think what some commenters are overlooking is th...

2009-10-11T10:01:40.961-04:00

I think what some commenters are overlooking is that there is not currently an e-book device that comes close to being equivalent to the iPod. When there is, and when reading on screen becomes a superior experience to reading on paper, then the economics will change rapidly.

Baen and others who are experimenting have benefited from the fact that most people prefer to read on paper at novel length and so free electronic versions work as teasers.

The Kindle and co. are still low-quality devices, and anyone who thinks that the current model will remain is fooling themselves.

IMHO.

Wow! Love this post. But after reading that articl...

2009-10-10T09:24:17.983-04:00

Wow! Love this post. But after reading that article you linked I gotta say that Frey is a weirdo... and for me, that's saying something.

I have to agree with Chérie. Ebooks an PDFs are go...

2009-10-10T02:38:40.532-04:00

I have to agree with Chérie. Ebooks an PDFs are going to kill us. I'm along for the ride-- making good money now, but who knows how long it will last? I don't sell any e-books. I sell non-fiction textbooks, for God's sake-- can you imagine some college student paying full price for a textbook if they can get their hands on the PDF?

But it's already started. Yes,I still buy books. Yes, I still buy CDs. But I have a sneaking suspicion that my 17 year old hasn't paid for a CD in years. Of course, she won't admit it-- but I am not afraid for my generation. I'm afraid for hers. I'm pretty sure the world of publishing is going to be radically different in 15 years. Maybe 10.

Anyone remember the Walkman? The music industry was already freaking out because people were making their own cassettes!

Chérie. You've done this cynic's heart goo...

2009-10-09T20:11:02.261-04:00

Chérie. You've done this cynic's heart good. Thank you.

This was lovely. Bravo. I hope you do a part two s...

2009-10-09T19:40:37.438-04:00

This was lovely.
Bravo.
I hope you do a part two soon because I sense you've still left a few things unsaid.

Words cannot express how much I enjoyed reading th...

2009-10-09T19:17:09.081-04:00

Words cannot express how much I enjoyed reading this. Brilliant writing. I would have been entertained even if you were way off base, which, obviously, you aren't.

I feel these few paragraphs are more worth my money than drivel like James Frey's. Kudos.

Hysterical, thanks!

2009-10-09T18:07:15.728-04:00

Hysterical, thanks!

I LIKE this. Preach on, Cherie.

2009-10-09T17:11:38.454-04:00

I LIKE this. Preach on, Cherie.

Ah, Cherie L'Ecrivain... What is it between P...

2009-10-09T16:52:39.164-04:00

Ah, Cherie L'Ecrivain...

What is it between Publishing and Frey? It is like he is the petulant, drug-addled dominatrix that Publishing needs to return to, over and over again to be spanked and ridiculed. Each time, one imagines Publishing says, "Never again," and slinks back guiltily to us, hoping we won't notice the whip marks. But, of course, we do. And more than that, we notice the ridiculously high charge on the credit card statement from someplace called "Acme Literature."

This is why, sadly, should Publishing ever become governor of New York, it won't last long.

YAY! Cherie, you rock. I love the turnabout. Dig...

2009-10-09T15:07:34.174-04:00

YAY!
Cherie, you rock.

I love the turnabout.

Digital is NOT the wave of the future but the bell tolling for the publishing industry.

And I'm all for paying those overworked assistants a bit more...maybe they'll be a bit less starved and cross when they see my query!

Controversial books are the ones that are frigh...

2009-10-09T13:42:53.109-04:00
Controversial books are the ones that are frightening in the power of their honesty

I think this post can be classified as controversial, then.

Brava, Cherie L'Ecrivain! This was brilliant, incisive, and so scathing I think my eyebrows are still sizzling.

I'm not at all surprised to hear you have an agent; you're a damned fine writer.

With all due respect -- I think I have spent more ...

2009-10-09T13:12:28.836-04:00
With all due respect -- I think I have spent more money on books since I got my kindle, rather than less. Also, most of the paper books I buy are used, so the author gets no extra money from me because I bought them, where with the kindle, the author gets his/her cut.

Just saying ...

Beth

AMEN on paying the folks doing the assisting more ...

2009-10-09T12:58:48.922-04:00
AMEN on paying the folks doing the assisting more monies :).

We all know that assistants really rule the world, and if they are underpaid and grouchy... well... that can't be good.

Preach it!

Also, I threw up in my mouth a little when you said James Frey has another book coming out.

"Except for those three months a year when...

2009-10-09T12:36:41.044-04:00
"Except for those three months a year when you grind to a halt because the weather is nice."

I made the grave error of selling my novel near the end of July, not realizing that the month of August does not exist in the publishing calendar, and apparently not September, either.

James Frey and Michael Bay? They deserve each oth...

2009-10-09T12:05:20.774-04:00
James Frey and Michael Bay? They deserve each other, don't they? ;)

Thanks, Cherie, for your delightful letter.

I agree that going digital won't kill the indu...

2009-10-09T11:26:54.695-04:00
I agree that going digital won't kill the industry. Even though music piracy is rampant, people are still making CDs and other people are still buying them, and I believe the same thing will happen with books. This is part of a wider issue - newspapers going out of business, etc. - of the availability of free content. The issue will need to be handled by a movement in the conducting of business in general, and the publishing industry will follow suit (50 years later, most likely).

I also found the focus on Frey to be distracting from the main point. There have been several blog articles recently about querying authors calling everything that's published "crap" and I equate the attack on Frey with such an attitude. Sure, it's popular to hate on him in the industry, but again, someone wanted his books and someone thought he was worth the money. Let's not forget, before he was lambasted publicly by Oprah, he was chosen for her book club. I saw the episode that she discussed the book choice, she was really gripped not only by the story, but by the telling of it as well, so she clearly didn't think he was a bad writer.

And if my reading serves me correctly, many of the people at the publishing houses making these decisions were former assistants and drones. So why are they not learning their lessons?

Most excellent work - we agree on all accounts! Al...

2009-10-09T11:16:54.243-04:00
Most excellent work - we agree on all accounts! Also, dear publishing industry, why must you live in the most expensive city in North America? Is Random House still on Park Ave with all those lovely investment banks? Could some money not be saved on rent if you all agreed to resituate operations on the mainland -- or even takeover a small midwestern town and there make your glorious paradise?

V said..."I beg to differ on electronic copie...

2009-10-09T11:12:14.659-04:00
V said..."I beg to differ on electronic copies and e-piracy hurting sales. In fact, when the publisher Baen Books opened their free library of e-books, the authors that participated in the free e-book experience discovered, over time, their back lists always kept selling, both on paper and in electrons."

I agree with V. And I know from my own hands-on experience and my own published e-books that this tends to be true.

I'm not advocating pirate sites by any means. I'd rather have the choice to offer my books for free, which I do, without having them stolen. But in some ways these pirate sites help with good reviews and networking, too.

Rejectionist, Cherie, how I love you both.

2009-10-09T10:33:44.160-04:00
Rejectionist, Cherie, how I love you both.

I beg to differ on electronic copies and e-piracy ...

2009-10-09T10:01:11.164-04:00
I beg to differ on electronic copies and e-piracy hurting sales. In fact, when the publisher Baen Books opened their free library of e-books, the authors that participated in the free e-book experience discovered, over time, their back lists always kept selling, both on paper and in electrons.

Having worked retail in the past, I know why this works. Freebies get people in the door. So do sales, deals and specials, but freebies will get them there faster and keep them there longer. Sooner or later, they find something they have to have that they will have to pay for if they want to take it home.

For some people, reading is as addictive as drugs or as vital as that stiff drink at the end of the day. Just like pushers, the folks over at Baen Books offer the first one (or two) for free. The rest, you have to pay for.

But don't take my word for it. Go here http://www.baen.com/library/ and read for yourself.