Today’s Publishing Environment

October 21, 2009 | Written by admin

Frank wrote to say, "Why don't you take fewer questions and do them more often?"

A good point. I've thought about that… I'll try to answer more questions, and do so more frequently. But first, a note on the self-publishing posts of the other day. I had an author named Nicole write and say, "A note on using iUniverse to self pub. I had a fine experience — it wasn't expensive (about $300), they actually read my manuscript and gave me feedback, which I used to revise, and the production values, while not lavish, were fine. I've got a paperback original that is sold as a POD, but looks fine on a bookshelf. So if you've got a family memoir or personal story that you want to have produced for a small group of readers, self-pub is the way to go. It's when you combine outside commercial expectations with self-publishing that you run into trouble." 

Well said. Thanks for taking the time to write about your experience. As I noted, I have self-pubbed a few books (both paperback and hardcover), did it myself, and had a good experience. BUT I hired a professional editor to review the manuscript, used a copyeditor I trusted, reviewed the interior and cover designs carefully, and, most importantly, I knew how to sell the book. If you don't know how to sell the book, you're making a mistake if you have commercial expectations. Appreciate you writing to say that, Nicole. 

Abigail asked, "As you look at today's publishing market, what's the most important development you see happening?"

I tough call to pick out one thing, Abigail. First is probably the news that Walmart and Amazon are having a price war, with both saying they'll sell their top books for less than ten bucks (even hardcover books). Yikes. Take a look at what David Young, the CEO of Hachette Book Group USA and my former boss, had to say in the Wall Street Journal and on Publishers Marketplace. He is quoted saying, "It worries me from the perspective of the independent bookseller community that is so vital when it comes to launching new careers." He's absolutely on target with that, coupled with Amazon's desire to make e-books cheaper than $10, there's not much money to stay in business. The implication is that booksellers will price each other out of business, publishers won't be making anything, and that leaves almost nothing for the author. Tough times. 

Second is no doubt the growth of the e-book audience — today Barnes & Noble introduced the Nook, which is their proprietary e-reader. It includes some of the best of the Kindle features (cell phone technology, the ability to highlight text) with some cool enhancements (a color screen for covers, will get newspapers and magazines, can hold 1500 books, and allows you to move Word docs and PDFs as well as book text to your computer or to a friend's device). They sell for $259, and can be ordered starting today. The price will drop eventually, but this is the big battle brewing on the retail front. 

Chuck wrote this: "You seem to spend a lot of time talking about marketing on this blog. Can't a writer just focus on writing these days?"

Thanks, Chuck. Actually, I'd love it if a writer could just focus on writing. But this is a blog about publishing AND writing, and the reality these days is that a writer is being called to be his or her own marketing director. I don't really enjoy saying that — I'm just calling it the way I see it as a longtime agent in the industry (as well as a former associate publisher for Time-Warner, senior editor for Harvest House, and author of a couple dozen books). I do think it's possible for a writer of literary fiction to just be a great writer, and choose not to get involved much with marketing… but I think that writer will always struggle in the marketplace (unless he or she hits the lottery and gets a ton of attention somehow — something that is happening far less frequently than it used to). What we're seeing these days is literary novelists choosing to be involved in some way with the marketing plan — whether that is doing a blog tour, or a booksigning and speaking tour, or a bunch of interviews and articles in print and web-based 'zines. So the idea of a writer doing his or her own marketing isn't something I'm pushing so much as it's the direction I see the industry has gone. 

I just had a conversation with an author I represent. She's a literary writer, and she's never going to turn into a full-time marketer. That's fair — I wanted to represent her because I believe in her WRITING, not because I think she's going to be a world famous marketing expert. And I know it's a struggle for an introverted, solitude-loving writer to suddenly be called upon to talk to people, press the flesh, and make herself available to groups. So maybe a writer like that just trusts in her talent, and does as much as she feels comfortable doing, and lives with the results in a competitive book market. I can live with that, so long as the author understands the sales projections will probably be much more modest than if she threw herself into marketing. Again, I'm not trying to be The Marketing Evangelist. I'm just trying to help today's writers understand how the world has changed, and try to be as well-equpped as possible to face the new reality and find some success.

Remember, I sell as much literary fiction as anyone. So if you're a literary writer, I understand your struggle. And I long for the day when you'll be appreciated for your voice and talent, not for your ability to go onto a TV show and pitch your book in 30-second soundbites. Until we get there (IF we get there), I figure my job is to help authors know how to best spend their time trying to be successful. 

Chip 

Posted in Marketing and Platforms

  • http://www.noveljourney.blogspot.com Gina Holmes

    I think not yet published writers can be taken off guard by the amount of marketing and publicity that is required in this business.
    I spend as much time with publicity as I do actually writing and it’s wearisome. Some days more than others. I think we all wish we could just write the book and be done with it.
    It’s very wise of writers to be thinking about the publicity end of things as they write their book, even before they ever pitch it. If you wait until after your contracted, you’re going to most likely feel overwhelmed. Once you sell your book, it’s a whirlwind. You’re scrambling to write the second while trying to publicize the first. (Many lead times, such as for magazines and tv shows can be months to a year in advance and need to be pitched way ahead of your book launching.)
    My debut novel is still 7 months out and not a day goes by, (except Sunday), that I don’t do some publicity and I always feel like I should have done more.
    There are things a writer can do way ahead of time that will help later…having a website set up, professional headshots,build a web presence through blogging,network sites, and building a marketing folder filled with folks you’d like to pitch once you actually have something to pitch, is all a great start, but really just the tip of an iceberg.
    Then again, you can take the Francine Rivers approach…. she does quite nicely without doing almost any publicity. I wonder how well that would work for me? I’m too chicken to find out.
    Sorry to prattle on, just have marketing on my mind a lot lately. Next time, I’ll write it all in my journal instead of here :)

  • http://www.chipmacgregor.com chip responds

    Let me just state that Gina Holmes, who wrote that comment above, is one of the people new novelists should study. Gina did everything right in her pursuit of publication. She was patient. She worked on her platform. She connected with people in the industry, so she developed professional relationships. She kept writing, and improved. She waited until she’d found her voice. She worked hard to create a great manuscript. She was brave enough to have other writers review her work, listened to their comments, and made changes. She also listened to her agent (ahem) and made changes, tweaking where necessary. The end result: a publisher (Tyndale) that got really excited about her novel, and took steps to make sure she published with them. Gina’s novel comes out next year, and I think she’s going to be a hit. -chip

  • http://sharonalavy.blogspot.com/ Sharon A Lavy

    I think what most writers don’t think about is their haste to self publish is to make sure the book is good enough to publish, if only the mainstream publishers had a slot for it.
    If you can self publish and self sell you have a shot at getting a publishers attention.
    But what if your book is still not quite there? Do you really want to send your baby out into the world with out some protection against the hard knocks every book has to take?

  • http://www.anemulligan.com Ane Mulligan

    Chip, if Amazon and Walmart corner the market with cheap books, driving the independent bookseller out of business, what’s to stop them from raising the prices later? If they have a monopoly that’s usually what happens.

  • http://www.rachelhauck.com Rachel Hauck

    As always, great wisdom, Chip. If I could jump in on the marketing thing. (What? Did you say “no?” I can’t hear you, speak up, what??) :)
    IMHO, it’s so much about becoming a marketing expert, or over focusing on marketing, but the fact an author cannot be “hidden” or just a name on a book cover with a brief bio, maybe a black and white picture.
    You can’t be semi anonymous with only your publisher presenting your public profile.
    So get out there, join Facebook, Twitter, create an inviting web site. Blog. Keep in touch with readers, “friends” in cyber space.
    A while back there was an author who wrote under a pen name and it was well know she was “hiding.” Even her picture was a gray avatar. The idea was to create marketing stir and interest in the book because the author was a mystery. Did it work? I’m not sure. But I’m not hearing a lot of buzz.
    When there are so many authors you can and do know, why follow one who is trying to be mysterious? Unless the book is Harry Potterish, it’s not worth the readers effort.
    Today, they like to feel connected with an author and it’s possible with social media.
    My 2 cents.
    Rachel

  • http://www.leaschizas.com Lea Schizas

    Chip, what I see many writers doing is waiting until their book is released before they even begin their marketing. I tell writers I’m in contact with when asked, “When should I promote?” to begin ASAP. Get a website. Build the hype. Give a short excerpt. Build suspense and interest the way movie trailers do for their upcoming next year’s releases.
    If they wait until the book comes out the sales will take a bit longer because no buzz has been created.

  • http://www.writewithexcellence.com N. J. Lindquist

    As a reader, the last thing I want is for my favourite author to be wasting his or her time connecting with people and sharing recipes and forwarding You Tube videos on facebook, twitter, etc. instead of writing. And most writers I know really can’t do both well. So it often becomes a trade-off.
    I also hate the kind of promotion that’s blatantly obvious. I reject potential “friends” on facebook who already have 2000 other “friends”. Come on. I might possible want to join your fan page but I really don’t want to be your friend. And are those really the authors looking for new friends, or did they hire people to do that for them? Maybe I’m a cynic, but I just don’t buy it. I also hide or stop following anyone who is only posting news about their book. In other words, I want relationships that are real, not fake.
    Conversely, I really resent those people who are so great at marketing that they can convince me to buy a book, but when I start reading the book, I want to throw it at them. Been there a few times.
    I don’t know what the answer is, but I think we have to try to find a way for good writers to have the option of doing what they’re good at (i.e. using their writing ability/gifts to write) and other people to do what they’re good at (marketing, etc.) We are talking about totally different skill-sets here. People are not interchangeable.
    My biggest worry is that many new writers will end up being jerked all over the place trying to follow every new fad and their growth as writers will never be what it might have been if they’d been able to concentrate on it.
    Most of us have difficulty just finding the time to write, never mind doing everything else. And adding the marketing burden to the already huge writing one can mean the difference between being able to focus on the goal and grow in your skills or getting lost in all the possibilities.

  • http://www.chipmacgregor.com chip responds

    Great comments today. Thanks, all! Lea, I totally agree — if an author waits until their book is releasing, it’s too late.
    And NJ, thanks for that. All of us want friends. None of us need more salespeople in our lives, simply contacting us in order to promote another product. Facebook should be seen as a tool for making making friends, not just making a sale.

  • http://profile.typepad.com/6p0120a5c8075c970c Writers Cafe

    Chip, Please don’t ever apologize for what you have to say! I read your blog faithfully and have learned so much . . . You speak from the heart to your readers, while others are filling up space to fulfill a requirement. Sure, many provide the mechanics of writing, and other equally important tidbits, but you reach out and touch people. There’s a difference, between speaking to someone and speaking at them. It’s not your fault that publishing is changing the way it is, so don’t apologize for it, OK? JCJ

  • http://www.chipmacgregor.com chip responds

    From D. Ann Graham…
    Am I missing something here?
    So much talk going on about the publishing houses losing money when — correct me if I’m wrong — they, of all industries, are on the cutting edge of technology. Other than an e-file (created almost entirely by the authors themselves), there is no industry overhead other than distribution (already in place and used by everyone, whether self-published or otherwise) for an ebook. Nine times out of ten they are published simultaneously with print editions, and the same files are used. There is no storage or postage for shipping and handling associated with their delivery. Why then is the cost for ebooks only a fraction below print editions, or sometimes even higher?
    And if the publishing of traditional print editions has become such a losing venture lately, why don’t houses convert to their own print on demand methods, and at least do away with the wasteful practice of return policies? I don’t think quality is an issue here, considering some of the amazing visual creations put out by ordinary teenagers working away in their own rooms at night on the most basic of equipment.
    Add the fact that it is becoming the norm rather than the exception that most authors do pick up the costs of their own marketing these days, it all leaves me sort of… wondering.
    Oh, and I’m not forgetting the editors, because ever since that marvelous invention known as “track changes” hit the scene, their jobs have been made so much easier, the only drawback is that their bosses have required much more output from them. A problem (informally known as the Peter Principle) that the publishing industry certainly has no corner on, and — whether we like it or not — can at least understand.

  • http://www.noveljourney.blogspot.com Gina Holmes

    N.J– great, great comments and I doubt anyone would argue with you. Some lucky people really are good at both writing and publicity. I know a few personally. One of the best writers I know is the yet to be published Jessica Dotta. A fine publicist and an even finer writer. It can happen. But, not everyone is going to be blessed with that unusual skill set. For those who are amazing writers, there are some great publicists out there. It would be wise to hire one.
    You can be the best mechanic in the world, but if you don’t put a nice little ad in the Yellow Pages, the word of mouth is going to take forever and you may be out of business before that happens. Unfortunately.
    I’d agree that the worst combination is the I can’t write but I can sell combo. Yuck. The most detrimental thing an author can do is publicize the crap out of a terrible book. If you’ve got one that is just okay, put the energy you would have used in promoting into writing a kick butt follow up.
    As far as fb goes. I have lots of “friends” and i probably only know about half of them, but I respond to people with friend requests but those people who suggest I become their fan, in my humble opinion, come across as very presumptuous. I’m probably an actual “fan” of a dozen novelists throughout time and the world. I’d be careful wording it that way.
    The “Readers Groups” are much less presumptuous sounding. PS> Thanks Chip. I hope you’re right. You have been so far.

  • http://www.mycup2yours.com Genny

    I truly appreciate the balance of information here (both on writing and marketing); I’ve learned so much. Thank you!

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    Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!