Category Archives: self-publishing

May 16, 2011   Jane   book club, e-books, fun, future of publishing, Jane, reading, self-publishing  
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This month’s selections at the DGLM book club

As many of you know, we have a book club here at Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.  Every month or so, we pick a category (of fiction usually) and each of us selects a different title in that category to read.  On the designated day, we meet after work and each of us presents our evaluation of the book:  first, we pitch it as if it were something we were representing, then we describe what we really thought  and, finally, we talk about how the book sold, its reviews, awards it was nominated for or won, and anything else we can find out by bugging the editor who worked on it.  In this way, over the years, we have all learned a lot about these categories and what is currently going on in our business.

This month we are doing something different—each of us is reading one of the top 100 bestselling e-novels from the kindle store.  We are curious about whether these books differ from those sold to traditional publishers and, if so, how.

More and more these days, books are being sold electronically.  There are now e-book bestseller lists in The New York Times and some of these titles are exclusive e-books—not published traditionally in any format.  We are trying to learn more about this phenomenon for our existing clients and maybe identify future clients as well.  It is a whole new era in the world of publishing, and we are going to be very much a part of it.

Are any of you published exclusively online and, if so, what has your experience been?

May 04, 2011   Miriam   agents, controversy, digital publishing, e-books, future of publishing, Miriam, optimism, publishers, self-publishing  
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If an agent or publisher came calling

With electronic self-publishing becoming the latest tulip mania, one of the questions hashed and rehashed in publishing circles is whether authors who are finding success in this venue would be willing to give it all up in order to be published by a “traditional” publisher. E-publishing evangelists deny that there is any point or desire to go back to the shackles of mainstream publishing. Why would you sell your art for pennies and let agents and publishers take the bulk of your earnings, they query. Take your work back, do it yourselves, and make 70% of the income, they encourage the masses.

We publishing types have been losing sleep lately over our own future. Gatekeeping has gone out of vogue in this new democracy. Also, we worry that our services may become obsolete now that anyone with an internet connection can upload their work and start getting their check from Amazon or Kobo within days. Even enterprising houses are getting into the self-publishing business and calling it community building.

So, over our coffee and bagels on a recent morning, the staff of DGLM wondered whether all of the above is incontrovertibly true. Anecdotal evidence leads us to believe that many people who self-publish (including some of those who are making nice money doing so) are actually interested in traditional publishing as an outlet for their work and value the services that an agent, editor, production team, and sales and marketing force provide. Many are excited when we offer representation and seem to feel that the most important thing we agents bring to the table is allowing them to focus on their writing instead of the “business” side of the business. (This, by the way, is something I think all authors appreciate, as finding the time to be creative can be difficult even in the best of situations.)

Clearly, the future of publishing is electronic media and we love a literary success story, whether it’s generated by Random House or by a self-published author. But amidst all the greatly exaggerated reports of traditional publishing’s demise, here’s an informal survey. Would you still go the traditional route even if you were making the big buckaroos doing it yourself?

March 31, 2011   Jessica   Jessica, marketing/publicity, self-publishing  
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Awkward Author/Introverts Unite!

Laura Miller’s latest essay in Salon takes up what many perceive as an unpleasant new reality in publishing.

“It has become a mantra that today’s author — whether self- or conventionally published — must learn to promote his or her books. Some, like Eisler and Hocking, happen to be good at it, but many aren’t. People often become writers because they’re introverted or awkward in personal encounters and have poured everything they want to say to the world into their work. What usually gets lost in the perpetual refrain about authors becoming their own marketers is that there’s no particular connection between writing talent and a gift for self-promotion.”

I agree with Miller, that the shared set between self-promoters and good writers is small and exclusionary, but I’m not sure her post accomplishes much beyond the usual hand-wringing. Moreover, I don’t think we’ve arrived at the point where publishing houses demand a marketing plan with a novel submission. Overwhelmingly, agents and editors still take on fiction because of what’s on the page.

Once the book is under contract, however, the harangue begins. Both editor and agent may exhort the author to “get out there” and somehow, cultivate a following. Maddening as it certainly must be for all but the most motivated and gregarious of souls, it’s still not bad advice. Finding an audience for a book is no easy task, and publishers fail more frequently than they succeed, so leaving this to the experts is not as fruitful as most aspiring writers might imagine. Much as agents, authors and publishers may agree that it is part of the role of the publisher to market and promote, the reality is that houses’ commitment is finite and fickle. Houses plough resources back into the books that appear to be “working,” but the books that don’t “find their way” are often quietly abandoned.

For any novelist who wishes to write another day, thinking about ways to marshal sales is a worthwhile enterprise, and the idea that authors, whose job it is to create, should leave the nasty business of selling to others strikes me as quaint and outmoded (in a bad, squeamish and Victorian sort of way. ) There is nothing unsavory or crass in wanting to see–and trying to help– your own work succeed. This might involve hiring a publicist or on-line marketer, becoming self-taught in the ways of social media, or creating a collective of introverted writers in which members agree to buy, or even market, each others’ books. I realize that unions are on the wane, but organizing writers’ groups to tackle on-line publicity and promo might well be viable. Perhaps there are groups doing this already.

What do you think? Is my marketing collective notion ridiculous? But what should the introverted/awkward author do besides tack Millers article to their garret wall and fume?

March 08, 2011   Lauren   advice, digital publishing, future of publishing, Lauren, opinion, self-publishing  
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She speaks the truth

If you’re the type to read publishing news, and you no doubt are if you’re here, then I’m sure you’ve heard all about Amanda Hocking’s phenomenal success as a self-published author.  She’s a 26-year-old millionaire, in fact, which I can’t say I don’t envy.

Much has been said about this by anyone remotely interested in publishing, and now Amanda herself has weighed in with an honest and surprisingly objective look at the realities of publishing and self-publishing that give a hint as to the sort of business savvy that has made this work for her.  I think Amanda’s words speak for themselves on so many of the topics at hand here, so I’ll just pick out the thing I think is most important for people to keep in mind, but I’d encourage you to hop over to her blog to read it in full:

Everybody seems really excited about what I’m doing and how I’ve been so successful, and from what I’ve been able to understand, it’s because a lot of people think that they can replicate my success and what I’ve done. And while I do think I will not be the only one to do this – others will be as successful as I’ve been, some even more so – I don’t think it will happen that often.

Traditional publishing and indie publishing aren’t all that different, and I don’t think people realize that. Some books and authors are best sellers, but most aren’t. It may be easier to self-publish than it is to traditionally publish, but in all honesty, it’s harder to be a best seller self-publishing than it is with a house.

As an agency, we’re pretty bullish about the digital future of publishing (even if many of us are also really, really, really attached to books as objects and unwilling to believe we could ever abandon them entirely in favor of our Kindles).  We work with some wonderful authors who keep pushing out the edge of the digital frontier.  We also talk about where things are headed and how to help our clients in this transition on a near daily basis, and we’ve been putting in the work to make sure that whatever happens, our authors won’t get left behind in the dust.

But that said, it’s a mistake, as it always has been, to think that self-publishing is as simple as bypassing the gatekeepers who wouldn’t know a good book from a hole in the ground to go straight to the masses of consumers.  Certainly amazing books are missed by the traditional publishing industry for myriad reasons—some of them simply human, others institutional flaws—and don’t think that agents and editors, who go to bat daily for books that won’t always make it on the shelves, aren’t keenly aware of that.  But publishing a book isn’t a one man job, however simple the upload tools might make it seem.  Editing, copyediting, cover design, marketing, distribution, and many more issues exist beyond the writing of the book (no easy task!) that need time and care and energy and experience.  Self-publishing is easier than ever before from a technical sense, but succeeding at it, like succeeding at just about anything in life, takes a tremendous amount of hard work, a willingness to get (and pay for) the work you can’t do yourself, and at least a little bit of luck.

Congratulations to Amanda and others like her who were told no and found a different path to success.  And congratulations are due also to those authors who the HuffPo won’t be calling millionaires any time soon, but who, through hard work and ingenuity, have found an audience for their books.

Of course, all this makes me curious about Amanda’s books, which I haven’t read yet but plan to check out.  With the number of copies she’s sold and the amount of press she’s had in the last week, some of you must have read her, right?  Any recommendations?  Any thoughts as to why she’s gotten where she has?

September 29, 2010   DG&B   advice, platform, queries, self-publishing, Stacey  
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Advice from a published author

by Stacey

While reading today’s AOL headlines, I came across this concise summary about getting published written by Lisa Johnson Mandell, a published nonfiction author. I don’t think she says anything we haven’t heard before, but it still bears repeating, and she does sum it up pretty nicely for the novice author. Plus she offers some direct advice from her reputable agent, which is valuable and right on target. The title of her piece is a bit misleading since she talks at the beginning about self-publishing a book, which she’s right might be easier than you’d think, but the suggestion that going the more traditional agent and publisher route is easier than you think is a bit of a stretch. It’s harder than ever in many ways with the market being so competitive, and finding an agent and publisher requires a lot of things to go write (a pun, not a typo). Enjoy!

May 18, 2010   DG&B   feedback, opinion, reading, self-publishing, Stacey  
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Diamond in the rough

by Stacey

I know we’ve all talked a lot about self-publishing and what it means for the more traditional, old fashioned book business, and I’m not really interested in getting into the pros and cons of self-publishing, but I thought it was worth exploring this topic a little bit further and see if there are ways to address how the two worlds can come together.

What prompted by interest in the subject was a few things that came up around the same time. First, I read this piece about the rise of self-publishing and how the digital age is somehow making self-publishing more respectable. I’m not sure if I agree entirely , but she makes some interesting points about how far self-publishing has come. Then, I saw this in Publisher’s Weekly about an entire trade show for self publishers and authors who have either published this way, or plan to, or for anyone curious about what it’s all about. Finally, and perhaps the most interesting piece of all, I had lunch with a prominent editor recently at a major commercial house who told me that they had recently done a deal with an author who had previously self-published her book. We talked a little bit about it, and when I asked her if the book had done very well in its self-published life for them to consider reissuing it, she told me that it hadn’t sold particularly well, and the numbers weren’t all that great. So I asked her why in this ridiculously difficult market did they agree to publish it? Because it’s really good, she told me. Oh, how simple. And how refreshing!

I continue to believe that there are untapped talented authors lurking out there publishing books on their own, in some cases quite successfully. I’ve signed up several self-published books over the years, and it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. One author was self-publishing her novels successfully long before it became fashionable, or as easy as it is today. When she chose to reach out to traditional publishers, we got her a very nice six-figure deal for two books with a commercial publisher, and after a few years of feeling increasingly frustrated by the lack of control over the publishing process, she decided to go back to self-publishing. Another was a cookbook that I resold successfully to a division of Random House, and the book has sold fairly well and looks like it will backlist nicely. A third was a nonfiction self-help book that had some great elements and an author who promised to support the book financially, but I wasn’t able to make it work. I am fascinated and intrigued when I hear stories of self-published books selling to traditional publishers, in some cases for a lot of money or with a big promotional plan in place. And I’ve thought over the years about trying to find self-published books that have done well in an effort to find new clients and new projects. If an author has gone through the time and work required to publish on their own, they have already shown a commitment to their work, and if the stars are aligned in just the right way, maybe we can help them in their efforts by matching them with a traditional publisher who can offer much greater sales, marketing and distribution support. In the perfect storm effect, this can be a major win-win for all parties. Look at The Shack as an example.

There are so many books self-published every year (the stat of 764,448 titles last year is staggering) that there still needs to be some sort of filter to find the quality over quantity. Other than the books I’ve worked on, I haven’t read many self-published titles, and I’d love to learn more about what’s out there. Do any of you have any recommendations for self-published books you absolutely loved?

April 15, 2010   DG&B   Jessica, opinion, publishers, reading, self-publishing  
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The brand

by Jessica

Two recent stories in Publishing Perspectives caught my eye: first, that the number of self and micro published titles has risen to the staggering figure of 764,448 in the last year; the next was a story about whether consumers feel a sense of allegiance (or actually notice) the name of a book’s publisher or imprint.

Taken together, the stories seem to capture two countervailing impulses in publishing. For many writers, the decision to publish without backing from a major house–whether by choice or necessity–expresses a fundamental confidence that it is the author, not imprint, who is the “brand.” The latter article (which is more impassioned argument for than clear demonstration of) points to imprints that have built for themselves a recognizable brand identity. The articles cites Knopf, Vintage, and Penguin Classics as imprints that readers may deliberately seek out, or at the very least, spot and have a baseline assurance of quality.

So, I’m curious to know: How often, or have you ever, bought a self-published book?  Have you self-published a book yourself?  To what degree to you pay attention to a book’s imprint?  Are there imprints that you swear by?

November 19, 2009   DG&B   e-books, future of publishing, Michael, opinion, publishers, self-publishing  
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Blurring the lines

by Michael

Yesterday, Harlequin announced their new Harlequin Horizons program, a joint venture with Author Solutions, “the world’s leading self-publisher.” Basically, you can now pay to have your unpublished romance novel published by Harlequin…Horizons. The reaction from authors, both aspiring and those published by Harlequin, has been fairly negative.

What seems to concern published authors the most is that this new venture actually uses the Harlequin name, and that associating Harlequin with self-publishing will hurt the brand. I’m not sure how legitimate this is, only because those self-published books aren’t going to be popping up at B&N or Borders any time soon. The Harlequin brand will still mean something to buyers. And as they’ve said, the books will have their own HH branding.

My personal concern, and one that is shared by unpublished authors, is about what seems like a conflict of interest. Are we moving to a place where authors will have to pay to play? In the follow-up FAQ to their original announcement, they say, “All standard/form/template rejection letters will include a short note about Harlequin Horizons as a self-publishing option for the aspiring author.” And in the first announcement, they describe Horizons as, “an innovative and original approach to discovering new authors to add to our traditional publishing programs.” It’s hard to say exactly how all of this will work until they start operating, but I’m very wary of this idea.

How do you feel about this? Is this just the future of publishing that we all have to deal with?

UPDATE:
Harlequin has sent out an announcement that they’ll be changing the name of their self-publishing program to something without “Harlequin” in the title.  The power of the internet at work.  Doesn’t quite solve the conflict of interest problem, though…

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