Market soapbox
We all have soapboxes, you know, topics of conversation which get us so riled we rant long and loud, hoping someone will here us. The current literary market is one of mine.
Apparently, 99% of all new authors sending submissions to NY, NY end up with their submissions in the trash. It's money, plain & simple. Those NY publishers want to keep making money, of course, and new authors are a risk they don't want to take. And why should they, when they can re-publish old favorites and have them selling off grocery store shelves like hotcakes.
New authors are stuck between either not selling their work at all [I have several very proficient writer friends who fall in this category], or they sell to smaller markets, like electronic publishers. The problem with electronic publishing is the stigma. "It's not cream of the crop", someone told me. My experienced answer is: it depends. Back when I was reviewing for yetanotherbookreview.com, I read a lot of stuff, and many books put out by small publishers were not worth reading, unfortunately. BUT--since NY City has narrowed its field of acquisitions even more, many very good books are being put out by small publishers. You just have to be a more discriminate buyer. If I've read a stinker from one small publisher, then I don't buy anymore of their work. Some small publishers are putting out excellent products, however. I didn't choose Wild Child Publications blindly. They spent nearly a year editing REINS OF TIME, using 3 different people to look over my manuscript. That they don't promote with such enthusiasm has me irrate, but I've heard that's the score with ALL publishers these days, it's the norm.
What's got me up on my soapbox this week is the definition of "published". Literally, a piece of work has to go through the editing process in order to be considered published. Someone who uses a printer to put out their work has not published that work. But, because of electronic publishing's stigma, groups like the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Amercia do not count publishers like Wild Child Publications as a "qualifying publisher" for my inclusion in their membership even though when I attempted to submit to a TOR-UK New Author contest I was disqualified for already being published. IT'S A DOUBLE STANDARD! Yet they can get away with it because they are large entities which want to keep holding power.
How long will it last, that new authors keep getting squeezed out? Probably another 15 years, at least. Schools are starting to use Kimbles, however. The newer generations are very primed for electronic everything, and hopefully, they won't have patience for the power plays of these old corporations. Not soon enough for those of us caught in the middle.
What can you do now? Resist the urge to purchase books which have been re-released. And, try new authors whenever you can. Hey, creativity is as important in this day and age as it ever was. Support it, please!
Apparently, 99% of all new authors sending submissions to NY, NY end up with their submissions in the trash. It's money, plain & simple. Those NY publishers want to keep making money, of course, and new authors are a risk they don't want to take. And why should they, when they can re-publish old favorites and have them selling off grocery store shelves like hotcakes.
New authors are stuck between either not selling their work at all [I have several very proficient writer friends who fall in this category], or they sell to smaller markets, like electronic publishers. The problem with electronic publishing is the stigma. "It's not cream of the crop", someone told me. My experienced answer is: it depends. Back when I was reviewing for yetanotherbookreview.com, I read a lot of stuff, and many books put out by small publishers were not worth reading, unfortunately. BUT--since NY City has narrowed its field of acquisitions even more, many very good books are being put out by small publishers. You just have to be a more discriminate buyer. If I've read a stinker from one small publisher, then I don't buy anymore of their work. Some small publishers are putting out excellent products, however. I didn't choose Wild Child Publications blindly. They spent nearly a year editing REINS OF TIME, using 3 different people to look over my manuscript. That they don't promote with such enthusiasm has me irrate, but I've heard that's the score with ALL publishers these days, it's the norm.
What's got me up on my soapbox this week is the definition of "published". Literally, a piece of work has to go through the editing process in order to be considered published. Someone who uses a printer to put out their work has not published that work. But, because of electronic publishing's stigma, groups like the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Amercia do not count publishers like Wild Child Publications as a "qualifying publisher" for my inclusion in their membership even though when I attempted to submit to a TOR-UK New Author contest I was disqualified for already being published. IT'S A DOUBLE STANDARD! Yet they can get away with it because they are large entities which want to keep holding power.
How long will it last, that new authors keep getting squeezed out? Probably another 15 years, at least. Schools are starting to use Kimbles, however. The newer generations are very primed for electronic everything, and hopefully, they won't have patience for the power plays of these old corporations. Not soon enough for those of us caught in the middle.
What can you do now? Resist the urge to purchase books which have been re-released. And, try new authors whenever you can. Hey, creativity is as important in this day and age as it ever was. Support it, please!