Where do we go from here?

[naomi_jay]

So, I don't know if anyone else follows JA Konrath's blog,A Newbie's Guide to Publishing, but I do. Not because I always agree with his views - actually, most of the time, I don't, because he's just a bit too cynical even for me. But he does tend to always have lots of interesting information for writers, so it's worth checking in from time to time. And yesterdayhe posted this announcement. Basically, after having shopped the latest novel in his Jack Daniels series and finding no publisher wanted it, Konrath and his agent inked a deal with Amazon Encore. To my knowledge, this is the first time a "big name author" has done this, since Encore thus far has been aimed at "overlooked books and authors" (which I guess means self-published, small press, out-of-print, etc?). Anyway, you can read all the fine details at Konrath's blog.

This is certainly interesting for a number of reasons. It interests me most because everyone is saying this is a publishing revolution, that authors will no longer be dependent on agents and publishers, etc etc... and that basically This Will Show Them All, which is an attitude I find quite sad. There are plenty of flaws with the publishing business, same as with any business. But I hate this theory that there's a massive conspiracy to keep all us talented genius writers out of publishing, or that you have to know someone in the business to get a foot in the door, or whatever. Publishers and agents are not the enemy. It's a symbiotic system. And yes, there are plenty of awesome books that don't find homes with traditional publishers, just as there are plenty of cruddy books that do. That's because the merit of any piece of literature is subjective, and what one person loves, another will hate. You can't change that.

I see a lot of people jumping up and down at the thought of following in Konrath's "trail-blazing" footsteps, and publishing their work via Encore or Kindle and finding an audience that way. I think those people are simplifying the issue, and Jason Pinter sums up my feelings as to why very eloquently and concisely here. Basically, Konrath is already an established and successful writer, with talent and experience behind him. He has an audience and a fanbase built up over years of work and writing. What will doubtless be a great success for him, financially and career-wise, won't necessarily work the same way for somebody else.

I get there are lots of reasons to self-publish, but I think the pitfalls outweigh the potential rewards. Read Stacia Kane's great article here if you're interested in a very good look at the subject. I think in terms of what Konrath has done/is doing, this could open the gates for a lot of people who want to be published for the wrong reasons, and send them rushing to put out unedited, badly written books on the Kindle thinking it'll make them a fortune and Show Them All. How this will impact on readers, I don't know. Maybe it won't? Maybe they'll ignore the self-pubbed stuff and stick with what they know.

But I think it could impact on writers. Remember the whole Harlequin Horizons thing a while back? Harlequin authors worried that a sudden influx of poor-quality romances with the Harlequin logo on would devalue their own fine-tuned, hard-worked-upon products. And I think that's a very valid concern. Genre fiction gets lambasted enough already, without throwing more fuel on the fire. If suddenly everyone who thinks their magnum opus sparkly vampire romance is worthy of publication by any means goes rushing to the Kindle, the sparkly vampire romance market will become saturated, and fans of that genre will grow disenchanted and move on. And of course, it's extra ammunition to those who say genre fiction has no merit.

So, where does this leave us? It's inevitable that new technology will change publishing; I think we all just have to accept that. The Kindle and devices like it will make self-publishing easier (although the quality of self-published products won't necessarily be better). I don't think Konrath's deal is quite the massive game-changer for writers everyone thinks it is, as Amazon have essentially played the same role as any agent or publisher: picking a product they think has appeal and will sell well. I know, as someone who has wanted all my life to be a working writer, I'm going to be watching with interest. And I'm definitely interested in other people's opinions.

ETA - nathreee  said something that's really made me think (curses!) so I might be posting more on this whole shebang soon, in which case I very much want to know what everyone, readers and writers, thinks. Got views on self-publishing, Amazon Encore, the Kindle, etc? Tell me!

Comments

[nathreee.livejournal.com]

My thoughts on this are much the same. Agents are professionals who help writers market their books, and I think most writers need help with that. After all, we're writers, not marketing experts. So new authors would do well to find an agent they can work together with and who will help them create a name and a fanbase.

Maybe later, when name and fanbase have been established, the publisher doesn't matter anymore, and an author could consider self-publishing, since the readers will follow anyway.

I do think that image of markets being spoiled by poor-quality self-published books is frightening and very ugly. I don't think everyone who self-publishes writes poor books; that preconception is a little insulting. On the other hand, the easier it becomes to self-publish, the more poorly-written books will appear. And the prophecy will fulfil itself. Which emphasises the importance that a writer first becomes someone before just throwing their books out there.

The thing that many people seem to forget is that not everyone who can string sentences together can also write a successful book. The craft of writing compelling stories is a little more complicated than that. I find it intriguing that people who like to draw or paint in their free time don't often consider selling it, while it seems that everyone who has ever written down a story from beginning to end tries to get it published. I would like to know where that difference comes from...

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

preconception is a little insulting

Oh, agreed! I didn't mean to imply every self-published book out there is bad; obviously there are always exceptions. But I think you hit in on the head with this:

not everyone who can string sentences together can also write a successful book

And that's why I think we could see a sort of "watering down" of the quality of genre, which does concern me. Ultimately I think the future is really in the hands of readers, who will put their cash where they feel it's most deserved.

[dwg.livejournal.com]

This is all very interesting food for thought, and I wish I wasn't feeling so crummy as to further brain on it, because it's one of those things where I Have Opinions.

I'm thinking that this approach that Konrath is taking if the author is PR savvy. Obviously, he is, as he's got the social networking and the established audience. This isn't the case with most people who would look at self-publishing as a way to get their foot in the door. And it's this part that will ultimately mean that it's probably mean that Konrath's move won't impact the industry as much as people might think.

I think a lot of would-be authors expect that they get their first book published and then people will discover how great they are and they become A Star. Even if they can get over that notion and move onto writing several books, they still may not realise the time and effort that goes into getting people to read them. So they get their book and then wonder why nobody's discovered their genius or what have you.

Amazon could be a great platform to launch someone's career, so long as they're smart enough to make the system work in their favour. It won't be for Joe Everyman, though they'll probably try their little hearts out.

If nothing else, it may teach the reader to be more discerning and more vocal about their choices. If the industry is going to open up like this, then the ability of the consumer to give feedback will probably also continue to be almost instantaneous and direct -- mostly because I'm pretty sure publishers want to know if people are happy with the products that they are selling -- which means we might be able to look forward to more Candace Sams type meltdowns in the future. I might be a bad person for looking forward to that.

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

Yep, with the exception of one or two authors and people who self-publish things like cookery books or local interest books, most self-publishers I know of do it on the basis that someone will recognise their genius and elevate them to the big leagues. I'd love to see some stats on how often that works out. Or not.

I also look forward to more Sams Syndrome cases. I don't feel bad about it - I view them as cautionary tales in case my ego one day gets the better of me!

[dwg.livejournal.com]

Off the top of my head, I can think of David Wellington and maybe Belle du Jour who went from blogging/offering free chapters online to mainstream print media. But I don't know if they ever expected any of that. Wellington still has his Monster Island book to read for free online (I can't remember if the rest of the trilogy is there, too, or just the first one, I'll have to check) but I'm sure that for every Wellington, there's dozens of wannabes pinning their hopes on being 'discovered'. It's not just limited to authors, I mean, if you look at Susan Boyle or Justin Bieber, everyone and their mum can upload a video to YouTube or audition for a reality show, and it works for some people, but not everyone. So the key to all this is to find whatever works for you and utilise it as best you can.

I also want more self-published authors trying to wankily trying to prove that they know best (they're published! This is a grand equaliser!) against veteran/bestselling authors about how everything they've gone through to reach these lofty heights of success are totally wrong, ala that woman who tried to bitch out Nora Roberts on Smart Bitches. Maybe you can set your sights on being an auther that garners new readers by keeping your cool and making sense of the wank that gets thrown around. I know I've learned about a few authors that are new to me thanks to Diana Gabaldon and Katherine Kerr.

[nathreee.livejournal.com]

I maded you think?

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

As soon as I knew I was going to have Actual Books out in the world for people to find, I decided never to say anything online unless I could say it articulately and politely. I don't know if I've always acheived that, but it's a goal, right?

On the other hand, I couldn't have enjoyed the Gabaldon wank or the Rejection Queen affair more! So I am probably a bad person.

Anyway. I expect people will use the same methods they always have to find books they like, whether that's reviews, friends' recs, cover art, or what have you. I'd just be sad to see my favourite genres awash with substandard works because anyone with the ability to type a sentence now thinks that makes them an author. Most good books are made good through extensive work; the kind of new technology Konrath is using means hard work is no longer a prerequisite of publication. So even though most badly written crapfests will probably sink without trace, there will be a hell of lot more of them around clogging up the genre pool than there were before.

I just keep thinking, what if I'd done this with Wild version 1? Nobody would ever have read it, I'd have become madly embittered and probably be living in a shack somewhere making voodoo dolls of publishing execs. And there's a reason for that - Wild version 1 was a horrible mess. It's taken me four years and numerous rewrites to get it up to scratch. If I'd had the money and inclination to self-publish the crap version, would I have Afterlife and Silver Kiss out there now, getting nice reviews? I don't think so.

I'm ranting incoherantly now: must stop and get back to the day job before I implode or something.

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

I know! On a week day, too. This will set me back...

[dwg.livejournal.com]

See, this is where I think the discerning reader comes into it -- increasingly, it seems we're getting authors who are raised on the internet, or at least know if its benefits and pitfalls. So anyone who's been cruising around for fanfic knows that you've got to wade through dozesn of shitty fics before you can latch on to that one story by this author who quickly becomes your favourite. I'm not seeing too much difference between having to do that, and possibly going through a half-dozen ebooks. I'd never dream of doing that with printed books simply because I can't afford it. And this is where those that can play the system can benefit, by offering works at affordable prices and of good quality.

That said, genres are kinda choked with substandard books already, so those in the know can probably easily navigate these strange new pathways, and other people will learn real quick.

All this is hilarious when I reflect upon my teenage self, trying to get my Very Crappy Novel published, having those lofty ideals, and even the crappy Angelfire website that I thought was the greatest. The irony is, given the rise and rise of the trashy UF/PR books, if I cleaned it up, I could possibly be in with a chance of getting somewhere. Or I could sit down and write the Suest Sue ever to Sue with the most Sued out adventures and see if I can pedal that, but I think Tyra Banks is onto my plan and thinks she can out-fierce me.

[blythe025.livejournal.com]

I'm sort of ambivalent about the whole self publishing things. I've seen some cases where it works, and I've seen many others where it doesn't.

Personally, I'm not drawn to self publishing. There's just something so rewarding about having an editor confirm that my writing is good by choosing to publish it. Also, knowing that my writing is imperfect, it's always helpful to have many eyes other than mine read over the work and help clean it up before getting it to print.

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

Outside confirmation of talent is awesome! That's certainly one of the reasons I've never considered self-publishing.

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

I think the folks who are looking for something to justify taking the self-publishing route (to themselves) will do so, but I'd have thought Mr. Konrath is more taking advantage of his already well-earned success, as opposed to breaking in.

Great post :)

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

'There's just something so rewarding about having an editor confirm that my writing is good by choosing to publish it.

Amen to that!

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

I wrote it just to make your weekly round-up again ;)

Seriously, I think you're right - people who plan to self-publish anyway will see this as a green light, and those who aren't convinced by self-publishing, epublishing, or the changing face of publishing in general, will remain sceptical.