tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post3104599350643720670..comments2023-11-02T02:40:48.410-07:00Comments on Crime Fiction Collective: Publishers be Crazy...or DesperateL.J. Sellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-43672058785110871772011-05-23T23:22:05.042-07:002011-05-23T23:22:05.042-07:00Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. The...Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. There's no doubt we're in the midst of a revolution in trade publishing, and the dust is far from settled. I believe there will always be a role for large, mainstream publishing houses, just like there is for large, mainstream movie studios. But I also believe the doors have been flung wide open for independents, both individual indie authors and small and micro imprints, and that's a very, very good thing. More opportunity, options and control for authors, and more variety for readers: everyone can win. Whether you want the latest blockbuster or an off-the-beaten-path bit of something new from an as-yet-unknown author, you can find it. And in multiple formats!April L. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450879359445096462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-6557448225373598142011-05-22T17:49:08.569-07:002011-05-22T17:49:08.569-07:00I love my Kindle. My hands don't cramp and my ...I love my Kindle. My hands don't cramp and my eyes (unless I'm reading deep into the night) don't get wonky. I also love my DTBs. I have a collection of books I love. <br /><br />But the truth is that with Kindle, I'm buying a LOT more books. And, I'm buying a lot more books by authors who I haven't read. Who, without the Amazon outlet, I would probably have never heard of.<br /><br />Someone mentioned (elsewhere) the horrible place the world would be with Amazon as a monopoly. Well, duh. It sort of is. But I think Amazon is smart enough to know that they can't turn the tables without new competition pulling the rug out from under them.<br /><br />Power to the readers has given power to the authors, and I think publishers are trying to figure out how they can still play.Peg Brantleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04906858123466177508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-57142108829698218742011-05-22T17:12:28.970-07:002011-05-22T17:12:28.970-07:00Keep telling it the way you see it, April. I thin...Keep telling it the way you see it, April. I think that ultimately, it's about power. Power is shifting from the old-time publishers, and it hasn't landed yet. What we need is more and more streamlined ways to find good books -- ways that don't require authors to have marketing degrees. I love what's happening. It just might save the reading world.Margaret Kochnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-53008887012611959622011-05-22T16:35:19.218-07:002011-05-22T16:35:19.218-07:00Good points, Judith. Maybe I should dust off my Ki...Good points, Judith. Maybe I should dust off my Kindle and start using it more at home - or get an iPad!Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-374592115986537612011-05-22T15:39:20.264-07:002011-05-22T15:39:20.264-07:00Great post, April. I hope some of the mainstream p...Great post, April. I hope some of the mainstream publishers are reading!<br /><br />With regard to copy-editing, I've found that the e-publishers I'm working with these days (Loose Id, Untreed Reads, and MLR Books) are doing a MUCH better job of copy-editing and proofreading than I've received in the past.<br /><br />I think this is because these firms use freelancers who are doing the work for love (and a percent of the royalties, so their work really matters.) Kudos to all those doing this great work!Neil Plakcyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14790700248668484294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-59751211390448474222011-05-22T14:19:40.697-07:002011-05-22T14:19:40.697-07:00Fascinating post, April. Thanks so much. The marke...Fascinating post, April. Thanks so much. The marketplace will sort this all out, sooner rather than later, I suspect. I was in love with my Kindle until I got my iPad. Now I only read on the iPad, using the Kindle app. I prefer reading an e-book because it's easier to check the dictionary and I prefer to take notes on the electronic version. Marking up a paper book just seems wrong. Unlike my collaborators on the Crime Fiction Collective, I've stopped buying paper books because I find it much more orderly to hold the list of my readings on the device, with covers displayed. And, the increasing price of paper books has just gotten exorbitant, considering how many books I read. Plus, I feel much better abandoning a book I dislike when I paid $2.99 for it, rather than $22.99.Judith Yates Borgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05989317858819225597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-5825150344313411742011-05-22T12:34:31.521-07:002011-05-22T12:34:31.521-07:00LJ Roberts, you make a good point about e-books. I...LJ Roberts, you make a good point about e-books. I've had a Kindle for a year or two, but I only use it when I'm traveling. At home, I just prefer paper books, for some reason - mostly habit, I guess. And I like to browse in bookstores and read the back covers of books before deciding which ones to buy. Easier to loan or give to friends, too. And even when buying books from Amazon.com, I usually get them to send them in the mail. Old habits die hard, I guess. I really should start checking out other websites more when looking for good books, though, and get into the habit of using my Kindle at home, too - the books are cheaper and take up less space! I'm probably in the minority, or soon will be, for still preferring print books over e-books.Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-59868848201126497332011-05-22T10:50:11.102-07:002011-05-22T10:50:11.102-07:00Perfectly said, April. The NY publishers seem like...Perfectly said, April. The NY publishers seem like dinosaurs placidly munching greenery while watching the asteroid streak across the sky.<br /><br />On Friday, I received a letter from an Executive VP at Random House that breaks my last tie to NY publishing. I now own my entire backlist and I'm going indie. Zero deadlines plus total creative control is an intoxicating combination.Shelly Thackerhttp://shellythacker.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-79456837609155812262011-05-22T10:26:36.368-07:002011-05-22T10:26:36.368-07:00As a reader/reviewer, the last place I'd look ...As a reader/reviewer, the last place I'd look for book recommendations is on a publishers' site. GoodReads, Amazon reviews (taken with salt), on-line digests and trusted booksellers are my best resource.<br /><br />I own a Kindle and used to love it but two things have caused me to use it much less than I originally did. First, I no longer travel for business. If I'm home, I'm much more inclined to read a physical book than use my Kindle. But even that might be less true were it not for the second fact; the price of e-books. <br /><br />When publishers decided, foolishly in my view, to control the prices, they priced themselves right out of my budget. <br /><br />Just a comment on e-books in general. Yes, e-book readers have become hugely popular and much more comment. But not everyone has one or will have one. Just as people have come to assume that everyone has a computer, for an author to limit themselves to e-book publishing is, I believe, short-sighted and leaves oneself invisible to a huge audience.<br /><br />As for publishers, what I expect from them is the release of well-written, well-edited books at reasonable prices. That is their job.LJ Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14697572554853668731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-57630626574770847672011-05-22T10:15:51.224-07:002011-05-22T10:15:51.224-07:00I think you're right, Jodie. I'm reading ...I think you're right, Jodie. I'm reading an increasing number of books that appear to have only been edited by spell-checking software.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12487464497446199247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-57655212494928111282011-05-22T10:12:28.991-07:002011-05-22T10:12:28.991-07:00My sense is that publishers are loosing their foo...My sense is that publishers are loosing their foothold in an industry that's fast-changing. The key to change in any situation is learning to reinvent. I haven't seen that. What I have seen is them constantly scrambling, constantly playing catch-up. This is just one more example of too little, too late. For so long, the industry has ignored the reader and put their emphasis on distribution. They've forgotten who the real customer is: the reader. E-publishing has forced a drastic shift in that direction and has left mainstream publishers in the dust, scratching their heads.ANDREW E. KAUFMANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08835920472268730244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-39162275142448969442011-05-22T09:32:15.845-07:002011-05-22T09:32:15.845-07:00Kelly, with all the cutbacks in recent years, I...Kelly, with all the cutbacks in recent years, I've noticed that a lot of published books, even bestsellers from big-name publishers, aren't nearly as well-edited as they could be. I guess they just can't afford to (or aren't willing to) pay for a thorough editing job, anymore.<br /><br />And agents and publishers are not working with newbie authors like they used to. Now they expect to receive a manuscript that's already been well-edited and polished. Which is good news for freelance editors like me.Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-5041037128427413682011-05-22T09:01:02.312-07:002011-05-22T09:01:02.312-07:00April, I hope the publishers see this and "ge...April, I hope the publishers see this and "get" it. Publishers haven't really had to talk to readers without the filter of distributors and bookbuyers for a long time. Now they ought to be looking at Goodreads and LibraryThing (and newer places like Figment and Readmill) for partnership potential, just like they did with bookstores and Publisher's Weekly. Publishers know the business of putting out a beautiful, well-edited book. They just need to work on figuring out how to get the news to the new arbiters of reading.Kelly McClymerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04038223302234193266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-8005564631234641522011-05-22T07:55:35.069-07:002011-05-22T07:55:35.069-07:00April, I think what you said about readers wanting...April, I think what you said about readers wanting community and to be part of things is brilliant. I don't pretend to have any idea how traditional publishers will make use of all that is new, but I do believe they offer something unique themselves. I hope the best of both worlds can coexist somehow. Great post--not pessimistic, just realistic.Jenny Milchmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04410805792044518458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-42720676223495614852011-05-22T06:21:03.011-07:002011-05-22T06:21:03.011-07:00Things in the eBook/Kindle Nation world are moving...Things in the eBook/Kindle Nation world are moving too fast for brick and mortar publishers; they have not one clue as to what is going on, much less what they can and cannot make a difference in. As it is, my relations with trad publishers has been severed a couple of years now - and they are trying to sell books with my name on it at the same price as the paperbacks were priced!! Despite two years of my telling them it won't work. Finally, they are "experimenting" with one title to see if a reduction will prompt the sales, as sales at the silly price have netted about as much sales as we see with pet rocks nowadays.<br /><br />Furthermore, publishers are writing into their iron clad sections of the contracts with authors that all ebook rights be turned over to them, yet they know not what to do with such rights. I contracted with a Hollywood agent an option for my Instinct Series which gets renewed each year and I WROTE in the contract that I retain all eBook Rights and the right to continue working with the ensemble of characters in MY BOOKS. They had no problem with that at all. I don't intend losing control of my ebook rights ever again or the right to work with characters I created.<br /><br />At KDP - kindle community forums - my thread there entitled "What Mioves Kindle bks. off the Shelf" has grown to 34,000 views and soemthing crazy like 1200 comments, 78 pgs. This is how hungry people are to know what is really going on in ebook/kindle marketing, PR., ideas that work to create Visibiity on Amazon where all the real action is at right now and likely in the future.<br /><br />Robert W. Walker<br />(Rob)Robert W. Walkerhttp://www.robertwalkerbooks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-25068867751523028422011-05-22T06:17:42.961-07:002011-05-22T06:17:42.961-07:00It's probably just me, but every time I see th...It's probably just me, but every time I see things like "author platform" or "crowdsourcing" being used, I want to scream (and not in a good way).<br /><br />Ms Hamilton advises publishers to "switch to POD book production so you can offer a much wider variety of titles at a much lower cost." Unless POD books have undergone VAST improvements, I hope the publishers don't listen. Not all of us are only concerned with price, and some of us are also collectors. POD books as they are now are, sorry, cheap pieces of crap whose covers, if they are paperback, are already curling up before you even start to read them, and the hardcovers I've seen are not good quality either.<br /><br />Also, I'm guessing that the "lower cost" she references is for the publisher and not the reader, because right now, books that are POD have a *higher* selling price than those traditionally published.<br /><br />Bottom line: the day publishers switch to POD is the day I'll quit buying books and rely on the library for everything.Jannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-66553243074264172692011-05-22T06:02:24.332-07:002011-05-22T06:02:24.332-07:00April, thank you for sharing this post on CFC. Unl...April, thank you for sharing this post on CFC. Unless many of the traditional, a/k/a old, roles in publishing redefine their pupose, they'll find themelves remembered as relics. Can you imagine the uprorar from readers if things went back to the way they were?Peg Brantleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04906858123466177508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-39340621478449342622011-05-21T20:19:04.025-07:002011-05-21T20:19:04.025-07:00Exactly. Publishers have no clue how to sell book...Exactly. Publishers have no clue how to sell books to readers and to try to do so now is too late. They have been too consumed with trying to place books with their consignments outlets for decades. And now they think they can do what they have no experience at-- instead of teaming with their authors to promote, they think they can promote on their own. I recently got an email from my "publicist" at Simon & Schuster about my book on Special Operations after the recent raid. The only reason I figured out she was my "publicist" was her email address was from S&S. She told me to let her know how she could help me when I was contacted, as I was, by media outlets. Forgive me for being naive, but should she be the one (who never contacted me at all despite my attempts during my book release) who is finding these media outlets? And how would she help me?<br />Publishing PR is in the dark ages.Bob Mayerhttp://writeitforward.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-79159249089869771432011-05-21T17:15:37.547-07:002011-05-21T17:15:37.547-07:00Thanks, April, for this excellent, thought-provoki...Thanks, April, for this excellent, thought-provoking post. I love this: "Your role as arbiters of taste and gatekeepers is a thing of the past, and the position of Reader Community Leader has already been filled." That about says it. Time to let the readers decide.Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-55207925901316089122011-05-21T16:14:00.228-07:002011-05-21T16:14:00.228-07:00Enjoyed reading this. The gates have burst, and th...Enjoyed reading this. The gates have burst, and the world is being flooded with eBooks :). BJB. J. Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06192745848258713549noreply@blogger.com