Is Self-publishing the new Slush Pile?
There is much debate in the literary world about e-books vs. paper; self publishing vs. traditional; quality vs. crud and so on and so forth.
3 big ticket news items
Three things happened in the publishing world recently that fired this debate further:
- self publishing guru and author Amanda Hocking excepted a traditional publishing deal;
- traditionally published bestselling novelist Barry Eisler turned down a reported $500 000 dollar deal to go it alone, and
- the federal judge rejected the Google book settlement.
Is it possible?
Is it possible that both traditional and self publishing can co-exist in a complementary relationship? The above news items indicate a definitive yes. Each path suits a particular need; one path can lead to the other and around and round the publishing wheel we go. But - will self publishing will emerge to take on the role of the agent in the first round of queries?
In times gone by...
The steps you once would take to become published were:
• You write a book
• You fine tune it to the best of your ability
• You research agents, publishing houses and competition that suit the genre
• You send out queries, the first 3 chapters or enter competitions
• You wait
• While you wait you start to write another book or perhaps fine tune the first one
• You wait some more
• After a very short /very long time you land an agent, publisher or win a comp
• You start on the rewrite
• Your agent sends the novel around to be optioned by publishers
• You wait
• While you wait you blog about waiting and other publishing things
• Sometimes you land a deal, sometimes you find a new agent, sometimes you write another book
• You wait some more for covers, pre-releases, reviews so on and so forth
• 12 to 18 months after landing the deal your book is released
• Glory lands at your feet, you jump for joy and then you get back on the wheel.
The future of publishing as I see it
• You write a book.
• You fine tune it to the best of your ability.
• You have a few friends, critique partners and beta readers fine tune it further.
• While others are reading first book, you write some more.
• You interact on social media about the experience.
• You e-publish the first book via one of the many platform services available.
• You set realistic and affordable price for e-book ($0.99 to $2.99).
• You try not to think about the realistic and affordable price.
• You reassure yourself - everyone else is doing it.
• You make it available on Kindle, iPad, Kobo & Nook.
• You target a few book reviewers and offer them free arcs.
• You see the dribbles of sales come in.
• You get excited.
• You do the whole process again with the second book.
• More sales dribble in.
• You blog some more.
• Sales increase.
• You get excited and madly publish another three books.
• You get a bit of a cult following.
• You start making reasonable money.
• A few agents notice you on Twitter.
• An agent or two likes you on Facebook.
• A big name agent blogs about you.
• You consider traditional publishing.
• You query a few agents.
• Agents respond positively.
• Your name is already known so you land a traditional publishing deal.
• You don't really know the first thing about traditional publishing so....
• You land an agent to help you out along the way.
• You become a mega-success old school style.
• You decide you like traditional publishing but you miss the freedom of self-publishing.
• You consider self publishing as a side project.
• Your side project is a huge hit and your traditional published deal sky rockets because you are so damn popular.
• You have landed feet first in your very own Utopia.
• The beginning meets the end and the end becomes the beginning.
• A perfect circle.
• You get back on the wheel.
Agents and traditional publishers do not get lost in the new order.
These entities are still necessary because:
1. People still love paper books (well, some people), and
2. Authors want to write, not publish (well, some authors).
The way I see it is that writers need to make it happen for themselves. Get out there and get noticed. Climb out of the slush pile.
Self-publishing platforms could become the new agent slush pile.
Agents will look out for new talent in a new way. Publishers will look for new writers that already have following and proven track record. Traditional publishing will fine tune the best of the best and make them the GREATS.
That's the way I see it. How do you see it?
*for an awesome post on the numbers and money making side check out ex- literary agent and new author Nathan Brandsford
**note -I am yet to attempt of the above mentioned publishing options. This is just me making sense of the world as I see it and putting together all the info I have gathered over the many months I have been researching the best way to publish my first, second, third and fourth novel. Watch this space though...
