I love it! And congrats to you for taking the leap into self-publishing. It is a lot of hard work, but, in the end, glad I did it. I learned a lot. Someday I'll sit down and write some posts about what I learned, but in the meantime, if you have questions, hit me up.
This needs to be said, over and over. I was really fortunate that when I finally retired and could turn to my dream of writing my historical mystery series into reality, I had been in a writer's group for 20 years and watched talented authors get agents, get published, even get awards, but never make a living wage, and then be destroyed in the 1990s as that particular wave of mergers and bean counting meant they lost their editors, their agents, and their belief in their own writing.
This means that in 2009, I knew that was not the way I wanted to go, but now there was an alternative, ebooks and self-publishing.. One of my writer friends got the coveted big 5 contract in that same year-end even a decent advance, and then spent 5 years trying to get them to accept a second book she wrote, until she gave up in being a writer. I spent those 5 years getting five books out and making enough to retire completely from teaching, and haven't looked back. Does it work for everyone. of course not, and it isn't as easy for ever genre. But to see the alternative being that a well-written book, that could bring knowledge or entertainment to even a small group of readers, will sit unpublished in a drawer, seems so wrong-headed. But yet, every year there seem to be a new crop of people saying that never letting your stories see the light of day is better than self-publishing.
That is what it boils down to, isn't it? That if you're not good enough to be a winner in traditional publishing, your stories just aren't worth it? How could anyone pretend to be the judge of whose stories are worthy or not, especially given a lot of the real crap that traditional publishing puts out into the world.
That's so sad about your friend who gave up on writing and I think happens quite a bit. Traditional publishing crushes all the joy out of writing for a lot people.
Robyn, if you haven't seen it yet, Dan Sinykin's new book BIG FICTION: HOW CONGLOMERATION CHANGED THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY AND AMERICAN LITERATURE - it's worth the read. It came out last week - am reading it now and have it as a required text in the pub industry class I teach for one of the MFA programs I'm on the faculty of.
I haven't seen that, but I'm going to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation. I can't imagine what it's like teaching MFA students about the publishing industry, trying to balance a real sense of what it's like out there without totally crushing all their hope. Kudos to you and glad someone's teaching a course like that.
Ugh, yes, Christine. Well said and all true. It makes me wonder, would Toni Morrison ever be published in today's industry? What will be the cultural legacy of this publishing moment? What will endure?
I remember Michael Chabon saying years ago that if he were trying at that time to publish Mysteries of Pittsburgh, it wouldn't have happened. :( Self-publishing is a lot of hard work - I self-published a YA book under a pen name in 2020 and literally sold about 10 copies - I did quite a lot of social media publicity, emailed friends, etc. and joined Reedsy, but it mattered not one whit.
Most, if not all, the big commercial successes have enormous amounts of money and huge efforts from the sales & marketing people behind them. And it's not because these books are good - they might be, but that's not important. It's only, "Will this sell?"
"Yes, we can make it sell. And we will, by hook or by crook."
I do feel very much like the publishers decide which books are going to sell and everything else is a crapshoot. And, yes, dear god, self-publishing about destroyed me with the amount of work it took. Not just in terms of time and energy, but also emotionally and psychologically. I'm glad I got it into the hand of some readers. Not sure if I could do it again.
They def. decide. My first novel was Bloomsbury's lead title for winter 2013 - it was reviewed on the cover of the NYTBR but due to whatever vagaries ruled the industry (it didn't help that B & N ordered copies and kept most of them in their warehouse & B'bury only paid for a week of placement on the tables in B & N stores), it didn't sell in big numbers and based on what I learned a few years later, internal rivalries between editorial and sales & marketing very likely didn't help my chances (or the chances of the two subsequent books I published with them) at all. But anyway, there are lots of reasons books don't take off, and luck is probably the biggest X factor - which few in corporate publishing seem to want to acknowledge; as Jonathan Karp said a while ago, Publishing is gambling.
That's so infuriating, Christine. And publishing is totally gambling. The big rush when you get a review like that. Then the inevitable down when the losing streak arrives. It's a good metaphor.
I totally agree that nothing is a meritocracy. Absolutely nothing. That’s just not how life and the universe work. (I don’t know anything about Jodi Picault.)
I know, but why are we so invested in the idea of meritocracy? And could there ever be such a thing, or does something always get in the way? I think sports comes close, but even there, things like social class and connections matter. Did you have enough money and resources to play in the elite travel league that gets you exposed to scouts?
If those in power can convince us that we could be in power if we work hard enough because (wink wink) that's how they got there, they have control forever.
I'm listening to a qigong program tonight and he's talking about how we "think we have to do everything and so often we just need to get out of the way". I think our whole meritocracy thing comes from the whole "cult of the mind" and the idea that the mind has power over everything. We seem to not want to recognize that there are many forces at play and we do not run things with our mind.
Of the 5 Jodi piccoult books I attempted to read-- only ever got through one because I guess I took the easy way out and gave up on it. 😄😄😄
Glad you wrote this. I plan on self publishing my own book next year and what more of a reason to now! Nuff said.
I love it! And congrats to you for taking the leap into self-publishing. It is a lot of hard work, but, in the end, glad I did it. I learned a lot. Someday I'll sit down and write some posts about what I learned, but in the meantime, if you have questions, hit me up.
Thank you so much!
Preach!
Thanks! Felt someone had to say it.
This needs to be said, over and over. I was really fortunate that when I finally retired and could turn to my dream of writing my historical mystery series into reality, I had been in a writer's group for 20 years and watched talented authors get agents, get published, even get awards, but never make a living wage, and then be destroyed in the 1990s as that particular wave of mergers and bean counting meant they lost their editors, their agents, and their belief in their own writing.
This means that in 2009, I knew that was not the way I wanted to go, but now there was an alternative, ebooks and self-publishing.. One of my writer friends got the coveted big 5 contract in that same year-end even a decent advance, and then spent 5 years trying to get them to accept a second book she wrote, until she gave up in being a writer. I spent those 5 years getting five books out and making enough to retire completely from teaching, and haven't looked back. Does it work for everyone. of course not, and it isn't as easy for ever genre. But to see the alternative being that a well-written book, that could bring knowledge or entertainment to even a small group of readers, will sit unpublished in a drawer, seems so wrong-headed. But yet, every year there seem to be a new crop of people saying that never letting your stories see the light of day is better than self-publishing.
That is what it boils down to, isn't it? That if you're not good enough to be a winner in traditional publishing, your stories just aren't worth it? How could anyone pretend to be the judge of whose stories are worthy or not, especially given a lot of the real crap that traditional publishing puts out into the world.
That's so sad about your friend who gave up on writing and I think happens quite a bit. Traditional publishing crushes all the joy out of writing for a lot people.
Robyn, if you haven't seen it yet, Dan Sinykin's new book BIG FICTION: HOW CONGLOMERATION CHANGED THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY AND AMERICAN LITERATURE - it's worth the read. It came out last week - am reading it now and have it as a required text in the pub industry class I teach for one of the MFA programs I'm on the faculty of.
I haven't seen that, but I'm going to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation. I can't imagine what it's like teaching MFA students about the publishing industry, trying to balance a real sense of what it's like out there without totally crushing all their hope. Kudos to you and glad someone's teaching a course like that.
Also, this is an essay about corporate publishing, Hollywood and what strikes me as their downward trajectory as purveyors of artistic works of enduring value - https://christinesneed.substack.com/p/selling-out-big-media-and-the-publishing?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
Ugh, yes, Christine. Well said and all true. It makes me wonder, would Toni Morrison ever be published in today's industry? What will be the cultural legacy of this publishing moment? What will endure?
I remember Michael Chabon saying years ago that if he were trying at that time to publish Mysteries of Pittsburgh, it wouldn't have happened. :( Self-publishing is a lot of hard work - I self-published a YA book under a pen name in 2020 and literally sold about 10 copies - I did quite a lot of social media publicity, emailed friends, etc. and joined Reedsy, but it mattered not one whit.
Most, if not all, the big commercial successes have enormous amounts of money and huge efforts from the sales & marketing people behind them. And it's not because these books are good - they might be, but that's not important. It's only, "Will this sell?"
"Yes, we can make it sell. And we will, by hook or by crook."
I do feel very much like the publishers decide which books are going to sell and everything else is a crapshoot. And, yes, dear god, self-publishing about destroyed me with the amount of work it took. Not just in terms of time and energy, but also emotionally and psychologically. I'm glad I got it into the hand of some readers. Not sure if I could do it again.
They def. decide. My first novel was Bloomsbury's lead title for winter 2013 - it was reviewed on the cover of the NYTBR but due to whatever vagaries ruled the industry (it didn't help that B & N ordered copies and kept most of them in their warehouse & B'bury only paid for a week of placement on the tables in B & N stores), it didn't sell in big numbers and based on what I learned a few years later, internal rivalries between editorial and sales & marketing very likely didn't help my chances (or the chances of the two subsequent books I published with them) at all. But anyway, there are lots of reasons books don't take off, and luck is probably the biggest X factor - which few in corporate publishing seem to want to acknowledge; as Jonathan Karp said a while ago, Publishing is gambling.
That's so infuriating, Christine. And publishing is totally gambling. The big rush when you get a review like that. Then the inevitable down when the losing streak arrives. It's a good metaphor.
There are so many things most writers don't know until they live through them. The writing - the time spent at one's desk - truly is the best part.
I totally agree that nothing is a meritocracy. Absolutely nothing. That’s just not how life and the universe work. (I don’t know anything about Jodi Picault.)
I know, but why are we so invested in the idea of meritocracy? And could there ever be such a thing, or does something always get in the way? I think sports comes close, but even there, things like social class and connections matter. Did you have enough money and resources to play in the elite travel league that gets you exposed to scouts?
I don't know much about Jodi Picoult, either.
If those in power can convince us that we could be in power if we work hard enough because (wink wink) that's how they got there, they have control forever.
Yes, of course, Karen. It keeps us like hamsters running in our wheel, doesn't it?
I'm listening to a qigong program tonight and he's talking about how we "think we have to do everything and so often we just need to get out of the way". I think our whole meritocracy thing comes from the whole "cult of the mind" and the idea that the mind has power over everything. We seem to not want to recognize that there are many forces at play and we do not run things with our mind.
That's a lifelong lesson--we're really not in charge of much of anything, in the end.