If you write a lot and along side of that, read a lot, then
you’ve no doubt heard the screams of the
publishing industry – “the sky is falling, the sky is falling…” And, “it’s the
end of the world as we know it!” Ebooks, digital, Indie publishers, oh my!
Yep, it is, well, for some, but we as writers need to connect with that even if
many big New York publishing houses aren’t and recognize the new blooming opportunities. The publishing industry
can appear to be an out-of-touch unstable mess with policies of granting silly,
over-bloated advances to ‘high brow’ writers who generally sell very few books.
Meanwhile readers are looking for entertainment and/or information. So the
publishing industry on some levels is failing, but in other areas, there’s
great potential. Read on.
Think about this. If
there’s so few ‘dedicated’ readers, and the number is dropping all the time as many
big publishing houses will tell us, then myohmy, how are they paying the rent
on all those posh Manhattan offices?
So, what’s really
suffering in the publishing biz? Mostly Literary Fiction. Have you ever been to
any of the book shows and seen the lines for writers such as Danielle Steele,
Stephen King, or other icon of ‘entertainment’ fiction? Those lines wind round
and round and never seem to get any shorter. Publishers are doing pretty good
on that one.
So, from the writer’s
viewpoint, don’t buy 'the sky is falling philosophy' and don’t worry. Quietly
watch what people buy at bookstores or check out Amazon to see what’s
‘bestselling’. Readers in the real world decide what they want, not a
publishers in New York or wherever. And those readers want a lot. I recently
spotted a patron in a bookstore check out with a copy of “Idiot’s Guide to
Screenwriting”, a craft magazine on beading, a copy of “The Husband” by Dean
Koontz and a paranormal romance by Christine Feehan. So, looks like readers
really aren’t locked into the “same ol, same ol” after all. Wish I could peek
over the shoulder of a reader purchasing books online to see what they’re
getting. More research would be needed
for that.
It’s time for writers
to find more venues and to explore more markets. It’s up to us to rearrange the
publishing business in the model we want to see. And even while we do that,
check out the most current listings of Publishing Houses in the United States.
It’s staggering. And it includes the monoliths as well as the independents.
Monoliths are slow to move, but keep your eye on the more nimble independents.
They’re the more creative in business models, innovation and marketing.
Big publishing is
slowly beginning to think beyond the book – flat, bound, nice and useful. Okay,
yep, and no. The web is the newest outlet and the E-book market is growing by
leaps and bounds; but I bet you know that already! Self-publishing for niche
markets is growing quickly as well. Look into them, research, don’t limit
yourself.
Don’t corner yourself
to one field of writing either if you have the capacity. Love fiction? Me too.
But I also write articles, grant requests, have taught online courses and on
the ground courses. I’ve written travel articles, how to articles, and
biographies, screen scripts, blogs and magazine articles. Broaden your
abilities as much as you can. The publishing industry can’t sustain itself as
only ‘print’ and so it’s making content digitized, downloadable, and yes,
there’ll still be a place for the hard copy book.
Change is already upon
us and more is coming. You, as the writer, must recognize this reality and
forge your new path. Mix your career, write in different areas, of course
approach the print publishers if that’s where you want to place your work, but
don’t rule out other avenues as well. E-publishing, self-publishing, publishing
with independents; all of these are now open doors to writers. And a bit of research will glean you even more opportunities to
build your own empire.
Remember, the future
of publishing is not technology or free samples. The future is about giving
readers what they want and there have never been so many opportunities to do
so. As a reader I currently read from my Kindle Fire, my computer and hard copy books. So I suggest you enjoy what you write and don’t limit yourself to any one possibility –
there are many and for now it just seems to be growing.
Resources:
Don’t have a Kindle?
Get a free reader for your computer: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311
