Are you ready?

[Roza marie]

Are you ready for the new world of publishing? I know this doesn't seem like a parent topic but I will get there.

 

With all this talk about E-books taking over, agents switching careers, and what not. Blogs are swarming with the whole publishing world crashing. Now, I am still on a hunt for an agent. Sure the e-book thing sounds great because you can upload your MS through kindle and could start getting paid, but I still want an agent.

 

Don't you think you need someone who deals with this industry on a daily basis? Sure you can read all about it. But here's my thing I could take every law book out there read study and memorize the material does that make me an expert on the law? No. It's the same with publishing, the marketing, and all the fine print of contracts, legations, and anything else that might be there. Does it make me the best person to take off on my own path? No. 

 

It's kind of the same with giving birth. Obviously you wouldn't have a baby on your own without a doctor, or some sort of medical person trained to help deliver the child would you? Your book is a growing child. I know it sounds silly but think of it like so. You made it what it is and now it's ready for the world.

 

You've queried agents, searched for someone, anyone to just take it on. It's frustrating. Especially if you can't find someone. When we don't get that project out there what do we do with it? Do we set it aside or maybe now writers have any other option. They download it to the Kindle and smashwords and now the world is looking. 

 

So as a parent and writer how do you all feel about the e-book vs get an agent and finding a publisher thing? 

[Kim Baccellia]

My personal feeling?  I think I was a little too impatient with my first book EARRINGS.  I should have waited but I do think it was a good experience to work with my epublisher as it helped me get a foot in the door.  My second book I researched and even turned down publishers.  Also almost signed with an agent too(her partner turned my project down).  This is a case of sometimes things get out of control(the publisher sold to a Canadian epublisher).  The editor I signed with left.  Let's say this experience has made me leery of small press and epublishers.

 

Right now I'm working on a new project and hope to start querying agents again.  I think agents do a lot for an author like get foreign rights, movie options, distribution for your book, and even help with marketing.  I keep hearing my one UC Irvine writing professor Liz tell me, "It's better to not get published then to be published badly."

 

I also feel that each book helped me with getting an agent and being noticed.  I do have writer friends who are sick of the agent query thing and are going straight with Create Space and self-pubbing.  They're in the later 60s.  I even spoke at a workshop at my UC Irvine's professor's home on e-promo with an author who was advocating self-pubbing.  She did her research!  Still I think it's up to the individual on what they want to do.

 

I'm surprised at how much tweens and teens down here in So. Ca are loving Kindles and ebooks.  One fifteen-year-old, after I told her that NY said kids her age HATE ebooks, rolled her eyes and said, "What do they know about me, anyway."  Which I think says it best. 

[Kelly Mooney]

Well, of course everyone who writes would love to see their book sitting on the shelves of every bookstore out there, but it doesn't always happen. My feelings on this, as you know are do what feels right to you. I self-pubbed my second and now my first is being published with a small e-press, which I'm stoked about. Somewhere deep inside of me wishes it were the other way around, but whose to say it won't or can't work out.

My third book, I will wait for an agent, in hopes the first two do well. It's a wait and see kind of game. And only time will tell.

[LM Preston]

Here's my thoughts. If you desire to get an agent or not, every author should learn the publishing business so they really know what the benefits and / or limitations are with having a lit agent/publisher etc. If you don't know the business how do you plan on staying successful. Even well published authors are having to dip their foot in unknown territories, so why not get a jump and learn the business.

 

And what is the business - it really boils down to sales. sales. sales. You the author have to 'sale' your work to a Lit Agent, the Lit Agent 'sales' your work to a publisher, and the publishers 'sales' your work to consumers.

 

At the end of the day, I say, go the road above 1st, but don't let that be your only path. Go direct to publishers, then figure out what works for you and your work.

 

I can say over the years I've met many who've done both, traditional, small press, self-pub and they aren't afraid to consider all 3 options for their work. And you know what else, I know many more authors that are pleased with their decisions and realize that as the author who really knows this business, the sky is truly the limit.

 

Check out authors like:

Carl Weber - who self-pubbed and now owns a pretty impressive publishing company and line of book stores

Earl Sewell - who self-pubbed and sold a good amount of books and was picked up by a large pub

or my personal friend KL Brady, who self pubbed and was called  - yes, called by an editor of the big 5 who ran across a book review of hers and realized she had the manuscript in her trash pile - oh and KL Brady was picked up by Simon and Schuster and was recommended to several lit agents.

 

All of the authors above, learned the business, got themselves out there and showed themselves as more than an author that wants to sit back and let the publisher and lit agent do everything for their career. Truth is after asking my DH what kind of author he would take on, he said one that is willing to work as hard as I am to promote their books. And why wouldn't a publisher want that? So those authors above tried all other avenues, then tried something that was great ' took a chance on themselves' and learned more about the business than they ever thought. Got more out of the experience than you will ever know. How do I know that, because like those authors I did the same.

 

Also, check out Maggie Mei Lewis, who was 13yrs old when she and her mom started their journey.

 

As for ebooks, they are here to stay. My ebook sales have gone far beyond my belief and not to mention the amount of them I see people using all over the place. Lastly, I love my ebooks too, and found that I read more of them than paperback. It's just another form of distribution of a product. Paperbacks will always be here, but sales numbers for pubs may increase more in the ebook arena causing more pubs to use pod for 2nd print runs.

 

[Kim Baccellia]

What I hate is when I'm not 'recognized' as an author because I

 1) don't have an agent(just because you have an agent DOES NOT mean you will get a sell.  I know a number of agented authors who don't sell then have to start all over again with the agent query.

2) I'm not with a traditonal publisher( same thing here.  There's no guarantee your book will be in every book store.  I know author with 6 figure deals who's books are 'hidden' or they have to bug stores to get them in

3) Publisher uses POD( Hello.  Most publisher do.  This is a technology not a publisher.

 

It gets frustrating.  I do live in So. Ca with some very well known authors still it would be nice to be acknowledged.

 

**I actually had this one experience where I was sitting and having lunch with a YA author who's well known.  She's very sweet and encouraging.  Well this other person followed us and sat down.  When this other person asked who my agent was and I told her I didn't have one but I was published by... She got this look on her face and I'm serious, turned her back to me.  She hogged up the conversation, totally ignoring me.  So rude.  The YA author keep talking to me though and even commented on the rude behavior after wards.

 

It also gets frustrating when you go to conferences and when the editor/agent finds out you've published with small press or epublisher, advice you not to put that in your query.  It's so confusing sometimes.

 

[Roza marie]

I personally agree, You should know the business. You should understand what you are getting into. I think if you are lazy, and just jump right in without at least finding all the information you can, then you don't deserve an agent. Because you will expect them to do everything and that's not right. Hey you give them your work awesome. but you need to do some too. It's just like raising a kid, and putting them through school, parents expect teachers to do it all and I'm sorry but that's not how this works. Teachers teach the basics to get them through, it's the Parents job to follow through.

 

If I get an agent, I'd do whatever I needed to, to keep things going in the right direction.

 

Kim- yes, that is a bunch of BS. So you didn't do the traditional thing, Big deal. You are still an author. Your book is out there and people buy it. You probably make profits from it. The point is you are out there.

 

Kelly- Yes, I do agree always do what you feel you need to do.

[LM Preston]

Kim, I understand, but trust me that is so changing. Also, most of the prejudice comes from other writers. I hate to say it but the industry is typically difficult in that area. Again, that is also changing. Lastly, don't let that deter your momentum.



Kim Baccellia said:

What I hate is when I'm not 'recognized' as an author because I

 1) don't have an agent(just because you have an agent DOES NOT mean you will get a sell.  I know a number of agented authors who don't sell then have to start all over again with the agent query.

2) I'm not with a traditonal publisher( same thing here.  There's no guarantee your book will be in every book store.  I know author with 6 figure deals who's books are 'hidden' or they have to bug stores to get them in

3) Publisher uses POD( Hello.  Most publisher do.  This is a technology not a publisher.

 

It gets frustrating.  I do live in So. Ca with some very well known authors still it would be nice to be acknowledged.

 

**I actually had this one experience where I was sitting and having lunch with a YA author who's well known.  She's very sweet and encouraging.  Well this other person followed us and sat down.  When this other person asked who my agent was and I told her I didn't have one but I was published by... She got this look on her face and I'm serious, turned her back to me.  She hogged up the conversation, totally ignoring me.  So rude.  The YA author keep talking to me though and even commented on the rude behavior after wards.

 

It also gets frustrating when you go to conferences and when the editor/agent finds out you've published with small press or epublisher, advice you not to put that in your query.  It's so confusing sometimes.

 

[Kim Baccellia]

This one agent I read for for the past two summers just started his own ebook publishing thing.  More and more publishers are seeing that ebooks are happening.  I think a lot of the backlash is from those who are still with the old way of thinking.  I heard the same thing when I worked at Weinstocks in the electronic department.  People were saying no way everyone would get a computer.  Too expensive.  And another thing I heard is that vinyl record albums would never go out. 

 

I'm also seeing tweens and teens loving Kindles, Nooks, and ebooks.  I can't tell you how many have asked if they can check out my own Kindle or that they have one.  NY keeps saying it'll never happen, but I disagree.  Just like 15 yr old Jenny told me the other day when I told her NY said kids her ask HATE ebooks, "What do they know about me, anyway?  We love technology."

[LM Preston]

I have 2 teens and a 9yr and 7yr. Trust me, they love ebooks. My daughter told me the only reason she doesn't ask me to buy ebooks is because they won't let her take an ereader into her middle school. But my son who's a High School student told me he now reads comic books on his ipod touch! He never wanted to read before without me reading with him, now he downloads comic books and graphic novels to read. My younger two kids have ipod touches in their school that the school uses for reading and math games. They both do most of their reading online because I send them to an educational game site that allows them to read and do online comprehension questions daily. It allows me to get them in extra learning without them even realizing it. He said he loves it. Not to mention I love it.

[Kim Baccellia]

Exactly, LM.  That's why I've been more vocal when I hear the naysayers go on and on about how teens hate them, that no way teens will read them.  Apparently they haven't been around teens lately.  Though do you think it could be a regional thing?  I'm thinking if a parent is set against it, that might influence how the teen or tween thinks too.  On the Verla Kay blueboard there's a discussion going on right now on this.  This one author claims her teens don't like them.  I wrote about what I'm seeing and so did some others.  You should check out the discussion: www.verlakay.com

 

[LM Preston]

I think that with time, it will cease. Look at ipods. Remember when we were kids?

Kim Baccellia said:

Exactly, LM.  That's why I've been more vocal when I hear the naysayers go on and on about how teens hate them, that no way teens will read them.  Apparently they haven't been around teens lately.  Though do you think it could be a regional thing?  I'm thinking if a parent is set against it, that might influence how the teen or tween thinks too.  On the Verla Kay blueboard there's a discussion going on right now on this.  This one author claims her teens don't like them.  I wrote about what I'm seeing and so did some others.  You should check out the discussion: www.verlakay.com

 

[Talia Jager]

It's been a while since this conversation happened, but I am new here, so I figured I'd jump in a little. I am a self-published author. In some ways I wish I had an agent and would be guaranteed to be in bookstores. However, I think more and more authors may turn to self-publishing. Our local high schools are talking about getting the kids Kindles or iPads to read on. Most of my daughter's friends have iPads or iPhones that they read on all the time. 

 

I believe every author should be able to choose whether or not they want to self-publish or find an agent and nobody should be looked down upon for either. It's an opinion. We shouldn't judge others for their choices.

 

The same goes for giving birth... every mother should have the right to choose whether to use a doctor or not. We should not judge those who have home births or those who choose to give birth in the hospital. I, for one, am very comfortable with my body and I chose to have a midwife and deliver my babies with my own hands. I believe in supporting home births as well as hospital births. We should trust ourselves. Stand by our opinions and not look down on those who don't agree with us - whether we're talking about birthing or publishing.