On her wonderful blog, author Nicola Morgan recently wrote about the difficulties facing the writers these days. Good writers are being dropped from their contracts if there aren't enough sales, and what was already a tough industry is getting even tougher.
Before I was published, I didn't understand just how important it was to support an author. Small things like Amazon reviews, asking for the book in your local bookshop, or even pre-ordering can help authors immensely.
India Drummond wrote a fabulous post on how people can help authors, and vice versa. Take a read to see what you can do to support your favourite author!
Showing posts with label publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label publishing. Show all posts
Monday, June 21, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Getting Published - Seminar by Juliet Pickering of A P Watt
Sometimes I feel really lucky to live in London. Like when I cross Waterloo Bridge, with the dome of St Paul's Cathedral and the Gherkin in one direction and the pods of the London Eye rising in the other. Or when I run in Kensington Gardens, passing by Kensington Palace on my daily route. And, of course, when I hear there's a seminar being run by an agent from the oldest agency in the world -- and it's being held in my local library, a mere five-minute walk down the road. Even better, when I get there, they're serving wine. For free!
Well. Could it really get any better? Only if Juliet Pickering, the A P Watt agent running the seminar, reached down, plucked me up, and offered me a multi-million pound publishing contract. With the chances of that unlikely, I'd settle for listening to her views on publishing (whilst gulping - ahem, sipping - the wine, of course).
Some interesting points:
* It's better to approach in hard copy than email (for her, anyway), as email is easily dismissed.
* As more editors are taking on more and more work (due to cuts etc), agents are increasingly acting as editors
* Agents in the UK typically take 15% commission
* Advances are usually split in three instalments: first instalment after the contract signed; second instalment upon delivery of MS; third instalment upon publication
* Ultimately, promotion is the publisher's responsibility, not the agent's
* Book launches happening less frequently now due to economic conditions
* Royalties generally paid twice a year
* If your book sold averagely, you can expect to see a return on sales within 12 to 18 months (must earn out your advance first)
* Most books are not published in hardback anymore: published first in trade paperback then paperback
* Publishing is changing rapidly due to eBooks - uncertainty as to how publishers are dealing with electronic rights
Apart from a man claiming Isaac Newton decoded the Bible (or something along those lines), the session was informative and interesting. While most of the material wasn't news to me, it was good to get it straight from the source.
And did I mention there was free wine?
Well. Could it really get any better? Only if Juliet Pickering, the A P Watt agent running the seminar, reached down, plucked me up, and offered me a multi-million pound publishing contract. With the chances of that unlikely, I'd settle for listening to her views on publishing (whilst gulping - ahem, sipping - the wine, of course).
Some interesting points:
* It's better to approach in hard copy than email (for her, anyway), as email is easily dismissed.
* As more editors are taking on more and more work (due to cuts etc), agents are increasingly acting as editors
* Agents in the UK typically take 15% commission
* Advances are usually split in three instalments: first instalment after the contract signed; second instalment upon delivery of MS; third instalment upon publication
* Ultimately, promotion is the publisher's responsibility, not the agent's
* Book launches happening less frequently now due to economic conditions
* Royalties generally paid twice a year
* If your book sold averagely, you can expect to see a return on sales within 12 to 18 months (must earn out your advance first)
* Most books are not published in hardback anymore: published first in trade paperback then paperback
* Publishing is changing rapidly due to eBooks - uncertainty as to how publishers are dealing with electronic rights
Apart from a man claiming Isaac Newton decoded the Bible (or something along those lines), the session was informative and interesting. While most of the material wasn't news to me, it was good to get it straight from the source.
And did I mention there was free wine?
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
All Marketing, All the Time
It's my new obsession: marketing! Time-consuming and humiliating -- sometimes. But mostly fun and exciting. I have to thank everyone who's helped me with promotion, from friends and family to complete strangers (and it's not over yet -- if I haven't hit you up for something, just wait!).
Today I'm over at Hell or High Water, talking about what I've learned in marketing my book.
Today I'm over at Hell or High Water, talking about what I've learned in marketing my book.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Publishing Terms
I love Twitter. Not only is it a brilliant distraction when you're facing 200 pages of editing, but it also provides interesting little tidbits from sources around the world. Today I found this, courtesy of agent Janet Reid.
These are my favourite bits.
ADVANCE: A secret code signalling to the marketing department whether or not to promote a title.
AGENT: An intellectual property and contract law specialist who is unable to pass the bar.
AUTHOR: A large class of individuals (approximately three times as numerous as readers) serving a promotional function in book marketing or providing make-work for editorial interns.
AUTHOR BIO: A piece of creative writing whose length varies inversely with the attractiveness of the person depicted in the AUTHOR PHOTO.
AUTHOR PHOTO: Pictorial fiction. Authors always choose photos that emphasize that quality in which they feel most deficient.
AUTHOR’S DISCOUNT: A penalty charged authors who are unable to wheedle sufficient masses of free copies, purportedly for the purpose of promotion, from their editors.
B
BOOK DISTRIBUTION: An elaborate system testing the commitment of readers by making sure they cannot obtain specific books too easily.
BOOK REVIEW: A recycled press release offered to publishers by newspaper and magazine sales departments as an inducement to advertising.
C
COMMERCIAL FICTION: The notion of publishing as a way of making money.
COMP COPIES: A publisher’s entire inventory, according to the urgings of his friends and colleagues.
COPY EDITING: A phase of publishing that requires little or no budget, is considered of slight importance, and may be omitted at the option of the publisher.
COPYRIGHT: A concept invented by lawyers as a hedge against unemployment.
D
DEADLINE: An item that exists to be renegotiated and revised. In his famous paradox, the Greek philosopher Zeno proved that deadlines can never be met.
E
EDITOR: A writer with a day job.
F
FANTASY: An author's sales aspirations.
FOREIGN MARKET: The part of the country outside New York City.
FOREWORD: A blurb that is placed between the covers of the book to compensate for an unmarketable author.
FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR: An annual international exhibition of artwork on paper.
M
MAINSTREAM FICTION: The pretense that there is a group of readers who can be reached through writing that is sufficiently unspecific as to exclude no one.
N
NOVELLA: A short story that has not been edited.
P
PLAGIARISM: Research.
PRINTER'S ERROR (PE): An error made before a book goes to print.
PUBLICATION DATE (PUB DATE): A sliding holiday based on the phases of the moon.
QR
REJECTION LETTER (FORM): A condensed restraining order serving to justify requests for SASEs.
REJECTION LETTER (PERSONAL): A formulaic literary genre, premised on justifying not reading or misreading a manuscript, in which the narrator grossly exposes both deep character flaws and an absolute blindness to them.
ROYALTY: The glamorous heads of large publishing houses, also known as GLITERATI.
S
SALES REP: A roaming bookstore employee retained as a buffer against publishers and authors.
SELF-PUBLISHING: Tattoo art.
SHELF LIFE: Bookworms.
SHORT STORY: A story that is seldom short enough.
SPINE: Once an essential aspect of any book, spines are no longer found in the publishing industry.
U
UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY: A biography in which there is no trace of original writing by an author.
UNIVERSITY PRESS: A business predicated on obtaining materials from scholars without compensating them in order to sell the same materials at high prices to scholars.
UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPT: A manuscript that can’t sell because it includes too few salacious solicitations.
VWXYZ
WORK-FOR-HIRE: Migrant labor.
WRONG FONT: Comic Sans.
These are my favourite bits.
ADVANCE: A secret code signalling to the marketing department whether or not to promote a title.
AGENT: An intellectual property and contract law specialist who is unable to pass the bar.
AUTHOR: A large class of individuals (approximately three times as numerous as readers) serving a promotional function in book marketing or providing make-work for editorial interns.
AUTHOR BIO: A piece of creative writing whose length varies inversely with the attractiveness of the person depicted in the AUTHOR PHOTO.
AUTHOR PHOTO: Pictorial fiction. Authors always choose photos that emphasize that quality in which they feel most deficient.
AUTHOR’S DISCOUNT: A penalty charged authors who are unable to wheedle sufficient masses of free copies, purportedly for the purpose of promotion, from their editors.
B
BOOK DISTRIBUTION: An elaborate system testing the commitment of readers by making sure they cannot obtain specific books too easily.
BOOK REVIEW: A recycled press release offered to publishers by newspaper and magazine sales departments as an inducement to advertising.
C
COMMERCIAL FICTION: The notion of publishing as a way of making money.
COMP COPIES: A publisher’s entire inventory, according to the urgings of his friends and colleagues.
COPY EDITING: A phase of publishing that requires little or no budget, is considered of slight importance, and may be omitted at the option of the publisher.
COPYRIGHT: A concept invented by lawyers as a hedge against unemployment.
D
DEADLINE: An item that exists to be renegotiated and revised. In his famous paradox, the Greek philosopher Zeno proved that deadlines can never be met.
E
EDITOR: A writer with a day job.
F
FANTASY: An author's sales aspirations.
FOREIGN MARKET: The part of the country outside New York City.
FOREWORD: A blurb that is placed between the covers of the book to compensate for an unmarketable author.
FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR: An annual international exhibition of artwork on paper.
M
MAINSTREAM FICTION: The pretense that there is a group of readers who can be reached through writing that is sufficiently unspecific as to exclude no one.
N
NOVELLA: A short story that has not been edited.
P
PLAGIARISM: Research.
PRINTER'S ERROR (PE): An error made before a book goes to print.
PUBLICATION DATE (PUB DATE): A sliding holiday based on the phases of the moon.
QR
REJECTION LETTER (FORM): A condensed restraining order serving to justify requests for SASEs.
REJECTION LETTER (PERSONAL): A formulaic literary genre, premised on justifying not reading or misreading a manuscript, in which the narrator grossly exposes both deep character flaws and an absolute blindness to them.
ROYALTY: The glamorous heads of large publishing houses, also known as GLITERATI.
S
SALES REP: A roaming bookstore employee retained as a buffer against publishers and authors.
SELF-PUBLISHING: Tattoo art.
SHELF LIFE: Bookworms.
SHORT STORY: A story that is seldom short enough.
SPINE: Once an essential aspect of any book, spines are no longer found in the publishing industry.
U
UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY: A biography in which there is no trace of original writing by an author.
UNIVERSITY PRESS: A business predicated on obtaining materials from scholars without compensating them in order to sell the same materials at high prices to scholars.
UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPT: A manuscript that can’t sell because it includes too few salacious solicitations.
VWXYZ
WORK-FOR-HIRE: Migrant labor.
WRONG FONT: Comic Sans.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
When a Little Means a Lot
So many times in the publishing world, it's easy to wonder if your email is working. You send out queries -- nothing. You wait. And wait. Still nothing. You get a book deal, you write the book, then you send it out for review... and still, you wait. Granted, the book's not due out until the end of October, but you hope that someone might respond. This book is the best thing since sliced bread. Or: The writing is reminiscent of a young Hemingway.
And yesterday, someone did respond! The inimitable Scott Pack, no less, former head buyer at Waterstone's and currently a publisher at The Friday Project. Scott writes the blog Me and My Big Mouth, a mixture of book reviews, opinions, and all in all, a very interesting read (wow, lot of commas in that sentence!). If you haven't come across it, I'd highly recommend taking a look.
I'd sent him a PDF of my book, along with some cover art, thinking I probably wouldn't hear back. I was shocked when I saw his email address in my Inbox, along with some nice words about the book's concept and an offer to mention it on his blog -- along with running it in a giveaway contest!
Yippee! I thought as I typed a response. His next email knocked me back though: he didn't think the cover was strong enough to reflect the contents. A few more cover designs later along with some very helpful additional input from Scott, and we've come up with one that looks professional, eye-catching, and that we think will sell.
So... a giant thank-you to all those out there who extend a hand to new writers struggling in the shark-like world of publishing! Seriously, a little can really mean a lot.
And yesterday, someone did respond! The inimitable Scott Pack, no less, former head buyer at Waterstone's and currently a publisher at The Friday Project. Scott writes the blog Me and My Big Mouth, a mixture of book reviews, opinions, and all in all, a very interesting read (wow, lot of commas in that sentence!). If you haven't come across it, I'd highly recommend taking a look.
I'd sent him a PDF of my book, along with some cover art, thinking I probably wouldn't hear back. I was shocked when I saw his email address in my Inbox, along with some nice words about the book's concept and an offer to mention it on his blog -- along with running it in a giveaway contest!
Yippee! I thought as I typed a response. His next email knocked me back though: he didn't think the cover was strong enough to reflect the contents. A few more cover designs later along with some very helpful additional input from Scott, and we've come up with one that looks professional, eye-catching, and that we think will sell.
So... a giant thank-you to all those out there who extend a hand to new writers struggling in the shark-like world of publishing! Seriously, a little can really mean a lot.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Good News for Books?
After reading one article after another on how the credit crunch could bring about the downfall of publishers (and the world in general), it's nice to see a positive take on the future of books in these economically challenged times.
On his Guardian Book Blog, Robert McCrum has the following to say about the value of books versus other, more expensive, forms of entertainment.
The only welcome news about these hard times will be that it's probably good for reading (as in staying quietly indoors with a book), while the consumer cuts back on more extravagant distractions. Books have always done well in crises. The First World War was literary as well as lovely; the Second turned out to be the making of Penguin.
So I'm betting that bookshops selling novels and poetry, not Nigella and Jamie, will do better than expected during credit-crunch Christmas. The publishers will moan like hell, but good books won't stop selling. To some people, this will seem doubly odd. On top of the recession, there's a widespread complaint that "books are so expensive these days".
Is that really true? About 50 years ago, in the bleak aftermath of the Second World War, George Orwell wrote a famous Tribune column, "Books v Cigarettes", in which, after conceding that "it is difficult to establish any relationship between the price of books and the value one gets out of them", he concluded that, compared to a good smoke, books were a bargain.
Since that's no longer a comparison that has much meaning in smoke-free Britain, how about books versus DVDs, CDs or a night out at the theatre ? For the sake of argument, let's say that paperbacks average £10 apiece and that new novels are £18.99 (though discounting makes these figures almost meaningless). Meanwhile, the average hardback is £25 and a lot less if you go to a second-hand bookshop.
Against a CD (maybe £14.99, assuming no cheap downloads), paperbacks do rather well. You might play the CD scores of times, but the paperback will become part of your collection. Even a favourite DVD probably has less replay value (how many times can you watch Some Like It Hot ?), but at £19.99 it's about the same as a hardback novel. Plus you probably know what you're getting when you buy it.
To read the rest, go here.
On his Guardian Book Blog, Robert McCrum has the following to say about the value of books versus other, more expensive, forms of entertainment.
The only welcome news about these hard times will be that it's probably good for reading (as in staying quietly indoors with a book), while the consumer cuts back on more extravagant distractions. Books have always done well in crises. The First World War was literary as well as lovely; the Second turned out to be the making of Penguin.
So I'm betting that bookshops selling novels and poetry, not Nigella and Jamie, will do better than expected during credit-crunch Christmas. The publishers will moan like hell, but good books won't stop selling. To some people, this will seem doubly odd. On top of the recession, there's a widespread complaint that "books are so expensive these days".
Is that really true? About 50 years ago, in the bleak aftermath of the Second World War, George Orwell wrote a famous Tribune column, "Books v Cigarettes", in which, after conceding that "it is difficult to establish any relationship between the price of books and the value one gets out of them", he concluded that, compared to a good smoke, books were a bargain.
Since that's no longer a comparison that has much meaning in smoke-free Britain, how about books versus DVDs, CDs or a night out at the theatre ? For the sake of argument, let's say that paperbacks average £10 apiece and that new novels are £18.99 (though discounting makes these figures almost meaningless). Meanwhile, the average hardback is £25 and a lot less if you go to a second-hand bookshop.
Against a CD (maybe £14.99, assuming no cheap downloads), paperbacks do rather well. You might play the CD scores of times, but the paperback will become part of your collection. Even a favourite DVD probably has less replay value (how many times can you watch Some Like It Hot ?), but at £19.99 it's about the same as a hardback novel. Plus you probably know what you're getting when you buy it.
To read the rest, go here.
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