Today's post is all about authors, books, and publishers.
I'm going to start out with an interesting article about a local bookstore that some of you have visited.
http://www.oregonlive.com/books/index.ssf/2010/10/powells_buys_anne_rices_person.html
Powell's has a really neat rare book rooms in its Cedar Hills store and its downtown store. Never visit Powell's without checking the rare book room!
According to Wikipedia one hundred and seventy-two thousand new titles are published each year in the United States ranking them second among countries in the number of books published. You can read the stats here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_published_per_country_per_year
I tried to find out how many of the one hundred and seventy-thousand books published were from first time novelists or first time authors. I couldn't find any official statistics on the subject but my guess is probably not many books came from first timers. I'd bet less than five percent of books published each year are published by first time novelists or authors. I would also venture to guess that most of the books published that were written by first time authors were written by A-list celebrities capitalizing on their fame and not to bring well-written books to the public.
Editor, author, and friend DanRae and I have had a few conversations about books and the kinds of books published each year. Included in the conversations were the number of books that didn't get published that should have been and the number of books published that shouldn't have been. As an editor DanaRae has seen many books that she thought were valuable enough to be published. In a creative writing class that I attended a couple of years ago I was surprised by the quality of writing by writers that will never be published. Both DR & I have decided that if either of us win the lottery we would start a small publishing house and concentrate on two areas: nononfiction books that help others and well-written fiction. With just think there is a thirst for good and helpful literature out there.
As an example of a book that should never have been published but will hit the bookstores Tuesday is the first book written by Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino. Here is an example of the drivel that will be in the book:
"The best sex is often with a grenade because she is so grateful." A grenade is his term for an woman he thinks is ugly. His version of the serenity prayer: "God grant me the stamina to satisfy hot chicks, the courage to deny grenades, and the wisdom to know the difference."
On to books that should be published. In a recent comment section on the blog DR mentioned a manuscript she was editing that was very informative about gangs and had information on how to prevent kids from joining them. Publishers have told her there wasn't a market for it. I also think her "When Someone You Love Has Cancer" would find a market because so much of it is about caregiving and so many are now caregivers. Maybe a title change to "When Someone Becomes A Caregiver" and some changes in the book to fit the title.
If you didn't know by now I am a strong supporter of independent publishers and first time novelists. The rest of today's post is to celebrate one of each.
We can't name the independent publisher that I have in mind to celebrate today because it would give away today's Who Am I? Let's just say I admire both independent publishers and risk takers. This Los Angeles area publisher fits both descriptions. They have went against their history and outside their comfort zone to publish their first novel. I wish them success!
Your comments are appreciated. Since we are celebrating authors, books, and publishers please share your favorite authors and any good books you have read lately.
TODAY'S WHO AM I?
Rather than buy The Situation's book Bill thinks you should spend your money on my first novel when it appears in bookstores everywhere on Monday November 1, 2010. I have a degree in classics and have won many awards co-hosting a popular radio show with my sisters. Unfortunately the radio show went of the air in 2009. I currently write a blog for mothers that has over fifty thousand hits in an average month. I am a writer, producer, podcast pioneer and social media consultant. I write weekly for Oprah.com as a parenting expert. I’m also a mother, wife, and the youngest of five sisters. I often talk and write of everything that goes on in a house with two boys, one man, one big dog and much laundry. My writing has appeared in many national magazines, including regular columns in O, The Oprah Magazine and Working Mother and essays in such anthologies as Chicken Soup for the Sister’s Soul. My TV appearances have included The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Oprah Winfrey Show. If you don't know who I am you might be able to find my name on Bill's Facebook Friends' List or you could find a HELEN OF PASADENA. That would help answer the question, Who Am I? Extra respect if you can name the publisher of my book.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Very cool about the Rice collection at Powell's. I remember that store very fondly.
And about the number of books published, too. I'm not surprised about us and the UK, but I am about China being third. I'd like to see a breakdown of the types of books being published everywhere. Iran is another surprise. Nigeria is last with only 5. I wonder if most of them are about online schemes.
I also doubt that many first-time authors get published, and that's a shame. Sometimes. {g} "The Situation" should definitely be on the non-published list, judging from your examples. I wonder how many he'll sell.
I just read Ken Follett's new book, FALL OF GIANTS, and enjoyed it very much, though not quite as much as I did his medieval ones, PILLARS OF THE EARTH and WORLD WITHOUT END. All are massive undertakings, between 900 and 1000 pages, but well worth it if you have the reading time and strong arms to hold them up.
Somebody recently turned me on to a thriller writer I hadn't tried before, and I'm liking him very much. His name is Lee Child, and he's a Brit living in the U.S. His protagonist is always the same guy, but the plots are quite varied and always interesting if sometimes a bit bloody in spots. I'm trying to read them in order (he has 14), but hardly anything carries forward, so out of order is fine and not confusing.
Hi Pat
The rare book room at the downtown Powell's is a rare treat. You will have to visit here to we can go there again!
I was also surprised about China being third. The breakdown of the type of books would be interesting. I am betting a lot of the China books would be government sponsored or written.
I think first time authors or more refreshing. Often once an author is published they become comfortable and their writing goes downhill. Grisham has finally started to get out of the rut I thought he was in because every one of his books ended the same. Somebody ended up overseas with a lot of money. Now since he tried true crime and went back to fiction he has improved.
I would imagine The Situation will sell a lot of books, men thinking his advise might work and women thinking he is hot.
Follett is one of my favorites. Child I tried a couple of times but could never get into. Same with John Sandford, tried one quit. Sanford's books are murder by the page. Someone dies on every page.
I have read all of J.A. Jance's but the last two she started a new series that takes place on an Indian Reservation. They are just to deep for me. Now I am on a Ridley Pearson kick.
Bill
Okay, this is coming in two segments, since Google (or whomever) won't allow my message, which is too long.
Wow, that's quite a "hit" for Powell's. I rather suspect the collection will go fairly quickly.
Interesting on numbers of books printed, although the numbers are four or five years old in most cases, it appears. I do wish they'd listed fiction vs non-fiction and indicated whether these were all commercially published, self-published, e-pubbed. Don't know about elsewhere, but I believe there are a lot more self-published books in the US now than there were five years ago, particularly since those offering self-publishing services have usually managed to tie in with Amazon or B&N Online and other outlets, so there's more exposure.
Kudos to the LA publisher, for taking some risks. I think I'll take a skip on "Situation."
Now, let me explain one reason why so many first time authors don't get published, why the cancer book will probably never be published commercially and so forth. There's a new requirement in the publishing industry. It's called "having a platform." Publishers do not want to have to spend money on marketing. A writer must have name recognition of some type. Celebs of any kind, from stars to politicians to sports figures, obviously have that. Previously published authors, with good sales numbers, have that. It also works if you have name recognition and credentials within your particular industry or area of expertise for any reason. Or have developed a network of some kind the publisher feels is large enough, broad enough, that you can put the word out and sell books.
Your Who Am I is a good example. First, she's co-hosted a radio show on a subject related to her book. Second, she's been published regularly in nationally recognized magazines. Third, she's appeared on popular TV shows and will undoubtedly be invited back to those, to discuss her book. Finally, she has a blog that gets 50,0000 hits a month. Ergo, she already has name recognition, the book is going to get free advertising on the TV shows and 50K hits a month on her blog pretty much guarantees there are going to be good sales numbers, early on. The publisher doesn't have to put out a penny in marketing money or spend any time putting together an advertising campaign. All it has to do is schedule book-signing appearances, which will be requested by stores whose clients have seen her on TV or visit her blog, fairly regularly.
Bottom line, for a new author, is you need to have established a network and presence, one way or another, that shows the publisher you - the author - have the connections and means to pretty much guarantee you can sell 25K copies or more of the book, without them doing anything beyond printing and binding the book and providing cover art. The final word on acquisition doesn't come from the acquisition editors, it comes from the accounting and marketing department, based on what it will cost to produce the book and whether those costs can be covered, without additional expenses for advertising and marketing. A secondary consideration is how much time and effort and money the author is willing to expend, in terms of traveling, book signings, paying for anything from posters to bookmarks to establishing a website and, if not as well known as preferred, setting up his/her own book signings.
If I sound cynical, chalk it up to over 21 years in the business, as a writer, as a literary agent for a few years and as a freelance editor, who's seen trash published and excellent books consistently rejected, because of the lack of a platform (one of the reasons now given for rejection).
Yes, marketing is an expense, you have to give deep discounts and incentives to the sales reps who visit bookstores to "sell" the book to the bookseller, discounts to the booksellers, to encourage them to buy more than a couple copies. I don't think we have a lack of readers, but listening to folks around me, we do seem to have a lack of satisfied readers, more and more of whom are using libraries, rather than spending big bucks on books that end up being disappointing.
(Putting away soapbox, now)
Hi DR
Google is irritating at times.
I don't think it was that hard for Powell's as Rice lives in the area.
They have a habit of keeping books in their rare book room for show and often turn down really good offers for them.
I couldn't find more current statistics but I doubt if the number has changed much. Maybe the distance between the US and the UK has gotten greater. I'm with you on self-published. But when I looked into that it was extremely expensive and there were a lot of crooks in the self-publishing industry.
I think we all should skip The Situation's book.
Bill
Hi DR
It is really disappointing to find out that the system is rigged against first time authors without a platform. In some ways it makes me want to quit writing.
As to the Who Am I the book is on a different subject than the radio show that she hosted. She has gotten some good reviews in local publications.
I do wish that accountants and marketing departments would leave the decisions to the creative types because I think some books would be profitable if they were allowed to be published. Accountants and marketers need to consider other factors than just pure numbers. Harry Potter is a fine example. The book was originally turned down by several publishing houses for all the reasons that you just stated. Then one publisher took a risk and my guess is the accountants and marketers are happy with the profit from The Harry Potter Books. Had Harry Potter continually been left to the accountants and marketers it never would have seen the light of day.
I don't think you sound cynical as much as you sound tired and disappointed of the system you are forced to work under.
Your description of the publishing world also, in my humble opinion, fits the movie and TV industry and is why we get such poor movies and TV shows. Good scripts get ignored and bad scripts that have a connection to a well known actor or actress makse it to the air.
I pretty much dealt with marketing expenses all my career. Free things rule. What I see in the fallacy of that is the best marketing is often word of mouth and that is free.
I love the statement that you made
about there not being a lack of readers just a lack of satisfied ones. It seems a sharp person with a some money behind that could tap into that market and we would all be better for it.
I seldom use libraries because I want to support authors. I fit the catergory of the person that buys a book, reads it, and then gives it to the local library. I do that because I think both good authors and well written books are going down the dumps and it is a small thing I can do to make a statement.
As always, I like your soapboxes because it leads to interesting discussions.
Bill
Going back to a previous blog post, Bill Maher said tonight, while showing "The Situation's" book jacket: 'New Rule - you shouldn't publish a book if the only people interested don't know how to read'.
LOL
I agree with Mahar
Bill
Post a Comment