A Reformed Publishing Industry: What Does It Look Like?
The universe implodes, the sun starts revolving round the earth, the earth starts revolving around P Diddy’s ego, republicans discover compassion, the Clippers are better than the Lakers, Lithuania is the world’s only superpower, BP and Greenpeace are BFFs, President Paris Hilton, the publishing industry changes it’s ways for the better.
Hey, it can happen…
But what would a reformed publishing industry look like in this strange and awesome future? What would a publishing industry that treats an author’s work as the essential product that the entire industry is based on look like?
A reformed industry would be free from corporate control for one. The need to toe profit lines is the biggest shackle on the industry today and its effects spread fungus-like through every facet of the industry. Editors would have the freedom to take bigger risks, agents would then be able to take on more unique authors, readers would consequently have a more diverse array of books to choose from. A reformed industry would still turn a profit, but not in the bestseller mad way it does now. Instead, the industry would resurrect the Midlist and embrace the long tail.
Authors would have equal power in the author/distribution process. In a reformed industry, agents, editors, designers, marketers and booksellers wouldn’t have more say over an author’s work than the author. Imagine a publishing industry in which an author can disagree with marketers or booksellers about the direction of a cover and the marketers and booksellers actually listen. Goodbye whitewashing, goodbye eerie reproductions of pink handbags and heels on chic lit novels.
How does a 50% royalty rate sound? Receiving royalties for books sold within thirty days? A reformed industry would be smaller and more streamlined than the current one. All non essential middlemen would be excluded from the process and policies like 50% discounts to booksellers will be vague memories. End result? A higher percentage of revenues will flow to authors (and to publishers because of their reduced costs).
It won’t all be winning lottery tickets though. A reformed publishing industry will still be terribly difficult to break into and thousands of writers will still never be published. Some authors will still self publish but most won’t because the industry’s reformation will once again make it the ideal option for publishing. Self publishers will be celebrated for their independent spirit.
Maybe a reformed looks like Red Hill Publishing or Nightengale Publishing. Maybe it’s you staying up late at night doing it yourself and reaping all the benefits.
What do you think a reformed publishing industry should look like?
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I like your vision of a reformed publishing industry. I'd add that along with more control, authors would be put in a more entrepreuring role, not given advances but only royalties on sales. This would save the industry many millions (billions?) of wasted advance dollars, and would force authors to think much harder about how to get their work not just published and publicized, but READ. It would put writers back into an empowered position as opposed to leaving them a bit like civil servants diligently scratching out stories (that rarely sell) for the publishers who pay them to do so.
I honestly don't know much about the pubbing industry but I'm learning more with posts like these.
Thanks Mayowa!
@Sharonbially,
Great points. I am not a big fan of advances myself. I think writers should only receive what they earn. It also saves the industry a wad of cash like you said. I will say though that any reductions in advances should have equivalent increases in royalties.
Thanks for stopping by!
@Lydia,
Thanks for stopping by Lydia. I'm glad the post was helpful.
I like the idea of authors having more autonomy over their work. So many times, I hear authors lamenting about the publishing industry and how it controls a lot of how the book is promoted. This is definitely a topic I'd like to learn more about. Thanks for sharing!
I go with a mixture of yours and Sharon's ideas. I just got into publishing but it's obvious to me that there needs to be a reform and stream-lining.
Mayowa you are a visionary. I always learn so many new things when I read your blof.
I don't know the ins and outs of the publishiing industry, but I like that authors have more control over their work.
@Saumya,
We can definitely use a little more say in how things are done. Samuel Park has a post up on his blog about which title to choose for his novel. He has the final say on the title for his novel which is something you don't see a lot…maybe there's hope.
Thanks for stopping by.
@Myne
Good choice. Keep your eyes peeled as you navigate the industry oh. It's all business out there…
Thanks for stopping by!
@Lindsay,
Flattery will get you everywhere maam :)
I'm glad the post was helpful and thanks for stopping by!
I'm not sure about the industry, but I'm pretty excited about game seven…
I have one thing to say to you Mr. Russell: LA! LA! LA! LA!
I realize that is more than one but…
LA! LA! LA!
I´m not sure. Sometimes I don´t even know if its good for authors to handle so much (because with control comes ownership). Most authors doesnt have clue of marketing one on one for example.
Also I dont see something wrong in advances: They r just the ammount the industry is willing to bet on you. Because we, as writers provide a product, and products provide projects. Are we a good project? The industry might bet wrong soooo many times, but ocasionally it hits…so this is a very complex issue actually…I really dont know if the reform would be that good…
I am really glad I got to know your blog, as well as Wanda. I feel the wonerful, positive obligation of doing what I should have done earlier. To shape up my literary knowledge, and to wake up, stir around in this latent state I have been finding myself in. I gain so much reading your posts. I think self publishing is a sensitive subject, maybe I speak a different language but I am still torn about how to justify any need of mine to show anything I do. It is rude to say this I know. Being a former musician, I can think of the demand to put your soul out in front of anyone who decided to judge the work that you do and which comes from your own personal expression. Who is to say what is good and not good? To propagate the fact that one should suffer is of course pathetic, but where did the essence of individuality disappear when my work needs to be confirmed by someone else, in order for me to succeed. Again, I probably don't manage to say what I am thinking, I try. I mean in research, the competition of publishing articles is insane. The whole fundament of neessary ideas for the development of our future disappear in the publishing. Why? Because of fame and money. Because of recognition and vulgarly excitement of achieving status and power. I know there is no short cut, and I know that sharing your joy and work is the right way to go, when you believe in what you do is good. I believe that what I do has substance and therefore I can share it and show it without hesitation. OK, I manage poorly to say what I mean. I discovered the joy of blogging, which is another way of publishing if I choose. So I hope I didn't create any misunderstanding. Ok I will think more of what I really wanted to say. Thank you for the post, apologies for taking up so much comment space,I like these discussions. These are important things to discuss, if not, then interesting.
@Clara,
Good for you! IMO one of the biggest things about the future of publishing is that there will many many models and mediums available. Each writer will have to choose the path they deem best.
I will say though, that you already have ownership, but without control. Most books get tiny marketing budgets and it's up to authors to get the word out. Same deal for other phases of the process for most midlist authors.
Oh yeah advances are definitely complex and also a personal choice. Think I have post about that somewhere on here…
Thanks for stopping by Clara :)
@Katrina
I absolutely enjoy your blog. It is very different from the majority of blogs I read and I like that a lot.
And this comment is something else. There must be something very vain about us writers for us to think the world (or one stranger) needs to hear the noise in our heads. That is the dream though and without this self love/self confidence we can't keep going.
It's a complex issue when it comes to needing someone to judge your work. Perhaps the greatest question is who should judge your work, maybe it shouldn't be an agent or editor who has profits in mind, but readers. Yet the industry needs some kind of gatekeeping because writers don't deserve to be published (a hard truth) or want to be published for the wrong reasons.
You hit on the essential requirement ("I believe that what I do has substance and therefore I can share it and show it without hesitation"), the only other requirements are learning the craft and living the writing life. If you have these, you have the right to be heard regardless of what anyone says.
Thank you so much for this comment, it really got me thinking.
Thank you Mayowa! I am so glad to hear that =). How nice that I gave something worthwile for a change then =) it remains really one of the fundamental thoughts one can think of, regarding one self, why self publishing becomes interesting i think. It is as with the filosophers, only they did not have neither blogging, FB or tweet f.ex at the time. I bet if they had, they would be all over, spreading their wisdom, which would be the universal truth according to them. Oh, I wish I could be a philosopher walking around asking people what they think (though I would want to speak only to the interesting people=). Share your thoughts indeed. My mother used to tell me to keep everything secret. She wanted the mystery. I could keep my mouth shut only if it was a matter of life and dead pretty much… Keep sharing these thoughts, they are very much appreciated!