tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post2507821197327810872..comments2024-03-28T09:21:52.243-04:00Comments on Pimp My Novel: Prithee, Inform Me: What Would You Change About Publishing?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-52837547166356587222021-02-08T03:21:43.863-05:002021-02-08T03:21:43.863-05:00Nice share! Thanks a lot for such a lovely blog po...Nice share! Thanks a lot for such a lovely blog posting this time around as well. <br /><a href="https://www.modelescortsindelhi.com/karol-bagh-call-girls-savita.html" rel="nofollow"> Escorts in Karol Bagh </a><br /><a href="https://www.modelescortsindelhi.com/call-girls-vasant-vihar-manisha.html" rel="nofollow"> Vasant Vihar Escorts </a><br /><a href="https://www.modelescortsindelhi.com/call-girls-uttam-nagar-riya.html" rel="nofollow"> Escorts in Uttam Nagar </a><br /><a href="https://www.modelescortsindelhi.com/call-girls-south-ex-soniya.html" rel="nofollow"> South Ex Escorts service </a><br /><a href="https://www.modelescortsindelhi.com/call-girls-punjabibagh.html" rel="nofollow"> Punjabi Bagh Call Girls </a>Diyanka Call Girlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12451963676564573006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-34505549084417845052013-05-24T04:16:50.385-04:002013-05-24T04:16:50.385-04:00Nice share! Thanks a lot for such a lovely blog po...Nice share! Thanks a lot for such a lovely blog posting this time around as well.<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/idateasia" rel="nofollow">idateasia scam</a> | <a href="http://vietmatches.com/I-Date-Asia-Online-Dating-Safety-for-Vietnamese-Women" rel="nofollow">i date asia</a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08670742896718695045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-67201969436753004242010-10-01T14:08:44.743-04:002010-10-01T14:08:44.743-04:00"Eric; big problem I see with not giving the ..."Eric; big problem I see with not giving the author any control, is that you're basically telling the author they don't know what they're doing. That they don't understand what will sell, and not to worry their pretty little head."<br /><br />Well, we don't. Let's be real. We do not know what will sell. We have ideas of what works but we don't have the industry know how to really understand how covers translate in to sales. I do think we should be able to have input, but usually, we do get some.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-16359782829486865992010-10-01T00:30:20.930-04:002010-10-01T00:30:20.930-04:00Wendy Tyler Ryan:
I was speaking of people of any ...<b>Wendy Tyler Ryan:</b><br /><i>I was speaking of people of any age with the intelligence to not get weak in the knees over a seveenteen year old with a shaven chest </i><br /><br />This comment, specifically, is where you implied that people who like that sort of thing are unintelligent.<br /><br />And yes, I have read the comments. It is possible for someone to understand the situation and still disagree with you.jjdebenedictishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16950592240599703771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-77752273372952889422010-09-30T12:19:58.800-04:002010-09-30T12:19:58.800-04:00jjdebenedictis: So you would have me get slapped ...jjdebenedictis: So you would have me get slapped around and not defend myslef - is that what you would do? You might want to read what I said over again - I was not insulting anyone and I certainly didn't throw the first stone. There are different forms of intelligence and certainly different levels of intelligence at different ages. For example - do you get all crazy and goo goo eyed over Justin Beiber? I was simply saying that there are readers who want a little more meat. <br /><br />My first comment to Megan was a clarification because she totally missed it. She was talking about something I wasn't. I don't see any insult there. My second comment to Wry Wryter was exactly what I said - have you actually read his or Megan's comments?<br /><br />There are three things I will defend absolutely - my family, my country, and the ability to speak my mind using my craft.Wendy Tyler Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10841984342368861282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-31862846688042396092010-09-29T20:54:30.946-04:002010-09-29T20:54:30.946-04:00Daryl and Wendy are so right on, I don't know ...Daryl and Wendy are so right on, I don't know what to do with myself. Where does one BEGIN? It's so true that Big Publishing needs to start thinking outside their elitist NYC publishing box. By self-publishing, authors are “crowd-sourcing” the publishing process: the people are choosing what they like best, rather than letting old-school publishers choose for them. I am SO sick and tired of my options at the bookstore. Same old, same old...Jagged Edgeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01435493375198558451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-62504534761459518242010-09-29T20:44:45.869-04:002010-09-29T20:44:45.869-04:00Wendy Tyler Ryan: You know, the persuasiveness of ...<b>Wendy Tyler Ryan:</b> You know, the persuasiveness of your arguments is considerably diminished by your willingness to insult those who like the things you don't like.<br /><br />I don't appreciate the charm of Edward Cullen either, but implying that anyone who does must be unintelligent and immature is not only incorrect, it makes you seem egotistic and socially inept.<br /><br />Just because you don't "get" something doesn't mean it's bad.jjdebenedictishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16950592240599703771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-87853822295241229072010-09-29T17:42:29.878-04:002010-09-29T17:42:29.878-04:00Cut advances, eliminate returns, and (for traditio...Cut advances, eliminate returns, and (for traditionally printed books) pay royalties up front based on the size of the print run. This would force publishers to behave like any other manufacturer and pay close attention to supply and demand. Smart publishers could drastically reduce their risk and bestselling authors would still see a big payday.Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03182644885948983861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-38590686324618905902010-09-29T17:35:41.664-04:002010-09-29T17:35:41.664-04:00Sorry guys,
But I LOVE the health care line. Funn...Sorry guys,<br /><br />But I LOVE the health care line. Funny as hell...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-29888049972307451732010-09-29T17:32:45.883-04:002010-09-29T17:32:45.883-04:00Megan: Oh, please do not mistake my comment about...Megan: Oh, please do not mistake my comment about "grown-up's" and "mature readers". I wasn't talking about romance novels poorly marketed to women over fifty. I was speaking of people of any age with the intelligence to not get weak in the knees over a seveenteen year old with a shaven chest - oh, wait, he wouldn't need to shave because he's not old enough to have any chest hair. I'll argue semantics if you want me to. And you know what - if I see a book worth buying, I absolutely will. There, and I didn't even have to use all caps. Ciao.<br /><br />Just a side note to Wry Wryter who (as I perceive it)implied Canada's inferiority. I thought this topic was about publishing -not bashing other countries - look in your own backyard before you go throwing rocks! Oh, wait, go ahead and throw them - I've got health care.<br /><br />Sorry to our host, but some things just need to be addressed. Ignorance is not bliss.Wendy Tyler Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10841984342368861282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-24767323081646154302010-09-29T14:49:37.892-04:002010-09-29T14:49:37.892-04:00As a older reader, Harlequin Next held no appeal t...As a older reader, Harlequin Next held no appeal to me. They were mass-market with very silly cover art. If publishers tried to reach their older readers in a more appealing way, they would support the books. I'be been bunches of book signings and the people you see are mostly women who are 50 plus.Writer Wenchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16730769794553260336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-58847610055358136922010-09-29T14:09:22.753-04:002010-09-29T14:09:22.753-04:00Julie Weathers: I agree. Just because you can writ...Julie Weathers: I agree. Just because you can write doesn't mean you can market. There is a reason for professionals....agents, publishers, editors. Reading a few self-published books I have noticed a difference in quality. That is not to say there are not excellent self-published books out there. I think they are more difficult to find. The self-publishing option is definitely a good thing. Having said that, we need the professionals. We writers need the professionals. No matter what we all say, the ultimate goal is having your book in a bookstore.Veronikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02591258475946732737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-22718404846826556592010-09-29T13:19:52.058-04:002010-09-29T13:19:52.058-04:00I don't know enough about publishing to have a...I don't know enough about publishing to have an opinion on what should change. Still trying to learn what IS and roll with it (which might well mean going unpublished for a long time). But the comment above about not being interested in 90% of what is published made me scratch my head. Because I'm an absolute snob about what I spend my very little free time reading and it is far less than 10% of what's in the bookstore. That seems perfectly reasonable to me.<br />Do I wish lesbian cross-dressers of the nineteenth century were as much in demand as vampires right now? Maybe, but then again, something is always the fad. And I've never been much of a fad follower. My book will find its way.<br />It has always been thus.<br />Pick up a novel by a hot seller of the C19 like E.D.E.N. Southworth and you will see what I mean. Schlock that nobody remembers today. But hot while it lasted.LilySeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812905445813679050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-23954567216014117122010-09-29T12:52:55.984-04:002010-09-29T12:52:55.984-04:00I love my title (Diary of a Small Fish), but if a ...I love my title (Diary of a Small Fish), but if a publisher wants to change it to Coffee and a Cigarette because coffee and cigarettes are "hot," then I'm good with that. I'll put on fishnet stockings and bark like a coyote in the middle of Filene's Basement if that's what they think will sell.<br /><br />Well, in a manner of speaking.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-9121718557741748532010-09-29T12:51:37.331-04:002010-09-29T12:51:37.331-04:00Returns policy.
I've completely remodeled two...Returns policy.<br /><br />I've completely remodeled two homes, doing much of the work myself. I know the strong points of the construction and I know what appeals to me and what doesn't. That doesn't make me an expert in selling real estate. What made me an expert in real estate is lots of education, lots of independent study and a whole lot of hard-earned experience.<br /><br />I have all I can do to learn my craft as a writer. I am not in the least bit interested in trying to learn the ins and outs of publishing professionals. <br /><br />I may not like the comic covers on some books, but I am not the one who has studied the market trends and art design. Apparently those covers appeal to a certain audience.<br /><br />I just want to write and write well enough to be published traditionally. I will leave the rest to agents and editors who know what they are doing.Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-50057223022104520672010-09-29T12:45:28.060-04:002010-09-29T12:45:28.060-04:00I agree that the return policy should be altered i...I agree that the return policy should be altered in such a way that it is not so devastating for the publisher or the bookseller. With more efficient printing technology and faster shipping, I am surprised that this has not been addressed yet by either party.<br /><br />Also, I wish those so-called "easier to read" mass market paperbacks would die. They are more expensive, they cramp my wrists, and they don't fit the shelf. GRRR!Brooklyn Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11285434689426722832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-2798377368183393752010-09-29T12:25:53.523-04:002010-09-29T12:25:53.523-04:00To Wendy's comment about mature readers...They...To Wendy's comment about mature readers...They tried that. It was called Harlequin Next. You'll notice that line is no longer around. You want that type of book, SUPPORT it with your dollars. <br /><br />This is not a "let's play fair in the sandbox" industry. It's a business, plain and simple. Publishers want to make money. You want publishers to give you something different? Make sure you BUY the books when they come out. Publishers are doing a lot of paranormal because IT'S SELLING.Megan R. Brockmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15820025425888900750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-50547606916422740802010-09-29T08:58:36.860-04:002010-09-29T08:58:36.860-04:00Any celbrity that wants to sell a book, tell them ...Any celbrity that wants to sell a book, tell them to co-author with a new writer that can write. I'm happy that celebity sells books - everyone has to make a living - but so many of them are so dreadfull that they ought to be done for environmental pollution. I'd be quite happy to have some name that can sell but not write added to my book. I'll do the writing and the celeb name can do the selling. Everyone ought to be happy. The public get better books, the celebs make money for no work, the publishers sell books, and new writers get a leg up.<br />OK I appreciate that this is anarchic and dubious in many ways, but chewing up about a third of the total publishing capacity and flooding bookshops with books that are just gimics from people who have made their name at something else is also a crime.rodgriffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07071168728713662123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-68510153686084050202010-09-29T08:25:55.308-04:002010-09-29T08:25:55.308-04:00Wry Wryter,
I just have to ask: Was your comment ...Wry Wryter,<br /><br />I just have to ask: Was your comment serious or snark?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-35342788361152051592010-09-29T04:46:40.916-04:002010-09-29T04:46:40.916-04:00US vs. World copyrights needs to be pulled out of ...US vs. World copyrights needs to be pulled out of the 19th century and into the 21st, not only for electronic rights for all parties concerned.<br /><br />The truncated publishing dates for the different formats have never worked for me as reader/buyer, but I speak as a buyer of English books in a non-English country, and as a reader who always ends up ruining hard covers. I must travel to a different city to browse and buy. If I notice a new title that looks promising but in too expensive HC form, chances are I'll completely forget about the book by the time the paperback comes out. Nowadays I order online in the UK, but still waiting for the paperback is annoying and the risk is that I'll end up forgetting to buy the books I wanted to read...<br /><br />I understand the market mechanics of bringing 1 title under the public's attention 2 times or more, but I wonder if the money spent on the overhead needed for those separate publication dates isn't better spent on a yearly worldwide backlist promotion for the first 5 years of that title or something.Wildheithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07757606628173963044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-8895742158239059882010-09-29T02:15:00.576-04:002010-09-29T02:15:00.576-04:00Improve the mechanism for helping writers to spend...Improve the mechanism for helping writers to spend time writing so books can be made.<br /><br />It's time to let the non-writers cover the 'day jobs'.<br /><br />I call this the Washing Machines Make Very Bad Cutlery argument.Whirlochrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09846196906206886945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-64833481630239348222010-09-29T00:00:43.509-04:002010-09-29T00:00:43.509-04:00The last bastion of publishers is distribution. Ri...The last bastion of publishers is distribution. Right now, very few Indie authors can hope to sell (or give exposure to) their book in the volume reputable publishers canKhoty Mathurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09706537182743683089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-8203786796128880472010-09-28T23:49:30.488-04:002010-09-28T23:49:30.488-04:00MY SALARYMY SALARYsarah mccarryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06092116746268072592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-41936027678683961212010-09-28T22:59:17.508-04:002010-09-28T22:59:17.508-04:00Hi Raven,
In my experience, most authors do not k...Hi Raven,<br /><br />In my experience, most authors do <i>not</i> know what they're doing when it comes to cover art. (Most—not all.) I'll concede that this is generally not the case with titles.<br /><br />Publishing houses buy books because they think they can turn a profit in so doing. Changing covers is not a sign of greed, but a sign that the house wants a reasonable return on its investment. That's not to say that some houses aren't greedy—I think some are—only that cover images are not always (or even generally) an indication that they are or aren't.<br /><br />Racism/whitewashing, <i>vis-à-vis Liar</i> or <i>Magic Under Glass</i> is, I think, a much more important (and prevalent) problem.<br /><br />EErichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14083923167072216074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733835506387656648.post-19429835870961475782010-09-28T22:40:22.922-04:002010-09-28T22:40:22.922-04:00Elizabeth; that link is great. And I agree that i...Elizabeth; that link is great. And I agree that it can get ridiculous. But there should be some say in the matter.<br /><br />Eric; big problem I see with not giving the author any control, is that you're basically telling the author they don't know what they're doing. That they don't understand what will sell, and not to worry their pretty little head.<br /><br />Making a change to the title or cover idea because it will sell better is a sign of the greed of the publishing industry. Suggestions on title changes are one thing. But if the author wants it to be called "Fatties Must Die", there's probably a reason.<br /><br />Not having approval over covers and titles is really hard for an author. You've just spent however long writing, and perfecting, and creating a work of art, to have someone slap an outer coating on it that has nothing to do with your work. It would be like raising your child to be intelligent, well-spoken, literate, and have Hollywood decide she needs big boobs and blond hair to be a success.Raven Corinn Carlukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06014248975870886289noreply@blogger.com