All of us at Kelley & Hall are sending our thoughts and prayers to our friends and colleagues in New York for a safe and speedy recovery after Sandy.
New York Friends
Posted by admin on November 1st, 2012
Posted by admin on November 1st, 2012
Posted by admin on October 31st, 2012
Posted by admin on October 30th, 2012
Jon Clinch, author of the bestselling novels FINN and KINGS OF THE EARTH, is making a big publishing move. In January, he will be releasing his riveting novel, THE THIEF OF AUSCHWITZ, and publishing it independently. Recently, he was interviewed by Ron Charles of The Washington Post. Check out that piece here.
Below Jon answers a few questions about the direction of publishing today and why he chose to forge a new path for himself.
Q: We hear a lot these days about the death of big publishing. Are the rumors true, or premature?
A: It’s not over yet, that’s for certain. What becomes of publishing in the months and years ahead will be a matter of making the best use of technology on one hand and humanity on the other. Technology is really good at the physical stuff—at solving manufacturing and distribution problems. Witness e-books, and the electronic marketplace that has sprung up around them. But when you start looking beyond the physicality of the book as an artifact, you begin to see the parts of it that technology can’t touch. Not just the skill that goes into writing it, but the intelligence that goes into vetting it, the insight that goes into marketing it, and the personal connection that goes into getting it into the hands of readers. Big publishers have been fairly competent at those things all along—particularly as regards large, commercial projects—but the distribution side of things has begun falling apart under its own weight.
I believe that the technology-savvy independent who managed to deliver on the human part of the equation—the connecting with readers part—will be the one who thrives.
Q: What have you given up by going independent? Editorial input? Marketing support? Credibility?
A: Editing is a very personal thing that varies by the writer. When the time came for a detailed discussion of Finn, for example, my editor had three little Post-It notes stuck to the manuscript. We dispatched them in a couple of minutes.
Marketing support, of course, is huge. Big publishers create bestsellers by spending energy and money on them. They also create failed books by ignoring them. It’s pretty simple. As a long-time marketing guy myself, I believe that I can make something happen in that department on my own. I can certainly make enough happen on my own. (A big publisher will, of course, define enough very differently than I do.)
As for credibility, I’m lucky enough to have published a couple of novels that were extremely well received by the press. Finn was named an American Library Association Notable Book and was chosen as one of the year’s best books by the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and the Christian Science Monitor. Kings of the Earth was named a best book of the year by the Washington Post and led the 2010 Summer Reading List at O, The Oprah Magazine. So I enter into this with some good credentials and name recognition.
Q: Why haven’t other literary writers done this?
A: I have friends who write all kinds of books. Literary stuff, of course, but also thrillers and mysteries and horror and chick lit and so on. The genre folks have been much more willing to adapt to the new world of self-publishing than the literary folks have been, and I suspect it’s a matter of perspective. Literary writers revere the publishing system itself and everything that goes with it—the imprints where their heroes were published, the long apprenticeships through Bread Loaf and Squaw Valley, the physical weight of a hardcover book—far more than they revere the part of the business that has to do with commerce. They’re willing to take a small advance or no advance at all to be published by even the smallest of small presses, because it signifies that the house has found them worthy. Writers in the genres don’t see it that way. To them, a reader is a reader is a reader. I have to confess that they’re probably right.
Posted by admin on May 25th, 2012
It seems that everyone is talking about 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James. Libraries are debating stocking it, more than 10 million copies have been sold, it is putting feminism in the hot seat, but most importantly it gets people talking about publishing. According to The Atlantic, “The erotic novel became a New York Times bestseller without a traditional publisher, thanks to word of mouth.”
More than anything, I think 50 Shades of Grey highlights the attractiveness and ease of e-books (which is where it got its’ early notoriety) and the power of word-of-mouth, whether spoken, emailed or sent via text. The fact that it started as an e-book meant women could buy it and read it without anyone knowing. And the more women who bought it, the more they talked about it. It became a secret club, it was the definition of a Buzz Book.
It also has a David and Goliath edge to the story. According to Sarah Fay in The Atlantic, “Self-published authors are the literary equivalent of self-made men and women.” E.L. James had no traditional distribution channels and therefore had to go through other methods to get her book read…and read widely. She tapped into a genre that has a huge fan base and it became the scandalous book everyone was itching to read out of pure curiosity. The more people talk, the more books sell.
Whether or not you agree with the fanfare, you can’t deny it has become the publishing story of 2012.
Why do you think 50 Shades of Grey has taken on a life of its own? Have you read it? Do you plan to read it? Do you agree with the attention?
Posted by admin on May 23rd, 2012
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of reasons to go the self-publishing route. Maybe you have a great idea that is tied into a specific time/place/event and you want to get it out into the world IMMEDIATELY. You are head-over-heels in love with your novel but the agents (or publishers) just aren’t biting. You want to retain all artistic and editorial control. You don’t like the financial offer that is being made by a publishing house. The list goes on and on.
In today’s publishing climate, self-publishing no longer has the stigma it once did. In fact, big names are jumping ship from traditional publishers and doing a lot of the work on their own (just ask Jackie Collins). It’s also becoming easier to gain attention for your self-published work thanks to social networking, the internet, the tremendous growth of e-books and even support from brick and mortar stores who are becoming much more receptive to carrying self-published titles.
Self-publishing still has its downfalls. The rush to put out a book before proper editing, strong cover design and an overall weak story remains evident in a number of titles. But a strong point made in a recent IndieReader piece by Terry Giuliano illustrates that “The difference is, when a traditional title garners negative reviews, only that book gets panned. No one cites examples of poorly written traditionally published books to support any conclusion about all traditional titles.” Why are all self-published titles forever linked? Why does one bad egg ruin the bunch?
The self-publishing market is growing and gaining strength. If you can put the proper resources behind your self-published book (including editing, cover design, a strong and relevant publicity campaign) and it is work that you are proud and excited to share with the reading public, then by all means, take that giant leap forward. Do it for your SELF! Keep in mind that you can’t avoid criticism. You can’t force people to read (or like) your book. You will be overlooked at times just because you are “self-published,” but if your writing is strong, if your story is engaging and if you remain optimistic, you will succeed. And in the meantime, keep writing!