Raven’s Range
Blather around a virtual range

Thursday, 27 March 2008 13:13

The publishing series part 2: Conventional publishing

Filed in Blog

This post is part of a series about publishing and self-publishing. Part 1 (the index) is here.

Conventional publishing is the method of publishing about which I know least, and for which my perceptions are the most skewed. What I have learned about conventional publishing has primarily been from my own forays into the realms of rejections slips and the self-publishing lists, where people are naturally prejudiced against it. I’ve also heard stories from authors who’ve been conventionally published.

As a young writer I yearned to hit the bestseller lists with my novel, to be “a writer.” My philosophy and attitudes towards what constitutes “a writer” have changed a great deal since then, as have the technologies which allow one to self-publish, but I still think it’s pretty darn neat to get published conventionally.

I know that for many, this is the only way to go, and that’s fine. For the kind of niche travel writing that I do, though, I don’t think that conventional publishing is the way to go.

What is conventional publishing?

Conventional publishing is where you send your manuscript to a publishing house (such as Simon & Schuster) or to an agent, and they take a chance on you. Your book is “handled” and you receive an advance payment called an advance on royalties; any money you earn from royalties over and above that amount is paid as royalties rather than as another advance.

Conventional publishing brings with it prestige and pride, rightfully earned, but it does not guarantee fame and fortune. (No form of publishing does.)

As with any form of publishing, writing the manuscript is often the easiest part.

Pros of conventional publishing

Nobody will ever cast aspersions on your ability to write because you snagged a conventional publisher.
You don’t need to deal with the ins and outs of distribution; all that goes on without your input, which is fine. It’s a headache.
There is the possibility of real riches.
Seriously? It’s a fantastic achievement of which you can be rightfully proud.

Now, here are a few of the issues surrounding conventional publishing.

Publishing is a business, and your book is a commodity

Your book is a commodity from which profit needs to be made, and the average shelf life of a book is four months. You can expect to be contracted to write several books, as it’s expensive to promote a one-book wonder. This industry is all about the bottom line; the difference between your attitude and achievement (I’m so happy and proud!) and the attitude of the publisher (can you perform?) is vast. If your book doesn’t perform, it is gone, remaindered.

Promotion is up to you

In general, publishing houses will not promote the heck out of your book for you. They often fail to let you know that it’s your job to do that. Any newly published author will need to educate herself about marketing. Only a very small number of authors “earn out” their entire advance–I’ve heard, but cannot verify, that’s it’s about 30%.

This is why, when I learn of people who’ve published books, every time I go into a book store I find their books and face their books outwards to bring them to the attention of others. A book that faces outwards is more likely to be picked up and purchased. ;)

Money

Unless you sell millions of books, you won’t be getting rich any time soon. Your first deal may net you a $1000-$3000 advance; royalties might earn you 5% of net.

By “net” I mean this: Let’s say that your book comes out in trade paperback and sells for, oh, $13. Now, remember what I was saying about distribution, and that standard 55% cut taken by distributors? The net price of that book is now $5.85. Now, what’s 5% of that? Er…$0.29. Oh dear. Not even the cost of a first class stamp. You’d have to sell well over 10,000 copies just to earn out your advance.

You also lose a cut by taking on an agent, and in most cases an agent is a requirement, both as a guide to the new author and as a way of helping the publishers by separating the wheat from the chaff.

Time scale

The process of submissions and acceptances and publishing can take years.

Exclusion

Because publishing has moved away from a search for new material towards a generic focus on tried and true material, consumers are losing out in the choices they receive. Fewer and fewer publishers are taking risks on new authors so good material is being missed on a daily basis.

If your book is not picked up it’s not necessarily because it’s bad. In an ideal world, great books would always be picked up by a publisher, but of course the industry doesn’t work that way. The industry is structured so that mediocre books hit the shelf because an author has made a name for himself.

Whereas POD printing companies err on the side of inclusion, conventional publishers err on the side of exclusion. Any book that is too niche to have a huge market is not going to be picked up by a New York publisher.

Editorial control

As a new author, you don’t have any editorial control over your work. An editor who does not get your voice can rip out great big chunks of plot or ruin your voice. And yet you have no say when it comes to what is done with your work. The book is shaped for publication and profit, not for your own preferences. This can be a harsh reality.

You might also not like your cover. On the other hand, if your cover is even slightly better than the first one offered for Rhaeva, you’re ahead of the game. I do wish I could show you but that file has long since been relegated to the great trash can in the sky. ;)

Conclusion

If your book is of a type that will sell millions, conventional publishing is the way to go. You can win by being either very lucky or truly outstanding, but it always seems that you’re running a gauntlet of rejection and loss with this method.

If you do find a publisher, you need to keep the word out about your book on a consistent and constant basis. Even so, it is not up to you how long your book can be sold.

If, however, you come out the other side shining, you can join the ranks of established authors and your future works are a shoo-in. May I have your autograph, please? ;)