Day two RWA ramblings. What I learned at RWA

This was such an interesting year to be at RWA because the publishing industry is changing in vast ways and doing so at lightening speed. Everyone feels uncertain — authors and industry people alike. Everyone is trying to figure out where they fit in the industry in the future. Self Publishing is appealing to a lot of authors. I asked many why that was the case for them. Before I tell you their answers, let me just say that my main motivation for asking a lot of questions, is that I'm on the fence with this whole self publishing frenzy. As I said in my last post, I just think the market is going to get so crammed with poor quality books. And I admit, I love the bookstore experience. I met Diego at Barnes and Noble, and seven years later, we still love to sit at a bookstore, drink coffee, and savor the books we select together. So, talking to people, and hearing their perspectives on the subject, was informative to me. Certainly, many of the replies made me think about my own career, and my own opinion on what I should, or should not, be doing.

Anyway — here are the response I got from authors on why self publishing appeals to them:

–Creative control. Often authors feel that their books are so heavily edited they don't know the book as their own anymore. My thoughts on this are mixed. Sometimes I think the editorial direction really improves a book. Sometimes it goes to extremes. I also think its a big mistake for authors to skip a detailed copy edit. Think about how many times the publishers go through the books and still crap slips through.

–We as authors have no say in covers. So its nice to actually have some control. I would agree with this. It's hard to be given a cover you don't feel sells your books well. The same goes for blurbs and back cover copy.

–Fast payment. Often with traditional publishing our money is attached to when an editor reads our work, which might be months after we turn it in. Then, we might have revisions that push it back even further. Editors are vastly overworked, so this isn't their fault, but its still hard on the authors. So the chance to get paid monthly without delay is obviously appealing.

– Not having to depend on an agent. Agents can be intimidating to authors and they get 15% to scare the pants off of many of their clients. A good agent is worth every dime of the 15% though, in my opinion. However, many authors struggle to find that magical agent and author relationship.

So where do these answers lead me as an author? Still on the fence and watchful. I think there will be a year to eighteen months where self publishing and traditional publishing grapple for control of the industry. I think the publishers have good editing and guaranteed quality on their sides. But self publishing has price advantage and appeal to authors and readers on many levels. What happens if the minute the big houses make an author they just go self publish and take the readers with them? that couldn't happen before but it can now. There will be some contract issues come up — some power struggles.

It's going to be interesting. And so I stay, as I said, sitting on the fence and watchful.

Lisa