It’s interesting to see the ongoing back-and-forth between “one side or the other,” on this Amazon-vs-the World thing. Each side thinks they’re right, that they’re the only ones with the purchase of truth (pun intended). Fact is things aren’t perfect on either side, which gives existence to the mirrored position. There’s very little “black and white” anymore.
Oooh, Amazon’s taking over the world! It’s soooo scary!
Yeah, well, before Amazon, who had control of it, huh? Six guesses.
All I know is that there are writers out there–good ones, we’re not talking about those who still have a lot of work yet before getting into this conversation–looking for representation. And why are they getting turned away?
Projected that they can’t sell beyond a certain benchmark?
Because they don’t have ready made audiences.
They’re not immediate successes out of the fricking gate.
Anyone can be made into a success, it’s all about promotion. Spending a little quality time with those you feel are worth the effort and building a following through word of mouth (include all modes of technology, here, but it’s all the same thing, people!) I am still stunned and amazed at what I see being published and bought. I’ve recently come to the to point in my life where if it loses my interest, I stop reading. I used to be loyal to the book I bought and slogged through it, but I found myself forced-rep reading so many titles that simply were not well done, I decide–no more. Just as recently as two weeks ago, picked up a pseudo-brand namer, stuck with it some 70 pages, and it killed me. Extremely choppy writing that was completely jarring, and words that (sorry) went nowhere for me.
And I’m not a hard reader!
I’ll give most anyone a chance–I would’ve even continued reading had the story half interested me!
Thing is, all this polarization seems to be because of things like brick-and-mortar income versus Internet income. How if authors go to Amazon, they’re gonna “lose out.”
HOW???
These writers who go to Amazon (I’m bettin’) have gone elsewhere. I’m sure they went to Random House, Bantam, S&S, not to mention agents. I’m sure they fought every inch of the way across fields of broken (and poisoned!) glass–just like the rest of us.
And, whatdyaknow?
A publisher took them on!
Yes, a publisher!
Take out any modifier to “publisher,” and look at it from the writer’s point of view. Someone out there in Bookland decided to take a chance on them. Someone with clout. Wherewithal. Is hip to the Coming Things.
How do they lose?
Have you not heard of the Internet?
How instantly global it is?
Low overhead?
Lights always on?
All the success stories?
Oh, right…they don’t get an actual store to walk into. Don’t get pushed by traditional publishers and all their clout.
Bad press.
Have we all forgotten just how much “help” traditional publishers give authors?
The real problem here is not who authors are going to…it’s what’s happened to publishing. How it’s infected all that orbits it. Yes, there are people’s jobs at stake–but so are there at the author end of the spectrum. These big business people are simply doing what’s “best for them,” and yes, at the expense of everyone else. All those in the Big Box Stores do have their jobs at stake and they could find themselves out of a job, and that sucks…and I do feel for them…so I see their angst about the whole mess…but the unfortunate aspect of that is that they (right or wrong) weighed anchor at a port that maybe isn’t long for commerce.
I love books, love books stores, but if they end up drying up because those who run things won’t change, while other avenues for buying books continue to exist…well, it will be a sad world. And (apparently) I can’t save the world. Only my little space in it. All I can do is do the best I feel I can do–just like all the rest of us out there. Some are just more greedy, more rigid, more scared than the rest, and yes, some of those actually run things. And shit rolls downhill. So, if you’re attached to something whose days are numbered, maybe you should start looking elsewhere.
I don’t believe in End of World scenarios. I think we can all co-exist peacefully and in harmony. Call me full of shit, but I don’t really care. Those who complain without offering constructive suggestion–action!–have only themselves to blame.
Take responsibility for your actions!
If we all treat each other with respect and dignity, we can all prosper and go far. I am so fed up (if you couldn’t tell) with all this fricking finger pointing. Get over yourselves and do something right for a change.
Work with each other!
See the worth and value in each other’s business models. Grow and welcome positive change. Take chances. Make things better.
Just quit bitchin and moanin without action.
People who discuss this always leave out a pair of possibilities, pard.
The first, is that there will always be passion for printed works, some think that “e” is just a different kind of printing. After all, not many of us are carrying around cave walls or stone tablets anymore.
Others, the passionate purists for paper, probably as long as they are willing to pop a few pennies — and pray that all the pretty pines and poplars don’t perish like pterodactyls — there will be presses printing on paper.
They just won’t be run by parasitic porcine pompous persons with preposterous eight-figure paychecks.
Then, there are those who think the whole concept of storytelling might morph yet-again.
Whether Amazon or the Big Six — history has shown us that the biggest pig in the pen will always land on somebody’s plate.
(and yes, I know that they don’t normally use poplars for paper)
Do we compare traditional print publishing to Carborators? If so, does that mean when the EMPs from solar flares knock out all power, the older cars will survive it. …. yes. 🙂 Karen
Ha!
Once again, I use one of my favorite analogies: you can drop a [paper] book in the water, pick it up, drop it again and step on it–kick it on your way down to pick it up–wring it out…and continue reading. :-]
Oh, don’t sugarcoat it Frank, tell us how you feel.
I hope I don’t sound bitchy or moany when I say: yes, the old business models are changing, but one thing that’s not changing is that there are less and more ethical businesses and businesses practices. Regardless of whether authors all move over to e-pubbing, Amazon in particular has demonstrated a cutthroat posture in its dealings with suppliers and other businesses. How you do anything is how you do everything, and don’t think Amazon will hesitate to treat its authors that way, too, should they truly realize their goal of world-domination. I plan to e-publish with Amazon myself, though not exclusively, and that doesn’t mean I have to swallow all their tactics without question.
And please don’t whine, “But it’s just business! All businesses run that way, it’s the only way they survive!”
Because it’s really not. I worked at Tattered Cover for 10 years and was lucky enough to watch Joyce Meskis and her team conduct a highly successful business using ethical and even moral guidelines in everything they did. Of course TC is struggling in the new world order, but that’s because the whole shebang has shifted, not because they’re nice people. And that commitment to community and the First Amendment and customer service and puppies is what has kept them afloat. They have some of the highest customer loyalty in the world.
I just can’t imagine a world where people will honestly be that loyal to Amazon, because Amazon is all about the bottom line and has no commitment to anything else. And their attempts at monopolization should undergo constant and vigorous examination and protest, when it’s called for.
Call that pissing and moaning if you want. I call it social responsibility. Potato, pot-ah-to.
Them’s my thoughts, thanks for yours.
I agree, Chris!!!
Short of writing a BOOK on each and every topic one posts, one has to narrowly focus in on certain points to blog. I’m all about ETHICS, without ANY modifiers, as I think I’ve posted over the years. But in today’s world, you can only work with what’s available…or create new paths (which I think is being done, but it’s NOT without growing pains!). If what’s available is morally corrupt, either you work with it or you don’t. I don’t like monopolies at all. Like having choices. I firmly believe, as you do, that doing business ethically DOES work. If a business exists to do what it does ethically, good will come of it. The flow of money will come.
But (and again to keep it short–which IS ironic for me…), we write, and those “in control of our public output” are where we go, short of self-publishing. But change IS coming…it’s just that there’s a lot of “overhead” out there to be overcome….
Thanks for stopping by, Chris! Your clarification is greatly appreciated!
These writers who go to Amazon (I’m bettin’) have gone elsewhere.
The biggest milestone in the new world of publishing will be when a debut author sells 500,000+ e-books without ever having submitted their work to anyone in the traditional publishing industry.
And what will that author say when the Big Six make their inevitable offers?
If you think things are interesting now, “stay tuned for further developments.” 😈