tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773186361596385887.post455863896758217163..comments2023-08-16T07:41:00.267-07:00Comments on Alyson Burdette, Author: Navigating The Publishing WorldAlyson Burdettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16916059117572619004noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773186361596385887.post-9614747554023203242012-05-25T21:51:18.770-07:002012-05-25T21:51:18.770-07:00You're right that a lot of it is just how we t...You're right that a lot of it is just how we take things. The publishing world is pulling writers in a lot of different directions right now and everyone is responding in their own ways.Alyson Burdettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16916059117572619004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773186361596385887.post-14607853609967012232012-05-25T11:32:17.881-07:002012-05-25T11:32:17.881-07:00I think sometimes we feel like people are treating...I think sometimes we feel like people are treating us a certain way or we feel like there's only "one right way" to do something. Those misperceptions lead to all kinds of problems, which is what is happening in the publishing industry right now.Elana Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05877856005992028912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773186361596385887.post-31439591601803277742012-05-22T22:20:44.234-07:002012-05-22T22:20:44.234-07:00You're right. The elitism does suck. I could k...You're right. The elitism does suck. I could kind of understand it when books were limited to book stores. There were only so many slots available and authors were competing for those slots. But now there's more than enough room for everyone, so I have no idea why people are still so snobbish about books and publishing.Alyson Burdettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16916059117572619004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773186361596385887.post-41549940575840501492012-05-21T09:31:56.188-07:002012-05-21T09:31:56.188-07:00Great thoughts, Alyson. Personally, I think the bi...Great thoughts, Alyson. Personally, I think the bias and elitism stinks. Lots of people believe there are certain hurdles you have to jump or you don't get to call yourself 'author'. Why? Because they had to jump them. They'll throw things like, "The process ensures great writing." and other such qualifiers in there, but what they really mean is, "I had to do it, so by God everyone else better do it too."<br /><br />The Internet is plenty big for all kinds of writers and stories, and I don't fault anyone for preferring one type to another based upon taste and experience. However, if it isn't based upon taste and experience, they shouldn't be so exclusive.<br /><br />I probably shouldn't say what I'm about to say publicly, but my general feeling is if I write something "good enough" it won't matter: Big traditional publishing has not been fair to writers. They've controlled the entire industry for a long, long time. They'll quickly point to all of the bestselling authors making a killing and say, "What's not fair?" but those bestsellers are the very, very few in terms of all the authors out there. The mid-list author struggles, and the crap of it all is that the distinction between the haves and have nots is often manufactured based upon what marketing and book people THINK is going to do well. That's where they put their dollars. Everyone else gets tossed into the pool and told to, "sink or swim." <br /><br />I get very upset when I read agents or editors Tweet things like, "No more vampires. The market is saturated." (Using vamps just as an example.) What market? Are readers who love vampires suddenly saying, "I'm not reading any more vampire stories this year because I've already read fifteen." I doubt it. They'll keep reading vampire stories from now until they're dead because they enjoy them. The issue is: vampire stories aren't going to draw enough mass appeal to generate a lot of money in paper book sales because there are so many to choose from. Probably true, and at $10-$15 a pop for new paper books, it's understandable why readers won't gobble up every new vampire series that pops up.<br /><br />But e-books have changed that paradigm. Small published or independently published authors can offer inexpensive stories that fans of the genres will gladly gobble up. Plus, they have access to the millions of readers that used to exclusively shop at physical bookstores. Author might not get rich, but they might be able to make a living at some point. Something, traditionally speaking, average authors haven't been able to do. Ever. <br /><br />Honestly, I think everyone (readers, authors, publishers, agents) needs to understand things have changed--for the better in my opinion--and embrace it. I think most of us love books. We love reading. We love authors. So why not just enjoy and support the most unlimited access to those things the world has ever known?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00273059558675234923noreply@blogger.com