Publishing News Roundup Series: Why the Closing of Traditional Imprints Isn’t Always Good
by Maureen Crisp • January 25, 2016 • Follow
Published in News • No comments
There has been a lot of active Twitter debate this week over writer festival appearances.
This week, Philip Pullman, head of the UK Society of Authors, launched a huge debate on Twitter against writers having to do festival appearances for free. People from both sides of the argument joined the conversation and argued their opinions.
Other debates have also arisen in the writer world, including ones involving traditional publishing imprints. With Penguin Random House selling off Author Solutions, much of the indie writing community is rejoicing. However, this week we explore below the possible negative side as to why some traditional imprints closing can be a bad thing:
Taking Good Advice
Pic from Flickr Creative Commons / GotCredit
This week in the publishing blogosphere writers were cheering when Philip Pullman took a stand on writers having to do festival appearances for free, when everybody else was paid.
Philip is the current head of UK Society of Authors. They are campaigning on this issue, so he saw it as only logical. Others didn’t see it quite that way and a lively debate happened over Twitter. However there has
been a change in attitude from the festival in question and a nice wake up call to all to the wider Lit community.
been a change in attitude from the festival in question and a nice wake up call to all to the wider Lit community.
As Penguin and Random House draw ever closer lots of change has been happening recently. My first post of the year looked at Author Solutions being sold off… but while authors may be cheering that move, the closing of some imprints is not so good.
Mike Shatzkin (publishing futurist) has been sounding a wake up call to publishers for a few years now and recently he had two long posts that make interesting reading if you are a publisher- (Self publishers should scan these.) The importance of Author SEO to a publisher and playing on a theme coming through on what 2016 trends might be, Global, Mobile and Author Backlist and how publishers ignore these at the peril of the bottom line.
Kris Rusch has taken issue with the Author Guilds letter on Contracts. She questions the letters bone fides as the AG membership is not only authors… so their call for better contracts is suspicious. Great Rant!
January is the month where many make plans and goals for the coming year. Roz Morris has a great blog post on this with advice to the 2016 writer.
Hugh Howey also offers his opinions on writing now… (great new website- I wasted time looking at his new boat video.)
Joanna Penn interviewed Jane Friedman on trends to watch in 2016 – this is a podcast with a transcript. Grab a drink and find some quiet space to absorb this.
The Smashwords 2015 survey is out. It makes interesting reading… what worked last year and what you should keep in mind for this year.
Joel Friedlander talks about the new edition of the Self Publishers Resource Guide.
If you suffer from sore wrists and hands after writing, here are the best hand and wrist exercises.
In the Craft Section,
Two great posts from James Scott Bell – Lifting the middle of the Thriller plot and how to avoid writing paralysis due to over analysis (guilty) Bookmark!
In the Marketing Section,
7 Book Marketing trends you can’t ignore– Joel Friedlander
Website Of The Week
I have linked to Katie Weiland’s posts in my craft section so often I should have her on a shortcut link button. I have her great book on structure. Her website is a great resource on craft questions that come up but she also offers some free downloadable resources that are just special!
To Finish
In the writing business it pays to keep an eye on what the Romance writers are doing – they are so savvy. Today I came across an article on a new Romance App that had my eyebrows lifting right off my head. I never
even suspected this was a thing. I’m still not sure what to think about it… it could be a virtual reality step too far… OTOH if you love your book heroes enough to have a text relationship…
even suspected this was a thing. I’m still not sure what to think about it… it could be a virtual reality step too far… OTOH if you love your book heroes enough to have a text relationship…
Chuck Wendig decided to do some thinking about mid career writers. This is his ramble on what you should be doing. It echoes others that I have linked to in today’s post but with the Wendig spin on the Good Advice.
Maureen
@craicer
About Maureen Crisp
Maureen Crisp has been writing her weekly publishing roundups for over seven years. She is a traditionally published children's author as well as indie-published. She lives in New Zealand and is heading the team organising the 4th National Conference of Children's Writers and Illustrators. She is currently trying her hand at writing a children’s book series if she can drag herself away from forever tweaking her Mars novel or obsessing over space.