When school starts, I won't blog nearly as much. I'll be lucky to keep my eyes open. BUT, I've still got several weeks of summer vacation and relative freedom left, so I figure I'll just blog about whatever pops into my whittle head, whenever.
So. Today it's about books, ebooks, the future of writing and publishing and all that jazz, something that I PROMISED myself I wouldn't get involved in, but here we go, nonetheless.
The world's changing. Some say for the better. Others, the worse. Regardless, it's changing. It's been changing for a long time now, but it's only been the last few years (10) that things have changed enough to actually make me feel nostalgic about the past. I blogged recently about how no one goes to the video store for obscure videos anymore, we just Netflix them. That's sad. Though trivial, seems like all our local gas stations have thrown over freshly made donughts for packaged danishes. Also sad.
So now, let's talk about ebooks, Ipads, and Kindle.
I'm not going to rehash all the articles that have appeared over the last year. Type "future of books" or "future of publishing" into Google, and you'll find more articles than you need. The basics?
1. People are reading less and less. This has hurt sales. Much as readers and writers alike may not want to admit, the publishing industry is like anything else: driven by profit.
2. More and more people (guilty as charged) are buying new and used books via Amazon.com, instead of going to their local Barnes & Nobles, Borders, or local Mom and Pop indie/used bookstores.
3. The combo of 1 & 2 has put many bookstores in jeopardy, causing layoffs and closings.
4. Major book publishers are switching to ebooks. Let's be honest, too. LOTS of people want them. It's the rage. One major book publisher - one I would've loved to submit to someday - has ended their mass market run, and is switching to ebooks and POD trade paperbacks, which will of course limit their distribution and availability. Like everyone else in this economy, this publisher has suffered financially, and because of this, one of their heavyweights and perhaps their best known writers has elected to stop publishing with them.
What does this mean for the future? Who really knows. There's the "Books are dying! This is the end!" Fahrenheit 451 crowd, there's the "Embrace the future! You're all a bunch of dinosaurs and you deserve to die out!" crowd, and those calling for common sense, "Calm down. Ebooks are a reality. Deal with it. However, print books will never die. Too many folks still want them. Of course, they'll be in vending machines. Bookstores, however..."
Bottom line, publishing and distribution of books is changing rapidly, and will never be the same, ever again.
I simply can't bring myself to say that this is a good thing. Sorry.
Just can't.
Anyone who has embarked on the road to publishing and has made it a certain way can relate to the frustrating, conflicting desires to keep plugging on and to just quit. We all feel that way. Some days we're on top of the world, feel like the next Hemingway, King, or Rowling. Other days we feel like talentless hacks who shouldn't quit their day jobs. BUT - that's part of being a writer. Part of life, period.
Lately, I've thought about quitting for entirely different reasons.
Can I confess something, here?
There's one thing (excluding my family) that I love more than writing.
That's reading. Reading BOOKS. That's what I fell in love with, long long ago. My desire to write stems from my love of books and reading, but books and reading came first. Sometimes, I feel like my writing aspirations - and having to be so clued in to the latest trends in publishing because it might affect my career goals as a writer - has ruined my first love.
I mean, let's be honest. I'm not against ebook rights. There'll eventually be a Kindle version of my Hiram Grange title, and I'm fine with that. But what if publishers begin limiting their print acceptances to only sure selling successes? What if they only offer epublishing options to folks like me?
Well, initially I'll put my head down and try harder, aim for the print goals. Seems to be the "Lucia Way". But in the end?
I'll quit. Totally.
There. I said it.
If I had a choice between writing only for epublication and not writing for publication at all...I'll take the not writing at all, thanks. I'll pack everything in, and just read all the time again, go back to my first love, so to speak.
We're not there yet. Thankfully. Maybe we never will be.
But still.
One thing I have started doing is checking my local used book stores before hitting Amazon. If they have what I'm looking for, or if not, something just as good, I want them to get my patronage. I want to start hunting up books from 10 years ago, and forgo a lot of the garbage published today. Of course, this makes clear a sad truth:
I'm old. Retro. A throwback. Before my time, apparently, according to our school librarian - a few years plus my senior - who consistently expresses her amazement at my staunch anti-ebook stance.
What can I say? I fell in love with books as hard as I fell in love with my wife, and just like I'm going to always choose to stay in love with Abby - because love is a daily choice, not just a "feeling" - I'm going to always choose to stay in love with books. They're real. Tangible. Have a "smell". A historical record in fingerprint smudges, creased pages, broken spines.
Sorry. No ebooks for this guy.
How about you? Ebook or print forever? Or is the argument dead and overdone already? Comments welcome.
I'll quit writing when I quit having stories to tell. I can't get behind the idea of not writing just because the books won't be on paper anymore.
ReplyDeletePublishers take on authors because they feel the relationship will be lucrative.
Writers write (not all of us, maybe, but most) to be read.
Ebooks are flipping the industry on its ass because people like them, and because industry likes the idea of not spending money on paper, warehousing and shipping. Ebooks also have the ability to reach more readers, because more people have computers in their home than bookstores, because they're cheaper, and because you can buy them on impulse.
There's obviously a market. As long as I can reach that market, I'm going to tell my stories.
Yeah, I'm totally going to admit it: this is a complete blindspot for me. It's not rational, I admit. I'm not going to try and convince anyone to see my point of view, and I know I'm not being realistic or market-savvy. It's just who I am.
ReplyDeletePart of the problem is I'm way too idealistic. See, even things like this:
"because more people have computers in their home than bookstores, because they're cheaper"
That just makes me sad, kills all ambition to write. I know it sounds completely ridiculous, and I'll admit right off that it's not logical: but writing ebooks doesn't feel "right" to me. It doesn't feel like I'm creating something that can be held in someone's hands. Too me - it's just electrons, y'know?
Want to hear something crazier? I recently turned down electronic payment that paid for print payment that DIDN'T pay. Both were equally reputable. That right there shows you how crazy I am...
I'm with Lincoln on this one.
ReplyDeleteI write because I have to. It's what defines me and it gives my busy little mind something less destructive to do :-)
I don't care if what I write is in print, in a notebook, on my blog or an e-book--as long as someone can read it.
I'm a proud Kindle owner and though I miss cover art and the tangibility of a paper book, the convenience of instant purchases, of never losing my page again, and of all my books weighing exactly the same make the sacrifice worth it.
Then why blog? It's just electrons too. You can't hold it in your hand. We're in the idea business. The business of evoking emotion. I don't like having a front-row seat to the publishing business' growing pains, but if the end result is that I'm going to do the same work I'd be doing anyhow, but more people will see it...
ReplyDeleteThe difference for me, Lincoln, is blogging is NOT the same thing as crafting fiction. To me, blogging takes about fifteen minutes and is basically venting or just tossing out my opinions that really don't matter a whole lot.
ReplyDeleteBlogging is just venting. SO, effort/outcome ratio evens out for me. To me, this isn't a whole lot different than hanging out a bar and chatting over a beer or wings. I don't really need to hold this in my hand at the end of the day. They're just random thoughts for everyone's amusement - and, admittedly, my own - and that's all.
I don't want to sound presumptuous, but I consider crafting fiction an art form. FAR different then blogging. Takes me fifteen minutes or so to brainstorm and post a blog.
However (and this is why I'm totally open to admitting my position makes no sense because our circumstances are unique to us) because we have special needs children and because they require team efforts from my wife and I, I've been forcing myself for the last four years to get up 3 AM every morning, maybe even harming my health, going without sleep, to engage in the art of crafting fiction.
So, when I held the first copy of Hiram Grange in my hands, it was the culmination of dream extending back to 8th grade - and I had the PHYSICAL RESULTS OF MY HARD WORK. No way I'll ever feel the same about: "Oh, look, here's this digital file I just made. Whoopie."
"I write because I have to. It's what defines me and it gives my busy little mind something less destructive to do :-) "
Belinda, you'll notice in my original post I said Id quit "writing for publication", which is different than writing for writing's sake. I'd still find time to do that. I just wouldn't pursue it the way I am now.
And let's be honest. In the end, I'm an old fuddy duddy. I write all my fiction long-hand first, and even white-out the mistakes. I CRAVE the tactile feel of paper for fiction. Have to have it. So, my position is more about me being a freak than anything else ;).
ReplyDeleteNow - if I were in Brian Keene's position, say - and I'd already proven myself as a writer, made a distinction between me and the rest of the rabble and my living depended on it, that would be different. But as it stands, I'm just a guy. At the end of the day, I NEED TO HOLD MY WORK IN FINISHED FORM.
But like I said, me = wacky kook. I miss renting videos from the video store, for goodness sake.
Currently around 8% or less depending on who you talk to) of books are purchased in ebook in the U.S. And worldwide, the numbers are given as less than 1%. And those numbers include all the royalty-free, out-of-print, and just plain crappy self-published e-titles out there (if it's worth inflicting on the world, it's worth hiring an editor, or at least running spellcheck). You have to wade through mountains of nothing to find something. As we've learned form the self-publishing craze, quantity is often directly inverse to quality.
ReplyDeleteThere is still a HUGE portion of the U.S. (and a much larger one of the world) that doesn't even have regular access to computers, or that doesn't know how to use them. Far fewer can afford a reader. Those who do have computers and no readers, how many are going to sit and read a novel on it? How comfortable is that? And how many of the readers can actually make a book look good? How many can really show illustrations in their full glory? Currently, only the ipad as a reader. And it's still not the same.
Electronic books may someday overtake or "kill" print, but that's a long time coming. When that day does come (though I doubt it will happen in our lifetime), I'll get out of the business, too, Kevin. If I can't smell the pages, can't hold something actual in my hands, can't run around the room giggling madly showing off a new project I've poured my heart into, there's no point for me. I do this not to throw quantities of crap out into the world hoping someone will buy it, but to be able to hold an end result in my hands that I am proud of. And I am not even a writer, just the hired help.
In my mind, publishers or authors jumping whole hog onto the E-book bandwagon, excluding print completely, crying that the new wave has won, are both short-sighted and blind. And likely quite delusional. Yes, changes happen, but when a new baby is born into your family, do you immediately kill your older children? Or do you accept that the new one is gonna crap its diapers for years to come, while the older is already formed and playing symphonies, and love them both equally as distinct and separate beings?
I can see both sides of the story, here. Personally, I prefer print. There is nothing quite like holding the physical incarnation of your work in your hand. That said, I understand the convenience of e-books, and I don't think they are going to go away.
ReplyDeleteDanny has a point in that e-book sales account for significantly less than print at the current time. However, you've got an entire generation of kids out there who have been hardwired into their computers since birth. Neither of my sons have ever owned a CD--all their music has been downloaded via iTunes. While they have had access to print books all their lives, they prefer digital versions because of the convenience, portability and lower cost. I can't argue with them, there.
My issues with the e-book vs print debate have more to do with the financial aspects (for authors) than aesthetics. Do I think an e-book only format is the way for publishers to go? No. That move was a bit premature, in my humble opinion. Do I think digital is going to overtake print publication? Perhaps, but not anytime soon. By the time it does, I'll probably be too old to peck away at the keyboard. Until then, I'll keep writing and submitting my work to publishers who offer both options.
~Myrrym Davies
Ah, I stand corrected :-)
ReplyDeleteWriting and writing for publication are synonymous for me. I write to be read by someone other than me and believe me, I'll still by print books that aren't available on Kindle. I recently picked up Incarceron for that reason.
I agree with everyone's take that print going dead will be a long time (if ever) coming, but even my kid's math book last year was electronic (web-based). And Amazon's having a lot of e-book luck: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/technology/20kindle.html?_r=1
I won't say e-publishing really changes how or what I write or read, but that I'm open to it and won't let it beat me.
Oh, and I hope Shroud won't hate me for the impurity of e-print :-) I'm a huge fan and looking forward to Shroud DE (hee hee). Will that be available for Kindle?
Now I'm just messing with you. Take care...and get some rest.
Nope, Shroud wouldn't hate you at all, because that, in my opinion, is the best thing about Shroud and Tim Deal and Danny Everts - they're open to new technologies and want to explore new frontiers, but they would never "throw out the baby with the bathwater."
ReplyDeleteHere's the wondrousness of Tim Deal: he's SO on top of exploring new avenues of publication, hence the DE: but I thought it was AWESOME of him to offer folks PRINT copies of Hiram Grange for Stoker Rec's, rather than the .pdf copies everyone always passes around. That's just cool.
Danny EVARTS....
ReplyDeleteThe wonderful thing about Tiggers is ... they don't care if their name is misspelled. :)
ReplyDeleteBoth formats have their pros, but digital isn't quite there yet, in my mind, and is a limited market. It's an added bonus for those who find its benefits. And yes, all Shroud products will eventually be available on as many e-readers and formats as we can handle. Once I get a moment to crack all the codes and format for all of them, and still have the books be at least somewhat close to the same quality as the print editions (layout and illustration-wise).
The Digital Edition, however, will be in pdf format for now. As just spewing plain text at people isn't our style. :)
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ReplyDelete@Danny,
ReplyDeleteI applaud your pdf versions. In making an e-book version of our non-color, niche title, I was astounded by the many non-compatible formats - someone needs to work on a true standard. I understand why they haven't yet - proprietary hardware and such, but that won't hold up forever. A standard must arise (and what's wrong with pdf, btw... yes, I know, but I won't discuss that here) that allows for free flow of text of multiple sizes while at the same time honoring layout, illustration and so on - or at least having a "here's what it is supposed to look like" view.
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteSince publishing is about profit, don't you think e-publishing only will evolve to e-publishing, but if you need to hold the physical item, we can quickly POD the book for you?
Dan, I guess it's just the principle of the thing - stodgy and wrongheaded on my part, but there it is. I grew up in LOVE with physical books. That's all I ever wanted, was to write a book I could hold and see my name on the spine.
ReplyDeleteNow, if what Dorchester Publishing is doing holds and works: they're offering ebook versions of all their books, and POD trade paperbacks that can be ordered through Amazon.com or ordered for book signings at retail stores, stocked in limited supply at retail stores, or ordered by the box for Cons and book clubs...that still works for me.
BUT...I don't think I could ever write "ebooks" that I could POD if I just wanted a copy. Too much like vanity publishing for my tastes. To me, the whole kick of having something to hold at the end of the day is:
"Wow. I DID this. It's in my hands, and SOMEWHERE, it might be in other people's hands, too. Or could be if I went to a signing or a convention..."
Now...self-publishing (different than vanity publishing, in my opinion)...Brian Keene had a HUGE blog entry about this a whole back:
http://www.briankeene.com/?p=3265
That drew over a 100 comments. Great discussion. Createspace does have nice deals these days. BUT, from what I can tell, the song and dance for self-publishing...even if you are really talented and do have an editor and layout guy and great cover art...you need either a "name" or some guaranteed method of getting the books sold, or else it's a lot like spitting into the wind, in my opinion.
Heck, traditional publishing is already like that. Self-publishing would be even worse. At least I didn't have to pay Shroud a dime to publish and market Hiram Grange, and for the novel I'm writing now, I know I won't have to either. THAT's the model that works for me.
As Brian points out, self-publishing has the stigma that you didn't get an editor, you didn't get a designer, etc. and so what you are self-publishing is probably crap. And it probably is if you didn't do the above.
ReplyDeleteThe question really becomes - will there be people who take on the hard role of being a publisher, with the "self" part being secondary? Or will small press publishers arise that do the editing/designing/distributor bit for authors for a fixed fee?
And yes, still - as you say - e-publishing may rule, but POD is available for us stick in the muds.
Time will tell.
Thanks for reviewing my first two children's books, the third one is coming out this month!
"Or will small press publishers arise that do the editing/designing/distributor bit for authors for a fixed fee?"
ReplyDeleteThis can get dicey. I got involved with one of these folks right before I encountered Shroud, and they wanted to run this deal where they WOULDN'T charge folks they thought "worthy" of traditional publishing, but would charge others. Good intentions: get some quality folks in their lineup, but give others their "chance"...for a small fee.
It bottomed out, and the whole thing exploded in everyone's face. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Most folks, including myself, won't spend money on self-published books. We want the assurance that publishers have "gatekeepers" in place that weed out lower quality works.
See, in the model you suggest? That's not small press. That's vanity publishing. I'm not going to get rich at Shroud, but they don't charge me a dime and put out a high quality product.
Shroud, however, is an exception, I think, an unbelievable confluence of talented people who have forgone "profit" and thrown their backs behind a common vision, and with with the tremors in publishing, I wonder if that's what will happen: publishers like Shroud, Apex, Raw Dog Press rising to the top. Their products are TOP quality but affordable. As much as I love Cemetery Dance, the pricing for their books are a bit much.
I like e-publishing for magazines. I used to subscribe to a Linux magazine that was only available as an e-mag and I really liked it. Very high quality, and you can do things with e-pubs you can't do with print, like embedding multimedia. Imagine embedding a short film or audio file that's a part of your story. I just see it as a plus all the way around. And take it one step further--what if your book became interactive? Yeah, yeah--they call those "video games," but I'm thinking on a slightly lower level here. Alternate endings? "Instant" reader feedback/reviews?
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I also love paper--always have. I like to mark up my technical/non-fiction books. I also like to find typos. (Maybe I should become an editor?) But we're essentially talking about 16th century technology. It still gets wet, tears, burns, and bends. I rather like the idea that I can make a backup of my e-book, or I can download another copy should my reader/PC crash. What about services for the visually impared? Listen while you drive?
Then again, I don't need electricity to read my printed books. If I drop my paper book while walking down a flight of stairs--no worries. Not so with a Kindle or iPad. Tons of pros and cons.
The biggest consideration for me is availability. My paper books are ALWAYS ready to read. No fumbling with butons, no changing/charging of batteries. And I do a lot of reading in places that are not e-friendly.
Now, concerning profits and demand--you have to consider that. If readers want e-books, give them e-books. That's a no-brainer. I say publisher's need to consider taking advantage of the ability to embed multimedia (think "advertising") for their "unknown" authors and offer first-time published authors books for free, or at greatly reduced prices with the caveat that the reader has to put up with a few ads. Hulu does this and I don't see anyone complaining. Then, when an author has developed a following, the publisher can offer the "ad-free" versions for regular price (which will still be cheaper than print.) You can also include a much more interesting author bio.
Printed books can do something similar and to a lesser degree, have been for years. The "ads" have generally been for other books, and are usually printed on the last few pages. I say there's room for a "periodical approach" to ads--include them within the text between chapters. I believe there's room for corporate sponsorship, like in movies. Say Coca-Cola wants to market a new product. They hire an author to include it prominantly in one of their books (this already happens, but no one is getting the full benefit).
I know that idea may turn a lot of writers off, but like I said--it's already happening--why not find the synergy and make a few bucks?
The bottom line is we are living in an era of a new business model. Long gone are they days of companies telling their customers what they should buy. It's flipped--business has evolved into a customer-centric model where consumers tell bussiness what they should sell. It's MUCH better--the consumer is in control. Technology has made this evolution possible, but it didn't create it--it was always there. Publishers need to take careful note of this change--so do writers.