I've been watching publishing discussions with interest of late.
It's just as educational to watch human reactions to change as it is to watch the change itself.
Some people describe the change in the publishing industry as a total positive, others condemn it as an absolute negative.
I'd like to propose something for your consideration: the changes themselves are neither positive nor negative. So when someone says "paperback sales are down 64%" or "free e-books are creating a devaluing effect on the book market," those statements are neither positive nor negative.
They simply ARE. This is the situation in the book world. But, as with most events in life, what makes them positive or negative is how we react to them.
If we hold so tightly to our own vision of how things are "supposed" to be, then change may seem negative.
We must keep our dreams adjustable, give them elastic waistbands and big hems, make them of reversible material so we can turn them inside out and still wear them. We don't have to abandon our dreams-- we just have to refashion them for the time in which we live.
You may think this is easy for me to say, as an author who landed a professional contract under the "old" system with a traditional publisher--a system which may or may not look the same in five years time.
But let's say I hadn't landed that contract. What would I have done, if no publisher had been interested in my series?
I would have been crushed, at first. Then, I would have picked myself up and self-published my series, after hiring the best editor and cover designer I could afford. I would then have gone to Ohio to market it to the regional audience there.
In other words, I would have done something very similar to what I have been doing for the last year. But I would have done it on my own schedule, without deadlines, which would have meant more time for marketing that first novel, particularly for connecting with the crucial regional market for my series based on Ohio history.
I have no regrets about the path I did take--I'm very blessed and grateful to have been able to work with the experts in editing and design at Thomas Nelson, and to have the financial support of a traditional contract. But traditional publishing is no longer the only way for an author to fulfill her dream, especially with the seismic changes occurring in the publishing world.
I'm telling you this because I want to encourage you. If you don't have a contract yet with a traditional publisher, if you don't have an agent, don't see the changes in publishing as a negative. They aren't. They're just changes. Keeping your dreams adjustable is the key to realizing them. We all need to understand that success in publishing may look different in only a few years. Let's be excited about it! When someone says paperback sales are down but e-book sales are up, let's enjoy the feeling of living in a time when anything might happen, when authors may find more autonomy in their work, when we have the opportunity to interact in unprecedented ways with readers.
I keep my own dreams adjustable. I do my absolute best to write good novels and to publicize them as best I can with the time available. But in the end, I don't have control over my novels' future. Only God does. And I'm completely at peace with that. Because whatever is in store for me, whether it looks like success or failure to the outside observer, I know beyond a doubt that it's going to work out for my good. I have that promise, and so do you.
28 comments:
I try not to sweat the small stuff (or in this case big stuff). God is still in control and I am still following His directives, so I know in some form my book will get published. Currently I seeking the traditional route (I have just started this journey and have no desire to start being negative as I wait). If God leads me to the self publishing route, I am ready to follow!
This must be tweeted. I love this attitude, Rosslyn. You are so right - our reaction to the facts is what make them positive or negative. The plain fact is people are still buying stories, regardless of format, and I don't see that ever changing. So writers are in a good position!
Great post and great attitude! My mantra has been those who succeed in a revolution are those who embrace change. Because our attitude about things is about the only thing we control. :)
Rosslyn, I love your idea about adjustable dreams. When I began writing, I pledged to "aim high." I "adjusted" tactically for rejections and industry changes, but did not lower my expectations. So I'm wondering, do you think it's possible that "adjustable dreams" can undermine an "aim high" mentality? In other words, we can be tempted to "lower" our dreams along with "adjusting" them? Thanks for a great post!
Resilience and adaptation...two qualities I strive to develop more.
I've learned a lot about having to adjust in life. Family has taught much in that realm. Now I'm learning to apply it to every other aspect of life.
~ Wendy
Great post! It's so nice to see your positive, balanced take on all this - I remember the times a year or so ago when the discussion of changes in publishing was more like a war.
Nice reflections on resiliency, Rosslyn. For me, I really don't have the financial store to do it on my own. So, I'm not sure where those of us who live very tightly might do in that case. I'm afraid then, publishing will mainly be possible for those who can afford to hire out all that's necessary to create a successful book. It leaves me feeling a bit disheartened when I consider this. Perhaps there's an option C I haven't considered and/or don't know about? I do love your positive attitude, though!
*what those of us...not where. Sorry!
TC - Sounds like a good approach. There's still plenty of life left in traditional publishing, for at least a few years.
Katie - Thanks for the tweet!
Susan, I'm glad you stopped by. I checked out your blog and your upcoming novel sounds very interesting!
Mike - Great question. It's always a matter of balance, between the 'aim high' and the adjustability. For most of my young life, I aimed so high that it crippled my ability to produce at all. So for me, the battle has been to become adjustable enough not to sabotage myself.
However, I still consider aiming high to be crucial, and one of the great challenges of professional publishing for any author is deciding on her own boundaries and what she is (or is not) willing to publish. This is especially true for multi-book contracts, in which time pressure for unwritten books becomes a factor. It also affects how an author handles things like cover negotiations. If I see a cover that presents a historically impossible scene for one of my historical novels, I am not open to compromise on whether my novel sees the light of day with that cover on it. There's no question that the author who is infinitely adjustable is more likely to be the publisher's darling, but too much adjustability will not produce the best work. There's just too much potential for error in the very complicated traditional process that brings novels to readers. So despite all the pressure to go along with whatever is suggested (and there can be quite a bit of pressure) it's important for each of us to know those boundaries.
Wendy, I just love you! When I see your comment I can hear your voice, as a result of our recent conversation, which still makes me smile. :-)
Elisabeth - Thanks! I feel as if I have to make full disclosure that though this is my baseline attitude, I am not a wunderkind of calmness under all circumstances. Ha ha! Publishing is a stressful business, and as I have warned one of my friends, it's likely that any author will have moments when she thinks she's going to lose it, especially under a multi-book contract. But I have learned a lot about how to take the bumps since I started, and I think I am much improved in the sustained peace department. That second novel in the contract is rough for a lot of us, but then we learn what to expect.
Roxane, that's a good point. Not to minimize the difficulty, but in the hope of being encouraging, I'll say this. There are some options that are completely free, for example, emailing a book to the Kindles of others. The Kindle automatically formats books for itself if you have the user's email address and have been authorized to send to that address. And though it may be very hard to save money for publishing purposes, it's like any other dream--sometimes, it may take years to get to the point where we can realize the dream, but that doesn't mean we can't do it. The rise and increased viability of e-publishing means we are no longer at the mercy of the decisions of others as to whether our dream is realized. I'm sure that in the next ten years, we will eventually hear some amazing story about someone who started out with so few resources that she had to publish by Kindle e-mailing with no cover or editing, etc., but then became a self-pubbed phenomenon.
Outstanding and encouraging post, Rosslyn.
I don't see the changes as negative. It's scary sometimes...but if we don't step out of our comfort zone every so often, if we aren't flexible, we won't grow and bloom in the world of publication.
Love this post, Rosslyn. It's a wild and crazy time in publishing. I think we just have to catch the wave and make the best of it.
I loved what you said to Elisabeth, "I am not a wunderkind of calmness under all circumstances." Ha, ha. I hear you on that!
Smiles,
Jill
I enjoyed this very much. Writers must be flexible, if nothing else. I remember when the newspaper industry started the downhill trend, how troubling it was. The need for freelancers became almost non-existent. It would have been easy to give up, but I swallowed hard, shifted my gears, and was able to still find work, simply because I was willing to write about things that I didn't find remotely interesting. Had I not been flexible, it wouldn't have happened.
Writers are often tempted to set their minds on one genre ... this is what I write, and if that's working out for them, wonderful! But sometimes adjusting our goals/dreams to fit the marketplace is a necessity.
Great post, Rosslyn! I agree...The sky really isn't falling. Imagine that! :) (And the talk about waistbands has me thinking I need to head to a fitness class tomorrow, LOL.)
I think I've always been "a glass half full" kind of person, so the changes in today's publishing world are just changes to me, neither good nor bad. Technology has been changing faster than ever through the past century, and people have always had to adapt or get left behind. I don't think my dream has changed much but how I achieve it may. I still believe I need an agent to guide the process. Maybe the role of agents will also change.
Loree - Yes! The comfort zone can be a mind-killer--it holds us back from seeing potential.
Jill - You know what else is funny? I just realized after you pointed out the word "wunderkind" that I'm using all kinds of German vocabulary lately, and it's because there's German in my WIP! Das ist gut. (And if that's not enough, when I went to post this, my word verification was "ingermin." No lie.)
Dayle - One of my best friends is a journalist, and she and I have interesting conversations about the tremendous changes in both newspaper and book businesses.
Sarah - Yeah, I know about the waistbands--forty is hitting me pants-first. ;-) I'm feeling motivated to fitness as well. I just got a Dancing with the Stars workout DVD and I'm about to test it.
Carol - True, I think the role of agents may change, but they are still very important and provide a lot of help. So it's a good idea to seek an agent first.
This is a wonderful post. I love the way your resilient attitude leaps off the page and *hopefully* into my brain—to be called upon for future reference when needed! The encouragement you offer is much appreciated. And I love posts where I learn a lot in the comments too. Great info you gave to Mike Duran. While I might not be anywhere near published, aiming too high has been a sabotaging factor for me at times, too (regarding my blog). If we use the gifts God gave us, along with whatever tools are available, and try our best to hear God's direction and subsequently obey Him, the rest, as you said, is out of our control.
Barb, I'm glad it was helpful. This is a tough road and it's better when someone who has traveled it can give advice. A couple of seasoned authors helped me out, and I want to pay it forward. :-)
Rosslyn, as always, you have written an insightful and inspiring post. I agree wholeheartedly. The changes are leaving spaces open for creativity, and those who see it can move in and implement their ideas.
I LOVE the "ingermin" synchronicity -- how cool is that?
Take good care and I wish you all the best with your books. With your attitude, I'm sure you/they will do well.
Blessings,
Saloma
PS. (And my word verification is "consid" -- as in consider?)
It will be interesting to look back at all the arguments going on about the fate of literary publishing companies in a decade. I'm curious if any of the major predictions people seem to be so sure about right now will have even come true.
I very much agree. Changes are neither good nor bad, they are like feelings, the just "are."
How we react to them, however, can be good or bad...depending upon how flexible we have decided to be. :)
Blessings to you - Marsha
Saloma, thank you for stopping by! I love the word verifications. They're like thought prompts.
More Than Just Dialogue - I'm interested in your project of moving from playwriting to novel writing. I did some playwriting myself in college, and it's a great preparation for novel writing.
Marsha - Thanks for your comment! Headed over to your blog in a minute.
I love the way you articulated this. The ever-changing publishing world is a reality, but we have to power to choose how we will respond to it - either positively or negatively. Great post!
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