Writing is a precarious thing at the best of times, and stories are starting to emerge about authors having difficulties. On this blog, Sara Reinke announced that no more books in her Brethren series will be coming out with her present publisher. And Gennita Low is having problems, too, with the release of “Virtually His” at MIRA. It seems the publisher won’t give her a release date, and the future of the series is doubtful.
I have no doubt other authors will be having problems, too. Because as far as the publisher is concerned, it’s all about the bottom line. This has happened before, for instance when a genre is oversubscribed. Look at the plethora of Regency romances a few years ago. The fallout from that was pretty bloody with some fine authors losing their gig when the genre lost its place in the popularity stakes. And some editors, too. I still mourn the loss of Hilary Ross at Signet, who fought so hard for the genre she loved.
Now I think it’s because of the recession (are we allowed to call it that yet?) And the bottom line is, if you don’t make Wal-Mart, you’re stuffed. The bookstores and Amazon don’t cut it any more. If the marketing department projects your numbers based on a Wal-Mart presence, and you don’t make it, it’s seriously bad news.
Also the print market is in long-term decline. Numbers year on year are declining, so whereas some genres will fluctuate within that, overall sales are down. Computer games, TV and DVD, all have eaten into the novel market, as well as the increasing prices of paper and transport. Publishers are moving more strongly into electronic publishing, and they’re trying to make their ‘brands’ (that’s an author or a line) more global. As yet, they haven’t done well with that, especially in the romance genre, with the exception of Harlequin/Mills and Boon who have always taken a global outlook.
They’re doing better with electronic publishing. Erotic romance is perfect for electronic publishing. A reader doesn’t have to throw an obviously erotic read in with her groceries to go through the checkout, and she doesn’t have to hide the book from her kids. As long as she keeps her reader and her computer protected, she’s golden. Other genres are slower to catch on, but they are growing. And the big publishers know they will make a great deal of money from electronic publishing. The savings made from distribution and paper aren’t being passed on to the author in the form of royalties. The big publishers are keeping them for themselves. So they’ll be okay at the other end of the transition from paper to electronic. Not that the market will ever be solely one or the other, just that the balance will slowly change. Authors are in no position to demand more for electronic sales, when they are effectively being laid off, and there is a long queue of new hopefuls waiting to take their place.
In a shrinking market like this, the best sellers like Linda Howard, Nora Roberts and others are protected. They’ve built their audience and they have guaranteed sales, so although they may drop, they won’t drop too far. The big stars who make the big advances will still do okay, because everyone needs a loss leader. The lower end authors will continue to struggle, and write for the love of it. It’s the midlist authors who will suffer, particularly the ones who are print-only.
So what’s an author to do? Once she is labelled as being a ‘bad risk’ or ‘poor seller,’ even if it isn’t her fault (she has absolutely no say as to where her books are placed or what her projected sales are) once she gets that label, it’s hard to come back. Or maybe she was doing very nicely in a genre which took a nosedive. Publishers took all and any authors because of the increased demand for the books, and now they’re getting rid of the spare fat, as they see it. Because authors are essentially self-employed subcontractors, it’s easy to get rid of them, much easier than it is to get rid of regular staff.
She can change genres, and change her name. Many authors write in more than one genre (I do, as one humble example) and that helps, too. But I don’t change genres with the market, I write the stories that speak to me. So if both my genres fail, I’ll probably still be writing in them. But it does help hedge the market a bit. I know of at least two authors who switched markets and names, and although they don’t keep their previous identities a secret, they don’t exactly trumpet it to the world, either. There must be quite a few more.
There are more and more midlist authors moving to the electronic publishers, or placing a couple of books there. It doesn’t hurt and many authors write more books than their publishers are prepared to take. Also, electronic publishing can help to keep the backlist current, and that helps both the author and the reader looking for a series that is out of print (I went through agonies trying to get my missing copies of the books in Suzanne Brockmann’s Team Ten series because I came to it late).
What am I going to do? Nothing I can do except keep writing and ensure that I’m doing the best I can. I can only promote so much, and I haven’t the budget to do it on a big enough scale to be truly significant, so I’ll do what I do. In a way I’m protected because come what may, I’ll write. I always have. I’ve been published for eight years now, but I’ve been writing all my life. So I can make sure that what I do is worthwhile even if the only person who sees it is me.
Lynne, interesting thoughts on publishing and the future of books (more or less).
I don’t know diddly squat about publishing but I have to say – as a reader – I love ebooks, ereaders and all things electronic about books. My horizons have broadened significantly since ebooks. I remember when (10 years ago or so) I thought ordering books online and having them delivered was amazing. Then ebooks came along and the immediacy of acquiring books blew me away and now, my Kindle boggles my mind. I live in a podunk town in Ohio and my library has a great website with downloadable ebooks and audiobooks…still for free! Is this a great country or what?
But I digress, I fervently wish/hope that authors can be profitable with ebooks as this is my future. As a reader, to have all these books at my fingertips is a luxury I can’t give up. When I think of the books or authors (big names and unknown) that I’ve found here online and enjoyed, I know my reading experience is far richer than pre-electronic or computer. Would I have ever found m/m fiction or science fiction romance by wandering the aisles of my pitiful local bookstores? Um, probably not.
I have to believe that the e-format is going to grow stronger and that readers will seek out good books/authors. Do you think that the el cheapo marketing that is the internet will help with this? That the viral nature of the internet/blogs may somewhat equalize the hype & marketing for some print authors? Using my own experience , I have to say that ebooks seem to be the logical progression. And instead of book store appearances and signings that blog interviews and recommendations may have more value for book promotion in the very near future.
I see the glass as half full – that due to economics more books will be pushed to e-formats and that I will have even more access to more books of all types. Many more good books will be just a click away…a dream come true for this reader.
Yes, Peggy, I do believe the e-book market is going to get stronger. The only problem for authors is that many have signed contracts which virtually give the royalties away. While epublishing certainly has its expenses, if done properly, the author should be able to expect at least 30% royalties of cover price. it’s how the e-author can make decent money on fewer sales. However, the big publishers are offering nothing like that. They’re using the surplus to bolster the failing print market.
Before now, writers gladly gave up e-publishing rights in return for the advances and the larger money to be made from print publishing, but that really has to change. Agents especially should be looking at this (and I know a lot of them are) because the author on her own stands no chance against the big conglomerates.
The fallout in the midlist author could go several ways. The author could turn to the established e-publishing companies, which are now making reasonable money, or she could change her name, and maybe her genre, and start again. Or sell a new series. However it’s a real shame that the fans of the books won’t see the third book in the series unless she finds a new publisher for the last book. I hope the e-publishers step in, so the series can find closure.
And I agree. Except that I live in England and we haven’t been Kindled yet, but we have the Cybook, the Bebook and the Sony Reader over here (reports are that the Sony reader has been selling out fast). I use my Ipaq, but I’m itching to get a fancy new eink reader. The main thing that stops me is the lack of a backlight. With my poor eyesight the backlight is a real blessing.
We might not be in a position to demand more, but I think that shouldn’t stop us from demanding. Just like publishers, we’ve got to look at the long range and not let ourselves get screwed.
Just my 2 cents.
I don’t feel badly for myself as an author in this situation, but I do feel badly for my readers, and bear the responsibility of having left them hanging with the end of my last book, “Dark Hunger.”
I say I don’t feel badly for myself as an author because Kensington has treated me very well. They have awarded me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream and introduced me to a wealth of new friends through readers who have bought and enjoyed my books. They also did their part to help market the release of my second contracted book with them, which for a new author is pretty flattering.
But publishing is a numbers-game even in the best of times, and I knew that going in, and I completely understand why my series wasn’t contracted further. “Dark Hunger” was contracted at the same time as “Dark Thirst,” and when I proposed the ending to my editor, he approved with a very clear caveat that a third installment may not be contracted. I was under no illusions about this possibility, hoped for the best and chose to take a gamble. Unfortunately for me — and more importantly, for my readers, my gamble didn’t pay off. I feel awful about this and assume full responsibility. While the decision not to continue the series wasn’t mine, the choice to end the book in the way it does was mine alone. (For anyone who is following the series, you’ll find my outline for the third book on my forum: http://sarareinke.activeboard.com. I’m a firm believer in happy endings and hopefully this will demonstrate to readers I hadn’t planned on leaving things so open-ended and dire!)
As far as options go, like Lynne, I’m going to write the stories I enjoy telling. Always have. Always will, even if no one reads them but my mom, LOL. Would I like to hit the NY Times list someday? Sure — I’m not going to lie to you. But the truth is, I worked so hard promoting the Brethren books over the past year, investing time, effort, energy and money into trying to make them successful, and really came close to burning myself out. Authors have to wear so many different hats sometimes, and it can be all too easy to forget the one we enjoy wearing the most — our Writer’s Hat.
So I’m glad for this chance to get back to the fun stuff, telling my little stories. I’ve got my feet pretty firmly planted on the ground, I think. Yeah, my agent is still going to pitch my stuff to bigger publishers, but I’m not going to pin all of my hopes on some big, fantastic advance and a multibook contract. I’ve had good experiences with e-publishers like Double Dragon Publishing and while I might not make a fortune off my books with them, I’d publish with them again in a minute.
Oh, yeah — my agent wants me to change my name. Which is just as well since I’m shifting into darker, gritter urban fantasy. I’m still trying to come up with one that doesn’t sound like a stripper or a James Bond character. Ideas are more than welcome…!
Sara
Thanks for commenting, Sara. It takes a lot of guts to do what you did, and your response is incredibly gracious.
I think you have what it takes to make a great comeback. You go girl!
Well, I just don’t particularly see this an anything new within the publishing industry–so I don’t necessarily feel that it’s indicative of anything relating to the recession. Back in the first year of Kensington’s debut program, there were so many promising new authors–even RITA-nominated new authors–who weren’t offered a second contract. And that was in 2004-05, back when the economy was okay. All along I’ve been hearing that it’s harder to get that second contract than it is to get the first; that staying published is harder than getting published.
But I will say that, of all those original debut program authors who didn’t get subsequent contracts, many are now happily writing for different publishers.
I guess I’m just an optimist, but I feel like, in an economic depression, that escaping into some ‘happy place’ in a book is something a lot of people will want to do, and the price of a mass market paperback is still relatively low, compared to other forms of entertainment that folks might cut back on (movies, for example). That said, I *am* glad that my publishers (Kensington and Harlequin) also offer my books in e-formats, as well, offering a slightly lower-price option for those with e-readers.
Anyway, that’s just my two cents!
You I know I just noticed, I posted this the day I was laid off… irony there me think
I do think this isn’t really a new thing publishingwise. I mean I still have books by Elizabeth Lowell I will never get cuz of market.
A Nicole Jordan I will prolly never see cuz westerns… ::sniff::
same with Lorraine Heath
sadness
But to tell the truth those three up there are big reason where I am not shocked if something isn’t finished and a big reason to wait. Of course it is also why I wonder why series are SOOOOOOo popular.
I would like to add that I have Book 2, Virtually Hers, done and most of Book Three (while waiting for approval of my proposal for Book Three, I had to stop and focus on other writing), and if this series is indeed dropped by my publisher, I’ll try my best to find another publisher for them. My last option is to release them myself from my website because I do want readers to read the entire Jed’s and Hell’s story. I can’t do anything while my publisher still has me under contract for these books.
Hi,
Stumbled across this topic and wanted to throw another two cents in.
A dropped mid-list author can satisfy their readers (mid-series) and still turn a profit by taking control of the distribution of their future works and selling online.
Even better – distributing their books online for free – and still earn from it! After all – a writer deserves to be paid for their efforts (and as publishers squeeze the margins – it seems that it’s the authors that suffer).
I’m testing the waters with some freeconomics – the ability to give stuff away but also make some cash for the writing. Have a looksee at fengshuiassassin.com.
Ady
“A dropped mid-list author can satisfy their readers (mid-series) and still turn a profit by taking control of the distribution of their future works and selling online.”
Like Dara Joy, you mean?
If said author wants to become a publisher, fine. The expense of a shopping cart, a suitable website, managing funds, cover art, finding an editor (the person who has himself for an editor is employing a fool), and most of all, driving traffic to the site, then that’s fine.
For people who want to write, letting someone else do all that seems to be the better choice.
I’m not the entrepreneurial type, and having gained an MBA, I’m even more sure I’m not one!
“the person who has himself for an editor is employing a fool”
LOL love that… very true