But they get rejected because their work doesn't meet the reader's standards. Which is what matters, if you want to be read... who cares whether publishers like your book if readers do?
I do, since in most cases I respect the opinions of agents and editors. And when a publishing house puts their money, time, and personnel where their mouth is, I'd say that's a pretty positive beginning. However, I do agree that the success of a book will ultimately be determined by readers, but this can only happen if the book is bought and read by readers, and this is faaaaar more likely to happen when trade houses use their promotion and marketing abilities -- something which SP'ers don't have. But as I've said many times before, my hope for all writers (me included) is that somehow this problem will be solved. I want all of us to have as many viable options as is possible.
And you wouldn't sell any. Probably. Though if you were imaginative enough in how you wrote those words...
True, but I don't think that's the point tina was trying to make.
...but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't self-publish if the novel is at least competent and particularly if it's something that trade publishers won't touch.
Hey, if an individual wants to SP after knowing all the facts, who am I to say no. Certainly niche books are perfect for SP'ing. However, since a minute few have the ability which Derek has, for 99% it will mean an enormous outlay of time and money, to say nothing of a knowledge of how to promote and market. And even then, you have to be content with the possibility of selling only a few books and making very limited income.
Ultimately trade publishing is a middleman, and one thing technology has proven again and again is that it tends to eliminate inefficient middlemen who don't have some kind of monopoly position.
I don't get this. Certainly in the overall scheme of things trade houses have proven themselves to be efficient middlemen, who, given paper books, do have a monopoly. If you're talking about ebooks, the demand for same is extremely new and everyone is in the midst of adapting. Lets wait and see what develops in the next couple of years.
Particularly with Amazon becoming a publisher as well as a retailer, with better deals for authors and without the baggage that the traditional publishers carry around with them, I think publishers are going to be living in interesting times for the next few years.
I agree, and that's why I think we have to wait a while before drawing any conclusions. Amazon is a giant, but trade publishers are right there as well. It will be interesting and hopefully to the benefit of writers.
Now, if Big Name Publisher called me tomorrow and said 'hey, we'll give you a million dollars for your next novel' my response would be 'hell yeah!' But the idea that no-one should put a novel up for sale until agents and publishers have beaten them with sticks for years just seems too S&M for my tastes. Most self-published novels will be crap, some will be good, some will be OK; some of the OK writers will learn from their mistakes and become good. Over time we'll all be better off with more good novels on the market.
Well, I don't agree with you. I do think that writers should at least take a couple of years attempting to be published by a trade house-getting an agent first would help.
