Agent Kristin Nelson expresses her frustration with the industry

I've been following all this and getting more and more down. Midlist and debut authors are getting the brunt of all this it seems.

Its the nonepic, nonbig books that keep people coming back for more, and I don't quite get why publishers are putting all their eggs in one basket by only wanting megabestseller potential books. How do they even know what is going to strike the whims of readers?

Its frustrating being an author who could have potentially sold much faster only a few short years ago, to now face the possibility that my writing isn't BIG enough to garner attention.

Talk about a rock and a hard place.

I suspect it's because the bean counters, not the editors, are driving many of the decisions right now due to the economy. And bean counters are not known for their appetite for risk. I just hope that things improve when the economy improves.

I see it in my industry too. We're cutting back on advanced research and development because our managers (and the bean counters) want guaranteed small wins, not potential blockbuster advances that could flop in a big way. When times were better, the engineers had a greater influence over the R&D decisions.

I don't actually blame editors, they have a really tough job, turning down books they love because they know they won't be able to sell it to marketing/publicity.

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It's not marketing/publicity's fault, either, though. It's that department's job to sell the books that come through the door--and if they have the right people they should be able to do it, no matter the book. I don't see this as a flaw in the marketing departments. But I can see it the flaw in all the higher ups who are nervous about authorizing print on something that does not have mass appeal.

Which is sad really,and as a reader too. Some of the best books I've read have not been the Bestselling bazillion copy books that have been made into a movie.

It feels like its not about author longevity so much as finding that next big hit and milking it for all its worth then moving on to the next one.

Toothpaste said:

An excerpt:

"If editors don’t see something as a big book, they are passing. Or my other recent favorite, if it doesn’t fit into a very narrowly prescribed genre of what has worked for them (oh let’s say something like dark YA angsty romance), then they are also passing.

Okay…. Hollywood does this too until the next big hit comes out of “nowhere” because it’s nothing like any movie currently out. I know it’s tough, editors, but I’d love a little vision."


And on twitter today, maybe even sparked by this post, many agents are seconding the feeling. Colleen Lindsay at Fine Print (and also an occasional visitor here) tweeted: Books that would have sold in about two weeks last year are being lovingly rejected right and left.

So what are your thoughts?

For me I understand that the economy is tough right now, and that nothing that really happens in the next couple years in the industry should be looked at as a new norm. However I am concerned and agree with their concerns. Furthermore, I have never ever understood why publishers don't realise that the next big thing ALWAYS comes out of left field. Post Harry Potter everyone wanted the next Harry Potter, and bam, Twilight happens. A book about teenage vampires, totally and completely opposite from HP.

With films you've got something like Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow. Disney execs were terrified of his acting choices and costume/hair/makeup choices. They kept telling him, the director, everyone to change it. Fortunately the director stood up to them, and then look, we have a franchise that was one of the top grossing of all time. And why? No it wasn't Keira or Orlando. It wasn't the pirates. It was Jack Sparrow. Otherwise it would have been a fun, but ultimately forgettable film.

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Yes. I agree with everything you said. And now I'm off to write my YA novel about a filthy alcoholic dreadlocked pirate sparkly cold vampire plucky wizarding student who falls in love with a personality-less doormat of a girl and then wacky antics ensue. I should be doing the backstroke in my giant swimming pool of money by 2010

In seriousness, yes, it's scary that there's a trend of wanting more stuff like the old stuff, and less new sorts of stuff. This noob writer is going to keep on writing what I'm passionate and polishing it till it shines, though.

I'd be happier to see more books published rather than fewer. More choice helps writers find their audience and readers find the books they love. I wish the economy would improve to allow for the scenario of more books being published and the stronger sellers carrying the weaker sellers well enough to continue publishing more worthy novels, thereby letting the public decide what they want.

Toothpaste said:

Oh it's definitely the bean counters. And a lot of blame rests on the bookstore buyers and the big box stores like Walmart - their influence on what gets published, on what cover a book gets etc is incredible. I have yet to meet an editor who didn't love many kinds of books and didn't have passion for them. I don't actually blame editors, they have a really tough job, turning down books they love because they know they won't be able to sell it to marketing/publicity.

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Frakkin' Walmart. I go there to buy laundry soap and paper towels, not books. Their selection stinks on ice, at least for me. If I were to judge the entire book market by Walmart, it would be made up of romances, inspirational fiction, memoirs, children's books, some Oprah book club selections, and Times bestsellers only. There's a whole world of books out there they don't get any play. It's great for the authors who get picked up by them and other big chains (and I'm happy for them, really!), but what about the rest? It's depressing, and I think it drives the market in ways it probably shouldn't. At least B&N and Borders and a few others have more selections (though B&N is *super* heavy where I'm at on reprinted classics) from a wider range of genres.

This really depresses me. Because if publishers are simply looking for what works and what is hot and if urban fantasy is hot and if my urban fantasy keeps getting rejected then the only conclusion I can draw is that my story really does suck.

Whoa, I noticed a familiar name in the blog comments saying how he'd love to go through the slush pile at Random House.

ETA: Familiar sounding arguments/rants too. . . .

Bubastes said:

Whoa, I noticed a familiar name in the blog comments saying how he'd love to go through the slush pile at Random House.

ETA: Familiar sounding arguments/rants too. . . .

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Who? Anonymous?

Between this blog post and Nathan's blog post about changes in the industry, it's easy to get discouraged. I'm of the opinion that if we're looking for 'blame' in the choices editors are making about books these days, maybe the fault lies outside of the industry. Maybe it's the reading public, one who's accustomed to the big names (Rowling, King, Roberts, Brown, Meyer, etc) and isn't willing to take a risk on something new. Maybe part of the blame can go to major retailers like Walmart or grocery stores, who stock their limited shelf space with sure-fire bestsellers and nothing else. Maybe it's the link between television/movies and books--the books that have a better chance on the screen get the better opportunity in publishing. There are lots of possibilities.

But I'm thinking it's the dollar dollar bill, y'all. We're in a recession, profits are down, the industry (somewhat prematurely) may be tightening its collective belt and is less likely to take a risk on an unknown.

I suspect large publishers are doing what Hollywood and network television is doing: grinding out product that is a sure bet to be profitable. It's a formula that probably has to do with the bottom line more than anything.

Whoa, I noticed a familiar name in the blog comments saying how he'd love to go through the slush pile at Random House.

ETA: Familiar sounding arguments/rants too. . . .

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*grin*

better there than here.

Saskatoonistan said:

I suspect large publishers are doing what Hollywood and network television is doing: grinding out product that is a sure bet to be profitable. It's a formula that probably has to do with the bottom line more than anything.

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The current trend of taking comic books or 80's tv shows and making them into movies = the current trend of taking already written classics and inserting zombies and vampires.

I don't get either of those.

(Totally waiting for the Miami Vice movie with Don Johnson making cameo) hehe

YAwriter72 said:

The current trend of taking comic books or 80's tv shows and making them into movies = the current trend of taking already written classics and inserting zombies and vampires.

I don't get either of those.

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Demographics and profitability.

I'm 42 and I have (theoretically, at least) buying power. Presumably some big studio assumes people in my demographic will be interested in seeing a big screen version of "The Greatest American Hero" or "The A-Team" (which is currently being filmed, btw - Liam Neeson is Hannibal.)

Shadow_Ferret said:

the only conclusion I can draw is that my story really does suck.

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Said it better (and faster) than I could. Relative to my stories, not yours, I mean. I'm long past blaming the industry for anything.

caw

Hopefully... hopefully... the economy will pick up and the editors (and beancounters) will loosen their grip...

I was at Borders the other day, and it was busy. I was so happy. For months, the place has been like a ghost town when I drive by it. You hear crickets as you browse.

(as for me, I still couldn't afford what I wanted and left empty handed. Sigh)

Maybe they should print books on the insides of cereal boxes. "Tiki the Tiger and the Prismatic Puma" page 1 inside - collect all 300!

Then people would have to buy 300 boxes of specially marked Froooot Hooooops to find out how the story ends.

See? We just need a new paradigm is all.

The news doesn't depress me, because I'm too cynical for that to happen. These same sorts of things have been happening, on and off, since publishing began. The only difference is that with the spread of the internet, we know when it's going on.

I agree with Kristin, but she has been guilty of fostering the mindset that she now decries. However, I am glad to see her making waves.

I write, but I don’t consider myself a writer, since to become one requires imagination, skill, and dedication. I possess the imagination, but not the other two. However, becoming a qualified consumer of writing is easy. You only need to be able to read, and since it’s my dollar that the writer, the publisher, and the agent seek, I consider myself the world’s foremost expert in the field of my personal book consumerism.

I read dozens of books a year, but haven’t read a hardcover for decades. I also don’t read the super-sized paperbacks that currently fill the shelves in Wal-Mart and other stores, There are two reasons for my fickleness. The first is that I’m cheap, and the second is that I read while lying down, so I prefer the price and lighter weight of a standard paperback. For the same reasons, I have no interest in reading from a screen.

Those preferences severely limit what is available to read, and to make matters worse, I’m totally bored with the current zest for more-of-the-same in every story. I want more variety, but it’s not out there for me.

I admit to being one of the unwashed who is bored to tears with any writing that demands a thesaurus beside the bed, or a degree in psychiatry to understand the plot. I also have no interest in the glut of cinematic crap from Hollywood or most of the drivel available on DirecTV, so I read to be entertained. That means that my world of entertainment is small and growing smaller.

So, what would I like to see that would separate me from my moldy Federal Reserve notes? Well, I wish I could get on line, read a back cover blurb and a couple of chapters from those unpublished stories, and then order a custom printed paperback. Sort of like a Netflix for readers. Modern printing technology should be able to accommodate something like that while still keeping the price competitive with those currently found on bookstore shelves.

Let me be my own editor. If I find too many typos, or if I don’t like the writing style, I won’t order the book. If the story is interesting enough to want to read it, I’m not going to get upset over a few too many adverbs, or an info dump that might have been deleted. I recently read a self-published story that had not been edited professionally, and it showed, but it was one of the most entertaining stories I’ve read in years. It was like getting a personal letter that left me laughing, crying, and completely enthralled with the story she was telling. The few technical errors didn’t matter…it was the story that wouldn’t let me put the book down.

From my own experience - the initial foray with my agent into the wonderful world of being on submission - yeah, they all want something that's going to break out. At least one of the rejections on that first book said exactly that: it's a wonderful story, great characters, blah blah etc, heaps of glowing praise... but we don't think this is the right book for the author to break out with.

And I kinda went: Huh?!

But my agent sold the second book I sent her, in a two-book deal, so eventually I got one that was "good enough" (which, of course, was the 12th or 13th novel I'd written, so *sigh* there).

Sad post from Kristin, but true.

I just keep thinking 'why'd the hell did I wait until now, during the most dire economic shambles in recent history, to write my first novel?'

*sigh*