How to use this Page

I’m using yesterday’s topic of borrowing and lending to another level today. For those who’ve worked their way into the publishing business in the past few years, the preconceptions of what it means to be a writer have learned the new definition. They’ve also learned about the new work ethic of writers.

Today’s Writers

Writers shamelessly promote their work, and the work of others, everywhere they can because their careers’ futures depend on that promotion. Also, the big publishing houses today simply don’t have the promotion budgets they had in the past.

Other writers encourage us to guest blog on their sites, whether for self-promotion to a new audience or for a new book recently released. Guest blogging can also be used to promote a new voice/viewpoint about a specific topic being discussed. Either way, both the borrower of the audience and the lender of said viewers come away with something needed.

For the first time in centuries, writers are taking charge of their own livelihoods in the business. Many independent-thinking writers, who created their own presses, have turned their backs on the major publishing houses. They no longer consider it wrong to go without an agent. These career-oriented writers have changed the face of the industry in the past decade.

Small presses, POD’s and eBooks are making profits harder to come by for the big boys right now.

Future Possibilities

Whether I give information out for free, or I receive such information for free is irrelevant to the overall picture. The reason I can say that is because it’s beginning to look like the industry will soon be owned by the writers themselves in some respects.

Blogs and newsletters written by and for writers are created every day. They cover all the genres, and they take no prisoners. Whatever a writer wants to know is out there. Surfing and search engines make it impossible to overlook much that’s available.

When you consider that writers, editors, bloggers, along with magazines are ranking websites, newsletters, etc. on a regular basis, the built-in watchdogs guarantee that a careful user is safer from publishing scams than they used to be.

As encouragement, universities across the country are making free writing courses available by the dozen. Paid courses are also easily found and evaluated as to viability to the particular writer and well and skill set desired. And if a writer is determined, she can take an MFA degree online, or as a low-residency program from numerous colleges across the nation.

Advertising and promotion is easy to come by. Small, writer-controlled, publishing houses are moving in to entice new writers and secure established ones. A combo house—one which publishes both eBooks and POD simultaneously can take a well-written manuscript and turn it out to the public in a matter of only a few weeks/months instead of one to two years as happens with the big publishers. The lead time depends on the editing necessary for the manuscript and the dedication of the publishing staff.

Many of these same small presses use talented editors, promotion—including trailers and online, and help with marketing after the release of the book.

Building Publishing’s Future

Whether the new face of publishing comes at the expense of the major houses around the world isn’t the question. We should be asking if we want to

I’m using yesterday’s topic of borrowing and lending to another level today. For those who’ve worked their way into the publishing business in the past few years, the preconceptions of what it means to be a writer have learned the new definition. They’ve also learned about the new work ethic of writers.

Today’s Writers

Writers shamelessly promote their work, and the work of others, everywhere they can because their careers’ futures depend on that promotion. Also, the big publishing houses today simply don’t have the promotion budgets they had in the past.

Other writers encourage us to guest blog on their sites, whether for self-promotion to a new audience or for a new book recently released. Guest blogging can also be used to promote a new voice/viewpoint about a specific topic being discussed. Either way, both the borrower of the audience and the lender of said viewers come away with something needed.

For the first time in centuries, writers are taking charge of their own livelihoods in the business. Many independent-thinking writers, who created their own presses, have turned their backs on the major publishing houses. They no longer consider it wrong to go without an agent. These career-oriented writers have changed the face of the industry in the past decade.

Small presses, POD’s and eBooks are making profits harder to come by for the big boys right now.

Future Possibilities

Whether I give information out for free, or I receive such information for free is irrelevant to the overall picture. The reason I can say that is because it’s beginning to look like the industry will soon be owned by the writers themselves in some respects.

Blogs and newsletters written by and for writers are created every day. They cover all the genres, and they take no prisoners. Whatever a writer wants to know is out there. Surfing and search engines make it impossible to overlook much that’s available.

When you consider that writers, editors, bloggers, along with magazines are ranking websites, newsletters, etc. on a regular basis, the built-in watchdogs guarantee that a careful user is safer from publishing scams than they used to be.

As encouragement, universities across the country are making free writing courses available by the dozen. Paid courses are also easily found and evaluated as to viability to the particular writer and well and skill set desired. And if a writer is determined, she can take an MFA degree online, or as a low-residency program from numerous colleges across the nation.

Advertising and promotion is easy to come by. Small, writer-controlled, publishing houses are moving in to entice new writers and secure established ones. A combo house—one which publishes both eBooks and POD simultaneously can take a well-written manuscript and turn it out to the public in a matter of only a few weeks/months instead of one to two years as happens with the big publishers. The lead time depends on the editing necessary for the manuscript and the dedication of the publishing staff.

Many of these same small presses use talented editors, promotion—including trailers and online, and help with marketing after the release of the book.

Building Publishing’s Future

Whether the new face of publishing comes at the expense of the major houses around the world isn’t the question. We should be asking if we want to

In the publishing world there are many houses in which to hang your hat. A house is simply one aspect of the business: i.e. writer, editor, agent, publicist, marketing rep, publisher, copywriter, etc.

People choose an aspect of the business on which they wish to concentrate their efforts and take up that role.

The question comes up for all of us in this business. “What will you concentrate your energies on?”

For some, writing for publication is the only goal. The dedicated writer cannot envision any other use for time and energy than to dictate stories, articles, books, or poems. The occasional diversion into marketing happens because the writer needs to sell something written.

Acting as an editor only comes during the need to critique another writer’s work who happens to belong to the writer’s critique group. The purpose of that exercise also helps to sharpen the writer’s own skills for self-editing. Today’s dedicated writer invariably belongs to a minimum of one writer’s critique group, and sometimes belongs to as many as one or two online groups and one face-to-face group. The latter scenario is common.

Many dedicated writers choose not to have an agent. Some don’t want to pay someone else to do what they feel can be done by the writer. Other’s don’t want to go through what they see as the hassle and time it takes to peddle themselves to an agent. Some do well for themselves with book contracts and periodical work and, therefore, don’t require an agent. By the same token, the average copywriter doesn’t need one, either.

Writers who work in several genres, might have as many as two or three agents. One agent for suspense thrillers, one for children’s books, and one for non-fiction books. A separate agent for screenplays or stage plays, too, tends to be indispensable. This is possible because agents each tend to deal only with certain markets. This, too, is common.

Marketing reps usually work for the publishing house and work with the author after a book deal has been signed. It’s their job to find successful retail outlets for the project as well as get pre-release reviews lined up, live interviews with the author, etc. The job takes finesse, savvy, and lots of hard work.

Many self-published authors hire a publicist to do press releases, set up interviews, etc. so that they don’t have to learn the ins and outs of that job, too. They want and need the publicity, but they don’t want the headaches of the work nor lose the writing time to it. Today’s publicist does a good deal of online work, getting the author’s name on as many cyber lips as possible. Being part of the Buzz can help the writer with sales.

Of course, there are those who recognize talent when they read it and want to create their own small press. With the current internet atmosphere, such presses are springing up every day. With a small grant to cover initial start-up costs and to carry the publisher for the first year, this enterprise can work very well, according to the business plan being used. Regardless of the business sense behind the press, however, without the ability to recognize excellent writers who can carry a reading audience, the press risks folding in short order. This goes for start-up magazines, too, on or off-line.

These are the major pre-release players in the publishing game. The versatile writer might use all of them before a career in publishing becomes life-long. These are the players with whom every writer needs to get acquainted.

Not every writer will make it to stardom. Not every writer will make book deals or enjoy editors calling them to dispense assignments for hefty sums. And not every writer is suited to work in that pressure cooker ca