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I think, from my own perspective, authors feel a little lost and powerless in the whole mix. I've read so many different takes on this subject and I'm still confused.

Corporate entities by their nature will try to force everything into the mold that fits for them and it feels, to us, like a battle of Goliaths, when we are David, dangling our sling and wondering if anyone would notice our little pebble.

I will soon be entering the digital book world with a (very) large digital-only start-up, and one thing I do not know yet is, how will my book be priced?

I think I need to learn more!

Thank you so much for addressing this and looking out for your authors. One would hope that the creator of the book would receive some benefit of reduced production costs, but without a good agent to go into battle for them, I'm afraid many authors will lose. :(

Yes, let's hear it for the author. This ebook thing kinda reminds me of how Hollywood has been known to treat screenplay authors.They often are the redheaded step-child in the pecking order. In this ebook controversy, once again authors are pretty much out of the loop. I agree wholeheartedly with your pricing argument. If publishers priced according to margin profit, indeed they would vary a price of each book depending on their inherent cost to produce that book which includes those costs you outlined. Makes a lot of sense to me.

Jessica - I really like the way you're thinking about this. Especially the part about giving the author higher e-book royalities because of reduced costs.

This isn't just a fairness issue, either.

Traditional publishers are now competing with Amazon, especially for debut authors. As a debut author, if Amazon pays me 35%, why would I even go to a traditional publisher? Honestly, I'm starting to wonder what the benefit of traditional publishing is for me, period. They would take control, treat me like I'm the least important part of the team, order me around, provide me with no marketing support - why would I choose them with such a low royalty rate on top of everything else?

Maybe there's something I'm not seeing here.....but for debut authors, it seems to me that Amazon is the better deal. Period. And I'm not talking about making a name for myself and heading toward traditional publishing.

I can e-publish now, and then, if I get successful, self-publish. And then I'd make 100% on the royalties rate.

Please don't misunderstand. I'm not in this for the money. It's the principle of the thing. And I'd love to have an agent and a team working with me. But not if I'm devalued in general and the team is taking 90% of the profits.

What I don't understand is why the publishers even need Amazon?? Sure, it makes sense with the print model to have Amazon distribute their books, but with e-books the distribution costs are much less--mainly an e-commerce website and the accounting that goes with it. Why should it matter to a buyer where they point and click as long as it's a secure and trustworthy site?

I am getting a little tired of the litanies all around.

Bad Amazon
Mean MacMillan
Poor author

But what about the consumer--the plain old reader who supports the entire industry with their hard-earned cash?

Whatever price points these two giants want to hash out means nothing until the consumer puts out.

I'll be interested to see what the real market will bear.

I agree with you that the author is being left out of the mix. Where I have to disagree is your suggestion that the publishers should be able to set the price of their products. Of course they should! But the way I see it, that has already been happening here. They've chosen to sell to Amazon (their customer) at $12.50. It happens that Amazon has chosen to sell its products (those same books) to its customers (readers) at $9.99. Certainly this price point is selling more books. Certainly this price point helps sell the Kindle. Unfortunately it is just as certainly setting an unsustainably low standard for expectations of what a book should cost.

I have no problem with MacMillan's (is HC next?) insistence on the agency model where they're selling THROUGH Amazon rather than TO Amazon. I hope it works. If this all falls through, then I'd hope someone would go after Amazon for anti-competitive practices. Not being a lawyer I don't know how that works, but it seems to me that as soon as Amazon began (begins? have they started yet???) selling their own books, they have indeed become competitors of the other publishers, rather than partners in commerce.

I've read any number of discussions of this battle between Macmillan and Amazon, but one point I've thought of seems to always be left out.

Yes, a manufacturer sets a price that they think is fair for a retailer to charge for their product. This price is called the MSRP: Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. Note that second word--suggested. That means that the price the manufacturer sets for that product is what they think is fair for all parties.

Retailers are not bound to sell that product at that price, however. They may discount any retail item any way they wish, including discounting it so deeply that they take a loss on its sale. That is the retailer's prerogative.

The same has always been true in the publishing industry, as well. The printed price on the jacket of a book may be $24.99, but the bookseller may choose to discount that book to $9.99 (or $19.99, or $4.99, or anything else) if they wish. For that matter, they could choose to place their price sticker over the printed price and charge $29.99.

I'm having difficulty understanding why the pricing of an ebook at Amazon (or at any other book retailer) should ultimately be decided by the publisher. The publisher can suggest a price point which they feel is fair to all parties, but the retailer should not be bound by those terms--but only by the cost negotiated for the retailer to pay the publisher for each copy sold.

Let me state this upfront: I believe publishers put a LOT of money into books and have a LOT of costs, and I believe they should make a profit.

BUT... when we list those costs, can we PLEASE stop listing marketing? Yes, they market some books. But guess what... the authors do MORE, and the authors are NOT compensated for marketing. It comes OUT of our profit, and can eat all of a new author's "profit."

THANK YOU!

Often times when something like this in the publishing world happens--like the whole Harlequin debacle a few months back--the author is forgotten. I'm glad that you've mentioned this.

I mean, without the author, there would be no point to the publishing industry.

"What I don't understand is why the publishers even need Amazon?? Sure, it makes sense with the print model to have Amazon distribute their books, but with e-books the distribution costs are much less--mainly an e-commerce website and the accounting that goes with it. Why should it matter to a buyer where they point and click as long as it's a secure and trustworthy site?"

This is an excellent comment. It shouldn't matter, but right now it does. People are familiar with amazon and this is where they tend to make their purchases. I'm guilty of doing it myself and I should know better.

But it would be far better for everyone if readers would purchase directly from the publisher's web site. I'm not promoting any one publisher in particular, but the next time anyone considers buying an e-book, at least take the time to consider buying from the publisher's web site first. Especially all the smaller e-publishers who truly value each and every sale.

Amen, Jessica. Amen.

I now officially love you.

Thanks for thinking of us.

Hugs,
Cheryl

You know, sometimes I wonder if people think I'm just a trouble-maker, or hostile to the industry.

No, that's not it at all. I really like the agents I know. And why would I want people to lose their jobs?

I'm outspoken in part because I'd love to see authors more empowered.

But also, I believe the publishing industry needs to hear this. It needs to start thinking about engaging more loyalty from authors now, before it becomes too late. That's what I think, anyway.

Of course, I could be wrong. I frequently am.

I absolutely agree on the author point and think writers need to get involved in increasing public awareness. I'm in the middle of writing my own blog post as my way of helping readers understand exactly what this all means to the authors. It makes me cringe to hear readers say, "Well, I just won't buy the ebook at $15. I'll wait for a used paperback at 15 cents." It's their right and prerogative, of course, but I think if they understood the writer's perspective more, they'd better appreciate the value of a book.

In a free market, pricing is set at what the market can bear. If the product cannot be produced at profit with that price, then it's up to the manufacturer to reduce their costs. Coca-Cola can't decide they want to price a 20 oz bottle of Coke at $5 and expect it to sell. The market won't bear that price and there is too much competition to try to force the consumer to pay it. However, Starbucks has proven that we WILL pay $5 for a cup of coffee if it's worth it. Writers, agents, publishers, etc., need to be proactive in proving that their books are worth the higher price.

And publishers need to pass on their higher profit margins from ebooks to the authors. After all, authors create at least 75% of the product. It's not even the same as scriptwriters (though I'm totally supportive of their deserving more credit and compensation), because there is much more that goes into the movie or show than just the writing to make it good. In a book, it's all about the story and the writing.

I could go on and on about this, which I will on my own blog. I'll stop tying up this one now. :-) Thanks for the great post and conversation! The more we all discuss this, the more readers will understand.

Good points! Personally, I hate shopping on Amazon cuz they constantly try to place "cookies" on your e-mail and they don't combine shipping for books. So why can't publishers market and distribute their own titles online to save costs, and thus pay the authors more?

I think authors who market and sell their own books should be rewarded or compensated for their efforts. Higher advances next time or more publicity?

Here's a good article that appeared in Huffington Post by an agent: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-zack/the-beginning-of-the-end_b_448155.html

Thank you, thank you, thank you for that last comment in your post.

Lots of people on the internet and in that "Amazon Kindle Forum" are dissing on Macmillan. No one seems to understand that those of us who create these stories in the first place are getting screwed.

We are the storytellers - but, disregard for storytellers isn't new. I love the story about Frank Capra bragging about what a great director he was, blah, blah, blah, and the next day a stack of blank pages was deliverd to him by a screenwriter with whom he frequently worked. The note on the blank pages said "direct this".

So, to the readers who think Amazon is right, and who think Macmillan is wrong, let me say that what Macmillan is doing will ultimately be of benefit to the writers, and the free market will drive a fair price for consumers, which is what we all want.

I would hope the readers out there would be supportive of the people who create the stories you read.

I love this discussion, and have been obsessively combing the internet for news of the Amazon vs. MacMillan saga.

I, for one, am excited to see what other publishing houses follow suit. We shall see :). I'm hoping that whatever happens, authors will benefit from the change.

The Coca-Cola analogy is sort of off because retailers and restaurants charge what they want to charge for soft drinks (for example, Wal-Mart will charge $1 for a one liter bottle of Coca-Cola, whereas a corner store charges $2.49; or Taco Bell sells a 20 oz cup of soda for $1.59, and the gas station down the street does so for $0.99) depending on their business model.

I personally err on the side of Mira's comments. Since the bruhaha broke out I have been on the authors' side: the side of authors wanting higher royalties for ebooks if the prices rise.

I am a writer, and while NY is a goal, I am turned off by the platitudes of "what about the authors?". IMO, it smacks of the continuing practice for authors to place their careers into the hands of publishers (that whole erroneous viewpoint of publishers as employers). Point blank, readers have the choice and the right to not spend their money on a book or a few books if they don't want to, and without thinking about the author behind the book.

Certainly, as an author, I think we do matter, and without us, there would be no product for publishers to produce BUT at the end of the day, to a reader, a book is more than likely a disposable source of entertainment. Of the gazillion books in print right now, only a handful are considered treasures to each individual reader (even with large keeper shelves).

In light of the lack of concern for authors, it behooves us to care more for making ourselves indispensable AND gathering as much education as possible on the industry. Gone are the days (or did they ever exist) where an author wrote, an editor edited, and readers read. The longer writers hold onto their dreams of having a career like long-time authors, the more vulnerable they become to being squeezed out of the profits of their work. It's not 1981 anymore, or 1995, or even 2004--I'm looking to the future, and I really hope more authors begin to as well.

The entire author-to-reader paradigm is being reinvented. Publishers, editors, printers, agents, wholesalers, distributors and retailers are all middlemen. Each is out for his share. I have no problem with that and I'm not saying who is or is not useful in the process. My boss and my stapler are useful, but they are both overhead. Necessary, but overhead.
I have no doubt we will find the right way to do things - after we've tried all the wrong ways.

Jessica, I love what you have to say about the Amazon situation and just wish the powers that be would pay attention. Regarding the pricing of ebooks--one thing that's often left out of the conversation regarding the cost of an ebook is that readers are paying for content, not production. The percentage authors see for their work is so small, whether for print or ebook, that it often seems that the author is left out of the equation altogether.

Without the content, there is no book, print or digital. Which leads me to another issue, and that is ebook piracy. We have got to find a way to stop it. When I go into a pirate site and see how many THOUSANDS of times my books have been illegally downloaded I feel like throwing my hands in the air in defeat. It's growing by the day and affecting all of us who are published. Got any suggestions?

Well said! Good points!

I'm so glad the agent views on this have all been author advocacy. Thank you for that.

It's been a long time since I took finance, but once upon a time I did, and the very most basic calculation you make is unit cost. Unit cost is a function of fixed costs and unit costs, and the fixed costs between eBooks and Paper books should be the SAME (except machinery setup). It is the unit cost that is vastly different because of paper, printing, shipping, storing.

The problem is, the author provides the SAME product whether the physical thing is paper or digital, and the reimbursement per unit ought to be the same--an added on unit price, rather than a calculated from the other costs thing.

I think it's always been on a percentage because the price of books goes down over time--new hard copy, discounted hard copy, paper back run... so it requires some regular recalculation, but the DOLLAR VALUE an author gets for an eCopy should be the same as for a hard copy released at the same time. I wish THAT could be calculated into the price of the book--whatever form it takes..

Amen. I think the author has gotten lost in this discussion. Yes, the publisher buys the book but the author is the one that WRITES it, for goodness sake.

They deserve to be compensated for their talents, plain and simple.

Going back to the Coke analogy, if Coke was losing money they wouldn't go out and say "we need to double the price of bottles of Coke" before they said "we should figure out where we're wasting our money in production."

Publishers, instead of saying "we're going to get customers acclimated to a price point that isn't sustainable" (under the current business model) should be asking themselves how to drive costs out of the process to make themselves profitable by charging less.

Just as most people wouldn't pay $2.50 for a bottle of Coke, there are going to be few who want to spend $15 on an electronic book.

My own fear is that publishers are going down this track to try and kill the rise in e-book usage, because their entire business model is focused on hardback and paperback...

This is reminding me a whole lot of the music industry when it went from records and CDs to digital mp3... I am also remembering that when we had records and CDs, the prices for each were the same regardless of the quality of the product.The price per record incorporated all the studio time for work that never sold, and so my paying $5.99 for a Queen record meant I was also paying for less successful artists on Elektra, for example. Doesn't sound too different from what publishers have done.

It also makes me ponder the point, and maybe it's just me being a geezer- to what extent is the physical aspect of the finished product (ie: the pages, the album cover) a part of the product beyond the actual artistic content? I for one would never have bought Meatloaf's Bat Out of Hell without seeing that amazing cover art. The same might be true of a book cover title or design. Food for thought there as we discuss pricing.

I am tempted to argue that publishing houses should keep extra profit from ebooks since they "figured out" a way to save themselves money. After all, they are footing the publishing bill. If you get your royalties percentage based, technically an author gets more profit because there is more profit to be had with ebooks.

I don't really think that's fair though. The initial reason for screwing authors with such low profits was: books are so expensive to publish. IMO, the increase should be divided up fairly. Good luck getting everyone to agree on what fair is though.

A lot of people forget about the readers who are buying books in this equation. Ebooks are being handled badly all around. They still get the "second class citizen" treatment.

Ebooks are cheap(er) to put out and there are no returns. Plus they cannot be resold or shared (less people buying used). Add the hassle of proprietary formats and DRM. With that being said, why would someone want to pay same price or more than buying a paperback book?

A paperback book can be returned, resold and shared often. Let's not forget that the bookstore isn't going to steal the book back either.

I hate DRM btw. It is often cracked within a week and is only a hassle to people who legally purchased their product. Anyone who thinks you can stop pirated software is in denial. I cannot think of a single digital entertainment item that hasn't been hacked and pirated in some way.

My question is, why are ebooks being priced so high? Sure they want everyone to keep paying a high price to save their hardcovers, but that's silly. People who require hardcovers will still buy them, everyone else is looking for a deal.

Ebooks are not hardcovers and have seriously restricted access / usage. The product is not worth the price at $14.99 (I'm not a fan of $9.99 if I can buy the paperback at the same time for $7.99 either).

Part of what happened in the music industry was outrageous prices. $17 - $20 for 52 minutes of music was too high. Because of the music industry goof ups (and napster's gui) everyone knows where to find illegal downloads. And we only pay $.99 for DRM-free mp3s because it's cheap enough to outweigh the risk of getting a virus trying to find an illegal copy.

I love ebooks, but this entire fiasco is irritating. Ebooks are the most restricted form of their product and the cheapest to put out. They should be cheaper than physical books. This is a recipe for disaster when it comes to pirated software. Why "push people" to this with ridiculous prices?

As a writer, I'd love to think my novels are worth $25, but they're not. $25 is because they're expensive to make / ship / store / sell / buy back. Don't get me wrong. I'm am not disputing profit there, but there is profit to be had elsewhere too.

Paperbacks are $7.99 and I have a lot of trouble figuring out how an ebook is priced higher than that, especially if they're available at the same time. If ebooks are going to be expensive the restrictions need to be dropped. The rare exception to something like that I would understand a Harry Potter (etc) book going for $9.99.

So maybe I'm agreeing that books should be priced to scale. And maybe I'm saying instead of passing all the extra profits to authors and publisher, some of it might go to the consumer savings. If you think about it, the consumers are still getting your valued story, but they are getting it in a really shabby and hassle filled way.

Something else to consider is that if books are cheaper, people who buy books will buy more books.

On a side note: I don't condone or agree with pirated or hacked software. However, it's out there and it's not going away. It's so common people often don't associate it with stealing anymore.

I thought this was an interesting perspective on problem with pirated books: Slashdot.org Article

Anon247--libraries are nothing like pirates. Libraries buy copies of our books and lend them out until the books need to be replaced, and then, if it's a popular book, they buy another copy. Last year I was directed to one pirating site where over 7000 copies of one of my books had been illegally downloaded. When I got the files taken down, they were put back up the next week by another thief. It's like playing "whack a mole" trying to keep up with it, and very discouraging to any career author trying to live on their writing income.

It may be that - from an accounting perspective - writers are perceived merely as "costs" ie. as raw material in the production of a product.

Kate Douglas - that's awful. I know Ryan has talked about this too. I'm glad you're letting us know - people need to know that piracy is hurting real people.

You have my support - I'm really sorry this happens!

Thanks, Mira. It seems to be exploding--every one of my thirty-odd books is available somewhere for illegal free download--even one I give away for free! I know it's hurting sales, and publishers are certainly not going to pay an author to write books that don't sell. It's going to hurt all of us eventually.

Oh my...

thanks for the information on this latest insanity Jessica.

Also, to Ms Douglas, very sorry to hear about your experiences. I was unaware piracy was so rampant. I hope the publishing world learns from the mistakes the music industry made in this regard.

Are we in the "rising action" stage of the Evolution of Publishing drama yet? Or the great murky middle?

Even though Amazon made the evil move in this dispute, I think they do have a point in pushing the price point down.

Books are priced the way they are for two reasons - they are expensive to produce and distribute, and they are durable goods that can be expected to be shared among several users in the end.

Ebooks are not expensive to produce, and cannot be shared.

Some books are editorially expensive (reference books, for instance) and should be priced to match, but that's a different model altogether. (And a lot of those sorts of books are offered electronically only by the publisher - in a database or as a subscription publication.)

But publishers have to prepare themselves for a new business model that doesn't depend so much on scarcity. Right now there is time, because most people will still be reading paper books for a long time. There is also likely to continue to be a library and collectors market for paper books for the forseeable future.

But it's the publisher who realizes the mass market potential of low prices, who out-competes the rest.

Peter, I think piracy is an issue that authors are much more aware of than readers. It's like the culture that said it was okay to download music for free--"everyone" was doing it, without realizing the harm it did to the artists. Until we have strong enough legislation that will protect copyright the way music is now protected, we really don't have any recourse against this kind of theft. Any of you who write, and hope to make writing a paying career, should be concerned. It's an issue that impacts the income of all authors.

I have to disagree about the issue of piracy and the threat to artists. It wasn't the laws that made a difference with music (and books are covered by the same IP laws so I don't quite get the idea that somehow music is better covered) but rather that the industry realized what was happening and adapted.

The idea that the book pirates are such a threat to publishing is based mainly on the fallacy that the book pirates (many of whom don't even read much) would buy the books and other items they download. The truth is, the piracy culture is largely made up of "collectors" who just want to get every thing they can find for free.

I used to monitor Usenet piracy groups for my writer's group, and among the things I learned was that very often the books they are trading and collecting are just garbage files with a title of a best seller at the top. And they never notice!

The issue for publishers, as it was for music producers, is to find a fair price, and really easy access for legitimate customers, so that you don't drive those customers to the black market.

Right now, it's much easier to find and buy exactly what you want in music than it is to find a pirated copy - and that is not because piracy has been shut down. Because it has not. Illegal copies of everything are still as available as they ever were.

Kate my link is more of a tongue in cheek thing. The Daring Novelist has the jist of it.

With pirated copies, often a copy is purchased and then shared. Though, there will be a few cases of employee theft. So if you think about it with twisted logic, illegal downloads are like a library, just, well, illegal.

Piracy is wrong and illegal. Books are covered by the law. It's not about legislation, and legislation will never fix the issue any more than it fixes shoplifting or other theft crimes.

Right now, books are more expensive than music and get less usage. You'll listen to the music you buy for years to come, while you'll only read your average book once or twice. Ebooks have no value once you've purchased and read them.

A reasonable price is the best method of curbing piracy. Though there will always be people out there wanting it free, it's best not to stress too much over it.

An awareness and effort should be made to combat piracy, I agree, but don't make yourself crazy over it. You could spend all your waking hours tracking down and putting a stop to piracy, but you won't put a dent in it.

It's not as much profit lost as it sounds like. A number of people who download media, simply wouldn't buy it otherwise.

It's disheartening and rough, but it's been going since there has been media to pirate.

I'm sure you guys are right, though I do get mail from readers who have illegally downloaded my books and want help from me when the files don't work right...that one is a bit hard to swallow!

I guess it's one more thing that's out of my control, and that alone makes me nuts and forces me to resort to my standard mantra for dealing with stuff like this: As long as puppies and small children are not hurt by this, it's okay.

Well, not really, but you get my drift! Thanks for your words of advice, Anon247 and Daring Novelist. I'll do my best to pay attention! (But it AIN'T easy!)

Yikes Kate! That is rough. Maybe you could write a form letter explaining the financial and legal ramifications of illegal downloads.

Someone going through the trouble of mailing you can probably be nudged (or shamed) into purchasing legal copies.

After doing some brief checking on the interwebz, there are a bunch of sites to report pirated files / people. Drop a report :D

Anon247, for what it's worth, I regularly send legal "take down" notices--files may or may not be removed. However, they are generally back up the next day, posted by another "generous soul." As I said, it's like playing whack a mole. And, it takes a lot of valuable time and energy better spent working on the book.

As an author, we can either write or chase down pirated files. I have decided to write, but if pirating affects my bottom line, I--and many other authors--may at some point take such a huge financial hit that the career is gone.

Well said, Jessica. And thank you.

Everyone seems to be talking about eBooks as if the physical books don't exist. If a publisher chooses to buy a book with the intent of only ever producing an eBook of it, then that makes sense. But I don't think that is really happening yet.

If a publisher intends to produce a print copy as well as an eBook, then all the old costs still apply. There are still printing costs, type setting costs, editing, blah, blah, blah. But once that is done, producing an eBook is close to free.(maybe someone still has to go through and format the book properly for that medium -- but that won't cost more than $100. And probably far less,I imagine one person could format two or three books a day, provided all the other work is already done.)

So adding an eBook in addition to a print run costs the publisher only a few dollars more than just doing the print run by itself.

Up until now, eBook sales make no significant dent in hard copy sales. So eBook sales are pure gravy. They cost nothing (more) to produce, they cost nothing to distribute.

With the market the way it currently is, authors and agents should make far, far more off eBooks than they are.

As time goes on and eBooks start to become a significant percentage of sales, then those numbers might shift as part of the eBook sales will be expected to cover costs. But as now they are not. There's no reason an author / agent shouldn't make 90% of the eBook sale (after the e-tailer takes his cut, that is.)

I disagree Patrick. Money is still being spent in a number of ways. Advertisement being one example. There are some costs for putting out an ebook, though minimal in comparison.

Don't forget distribution. If you sell your ebook on Amazon, they are getting a cut (and I think it might be more than 10% but I haven't checked).

Plus, if a book's print sales run the publisher in the negative, I don't think the author should be taking home a profit from sales.

Finding a new way to distribute an item doesn't negate the money already invested in a product. If the investor (the publisher) isn't going to be seeing profit from it, why would they bother putting it out?

Even if you use services like LuLu to self publish an ebook they take $2.50 off the bat. That's almost 20% of a $13.99 ebook.

(Personally, I find Lulu charging fifty cents more for ebooks than print books offensive.)

Authors should get more from an ebook, but publishers shouldn't be virtually cut out. The publisher is the one taking the risk on the product as the author doesn't put up any money.

Woops, just noticed you did mention online retail sites. Sorry! The rest of my post still stands lol.

Thanks for this post. Still a bit sad, but you are right--what else can you do but move forward? I am curious, though. When you say you are having your clients do several revisions before submission, how do you keep a fresh eye regarding the materials after several back and forths? Do you also have fresh readers within your agency to help this process?

Thanks.

"Most importantly though, I don't think it makes sense for anyone to put a career on hold because of situations you can't control." That's the key. How and why would you?

Thanks for writing such a long and informative post while at a busy conference. We, your loyal followers, greatly appreciate it!

About five years ago I was in Monterey , CA for a wedding. The night before the wedding, I was walking with a bunch of people (like 20!) to dinner, and the next thing I knew, I was on my hands and knees, palms bleeding. The heel of my killer Franco Sartos decided to have a brief and dangerous love affair with a crack in the sidewalk, and I'm the one who paid the price for their selfish passion. Not pretty.

Dang. Stay on your feet!

Thanks for an interesting and enjoyable post. Having worked as a shoe salesperson, I recommend looking for easier ways to make a living. Personally, I went with trucking.

My daughter has mastered the art of falling, and uses it to her advantage. For example, shortly after she started at a new high school she embarrassed herself by falling out of the bus. She jumped up and shouted, "It's OK, folks, I'm fine. No injuries." This attention-getter broke the ice (literally), and several people made a point of befriending her after that incident. After a few more impressive falls, she became one of the most popular girls in the school.

One thing that can be said about publishing right now is that it certainly isn't boring. All these changes may be challenging and somewhat daunting, but it's also a really exciting time to be a part of the book industry. Thanks for this post. Lots to think about.

Falling. Ugh. The worst of it is that long weird stretch between the moment you lose your balance and the moment you hit the ground.

Thanks for the great post. Do you have anything that you tell your clients (especially debut) who have been on submission for a long time, like a year or more? How to keep perspective? How not to lose hope?
Thanks again and I hope there is no more falling for you!

Appreciate the info from DC and the panels, Jessica. Thanks for continuing to blog during RWA.

As far as the tripping and the shoes, well, I accidentally slammed my luggage into you last year while checking in at SFO Marriott, and I'm still standing :)

Have a great time and thanks again for keeping us posted,

Elaine

Thanks for the post! I know all this change in publishing is a bit daunting for me, as well as many others, but change is a fact of life. Like you said, I believe there will always be a need for books and stories. I even think that the traditional bound book will be around at least the rest of my life (and I'm only 24); I just don't see everyone going digital. I think there will still be a market for the bound book, even if it shrinks dramatically. I think it'll be awhile before eBooks become the way most people read simply because of the price factor for an eReader. But what do I know? I'm just an average, every day reader with a dream of having a story of my own published and on a bookshelf someday. So it might all be wishful thinking :P

And everytime I put on a pair of heels or pumps, I stumble--and some of them have been quite embarassing...I'm also sure most women have had similar incidents.

That's why I prefer my ballet flats, although I've even fallen in those :P I suppose I have an inherently clumsy nature!

I agree with Dara--check out the rocking patent leather flats out there...like our First Lady wears... I never wear heels, no matter what!

You're right Jessica, "We love books and we love what we do and in the end that’s what makes it all worthwhile."

That's true whether we are Agents, Publishers, aspiring authors, Bloggers, or readers. That's what it's all about. Stories to entertain, whatever the format, will always be in demand.

I feature authors on my blog every week, and a common thread I see is they love what they do, but more, they love stories and love to share them. They're confident that people will want to read them. They work hard to make those stories what the readers want to read.

All of us are keeping an eye on the economy, but you can't stop living life on what ifs. If this is what you love to do, do it.

Wow - thanks for taking the time to blog, while at the conference - it's cool to hear about it.

I like your stance of continuing on, doing the best quality job you can and not letting imagined fears de-rail you. So much of what we imagine never comes to pass.

I'm still waiting for the Y2K thing, for example. Wasn't society as we know it supposed to crash? It never happened, and I feel rather put out. I got really stressed about it, and all the stress was totally wasted. It's terribly unfair and I'm starting to wonder who I can hold responsible for the fact that the world continued on.

I am holding out hopes, however, that the world will come to an end soon - this time. Either due to an economy that crashes forever, and ever and ever and ever, and we are all homeless and alone on the street and no one will talk to us, or give us a crust of bread, and random dogs run up to us and bite us, or, if not that, I heard something was going to happen in 2012.

So, actually, I started out this post on a positive note, but now I'm thinking why worry about the economy and publishing when the world is ending in 2012 anyway.

So we really should relax.

Although - high heels? Now, those are dangerous for your health.

Hope you both have fun with the rest of the conference. :-)

Interesting. Thank you.

hmmm... I(anon 11:13 from yesterday)'m still not convinced. I mean, carpe diem all the way, but a lot of submitting is about timing. Now trying to time things perfectly is a fool's task, but if I know most books are being rejected out of hand... seems like prudence and patience will be speaking my language. I'm guessing I can't resubmit my novel in a year and say, "Hey now that Dan Brown has saved publishing, want to reconsider my novel?" Big business has made the first step in recognizing its flaws, but the jitters have to be shaken off and the new blood has to warm up. Whether writers can be that new blood, or whether they'll just be saved in its stream, is yet to be seen. I'm not sure I want to risk my baby's shot at glory in that uncertainty.
But please... talk me into it.

Admit it, Kim - You keep trying to snag Jessica's shoes! That's why she is constantly taking a digger while you're around. We know the truth! =D

Seriously though, the news about the publishing environment definitely sucks. You can't help but feel a bit pessimistic about the whole thing.

I'm going to hold onto my hope though. Sooner or later it will happen.

glad you are having a good time, and an informative time at the conference. my wife is there -- and even tho i don't get to speak to her as much as i wish, tell her i love her if you see her. she's a big fan of yours (and thinks kim is ok too). try to stay on your feet.
signed: at the pool with a toddler while my wife is at rwa

It is hard to stay focused, to keep writing, and to believe in the inevitability of getting published in this tough economy. After all, every industry's hurting, every industry's cutting back. So, it's nice to hear an agent (especially a busy one at a writers' conference) try to dispel the "doom and gloom" and encourage us to "just keep writing, just keep writing, writing"... so, thanks!

P.S. I'm sorry to hear about all your embarrassing stumbles, but it could be worse. I once rolled down an Ozark Mountain. Not a pretty sight, I'm sure - and it hurt a lot!

It's patent leather, douche.

Ouch! Sorry for the crash, but may I present some promising news? I was at my publisher's "spotlight" this morning--Kensington Publishing. CEO Steve Zacharius and my editor, Audrey LaFehr, talked about the fact they are actively acquiring new material, with an interest in historical romance, women's fiction, multi-cultural fiction, erotic romance and paranormal romance. It was a wonderful, upbeat hour listening to the enthusiasm and excitement in their voices. The secret is--be original and fresh.

After seeing the publishing program on PBS, I feel hopeful. I doubt I'll ever buy a Kindle, but it may attract a new group of readers who think it's cool--or like the ease and format (bigger type, etc).

I think the publishing business will be affected the way ebay changed the antiques market--it gave it new life and brought in more, younger customers.

Sure, the antiques are still for sale, and there may be fewer shows, markets and auctions, but they are totally different venues and there's plenty of room for all. Yes, the best will survive and thrive. To quote an old song, let's accentuate the postive, eliminate the negative!

Thanks for this post. So many people are freaking out, and it doesn't do anyone any good.

It's like trying to save money before you have a kid. If you wait until you have enough money saved up, you'll likely die childless.

If you wait until economic conditions are perfect, you'll likely never submit.

I am looking at this situation in a positive light. Agents and Publishers are being more selective in their choices so we as writers must work harder to put out a really quality product.

Let's face it, if it were easy everyone would be writing and published and take all of this for granted. This way, success will be even sweeter when we do make it.

A few ways to recover from a public fall:
1) Jump up quickly and yell "Found it!".
2) While on your knees clasp your hands together and begin praying loudly (only works in certain parts of the midwest).
3) Drag the nearest person down with you and blame them afterwards.

Rock-it with those cute shoes. You're only young once. There's a lot of things we could put on hold due to the economy. I say, be grateful there's a roof over your head, a computer in front of you, and keep writing. And non-fiction is probably in all of our futures.

Great post! I can't find it in myself to feel discouraged about writing and publishing. I understand the facts and the numbers, but I'm too in love with my projects to slow down.

I was lucky enough to be in TWO of your workshops this past week, Jessica...the one about queries and the one about synopsises. They were both SO helpful. Thanks so much for sharing your perspective!

Actually, for most writers, the book is in us anyway. What's the harm of finishing it and trying to get it out there? Isn't it better to have it ready when things pick up, rather than sit back and wait till it happens, and wind up rushing to "git 'er done?" I personally plan to use the slow period to make my book the best it can be, just as Jessica suggests. What have any of us got to lose?

That was still a pleasant read. I think you should market a new piece of luggage, the shootcase.

If anyone has a hunger for more travel-related nightmares, this one happened to me a few years back:
http://mydaleyrant.blogspot.com/2009/04/travel-story-part-1.html

Good luck at the conference, I hope you have enough adrenaline to get you through the day!

Ref: I flew over the two bags landing on top of them in the train vestibule.

LOL. Whatever happened to the relaxing train trip you had planned yesterday?

At least you made it. And what a performance! Hope your trip back will involve fewer feats of daring.

"Dashing through the tunnel, dragging my gigantic shoe-filled suitcase behind me, I flew up two flights of stairs and made it to the platform and train door just as the conductor announced to stand clear of the closing doors so what do I do? What any New Yorker would do? I threw my suitcase into the train vestibule and stood right in front of the closing door."

I think you've got a future as a writer. I don't care how slow the book biz is.;-)

Hahaha! Actually it sounds like you might have a career as a stunt double. I’m sure I've seen a scene just like that in a movie somewhere. :D

Well Enjoy the rest of your trip!

"...so what do I do? What any New Yorker would do?"

LOL! I was going to say this was a funny read until I got to the part about the dire situation of books/publishing. Sigh...

Thanks for telling us like it is, though.

Jessica, did Kim's hair look fabulous as she shoved you into the train?

Noise abatement...

Go to any Wal-mart, sports store or anywhere they sell guns... buy ear plugs, 31 decibel types. They're spongy, roll tips between fingers, insert into ears. Plugs will expand in ear canal giving you almost complete silence!

I wear 'em all the time shooting Sporting Clays.


Haste yee back ;-)

Ummmm... I believe Jessica has misrepresented the events a tad. It wasn't so much that I knocked her over as that she tripped over her bag in her haste to clear the entrance. (At least that's what my lawyer has advised me to say.)

But yes, Rosemary, not a hair on my newly coiffed head was out of place throughout the whole ordeal.

What an adventure - sounds hectic and nerve racking and fun!

Although sorry to hear about your room! Trying to function without sleep always makes everything surreal - and it sounds surreal enough in real life. I liked the slow motion running. :-)

I hope you both have a great time at the conference.

I enjoyed this post. Thanks for starting off my day with a chuckle.

Good luck with the rest of your adventures.

For the record, I just had breakfast with Jessica and there are no visible bruises and the limp only slows her down a little...

:-)

That sounds like the way I travel. :P

Fabulous story! I'm picturing the scene from League of Their Own.

At least you can take comfort in the fact you didn't have to toss your bags aboard and jump onto a moving train. ;)

Jessica, it sounds like you and Kim have the same kind of wild adventures traveling that Chritie Craig and I have. So far, nothing weird has happened but I figure it's only a matter of time. LOL.

Thanks for the industry update, too.

Faye

That’s what it’s like when you stay at the YMCA. I stayed at a YMCA hotel in the midwest one time. No train noises (although the El must have been around there somewhere) but the bed would seem uncomfortable to a monk, and the door to the room was so flimsy anyone could force it open by leaning against it. Just outside the door lower class people were coming in drunk and yelling at each other all night. At least it was cheap.

"But yes, Rosemary, not a hair on my newly coiffed head was out of place throughout the whole ordeal."--which explains your slow-mo run for the train?

Okay, Christie is going to kill me since I apparently posted under her name. (Big surprise since I'm using her laptop. LOL.)

Faye Hughes

One piece of unsolicited advice for the sleep deprived:

BC Powder. Fast and highly caffeinated. If you can't find this staple of Southern medicine cabinets where you are then anacin is a decent second choice.

At my house BC Powder and a coke is considered the breakfast of champions.

Have a great time!
Cheers.

"While I never profess to be a humor writer..."
Just a small piece of unsolicited advise: Never undercut your own ability to communicate...even in a blog!

I've seen this advice before... I understand it's still to agent and publisher's advantage for writers to continue to submit. But how is it to the writer's advantage? Wouldn't it be smarter for me to submit in a more secure economic climate where an agent or editor is going to give my query a more positive look?

Your train story was quite funny! I could picture it like a scene from a movie :P

Thanks for posting this amidst your busy conference schedule!

Glad you made it, then and now. And thanks for the conference update.

Coming out of lurkdom to agree that Jessica is a better humor writer than she's giving herself credit for.

Having had the pleasure of meeting Jessica - and admiring her footwear - this is the phrase that had me cracking up: "my gigantic shoe-filled suitcase."

Then there was Kim's, "... that's what my lawyer has advised me to say." comment.

Here's hoping you get more sleep and have a great conference.

Chryssa

That publishing news is a bummer. I do wonder, like anonymous 11:13, if you as an agent are doing anything different regarding submissions--holding off for a bit or not?

wow - my wife left for RWA with a suitcase filled with shoes, blister pads, hastily selected clothes and is stuck in a loud room at the hotel too. She has a roomie who decided to leave her laptop, chargers, and toothbrush at home. Still, she's having a great time. Man, I miss her.

What a hilarious story... it made the sad publishing news at the end easier to swallow. From now on, you should sugar-coat all negative info with a funny personal tale. I'm just sayin'.

Have fun at the conference!

Yet another post that deserved a *spit take* warning. *laughs*

The zany adventures had me laughing out loud.

The news about the industry, not so much.

Great post though, at least you keep us smiling.

--Chiron O'Keefe
The Write Soul: www.chironokeefe.blogspot.com

I would also like to hear what you think of anon's 11:13 question.

You work so hard for years, get the agent, and now you find out they aren't buying debut novels?

I never knew agents didn't get paid for conferences. Kudos to you for offering your time to others. I can only imagine how you balance things with adding conferences to your schedule.

Great post, thanks!

Thanks Jessica! I'm attending the Pikes Peak conference starting this Thurs. It's nice to get a glimpse of how the agents feel about conferences. We appreciate all you Ubers do! :)

I was feeling a little bruised, battered and unsure if I had done the right thing.

I was afraid of that for you, Jessica. You showed a lot of chutzpah opening up that discussion, and some real grievances were aired which was great. You should definitely be proud of yourself. For the rest of it . . . (ahem) I say, let it roll off your back and hopefully people will move on. The old adage, you can't please everyone completely applies here.

The conference sounded wonderful. It's always such a treat to talk to other professionals about all aspects of writing. Glad you got a recharge from it.

Your passion for writing and being an agent shines through all your posts. Thank you for the invaluable information you provide us with.

Great post, Jessica!

I have a question - could you share/make a blog post on what, exactly, makes a perfect client?

I write a book recommendation column for a Colorado newspaper. I popped in on the conference to meet some CO authors who I could later write about in my column. Every writer I spoke to (published and aspiring) was impressed by what they'd learn from agents at the conference. While the writers all came prepared to pitch their work, the thing which is impressed me was that they also showed up prepared to take EVERYTHING in...so maybe they didn't land an agent at the conference, but they were taking away tools to help them improve their writing and, in some cases, I'm sure, land an agent at a later time.

Side note: I'll be at the PPWC this weekend. We're going to have beautiful weather!

Your last sentence resonates with me. It's why I'd have LOVED to have been at that dinner with you three -- to just sit and listen.

Don't lose that passion, Jessica. Writers need advocates like you.

It's always awesome to hear someone else's perspective on something they are passionate about.

Psst. Your personality is showing.

;)

Glad to know not all conferences are work, work, work. But I've heard agents say that the pitches and faces become a blur during the weekend, so it doesn't really help writers much.

Now we know why agents already overloaded w/ submissions and clients, who contstantly complain or brag about how "busy" they are, keep attending conferences...it's to talk shop!

Jessica, I love that you and other agents who blog and attend conferences love to talk and talk and talk some more about publishing. It does not get old. I dipped my toe into the querying party a year ago, and was awfully intimidated by the process. But once I found the wealth of information agents share online, it took away a lot of the fear of the unknown – and also lots of anxiety. Thanks for providing a spot for open dialogue and for sharing your passion. We need it.

The agentfail post was a good vent outlet for many, Jessica. That you welcomed it and people were able to say what was on their minds was invaluable.

Anyone posting on agentfail who complained about not getting personal rejections--I challenge them to go to Nathan Bransford's blog and read through (and do a late participate themselves) in his 'agent for a day' post. After participating in this, I now know why agents can't make personal notes or comments for every rejection.

You do a great job sharing info on the blog, and attending conferences where you're approachable. Keep up the great work!!!

Elaine

Thanks for the positive post.

Your description reminds me of my exhilarating days as an English grad student, how we talked for hours and never ran out of things to hash over, from literature to theory to our unintentionally funny first-year composition students.

If only you represented YA novels...

Jessica, I'm amazed agents don't get paid to attend conferences. I (and I imagine many others) assumed they do. That sheds a different light on agents who do find time to attend.

And, thank you for your passion for all things publishing, and for your desire to share it with us. I'm excited for Backspace in NYC next month. Wish you were attending!

I realize I likely come across as agent fanboy with my posts on agenting (and I've made a lot of them on various blogs in the past few weeks with the current agent whinefest that has been going on, but that's not the reason I post them.

It's more to offer a counter to the incessant bitching that has been occurring thanks to writers who aren't very informed about publishing. While I certainly don't claim to be an expert or even highly knowledgeable about the industry, it's not that hard to follow industry blogs and do a little research. If one wants a decent understanding of how things work (even if there are understandably, some flaws in the system) the information is out there to glean. It's a difficult industry to work in, and when people have difficulty succeeding, they have a tendency to want to blame and point fingers at why they aren't having the success they believe they should have or deserve.

It's comments like Anon posted above about agents being 'busy.' Snark like this is counter-productive. I'm not sure if the comment was meant as tongue-in-cheek or seriously, but there has been plenty of it on the serious side of late. Honestly, bitching doesn't accomplish much. It won't change anything. People who inform themselves about publishing are fully aware of how hard things are and the fact that things aren't always very efficient. The demonizing of agents/editors as being self-interested hacks who wouldn't know a good book if it grew a mouth and bit them, only proves the point that a lot of writers out there are pretty clueless.

The point is, and Jessica made this pretty clear (as have many agents and editors via their blogs and interviews), is that people get into this industry for one primary reason. They love books. LOVE them. Most of them are pretty damn educated about them too. The majority of agents and editors have related degrees and/or have years of experience in the industry. They know how things work and how best to achieve results, which is to publish books people will want to read.

They don't get into this industry for the perks. Most don't make big money. The hours are harsh. They do it for a love of books. So, obviously it's not in their best interests to work against writers. The majority of agents do their best to balance the interests of writers and their goal of seeing books they love put into print. Of course there are a few who should not be agents. This goes without saying for any industry. Just like there are many writers out there who would be better off not writing. It's misplaced frustration to point fingers at agents and editors. They know what they're doing. They're knowledgeable, and they do a very difficult job because they LOVE books.

Writers need to get it out of their f'ing heads that agents and editors aren't doing their damnedest to find success for writers. They want to. They got into the business because they want to make writers successful. Not their fault that there are thousands upon thousands of wannabe authors out there. The whiners need to cut them a little slack. They're tryint to make the best of a difficult job and industry. So buck up, shut up, and keep improving your writing.

Ok, rant off.

It's nice to read a positive report on a conference. I've read and heard so many negative ones I was beginning to wonder why on earth anyone would ever want to go.

A three hour pitching workshop would be fantastic! I would definitely sign up for that.

And it's nice to see an agent who is passionate about their job--that's the kind of person I want to work with. I just attended a small conference this past weekend, and the agents there also conveyed their love of their careers and working with writers.

An aside here: I found that I knew most of the answers that some of my fellow writers asked the agents at the conference panel session, mainly through being an avid reader of your blog as well as the other agent blogs out there. It really made me appreciate what you and the other agent bloggers are doing for us :)

Ok, my gushing session is over :P

"while others wanted to know my thoughts on what genre they should be targeting or looking into (not based on trends, but based on the description of the story)."

Wow! Now that's a workshop I'd like to see happen. My stories aren't high concept enough to grab anyone's attention and with all of the melding of genres these days (at least in romance) it's hard to categorize what I write: is it a single title contemporary, suspense, intrigue, mystery? I call them nice stories that go nowhere. Ha ha.

You could present a panel of three or four agents: You're Targeting Which Genre?

Authors would anonymously present a blurb and first page to be read aloud. Kind of an Idol for Writers (without the snark)and deal specifically with genre. Perhaps give hints on how to embellish to fall squarely into a specific genre.

Do it at RWA National, I'll sign up.

I feel the same way about being a writer. It can be a lonely business at times, but put me in a room with someone who knows the ins and outs of publishing or books, or who makes the mistake of asking me what it's like, and I could talk for hours.

You need that kind of interaction to keep going sometimes.

Nathan Bransford's "Agent for a Day" contest really drove home the fact that an agent really has to love what he or she does for a living.

Thanks for today's post!

How about sharing some of the stories? How do you handle something that you love but needs too much work? How do you handle when you are on the fence? How did they? That would be another interesting read!!!!

Your post cracks me up. I, for one, love hearing your stories because it gives me insight to the publishing industry. So thank you for blathering on - we love to read it!

Jessica, I love this post because your love for what you do shines through...just another reminder why I feel very privileged to have you as my agent.

Thing about giving advice is that you never know where it will land. A major publishing house just agreed to buy my book (through my agent, of course), and I just copied your "What Can Authors Do to Sell Books" post for later study.

Please keep giving advice. There are always new people coming in who need to learn these things, and some people who may finally realize they need help.

(In fact, I wonder now if there's not too much information. After copying your post, I went back and deleted nine of yours from Bloglines, dealing with queries and synopses. Not that I won't need a refresher, but there's so much out there now.

Awesome, Jessica. I'm teaching a few workshops this weekend at a writers conference. I can't wait. I'm putting together the presentations, but I know that I'll just get up there and free-talk about what I love--writing!

I stopped reading the agentfail comments fairly early (and haven't quite figured out how one is supposed to read long twitter feeds so didn't read queryfail either), but I will say that the posts on various blogs reacting to both events have been really useful. So for all the drama, there's been good to have come of it at least, and I thank you for it!

I wholly concur with what Jim Duncan says above, and he says it well. I've had the pleasure of getting to know a few agents in the years I've been pitching my book, and they have done a lot to convince me that a good agent is not only a necessary asset for a writer who wants to be published commercially but a valuable guide whether or not the agent takes a project on.

A majority of the complaints I saw in agentfail came from writers whose queries had not yet hooked an agent--and that can be indeed frustrating. But once a writer has a query that works at least part of the time, a new world opens up in his or her relationship with an agent, tentative at first but capable of deepening, as in any relationship.

In a sense, the agents I've known, though eventually none took my project, taught me a good deal, and I still keep improving and refining the book and book proposal. When it's eventually published, its acknowledgments page will bear thanks to only one agent, but I'll appreciate the others nevertheless.

Topic for a future post:

What makes a great client?

So important to be passionate about what we do! I can tell from all of your posts that you love being an agent, and that you genuinely care about writers. Thank you for all of your helpful advice!

Agents who love their jobs are really lucky. You guys get to be part of the process of creating literature. That's pretty amazing. If I were less of a dingbat when it comes to paperwork I'd want to be an agent too...

And I hope you don't still feel sad about agentfail. It was really brave of you to host it. I don't think the bitchfest that ensued is really representative of how writers feel about agents. People just needed to vent a little.

I'm very grateful to agents because I would not know anything about the industry without you guys blogging so regularly. There's a lot of really misleading info out their in the internet, and findng agents who blog actually made things much clearer for me.

Wow, that's awesome, Jessica! I write in Borders Cafe 6 days a week, and even after seven or eight years of it, there is no church, no meditation, no prayer that soothes my soul like walking through the aisles. God, just... all those books.

I think it was awesome that you opened up the #agentfail discussion. Not that the discussion was productive or encouraging or even useful, but I'm sure I'm not the only writer who respected the gesture, the willingness to listen.

It may take some time, but I'm going to get to a conference that you attend. What a great experience!

That sounds like so much fun. :)

"I felt a little bad for Kerrie because immediately upon getting three agents together all we did was talk shop."

Jessica, there is not need to feel bad for me. How often does a writer get to be a "fly on the wall" while three agents talk shop. I loved every minute of it. Thanks for all your hard work at the conference and for your nice comments about the event.

~Kerrie