Downer said he was concerned that publishers could go the same way of chain booksellers if e-book prices were driven down and the new technology damaged "supplier diversity".He urged publishers to join together and set the agenda rather than allow Apple, Amazon and Google to determine the future. He also advised publishers to create a free e-book reader so that once again the content is what excites readers, not the device.
So, I ask you: If you could get an eReader for free and publishers embraced eBooks and sold them at a competitive price, would that save the “book”? It also asks the question, would authors stop the mass exodus to self-publishing? Or would publishers have to come up with a more lucrative deal for writers?
I ask that last question because at the same conference, literary agents are also discussing the eBook, according to another article in The Bookseller.
Robert Gottlieb, chairman of the US literary agency Trident Media Group, warned that power is shifting from publishers to authors.
Publishers are frightened to death of the e-book market, because they see the opportunity for authors, that they did not have before.Will publishers embrace the change? Will they offer authors a higher eBook rate? Are they too late to stop the tsunami of authors moving to self-publishing?
Wow! You always tackle these heady big questions Helen. When I pitched to the pub a few weeks back, another pitcher said he had an e-book out. the publishers were obviously underwhelmed by this information and told him he'd be better off not talking about it at all - unless he'd made a whack of sales, it would harm his chances of being published period. I know we're a bit slower up north than our southern neighbours - howdy! - but jeesh.
ReplyDeleteJan I think that mentality is still around because of the quality of many ebooks. I think everyone needs to be free to discuss the way forward. Right now there is a bit of chaos. As a writer I see nothing wrong with authors getting more power. But I want to write. I will do minimal marketing but I want to write. So publishers now need to step up and say - "This is what we can do for writers". I think a free ereader is a fantastic idea. I am not against ebooks, I am against giving books for free, or at unsustainable prices. This is where publishers need to step in and quickly.
ReplyDeleteAuthors should have more power - they're the ones who write, after all. The only way I see publishers winning would be to recognize that and give authors a higher cut and do more promoting. I don't see that happening.
ReplyDeleteI think publishers definitely need to start making a move in this area...and quickly. Otherwise, they'll be left behind.
ReplyDeleteFascinating post, particularly with mention of a mass exodus to self-pubbing. From what I've read in interviews with editors and publishing houses, so many are still operating and thinking on the old model, with their heels dug in. My opinion is that they just might already be left behind, and I'm not sure that they'll ever catch up.
ReplyDeleteWhen books when from being printed on paper containing cotton, hemp, linen, etc., the book was more expensive. They became more accessible as books were printed on cheap wood pulp paper and were merely changed. Publishing has become an institution that needs to be retooled. They seem to forget their prime directive -- to publish books written by authors. Now that the power has shifted and the author has more say, they might become obsolete, the last bastion of the clueless and writers wanting to get a pat on the back they consider legitimate, and there will always been enough of those to keep publishers in business.
ReplyDeleteMany of the great authors were self published or paid to have their books published, but publishing as an entity did not go out of style. Publishing is changing and hopefully rearranging, but I doubt it will die completely, not as long as there are writers wanting that sense of legitimacy.
I think a lot of writers still desire to have a publisher and even an agent, but more and more authors are seeing how much more money can be made by self-pubbing, esp. e-pubbing. I wonder if it's not the publishers who are in danger, but the agents. Also, authors who self-pub, either print or e, need to be sure they're putting out good writing and clean material. I recently read an eBook by a big name author that had a lot of glitches in it - spaces in the middle of words, missing punctuation, etc. I finished the book, but if I read another by that author and it has similar glitches, I'll drop that author from my list.
ReplyDeleteHelen - The book you read, was the ebook put out by the publisher? I don't know what they're doing but I've read a few (Stephen King's The Stand comes to mind) where every single word with rn in it came out as an m. Very distracting and not his fault. Another fail for publishers...
ReplyDeleteEveryone is circling around e-books, claiming this is the reason publishers should be worried. I don't get it. It's just another format. The problem for publishers, as I see it, is that authors can now bypass them and self-publish EASILY and CHEAPLY. I pay my cover artist, usually no more than $100. I like to have a paperback option as well as an e-book, so I pay Createspace's $39 premium to allow extended distribution. My books are available on all e-readers, and in paper form. (I try to use beta readers to review my material, but when I need an editor, I pay for a good one.)
ReplyDeleteThis is not to say I'll never go with a publisher. I'd go with a publisher who would do the editing and marketing, and give me more than a 5% royalty.
What I'm seeing now is that publishers want to hold on to their way of doing business, but the business model is changing. There are less bookstores out there to fill with books, and the practice of allowing stores to return books for full refund is being questioned. Authors report that they are doing as much marketing as if they were self-pubbed. The publishers' editorial staff is less and less active (Max Perkins has left the building and turned off the lights).
If they don't do something to re-invent themselves, I see dark days for the Big Six. But I don't think it's because of the e-book.
The publishing industry is constantly evolving. With this anticipated shift, for sure publishers would design their marketing efforts to fit the on-going market situation.
ReplyDeleteLauri's comment said it very well. Publishers do need to step up, and become proactive with regard to their role in the industry...not just sit back and react. Writers do want to write...so how can publishers help them market given the radical changes in the industry?
ReplyDeleteIntriguing post, Helen. The world of publishing is truly changing. I've been with a small publisher for a number of years, and I can see a big movement of importance for that segment of the publishing market. All of this is something for authors to watch, and to watch carefully. Thank you for writing about it.
ReplyDeleteMonti
NotesAlongTheWay
Authors on both sides have to do most of the promoting, so maybe publishers should focus more on publicity to attract writers.
ReplyDeletePrint on demand started chipping away at the wall. EBooks have brought it down. They should be worried. They won't all die, but their numbers will thin. A lot.
ReplyDeleteA lot of authors already do the majority of the promotion, plus they pay an editor before they submit, then if the publisher puts the book in e-form, they double check to catch mistakes or glitches. And yet the publisher takes the majority of the proceeds. Yes, they have bills to pay & they do a lot, but authors are becoming more adept are putting out good work and then selling it. They are thinking the amount they make in return for the work is worth it.
ReplyDeleteThe book isn't going by the way side, traditional publishers are. I think the guy from Borders is right but I also believe they either won't listen to them or can't change quick enough to save themselves. The question is, should we save them?
ReplyDeleteHi Helen .. thanks for posting this - it's interesting to read about .. and now Amazon seems to be ruling the world ... we shall see.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there's a huge market for the ebook market, print on demand market etc .. so many authors are doing their own thing and quite rightly ..
Cheers - very interesting conversation .. Hilary