tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post7184473661935103904..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: some hard numbersJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-12658647089862458982013-02-13T14:41:09.762-05:002013-02-13T14:41:09.762-05:00Janet, I self-pubbed a novella version of my memoi...Janet, I self-pubbed a novella version of my memoir in May 2012 and it sold about 2,500 copies, has a 4.5 on Amazon, and hit top kindle and twitter trending lists. In you opinion, would an agent look consider the full-length version of this book?Lindy Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03248788248747650309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-17797144080244267602012-12-01T12:00:51.681-05:002012-12-01T12:00:51.681-05:00This post was featured on wrightspeak.com.This post was featured on wrightspeak.com.MVBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02759857733230206464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-23441618534511592972012-11-16T09:47:34.006-05:002012-11-16T09:47:34.006-05:00I'm trying to figure out how to deal with a no...I'm trying to figure out how to deal with a novel that got e-published by a dedicated e-publisher, with whom I had a three-year deal that expires at the end of this month. I don't want to stay with this publisher, but I do want to keep the book available, as an e-book plus in print.<br /><br />This means either self-publishing, subsidy publishing, or attempting traditional publishing. I originally went the e-pub route because the novel is a hybrid and difficult to categorize, ergo hard to sell -- something I will address no matter which route I take.<br /><br />The question is, how to present this in a query to an agent? The book received virtually no promotion, received a few positive reviews from unknown-to-the-print-world sources, and sold under 200 copies. Does this history make it an automatic reject from an agent's point of view? Or is the fact I tested the waters and learned a lot, and am repackaging appropriately, demonstrate maturity and potential? (assuming the story is good, and well-written)Carolyn Haleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12439194025687389191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61277578611608097952012-11-01T11:47:00.689-04:002012-11-01T11:47:00.689-04:00Janet, this is a really helpful post because it...Janet, this is a really helpful post because it's great to see things from the side of the traditional publishing world and have concrete numbers like that.<br /><br />I would really love a follow up post about logic now that you've shared numbers. Are agents/publishers more open to a book being submitted by an unpublished author than the same author and book that has been self-published? Is there an advantage to not self-publishing because the work is completely new and not previously available? Or from the other side of the coin, is it detrimental to self-publish and have sales numbers below 20,000 because that's somewhat concrete evidence you book doesn't sell well?<br /><br />I really appreciate your insight and perspective on a really interesting and complicated issue.Kate Greyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09697818604139336997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-5591221656046679462012-10-31T12:17:49.689-04:002012-10-31T12:17:49.689-04:00When I first read this struck me as logical but he...When I first read this struck me as logical but here I am, back to disagree. I can't count how many times I've seen people succeed when logic would predict failure. This at the core of Meat Head the Worst Dog in the World. <br /><br />I used to swear my manuscripts would never see the light of day if I didn't have an agent. Now, if I don't get an agent, that's exactly what I'm going to do with Meat Head an a few other nuts I've squirreled away. <br /><br />Sure, maybe only 20 people will read them. But last time I looked 20 is better than none. And as we learned last February year, writers can revitalize their careers with a pen name.<br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/books/patricia-obrien-as-kate-alcott-sells-the-dressmaker.htmlM.R. Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18064724743956045289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-14384773162066206792012-10-27T11:48:47.634-04:002012-10-27T11:48:47.634-04:00I was riding the BART train home from San Francisc...I was riding the BART train home from San Francisco to Berkeley at rush hour. Out of the crush, a crazy man squared off in front of me and bellowed: "You are not young! YOU are not YOUNG!" The BART police pulled the guy off before he assaulted me, saving what is left of my life. This story is partly why I chose to self-publish. I am not young -- or patient.<br /><br />After spending 5 years writing Adrift in the Sound, I did not have the time or patience for the traditional agent/publisher rigmarole. I self-published to get the monkey of my first novel off my back. Turning the book over to readers is the only way I could see to move forward with my craft, my art. I'm grateful the option is there.<br /><br />Money counts--usually one dollar at a time and I'm grateful for everyone. I'm working on my second book and noodling my third. Who knows where the industry will be when it's time for me to shed my next project and move on?Kate Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02396984792295184717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-74387595975445539592012-10-26T22:18:14.064-04:002012-10-26T22:18:14.064-04:00I came very close to landing an agent for my memoi...I came very close to landing an agent for my memoir of life with autism, "Problem Child," but didn't. I self-published it on Amazon in September of 2011. I designed the cover and back, the jacket text, the website text, everything. My website for the book is www.aspieconfession.com.<br /><br />As anyone can see in the “In The Press” section, I did manage to get some decent coverage here in Connecticut in newspapers and local television stations. You can read the articles and watch the interviews. I’ve also done a lot of book talks and signings. Feedback has been very positive. So I guess it did do fairly well, so far as a self-published work goes, and my Amazon sales rank once hovered around 15,000 for a brief time after one of the TV spots (9,900 on Kindle). (There aren't a lot of reviews on Amazon, because as a matter of principle I don't ask anyone to review the book.) But according to stats I've seen on how many self-published books need to be sold to get represented, it hasn't done that well, I guess; I've got perhaps about 500 copies, bound and Kindle, floating around out there. So when Janet put out the number20,000, well, it scares me quite a bit, to be honest.<br /><br />What exactly is the ideal procedure for querying an agent regarding a self-published work? What should I say and what shouldn’t I say? Do I stand a chance with my track record (not lots of sales, but decent media exposure)? Does anyone know of any agencies that specialize in this?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16739972416441916056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-52176225893491877922012-10-26T21:43:27.065-04:002012-10-26T21:43:27.065-04:00Interesting. I'm self-published, and never rea...Interesting. I'm self-published, and never really knew what kind of sales were considered a lot even for trade published books--especially those published by a large publisher. Now I know.<br /><br />For those others thinking of self-publishing with an eye towards getting picked up by a publisher, be aware that even if you DO achieve those numbers and have good ratings, your chances are still slim. At least, that has been my experience. One of my books has sold about 34,000, and the other two are doing well, (fourth just came out a few weeks ago, so not counting it) but never had anyone contact me. I've thought about querying some of Amazon's imprints, but I was too busy between the day job and getting the fourth book out to worry about that at the moment. One thing I will say, is that the sales are allowing me to cut down to part-time at the day job, so that was one of my goals that I have achieved. <br /><br />Moral of the story is, self-publish because you want your book to find readers, not as a means to finding a publisher. Readers are the best and make it all worthwhile. I have found that an email, review or post on my FB page by a reader is a guaranteed motivator to continue my writing. (Sorry this is so long!)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13267066733031149882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-12082297966305688942012-10-26T19:52:52.078-04:002012-10-26T19:52:52.078-04:00I think some people are missing the thesis stateme...I think some people are missing the thesis statement of the post. Essentially she's responding to the idea that people see self-publishing as a very easy route to getting a traditional publisher's eye. Her comments are aimed at answering questions she's been asked many times and giving her professional advice. She's not necessarily saying which is better than the other, and she's pointing out that publishers need to be able to turn a profit. orangeseattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08842778306160793197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-16483056587313976872012-10-26T15:14:18.149-04:002012-10-26T15:14:18.149-04:00Thank you for your illuminating piece. With respec...Thank you for your illuminating piece. With respect, your view is distorted by the nature of your profession. I have worked in publishing for 25 years. There are very few new or mid list authors who could sell 20,000 copies through a traditional publisher. And if they did, their income would be considerably less than those who sell less than a quarter by self-publishing. There is a place for trad publishers and agents but it's getting smaller and tougher, especially as these old publishers require writers to promote their work through social media as much as any self-publisher.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6277547506854253792012-10-26T11:08:34.515-04:002012-10-26T11:08:34.515-04:00This is EXCELLENT advice! Thank you.This is EXCELLENT advice! Thank you.Megan Handhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02112047358177011980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-17915968941137835542012-10-26T09:44:26.554-04:002012-10-26T09:44:26.554-04:00Granted that the chances of selling huge numbers o...Granted that the chances of selling huge numbers on a single self-published novel are slim, but so are the chances of being plucked from a slush pile and making it big. Especially for those who write in a niche market. <br /><br />Thankfully in the current marketplace, if you write niche market work and write it well and write lots of it, you can at least make enough dimes to cover a bill or two which is better than beating your head bloody against the publishing industry Wall of Disinterest.<br /><br />The point is to know what you're selling and what the market is for it. There are some things the publishers are never going to buy because the market isn't big enough to interest them. But that doesn't mean there is no market.<br /><br />Sure we'd all rather own Walmart and drive BMWs, but owning a local hardware store and driving a Ford isn't so bad.Regina Richardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03507654672355756028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-55126632786989405572012-10-26T08:00:02.477-04:002012-10-26T08:00:02.477-04:00Vitriolic comments are vitriolic. I had the extrem...Vitriolic comments are vitriolic. I had the extreme pleasure of meeting one of my favorite writers at the Killer Nashville conference. <br /><br />Jeffery Deaver (oh *snap* *sniff* *horror* he's not literary!) gave a fantastic talk that centered around four words: "it is a business." <br /><br />If writers want to turn out their literary churn on Kindle, go for it (and yes, I have read Pynchon, no thank you).<br /><br />"This post is not to dissuade you from self-publishing. Have at it with all your might. But be realistic . . ."<br /><br />Just like the folks who put their Publish America books on their resumes and call themselves "multi-published Authors (always with a capital "A"), going ballistic and using words like "greedy" don't add anything to the conversation. <br /><br />Self-pubbing is not a panacea or sure-fire avenue to trad publishing. It is just another avenue. No better and whether or not it is worse is in the eye of the beholder.Terri Lynn Coophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07290316565247120848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6053575520670143722012-10-26T00:33:46.406-04:002012-10-26T00:33:46.406-04:00To be honest, it's just as hard (harder than t...To be honest, it's just as hard (harder than the lottery!) to get an agent and become a best seller as to self-publish and sell 20,000 copies. I don't see how either avenue is less realistic than the other one.E.B. Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03954156488722828443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-41442494992978893452012-10-25T21:56:35.723-04:002012-10-25T21:56:35.723-04:00I've sold over 15,000 copies of my novel since...I've sold over 15,000 copies of my novel since I self published in May 2011. But not all book counts are created equal. It's easier to sell a novel when you get to price your e-book at $3.99. This flexibility is the self-published writer's small advantage.corinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-76306918034318588942012-10-25T20:56:48.297-04:002012-10-25T20:56:48.297-04:00I'm sorry, but it's difficult to take you ...I'm sorry, but it's difficult to take you seriously when you're leaning so far over to one side. How about balancing your posts and researching and citing authors who have sold 20,000+ books. Why in the world are you citing E.L. James in this article? <br /><br />Not everyone is Indie-publishing to get picked up by trade publishers, some of us are tired of waiting and taking control of our writing and using the Internet to promote and sell our books. We can purchase, at reasonable fees, the same quality of services and expertise as well as distribution channels, all a la carte and work with professionals to fulfill our goals. It is extremely hard work, but its not rocket science either.<br />Liz Raptis Piccohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05673939799056557322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-34950280900950233552012-10-25T19:04:57.306-04:002012-10-25T19:04:57.306-04:00Here's what traditional publishing 16 novels n...Here's what traditional publishing 16 novels never did for me: pay my mortgage.<br /><br />Here's what self publishing does for me every month: pay my mortgage.<br /><br />I don't need to sell 20,000 books.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09858789421494610124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-52270682310393865222012-10-25T17:31:30.800-04:002012-10-25T17:31:30.800-04:00Great post, love the honesty. Also important to no...Great post, love the honesty. Also important to note...most publishers (according to a number of agents) don't respect the 99c price point because it's not a model they can duplicate. And, even selling 200K copies of your books doesn't mean you'll get a traditional contract. It's a tough business to break into, so shoot for writing quality books, sell as best you can, build a following, and keep trying...Melissa Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15508368065806823185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-54741126085733147062012-10-25T17:06:35.834-04:002012-10-25T17:06:35.834-04:00As someone with an MBA as well as a journalism deg...As someone with an MBA as well as a journalism degree, I find it really sad to read that people in the publishing industry do it for the money, not for the love. I also wonder why they haven't been able to stay as financially flush, if the goal is profits above all.<br /><br />But then, this is why the industry is in turmoil. If they were good at making money, then this post probably wouldn't exist.Phoenix Hill Presshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08377394219351297094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-65489393242033149032012-10-25T16:54:32.763-04:002012-10-25T16:54:32.763-04:00But what if--horror of horrors--it isn't my in...But what if--horror of horrors--it isn't my intention to attract the notice of a major publisher?<br /><br />Your magic numbers are all very well, but I'm an author who couldn't care less if Random House or Penguin come sniffing around like errant dogs. I became an independent author/publisher so I could control every facet of my writing, including choosing a cover, settling on margins, font, what have you. To me, writing is a labor of love, a daily valentine to the power and legacy of the printed word.<br /><br />I'm a literary author and I take one look at the sub-literate crap clogging the marketplace thanks to dim-witted editors and greedy agents and feel nothing but disgust for the state of the industry.<br /><br />Instead of seeking out the next DeLillo or Pynchon, the trads are churning out vampire porn, sucky memoirs and zombies galore. Spin-offs of spin-offs.<br /><br />The trads have nothing to offer me and I will continue to tread a less well-traveled path. Not so richly rewarded as E.L. James and many other hacks, perhaps, but at least I can face myself in the mirror each morning.<br /><br />In that sense, I'm a lucky man...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-46184972864466533052012-10-25T15:32:17.190-04:002012-10-25T15:32:17.190-04:00I am glad that the industry and the authors want t...I am glad that the industry and the authors want to make money because as a reader, I want to be entertained and not bore myself with books that I am obliged to read because they are supposed to be artistic. Stories written by sadsacks with chips on their shoulders and attitude problems. <br /><br />If you don't want to make money publishing great, but why insist that the reader or the industry are stupid.<br /> <br /><br />angie Brooksby-Arcangiolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000615140577512304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61711570469577170322012-10-25T14:14:42.475-04:002012-10-25T14:14:42.475-04:00Laura,
In a word, "burnout".
It's ...Laura,<br /><br />In a word, "burnout".<br /><br />It's super hard to do it all yourself, which is what indie publishing requires. I can definitely see an author who sold 20k books being ready to let someone else do the non-writing work for a while.Elissa Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10727748060605823895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-4169728767916927002012-10-25T11:03:25.465-04:002012-10-25T11:03:25.465-04:00@Sam: "And don't forget-- those big bucks...@Sam: <i>"And don't forget-- those big bucks books that everyone loves to bag on for being awful keep publishers afloat. Those extra dollars allow them the latitude to take chances on mid-list writers that won't make them as much money, or the slightly out-there projects that may bomb or may take off unexpectedly."</i><br /><br />Ah, that old saw. Sadly, it doesn't seem to have much truth in it anymore--if it ever did.<br /><br />Salon had a good article on this recently, using Lena Dunham's $3.7 mil book deal as an example.<br /><br />http://www.salon.com/2012/10/09/can_lena_dunham_be_a_bossypants/<br /><br />Think of all the promising young writers who could have taken a sliver of that advance and written great books. Weep a silent tear. Etc.<br /><br />The industry is NOT taking chances on midlisters anymore. The midlist, like the middle class, is the redheaded stepchild of publishing. Midlisters are defecting en masse to self-publishing. Pretty soon (if not already), all that remains of traditional publishing will be tiny prestigious indie presses who win all the literary awards, and the Big Six shitting out celebrity memoirs and flavor-of-the-month romances.<br /><br />Everyone else will be self-publishing, and the majors will scoop up whatever Twilight fanfic is selling the most copies this week.<br /><br />And so it goes.<br /><br />P.S. Fuck Captcha, seriously. A robot could read this more easily than I can.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-11774612555006344112012-10-25T10:56:32.695-04:002012-10-25T10:56:32.695-04:00I'm one of the lucky authors who this happened...I'm one of the lucky authors who this happened to:<br /><br />I, along with my co-author, sold 90,000 copies of two novels, reaching No.1 and No.2 on Amazon.co.uk.<br /><br />This led to a deal with HarperCollins.<br /><br />It took a lot of hard work. Months of constant marketing and promotion. We had some luck too. And, most importantly, our books were very good and well-written (he said modestly). <br /><br />So you can do it... but I think it's getting increasingly hard as more and more self-publishers enter the market, and publishers get to grips with digital publishing.<br /><br />My advice is not to be deterred: even if your self-publishing venture goes terribly you can always use a new pseudonym. Authors relaunch themselves with new names all the time.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12669402354903588219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-26165219832097340172012-10-25T10:52:15.253-04:002012-10-25T10:52:15.253-04:00Janet, isn't the focus on units sold a bit amb...Janet, isn't the focus on units sold a bit ambiguous, since self-pub prices vary so widely?<br /><br />How does a novel that's sold 20k copies at $.99 compare to one that's sold 10k at $1.99, or 5k at $3.99, etc.?<br /><br />And what about free giveaways on Kindle? Are these included in "sales" numbers?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com