tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post1420801845410096545..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: What Does Anybody Really Know? by Catherine CzerkawskaKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-64794944934893777052011-09-20T00:15:53.923+01:002011-09-20T00:15:53.923+01:00Well said, Nicola. My impression is that writers a...Well said, Nicola. My impression is that writers are being asked to do more and more of the publicity and marketing, even as far as organising all their own library tours - or at least that was one example quoted to me recently! I certainly did vast amounts for TCC when it was conventionally published.Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-71745732906569631872011-09-19T13:38:02.354+01:002011-09-19T13:38:02.354+01:00That is a stunning cover!
Yes, I also thought the...That is a stunning cover!<br /><br />Yes, I also thought the publishers seemed to be "protesting too much". Same thing happened at the SoA event on ebooks at the EIBF. I also remember the publisher on that panel talking at length about the vast amount of publicity and marketing that publishers do. No, frankly - WE do that. In some cases we do all of it - for example my Write to be Published book had a zero marketing budget. I even paid for review copies to be sent out - paid the postage and did the sending. So, doing it ourselves is often the only way we can recoup anything for our efforts and skill in writing.Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-30818574293547346452011-09-19T11:50:48.666+01:002011-09-19T11:50:48.666+01:00Thanks for all these interesting comments - didn&#...Thanks for all these interesting comments - didn't make the conference, for various reasons, even though I was supposed to be there, but wish I'd been able to come. And I agree about the cover, but that's down to my lovely friend Alison Bell! Yes, there really were bowls like that - seemingly - though sadly I've never seen one! But I've read about them. And I do get the impression that publishers are running scared as well. I was at an event earlier this year in which they were trying to persuade a room full of writers how difficult and expensive e-publishing really was and I don't think anyone believed them. An agent is a different matter, but the big question is, I suppose, can we carry the agents with us, because it means a change of role, or at least a change of perspective for them too. A quote to come out of the Edinburgh book festival this year involved, as far as I remember, a publisher saying that e-books had to be expensive because didn't readers realise that they were 'paying for content' which would be all well and good, if we didn't know that so many conventional publishers haven't exactly been keen on paying for content themselves - other than the massive advances to the favoured few!Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-59329181373612353562011-09-19T11:26:43.149+01:002011-09-19T11:26:43.149+01:00That's a beautiful cover for THE CURIOSITY CAB...That's a beautiful cover for THE CURIOSITY CABINET, Catherine!Linda Newberynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-40097820102217921292011-09-18T18:24:45.121+01:002011-09-18T18:24:45.121+01:00Great blog, Catherine. (Loved the Goldman quote!)
...Great blog, Catherine. (Loved the Goldman quote!)<br /><br />When I attended the Romantic Novelists' Association conference earlier this year, it was the same story. Some publishers are trying to persuade authors that e-publishing is so complex and the marketing so time-consuming that they need a publisher to do it for them. When asked for his advice to authors who were thinking of going down the indie e-book route, Simon Petherick of BEAUTIFUL BOOKS said (with rather more honesty), "Get a good agent."<br /><br />There are some things I can't do for myself. My agent has already had 2 enquiries about translation rights for one of my e-books, HOUSE OF SHADOWS and she sent the pdf of the same book to the BBC drama dept after she managed to pique someone's interest there. <br /><br />We still need agents. I see publishers more as an optional extra. ;-)Linda Gillardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05747108591927491742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-57595594191704502432011-09-18T16:01:15.587+01:002011-09-18T16:01:15.587+01:00Catherine - I've just read, and loved, your Qu...Catherine - I've just read, and loved, your Quiet Afternoon in the Museum of Torture. Especially the Butterfly Bowl! Were there really bowls like that? I'd love to think there were, but find it hard to believe.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-67808142972884413422011-09-18T14:42:52.178+01:002011-09-18T14:42:52.178+01:00Very thoughtful article, Catherine, and I agree wi...Very thoughtful article, Catherine, and I agree with the comments made. The SOA conference was great, looked for you but you weren't there. It was interesting that the publishers were pushing the idea that you really needed a publisher to do epublishing, which I didn't agree with. I think Marianne is correct when she said they seemed to be running scared. And so they should because, as authors, we are now taking the control back. They've been knocking us down long enough.Chris Longmuirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02488093821886798927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-64408021471757140872011-09-18T12:05:28.909+01:002011-09-18T12:05:28.909+01:00That's a stunning cover! Thanks for your post...That's a stunning cover! Thanks for your post.<br /><br />I was at the conference too and was able to let people know about our new name (at least in the break off session) and saw many diligently writing it down - here's to a spike in visit stats!Joan Lennonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15763862159032836768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-69617252346546825232011-09-18T09:53:48.696+01:002011-09-18T09:53:48.696+01:00Hi Catherine
I really enjoyed this post. I was at ...Hi Catherine<br />I really enjoyed this post. I was at the Society Of Authors Conference in Scotland yesterday (if you were there I am sorry I missed you!). A lot of what you say here was echoed there. It was an inspiring day with some great speakers who were both successful writers and self e-publishers. It was also interesting to note that when the agents and publishers had their say, they appeared to be running scared!<br />Has the worm turned?Marianne Wheelaghanhttp://www.mariannewheelaghan.co.uknoreply@blogger.com