tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post8518878416544582633..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: Gatekeepers – You Choose – Publishers or Readers? by Chris LongmuirKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-61156824071241800602014-09-23T19:17:39.077+01:002014-09-23T19:17:39.077+01:00This is an interesting question. I think the old p...This is an interesting question. I think the old publisher-as-gatekeeper model helped the more literary (probably midlist, but occasionally surprise bestseller) titles reach readers. Since there is now so much published, writing in a niche genre can be the kiss of death.<br /><br />I am pretty sure my teen/YA historical adventures would hardly have reached readers at all without a publisher's backing. In fact, now I've done all my backlist as ebooks, I can see that I have 2 books that sell themselves, possibly another 4 that might sell if I did some advertising, and the rest are a niche market that only shift occasional copies and might as well have been rejected at the gate. It's making me think very hard about what I write next, and in this respect maybe authors will end up being their own gatekeepers?Katherine Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-23018390597308675072014-09-21T16:26:50.715+01:002014-09-21T16:26:50.715+01:00Bravo! And 'Fifty Shades of Crap' describe...Bravo! And 'Fifty Shades of Crap' describes those books very accurately (or should I, with my French background, re-name that 'Fifty Shades of Caca'?) The writing's appalling (how do I know? Because they all end up in my local charity shops).Enid Richemonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17218197995089241666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-36186918831030148652014-09-19T17:25:46.963+01:002014-09-19T17:25:46.963+01:00agents are also influenced by their own prejudice ...agents are also influenced by their own prejudice and stereotyped thinking - they think the typical 'reader' is like them, whereas the biggest book buying sector over here is older women who are persistently ignored by publishers.Lydia Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328239009863878547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-42687656252560656502014-09-19T15:02:38.550+01:002014-09-19T15:02:38.550+01:00Well said, Chris. But, imo, the process is more si...Well said, Chris. But, imo, the process is more sinister and convoluted: by and large, publishers only see what agents submit to them and agents submit what they believe publishers want, based on perceptions of what folks will buy--based in turn upon what is now selling.<br /><br />glitter noirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11728649916344336118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-18344002764195455572014-09-19T11:56:01.172+01:002014-09-19T11:56:01.172+01:00publishers as sole gatekeepers isn't good for ...publishers as sole gatekeepers isn't good for readers or for writers. and certainly no guarantee of quality! choice is good and we have more of that now. Lydia Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328239009863878547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-40091842355551090142014-09-19T10:57:16.799+01:002014-09-19T10:57:16.799+01:00I share your contempt for decisions made in the na...I share your contempt for decisions made in the name of commerce with total disregard for quality, Chris - and the argument that crap like 50 Shades of Grey has empowered some women makes me despair/want to upchuck/scream etc. I don't think the readers could do a worse job as gatekeepers than the worst of the 'big' publishers, so on we go! Sandra Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01761260568729338471noreply@blogger.com