Our discussion on changes in the publishing world have highlighted the ever-shifting sands on which we stand. One aspect, which has always been contentious, is how conference organizers will recognize the increasingly fluid definition of a ‘published author’.
I still remember the controversy a few years ago when Malice Domestic revised its rules about who could participate in panels and be eligible for awards – endorsing, in effect, the traditional publishing model in the face of uncertainty over the onslaught of self- published authors. I remember my first Malice go-round (where new authors introduce their books to fans) and the plethora of authors dragging round wheelies with copies of their own self published books to sell. For the fans and other authors the resultant confusion fueled anger and resentment on both sides. In the aftermath of that controversy, and given recent ‘defections’ of high profile authors to a self-publishing model, I wonder how conference organizers are going to address the thorny issue of awards and panel allocations.
Are self-published authors to be granted the same status as traditionally published authors?
Will they be eligible for awards? Will they be able to participate on panels?
How will conference organizers decide how to allocate panels given the range of publishing options now available – and where the rules of just a few years ago no longer seem to apply (when many conferences decided only traditionally published authors could be eligible)?
So what do you think? How will these issue be resolved? I can imagine some self-published authors arguing that if Barry Eisler and Joe Konrath can be on a panel or win an award, so should they…Or should only those who were traditionally published in the past be eligible? Should volume of sales count? How should conference organizers deal with e-book authors such as John Locke,who has shunned traditional publishing, or Amanda Hocking who has gone on to embrace it?
Well, as a brand new indie author (my submission to TKZ, “The Maronite”, just went live on Kindle, under the name“The Old Etonian”, for .99), I hope that they do eventually start recognizing the value of the e-pubbing market.
According to the Wall Street Journal, John Locke reportedly made $150k in sales last month. And Mr. Hartlaub’s Friday post, talked about Amanda Hocking making $450k in monthly revenue.
Those are ridiculous sales numbers.
If for no other reason than to talk about their marketing strategies, people like Ms. Hocking and Mr. Locke should be allowed on conference panels. Those of us who are just starting out, as well as the marketing departments of the big 6, should, at the very least, be able to appreciate their insights on how to build a brand in the digital age. Everyone in the industry stands to benefit from knowing more about how to navigate the new landscape.
As to whether self-published authors should be included in awards, that’s an entirely different matter. Guidelines for eligibility are at the sole discretion of the award judges/committees. And until the current crop of people controlling those things are replaced by ones who do not see the words “poor quality” and “self-published” as synonymous, self-pubbed books will not get considered,IMHO.
(Apologies in advance if anyone thinks putting those links up was inappropriate.)
I don’t know if it can be. Self-publish is always going to conjure up the image of a writer who has a closetful of bad books that he’s going to try to get people to buy. THe problem is that there’s a huge quality control issue. There are writers who go to self-publishing because the all the agents rejected the book. I’ve read a few sample pages of self-published books, and unfortunately, there’s usually a reason why they were rejected.
This comment has been removed by the author.
I seem to be having difficulty spelling to tonight so I shall try and comment again, without the typos! I think it will be tricky to deal with self published authors at conferences now some high profile writers are taking that route. Otherwise I think that market will help shake out the wheat from the chaff.
Fletch, I agree that input by authors who have been successful in the e-book market would be great on a conference panel. Their sales figures are pretty amazing. It will be interesting to watch how the awards issue plays out, because as you say, at the moment most of those setting out guidelines etc. are wedded to a traditional view of publishing and the quality that accompanies the self published label. Btw, Good luck with your first foray into e-publication!
I also wonder if authors will feel a somewhat lesser need to attend conferences as the years go by and self-publishing becomes a larger percentage of the books.
The main reason people go is to attempt to land agents and pitch their stuff to editors. But as writers learn to handle more of the aspects of the business on their own (after all the trad publishers started that in the first place by offering less and less to authors), what reason do they have to shell out nearly a grand to go to a conference?
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t doubt the usefulness of some of the panels and classes, but if authors are forced to become do-it-yourselfers in terms of the spectrum of publishing, it seems to me it would be easier to sit in on a cyber-panel or, quite frankly, sit back and participate in blogs like this one where a lot of the same sort of useful info is covered.
BK, you make a really good point. Conferences may have to become more ‘virtual’ and will probably focus more on key areas authors need to help establish their own brand in the ebook market. Although many writers attend conferences to meet agents and editors, they also provide a great venue to network with fellow writers and fans…though I think we have already seen that social networking and online connections are supplanting much of this networking already.
Thank you for the well-wishing, Clare. It’s quite scary.
I suspect we’ll soon start to see conference exclusively for self-published authors. They’ll be considered ghettos at first, until some shaking out occurs, then the lines will gradually be blurred as both traditional and self publishing evolve to best leverage the marketplace. Anyone who claims to know how that’s going to shake out can probably also be willing to sell you a minority interest in the Brooklyn bridge.
Another question is whether traditionally published authors like Eisler can have their self-published ebooks considered by ITW or MWA for awards. Since membership is based on being published by an accepted publisher is the qualification for inclusion.
I agree that a really great self-published book is a rarity, there will be more in the future, along with many more literary horrors.
I’m wondering about the efficacy of awards anyway, going forward. In the past, having that Edgar could lead to more bookstore sales and browsers taking a chance when they see that on the cover.
But in the e-world, that hardly matters.
As one who’s got 3 novels and two short sets self-pubbed on Kindle, two of those in paperback, I can say that I am still for the vetting process when it comes to recognition, panels, etc. I think to do otherwise, ie putting self-pubbed authors in elevated positions before we’ve proved our chops with either extremely well performing books or obtaining positive critical acclaim (and even that is iffy to me) is tantamount to asking a scratch off lottery player to present financial advice on Wall Street.
I have not pursued self-pub with my existing works because I am giving up on traditional publication. I have simply accepted the judgement that these specific books are not what the 200 plus agencies I queried are looking for. Therefore, I am not going to beat an old horse to make him move up hill (note I did not say dead horse). These stories proved themselves as podcasts with literally tens of thousands of subscribers. They have been professionally edited and are about as good as I can get them without a major house taking it over. I know people like them, but the publishers saw it otherwise.
Now, I move on to the next project and try again. Hopefully by the time my new storyline is ready the undulations in the industry will calm down and I will manage to find the agent/publisher combo that knows my stuff can sell and run with it. If not….
…. I do it again, until I rule the world.
Not five minutes ago, I left a comment on another blog that addressed this same issue, and I’ll say the same thing here.
The Mystery Writers of America has a rule, very stringently enforced, the essence of which is: NO SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHORS ALLOWED. Such people would presumably infect the pristine corridors of MWA power with their unedited, poorly written crap, right?
Now, the MWA does have a sort of second-class membership which allows undesirables such as unpublished writers, self-pubbed authors, and people from lowly POD publishers. These outliers, however, can’t vote for Edgars, can’t win them, can’t be on the MWA board, can’t have a presence on the MWA website, along with many other exclusions.
Oh, but they CAN attend the meetings. No doubt, being forced to stand in a roped-off area in the back of the room while the “real” writers sit comfortably up front, mewling endlessly against the sins of self-published authors.
No, I don’t think we’ll see self-published authors accorded respect at traditional conferences anytime soon.
I attended Sleuthfest a couple of months ago and wrote at length about how far in the sand their heads were buried. If you’re interested, you can check it out: http://mikedennisnoir.com/sleuthfest-more-like-denialfest/1738/
Basil, I think your approach is a sensible one…and it also takes advantage of the current climate for ebooks and podcasts. Dana, I think we will definitely see more self-pub conferences (no doubt mobbed by thousands of would be authors hoping to make their millions!) Jim has a point that in the new world order awards may not even matter but I think the competitive human nature will ensure they endure! JRM, it will be I interesting to see won’t it! I suspect if they go that route there will be an uproar- doesn’t see fair if a traditionally published author can have a self published book eligible that other self published works will not be…
Mike, your comment got caught in the spam filter so I just released it:) I think you’re right that it may be a long time before organizations such as MWA recognize self published authors. It is a thorny issue for many groups trying to work out how to navigate these new publishing seas…we will just have to wait I guess and see what happens!
Can we look at the music world as an example of what works and what doesn’t? Can we search for the content instead of the portent?