"Great advice, Betsy. Thank you so much for sharing. I'll definitely be revisiting these tips as I creep closer to the pub date of my novel (next spring).
Congrats on your book. I look forward to reading it!
Warmly,
Julia"
ASK AN EDITOR: Colorful Parachutes
Dear SheWriters,On Friday, I was an employee at one of the largest publishers in the world, and now, by choice, I am my own boss. I was expecting it to be bittersweet, but so far it’s only sweet (though I’m sure some bitterness will seep into my days when this stops feeling like a vacation and I put my only employee—me--to work). Yesterday I spent the day in a sort of slothful interval training. Hours of “civilian reading” (I’m loving Jennifer Egan’s The Keep, which has sat on my bookshelf gathering dust since it came out; I only just now have time to devour it) were followed by trips to the kitchen for slivers (ok, hunks) of the divine chocolate cake my friend Liz made for my going away party, equally delicious naps with my French bulldog, and then back to reading. But now my nose is back to the grindstone, though for the first time in several years, I’m sharpening my own knives.
I’m so excited to be working in the publishing industry in a new way. I always appreciated the cache of my job at Random House; I find editing supremely satisfying, I was proud to state my occupation at dinner parties, and brushes with great authors (and even friendships) were wonderfully abundant. But the business of publishing—that dreaded bottom line—has been getting me down for a long time. Publishers will spend millions of dollars on a project by a name—someone who can’t write but has legions of fans who will pore over every word written by the ghostwriter—but won’t take a $30,000 chance (or less) on a beautifully written novel by an unknown. And it’s not just the publishers’ fault. Publishing houses are providing what Americans want to read. Bookstores are stocking the books that will sell. But it still burns me up inside, and the injustices don’t stop there.
For example, bookstores began decreasing stock in recent years in order to display more books cover out. For obvious reasons, consumers are more likely to buy a book if the entire cover, and not just the spine, is immediately visible. But what books get shelved with the front cover facing out? The ones that are already selling! I understand that The Lost Symbols of the world enable publishers to afford smaller, quieter novels, but let’s give those smaller, quieter novels a chance!
Books that sell well are given prime placement in stores, leading to more sales. Books that receive good publicity attract even more publicity. Books that are making the publisher money inspire them to spend more money on advertising and marketing. I want the quirky, eccentric debut novel to reach all its potential fans, and to sell well enough to allow the quirky, eccentric writer to pen her second novel. How can we make this happen?
I hope that our business of words is undergoing a sea change—that it is evolving with the economic climate, that American readers are expanding their interests beyond the literary equivalent of white bread and American cheese (let’s have camembert! Manchego!), that the ignored single copy of a literary gem, shoved behind its more popular brethren on the shelf, will find its perfect audience.
We have the chance to make this happen at She Writes. This community has restored my faith in--and excitement for--publishing. We’re here to make changes. To help each other. To support each other. To buy each other’s books, and attend each other’s readings. We’re here to spread the word about the book that might otherwise be missed.
Write on,
Lea Beresford
The Girl with the Red Pencil
Views: 5
Tags: Jennifer Egan, Lea Beresford, The Girl with the Red Pencil, advertising, editor, marketing, publicity
Comment
-
Comment by Angela Austin on October 5, 2009 at 12:48pm -
Congratulations Lea! Although for different reasons (company cutbacks), I am also venturing out and building my own. It can be nerve wrecking, but it sounds like you have a solid foundation, and a plan. And I believe as you do that groups like SheWrites are a great for helping people actualize their dreams. Enjoy your cake and every day of your journey.
-
Comment by Lori Osterman on October 3, 2009 at 4:03pm -
Good luck to you and way to have the courage to follow your dream.
Lori
-
Comment by Lea Beresford on October 2, 2009 at 10:45am -
Thanks, all, for your wonderfully encouraging and supportive comments! Another reason why I am so thrilled to be a part of this community.
-
Comment by Catherine Dowman on October 2, 2009 at 8:58am -
This is a wonderful introduction to you and your new life for me. I always think editors at large publishing houses have the best job but you have shared with us that it can also be discouraging especially when numbers come into it.
As for those slivers of cake..may you keep on eating them in celebration of your new business. I hope to meet you one day person, and I'll be bringing a gigantic cake. Good luck.
Cate
http://caffeinatedtraveller.com
-
Comment by Sherelle Wallace on October 2, 2009 at 5:02am -
Lea;
Always sincerly enjoy your posts, and they are so informative! Almost two years ago, I literally stepped out on a limb and resigned from my well paying, great retirement benifit, position in government, to follow my dreams and become a writer. In any event, the sweet high won't last for long, and reality will hit like a ton of bricks. I have yet to regret my decision, and doubt I ever will. There is much to be said about not sleeping well at night because what you do for a living is anything other than what you love, are proud of, and feel is your purpose on this earth.
Thanks so much for speaking up on the millions of copies sold of books simply because of a well known author (and many cases a famous person using a ghostwriter) and here's to those wonderful, well written stories which do not fit the norm, but are treasures in the sand.
Congratulations and good luck!!!
-
Comment by Ginger B. Collins on October 1, 2009 at 4:56am -
Slivers of chocolate cake nibbled between hours of reading and nap time.What better way to decompress and recharge your batteries! I'm guessing the dinner party crowd will soon view you with an envious eye as someone who had the courage and determination to do what they only dream about.
Ginger B.
http://coppertopcollins.blogspot.com
www.gingerbcollins.com
-
Comment by Nina Weber on September 30, 2009 at 2:57pm -
I am holding all my fingers and toes crossed - but with your connections, I hope you will not need any of our fingers or toes and just find the path less thorny than you think now and with interesting flowers already waiting left and right.
Talking about chances in publishing: During uni, I naively founded a small publishing venture with my dad, Venusberg Verlag. We picked up the German rights to Jennifer Egan's "Emerald City" after seeing a short story of hers in the New Yorker (I think it was). We were much too small to do much for her, but I could not understand why nobody else in Germany had picked up her rights. We just could not *not* do it. Later, she found a bigger German publisher, which I was very glad to see.
-
Comment by Michelle Maisto on September 30, 2009 at 11:43am -
Lea, you give me goosebumps!!! Congratulations on this fantastic new journey, you brave, wonderful woman! I just love the idea of you now sharpening your own knives... Watch out, world! xxoo
-
Comment by Julie Jeffs on September 30, 2009 at 10:57am -
Wow, how scary and wonderful all at once. I have recently been reminded how true your words are about what is getting published and displayed at book stores, but with the work of people like you there is still hope for those of us aspiring writers/memoirists/poets/novelists that our books too might be published and enjoyed by others. Thank you. I wish you the best for great success and loads of fun while you do so.
Latest Activity
Julia Fierro liked Betsy Graziani Fasbinder's blog post Help Your Friends to Help Your Book Go ViralJulia Fierro commented on the blog post '[1st BOOKS] Amy Sue Nathan: Closing My Eyes Opened Me Up To Writing Again'"Another wonderful post! Thank you Meg and Amy."
Top Content
Badge
© 2013 Created by Kamy Wicoff.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
You need to be a member of She Writes to add comments!
Join She Writes