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Emanuel
Regular Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 39
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 12:36 pm: | 
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How do you feel about the bias directed towards books that are from self-publishers, print on demand publishers, and vanity publishers? The bias usually comes from bookstores who refuse to stock the book and reviewers who refuse to review the book.
What are some of your favorite non-traditionally published books? |
Brian_egeston
Regular Poster
Username: Brian_egeston
Post Number: 32
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 05:42 pm: |
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Emanuel,
The bias is a bit complex and goes beyond bookstores. I’ve discussed this at great lengths on several platforms. You can check the archives for ‘Self-Publishing means go home Nigger’.
First of all, publishing is likened to the mafia in that to be in the club, someone must vouch for you. Someone must say, ‘Yes he’s good let him/her in. Publish their book.’ And until someone vouches for you, you must remain in the cold and be discriminated against.
Most major periodicals will not review SP books. There is an annual book event where authors are given expense paid trips, but SP authors are not eligible. Despite what a book is about or how well it’s written, (A Feat of Peonies is a good example of a great SP book.) you will not be allowed to do certain things within the industry.
There are some justifications to the discriminatory practices. One being money. Publishers pay lots of money to commissioned sales reps, advertising mediums, and cooperative advertising with bookstores. For instance A Books A Million café in Florida served coffee in John Grisham cups. Who paid for the cups and who paid the bookstore to allow the cups to be used? A major publisher. A publisher pays a bookstore to have their titles facing outward on a shelf. So why wouldn’t a bookstore give a major publisher preferential treatment? It’s simply good business to do so.
Another reason is that SP authors have limited resources to promote their titles and generate significant revenue for several bookstores. Of course, there are some exceptions like Lady Z and Mr. Holmes and Ms. Woods, who take the industry by storm. But it should be noted that these titles are vouched for after the industry sees their earning potential. Hell if I were a tree cutting service and they could make me some money, I’d vouch for them too.
It’s not really about bias in the bookstore, but it’s more about having access the intricate lock and key distribution channels. A sales rep can call a buyer for a large chain and have this conversation:
“We’ve got Mosley’s new book. You want 300 cases of that one?”
“Yeah that’s fine.”
“We’ve also got a new one by Dr. Ian Smith. Supposed to be great like Ocean Park. Can you take 500 cases of that one? Got a big push behind it.”
“Uh, 500’s a bit much.”
“Can you go 425? Big push. Great early reviews.”
“Uh, let me hold at 400 cases for now.”
“That’s fine.”
So the large chain order 500 cases and Ingram’s warehouse gets the order. All of a sudden, Ingram sees the large demand and they begin pushing the title as well.
Now as a SP, first of all you don’t have a sales rep. Second, you don’t have 500 cases of books. Third, you can’t even get in Ingram’s system unless you have 11 titles. So you, my friend, have to sit in the cheap seats if you want to watch the game.
By doing so, you call Culture Plus or A & B and beg them to take two cases of your books and hope they sell. You go from bookstore to bookstore hoping to have a book event only to find out that you’re the third writer to call that hour requesting they stock your book. Then you find out that 150,000 new books are published each year and many of them are backed by sales reps and ad campaigns.
Therefore, your only hope is to seek publicity, but then you find out you can’t get on the radio station or TV or have your book reviewed unless you have a publicist that charges $1000 a month. A publicist that a major publisher uses at no cost to the author.
At that point, it sinks in. It hits you, that the bias you speak of, the discrimination of the industry is nothing more the life juxtaposed. Like life, the book industry is hard and unfair. Like life, bookstores need sustenance to survive, which comes in the form money.
It’s a business and people go into business to make money so that they might feed their kids, pay their bills, place elders in care facilities, give money to the church, buy braces, save for college, by roses when doghouse days approach, send wives to spas, get haircuts, repair cars, buy healing medicine for hurting parts, feed pets, visit friends. And not one single item on that list has even the most infinitesimal bearing on a self-published book making it’s way to the bottom of a bookstore shelf waiting for the day it’s eventually circulated to the buy one get one free rack.
What do I think about the bias? You can watch the game from the seats, you can be the batboy, or you can practice hard every day at being the best writer you can be. And if the time comes that they call your number, you get in and do your damn best to never get taken out.
That’s what I think.
My favorite non-traditonal book--'Satisfy The Black Woman Sexualy Made Simple'. by Dr. Rosise Miiigan.
It keeps my wife in good spirits!
Holla
Be of good cheer, for it’s the only type of cheer I know.
B
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Emanuel
Regular Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 41
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 06:45 pm: |
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Thanks Brian. Great post. I think there's another aspect to the bias towards non-traditionally published book. It's the fact that lots of these books just aren't that well-written. Without the constructive criticism of a literary agent, editor, or publisher, many non-traditional books miss out on the fine tuning. I've been told that this is a major reason reviewers don't even bother with them. Of course, they end up throwing the baby out with the bath water when they pass on reviewing a book that is actually good. This was the case with "Lady Z" and also Dr. John Gray (Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus). Of course, after these authors proved themselves with great reviews and chart-topping sales, publishers started falling all over themselves to get them signed. What a strange business huh?
I think non-traditionally published writers can find recognition but it takes lots of work (i.e. book-signing and public appearances) and marketing (i.e money spent on print ads). Authors must take the time to learn the business aspect if they want to succeed in the industry. And of course, they have to actually write well. |
Kc_trudiva
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Kc_trudiva
Post Number: 85
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 10:39 am: |
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emanuel,
i agree with some of what you say. as a reviewer i am biased towards SP books that are poorly written. for instance, i loathe having to read a book (any book) from 1st Books although there may be some "good" ones hidden (down deep, real deep) in the pile of their millions of published books.
however, like brian_egeston noted, it's up to the writer to put that extra effort into making sure they get noticed. okay, so you're not with a major publishing house who provides you with the editor, publicist, marketing, etc. but that doesn't mean that as a SP you have to skimp on those things. THEY ARE STILL IMPORTANT to your success.
when those who choose to SP realize that this is a "business" and not a "get rich quick" scheme then (and only then) will they take their work seriously and do what's necessary to get "noticed and reviewed." otherwise, they will remain in the cheap seats wondering "why" and continue to be oblivious to some of the constructive criticism (i'm sure) has been thrown at them.
brian_egeston is SP and i highly recommend his work to everybody. he's a writer who has taken time to perfect the art of writing. his work is edited, nicely packaged and worth the $10 - $13 spent on every book. i once asked him why he hasn't gone with a major publishing house and his was response was something like "because i'm trying to become a better writer." *bowing to brian* how many other SP would actually say that? not many, i imagine.
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 652
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 04:11 pm: |
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As a self-published author, I, myself, view self-published books with a leery eye, and I can perfectly understand why perpective readers would feel the same way about my book. These are the consequences when, nowadays, money and desire are the only credentials necessary to put a book out there. |
Akaivyleaf
Veteran Poster
Username: Akaivyleaf
Post Number: 70
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 23, 2004 - 04:52 pm: |
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I have to agree with KC_trudiva in her assessment of 1st books, now Authorhouse. I think they are print on demand and don't employ editors which makes almost everything I've read from them, lack. I believe that an author should have more pride in their work no matter who is publishing them to assure that their book is as well written as possible. Even a simple spell check could curb some of the grievous errors I've seen in Authorhouse works.
To that end, Im guess I am biased towards SP books. I generally prefer reading the "unknowns" because their novels aren't politicized with page minimums, formulas, outlines and other restrictions. I feel that sometimes the story is more "real" when there is a sense of self expression, but the line is very finely drawn. I don't know if SP authors are actively trying to get into a major publishing house or if some are happily content in the SP world but I think there is a place for both. When creativity is stifled to jump to someone elses drum beat I have a problem, but unbridled creativity can be damaging as well. Especially when that creative person isn't open to constructive feedback. I've encountered some of that with some SP authors.
The best self published book I read was Thunderland by Brandon Massey, but he was picked up by a major publisher and for that I'm glad. This has allowed him to grow as an author and get his name and book into a greater audience than self publishing often affords. I think that in his case, he would have succeeded in the SP world but just taken a longer time to reach where he is now.
Another SP author that has done well is Michael Presley and the Blackfunk series. While they have received mixed reviews, they are being read over and over again.
Brian Egeston is another SP who has well crafted books but he just doesn't have the exposure that I would have expected for his level of writing. So its a mixed bag.
From a reviewers point of view, I tend to lean toward SP authors, because I want to help spread the word about good books that might not be easy to access, but well worth the hunt to find. |
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