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Traditional Publishing: The Label of Legitimacy

2/8/2013

16 Comments

 
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Jennie Nash is an author who decided to self-publish after publishing six books with traditional publishers. She has written a guest post for Rachelle Gardner’s blog where she discusses the surprises she experienced when she self-published. You can follow the link to the original post. I am going to talk here about her first surprise. She writes:

I underestimated the weight of having the legitimacy of a traditional publisher. When I could say, “My third novel is being published by Penguin,” I was not just a wanna-be hopeful novelist. I was legit! I was chosen! Pitching book reviewers was a breeze. Attending high school reunions was a delight. When I ran into more famous writers, we met as colleagues, exchanging e-mails, making dates for lunch. Now that I am self publishing, I am no different than the crazy cat lady down the block who has been working on her memoir for 17 years or the guy at the street fair hawking Xeroxed pamphlets of his poetry about fruit. People smile indulgently when I tell them what I’m doing. Book reviewers politely decline. My doubts about writing, which I’ve spent a lifetime overcoming, have blossomed like a drug-resistant virus.

Jennie’s case is interesting because she already had the “legitimacy” of traditional publishers. She was one of the “chosen.” It stands to reason that an author like her would not all of sudden publish crap just because she was now self-publishing. But as you can see from reading the passage above, all of her traditionally-published prestige vanished when the dreaded S-P word became linked to one of her books.

Often one of the plusses associated with traditional publishing is the legitimacy mentioned above: the “I am traditionally published ergo I am a good writer” argument. The idea behind this argument is that if you are traditionally published then you have been vetted, you have been certified to be good, and what you publish does not belong in the slush pile. Jennie’s experience exposes the absurdity behind this argument. What gives you the legitimacy is not how good you really are, it’s the label, and once you lose it you are back to square one, again regardless of how good you are.

The sad thing is that many self-published authors, even if they don’t say it out loud, crave for this label. There are valid reasons to traditionally publish, but legitimacy is not one of them. If you are willing to pay the price in terms of minuscule advances, dismal royalties, long publishing times, loss of artistic control, loss of your rights to your work, and lack of attention for the promotion of your book if it doesn't hit the big time soon, then I think you ought to have a good reason to traditionally publish other than the label of legitimacy.

What do you think?

                                                                     Photo credit: Sudhamshu / Foter.com / CC BY

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16 Comments
Larry Crane link
2/10/2013 12:39:11 am

Assuming that you are not going to get rich from the publication of your book, regardless of whether it is traditionally published or not (overwhelmingly the case), there is little reason not to attempt to get it traditionally published since the only thing you're losing is the extra time spent in the publishing process by the trad pub.

People in all walks of life understand the cache of being validated by someone or some organization that knows the business, be it the scout in the stands looking for burgeoning or previously overlooked major league talent, a biz exec moving up in the ranks, an app developer receiving funding, etc etc.

It's a very lonely road putting yourself "out there" with no more going for you than your self proclaimed legitimacy. This is especially true when contemplating talks before book clubs, library groups,or pitches to the editor of the local newspaper.To me it feels an awful lot like self congratulation.

Slightly off the subject but true nonetheless, this self proclaimed aspect of self publishing demands that the self publisher produce a book that is as close in quality to a traditionally published work as he/she the author can make it. To content oneself with whatever is left of one's novel after spending only as much time on it as s/he can spare (as in: "that's it, I've gone over it ten times and that's as much as I'm willing to do.") just legitimizes the disdain for self publishing.

Reply
Rolando link
2/10/2013 09:31:21 am

Thanks for your comment Larry, but it is well know that when you traditionally publish you lose much more than the time spent in the process. There are myriad of horror stories out there, and many traditionally published authors are switching to self-publishing after being fed up with the lack of control and the exploitation.

I understand the argument of being validated, but my point is that once you are validated that validation should remain effective. If a scout selects you to play baseball for a team you should be able to leave that team and have other teams be interested in you. In this case “validation” means something. In the example of my post if you lose that validation just because you self-published, then it never existed to begin with, it is at best smoke and mirrors and at worse a yoke.

A self-publisher’s legitimacy is not self-proclaimed. Their legitimacy is proclaimed by the readers. When a reader says my book was wonderful and it made them laugh and cry that is all the validation I need.

As to your last comment, I have argued in my blog that self-publishing has difficult challenges, no question about that. I agree that we should perfect our work and have it edited, but the truth is that for many authors it is not financially possible or advisable to spend money on professional services for publishing. This is a reality, period, end of the discussion. If that reality inspires the disdain of traditional publishers, then so be it. But I want to venture that that disdain may be more than just mere concern over quality. When that disdain is applied across the board even to those who used to traditionally publish and are now self-publishing, then there is another name for it: discrimination.

Reply
Jeri link
2/13/2013 07:19:34 am

But a traditionally published author who decides to self-publish takes with them a following of readers.

Rolando link
2/13/2013 08:48:19 am

That is true in principle Jeri, but if you read the original post by Jennie you can see she has faced a lot of challenges. In any case the equation seems to be that IF (a big if) a writer gets traditionally published, in exchange for lousy contracts they will build a readership and then they will be able to self-publish to those readers and have a better deal. This may indeed be a valid strategy, but you have to be careful as there are publishers that frown upon their writers self-publishing anything. They view that as competition and it may even be part of the contract that you can’t do that (although it is not always spelled out clearly).

Brian Meeks link
2/12/2013 09:22:50 am

It seems your point is that Traditional Publishers now exist for only one reason, vanity.

You write, "Assuming that you are not going to get rich from the publication of your book, regardless of whether it is traditionally published or not (overwhelmingly the case), there is little reason not to attempt to get it traditionally published since the only thing you're losing is the extra time spent in the publishing process by the trad pub."

Which implies that the only value you see in writing a book at all, is the external validation that comes with 'name dropping' your publisher at cocktail parties.

You may be right, but I just don't have friends that are that shallow to be impressed by such bilge.

You are certainly correct that the odds of financial success are slim. But...what if you did write a book that didn't suck and people started to buy it and then they told their friends, who bought it too?

What if you really were a talented writer and luck was on your side, then it would be a shame to see such a valuable commodity, as a book, wasted on the traditional publishing route, since, as you correctly pointed out, the odds were really long anyway.

Cheers

Reply
Larry Crane link
2/12/2013 12:53:53 pm

Hello Brian - I'm saying if you have written a book, try the trad pub route first. If that fails go self pub. Not the other way around, because the hope of getting rich is a lousy reason to write a book especially knowing the odds against it happening. If you do get published with a traditional publisher, you spend nothing more than you would self publishing, and you gain the credibility in your own mind that comes from validation - no small thing. You're the only one talking about name dropping at cocktail parties.

Rolando link
2/13/2013 01:13:33 am

Thanks for your comment Brian. The truth is that both routes are equally grueling and frustrating. The difference is that with self-publishing you are in control. To me that makes all the difference.

Rolando link
2/13/2013 01:27:42 am

Thanks for your comment Larry, but if you traditionally publish first you are dealing with agents/publishers from a position of weakness. Why? Because you are a very risky investment for them. However, if you self-publish and build a fan base and demonstrate you can sell books, you remove part of this risk. This will make you more "sellable" and will allow you to negotiate with them from a position of strength.

As to the credibility in your mind that comes from validation, well, I guess that if that is really really important for a given person, then I would say go ahead. However, I think it is healthier for writers to develop a feeling of self-worth that is not dependent on others validating us. Again, there are good reasons to traditionally publish, but I believe this is not one of them.

Jeri link
2/11/2013 03:29:21 am

The pros and cons of traditional versus self-publishing will vary from person to person. After long thought, I've decided to pitch my first novel to agents before going the self-publishing route. I know I'm a legit writer, and I don't need the backing of an agent to make it so. What I do crave is the ability of a large publisher to put a book in front of far more readers than I will ever be capable of by going it solo. I've read so many posts about people not wanting to fret over the perfect query letter, etc. I can only hope my patience will be rewarded.

Reply
Rolando link
2/11/2013 09:41:08 am

Thanks for your comment Jeri. Like you say, everyone is different. What works for one person will not work for another, and I agree that there are legitimate reasons to go the trad route when publishing. You know you are legit and you don't need anyone to tell you this. Unfortunately many writers want to go trad primarily to gain access to this label. The case of Jennie that I outlined in this post reveals the true nature of this label.

Reply
Larry Crane link
2/13/2013 02:57:28 am

Hi Rolando - Bear with me on this. It seems to me that the horrors of trad publishing alluded to here are suffered by the "poor me traditionally published" people, a tiny group, and have no relevance for literally 99% of the rest of us.

One of the biggest "horrors" is the stingy royalties issue. Like, a best selling author ranting over netting only $350,000 last year when if they had self published they would have doubled or tripled that.

Or how about the horror of granting exclusive worldwide rights to use, store, transmit, reproduce, modify, print, publish, distribute and sell the Work to the publisher. Sure, once the 10,000 th book is sold, who wouldn't want to have more freedom to cut more and different deals.

But these are not the problems of the 99%. The 99% are going to sell 100 books, give or take a few. It goes right back to the reason for publishing your book. When Tom Clancy submitted his first manuscript to an agent, he most probably was overjoyed to get any response at all. Now, I reckon there are much different issues at the top of the complaints list, "horrors" all.

I'm far from an apologist for the trad pub industry. I just want to see realistic expectations put on the table for prospective self publishers. If you're very adventurous and something of a computer nerd, the self publishing route may seem a reasonable way to go. Me and my friends? We're stopped in our tracks on the subject of formatting a book for Kindle. We don't even know what we don't know about these things.

To us, it is comforting to be in the hands of someone who recognizes book publishing as a business wherein a product is produced and buyers of the product demand value or the
promise of it, before they put up a nickel. To have your book deemed competitive on this basis is heady stuff, and may be the only reward you get. If it's not coming from a trad pub,
lots of folks opt for subsidy pub if they can afford it. Or they dive into the murky waters of self publishing and start dog paddling.



Reply
Rolando link
2/13/2013 08:29:40 am

Larry, thanks for your comment and your continued interest in this issue. I said there were valid reasons for going the trad route and you mentioned some of them. And that is fine, really. It all depends on your personal situation, abilities, etc.

However, I think that the terms of the contracts normally offered to writers should be evaluated at face value regardless of whether the writer signing the contract is likely to sell 100 or 100,000 books. The truth is that the vast majority of these contracts overtly favor the publisher. Maybe an author believes that they will never sell more than a few hundred books and it therefore does not matter. But the truth is that most writers wish to be successful, and there is already enough evidence out there that indicates that an average author is more likely to succeed within the framework of self-publishing than within the framework of traditional publishing.

Reply
A. E. Poynor link
2/13/2013 09:53:32 am

First, let me compliment you on the post. Traditional publishing does provide some legitimacy not found in self-publication in the eyes of potential readers. As mentioned in one of the earlier responses, the supposed vetting process should ensure a good read. Unfortunately, as anyone who reads much can attest, that is no guarantee. I have read some poorly written books put out by traditional publishers. Personally, my choice to self-publish is based solely on a desire to control the entire process - I find it fun.

Reply
Rolando link
2/13/2013 10:45:28 am

Thank you for your comment. I don't think the vast majority of readers care that much about whether a book is self or traditionally published. I think a reader mostly cares about the story. I think the legitimacy issue is strictly inside a writer's mind. I also traditionally published because of the control...and the fun! : ^ )

Reply
Jeri link
2/14/2013 12:22:27 am

I'm back, as obviously I've thought about this post a lot. I guess for me it all comes down to the desire to work with a team of professionals to help make my book the best it can be, while also gaining the chance to deliver that book to the widest possible audience. Yet, I still see the appeal of self-publishing as I am the ultimate control freak and perfectionist. Yes, there are horror stories of bad contracts with publishers, etc. and yes, not all traditionally published books have been properly vetted. Then again, so many self-published books show evidence of the writer jumping the gun and rushing into getting the book out there without enough feedback on its quality. Then I must concede that I spent years on earning a degree related to writing, so perhaps shades of ivory tower elitism persist within my soul.... Yeah, I feel a blog post brewing.

Reply
Rolando link
2/14/2013 08:48:48 am

Well, actually the horror stories I am talking about are not about bad contracts, they are about standard contracts. And many of the writers involved did not know they were in the middle of a horror story until they talked to a friend who was self-publishing. And even then many writers did not want to admit it and vehemently defended their situation (in what author Barry Eisler infamously characterized as a case of Stockholm syndrome). There is no way unknown writers are going to get a contract that favors them (if they do get one), and when they are published the majority will not end up selling enough books to warrant the required promotional attention from the publisher who will instead focus on their higher visibility writers.

As to authors jumping the gun and publishing bad books, I have always argued that the ultimate arbiter is the reader. Is a badly edited book that sells 100,000 copies better than a well edited book that sells 100? Maybe from an academic point of view, no, but what ultimately matters is whether the reader likes the story. If it’s good for the reader, is it good for the writer?

Looking forward to reading your blog post about this issue.

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