News and Dialogue for the Next Generation of Publishers

Sarah Boyle, Spring Intern Extraordinaire

It was with some wistfulness that we bid our Spring 2012 intern, Sarah Boyle, a fond farewell last week. Now that she’s completed her time with us, she’s Canada-bound and ready to find her first job in publishing. Sarah’s insightfulness, social media savvy, and perennial good cheer were all sorts of wonderful to have around here, and we can only wish the best for her and the future corner of book-business lucky enough to snag her!

What specific tasks or projects completed across the summer do you feel were most valuable to your professional development?

The articles I worked on for Trendsetter not only helped me learn about the publishing industry, but also gave me a sense of how to write concisely (and hopefully interestingly) while being clear and informative at the same time. I also learned tricks about performing online research (#1 is: if you’re looking for information on a company, make sure the website you’re looking at is for the right country!), Nielsen BookScan, and InDesign.

What parts of the internship surprised you? And why?

I was often able to use my knowledge of social networking platforms to help connect people with Publishing Trendsetter and Publishing Trends. I really enjoyed being able to use Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter to grab people’s attention quickly and direct them towards something I knew they would find useful.

How can you see your mark on the project of Publishing Trendsetter now that you’ve been here for several months?

I feel like I was able to contribute to Publishing Trendsetter in a way that reflected my personality, but that also fit with the overall atmosphere of Publishing Trendsetter. I hope the “Five Links Fridays” feature can continue because that’s a helpful section for anyone who’s having a busy week. The Agency Model article I wrote is also something I’m proud of, since I think it’s pretty easily accessible. Finally, I had a great deal of fun setting up Publishing Trends’ Pinterest and I hope readers will be able to use that resource to get a good overview of the companies important to the publishing industry.

Did Trendsetter/MPI/Publishing Trends change your understanding of publishing? How?

Absolutely. I learned much about things like the agency model, digital rights management, and the transition to ebooks. Because I was involved in so many projects that required knowing what imprint belong to what publishing house, I now feel like I have a much better understanding of how imprints function for publishing houses (in addition to knowing at least a little more about which imprints belong to which houses). I also have a much better understanding of the amount of work that goes into making and marketing each book. “Lifecycle of a Book” and “Book Jobs Not By the Book” have me well on my way to understanding that the book business requires a lot more than just writing and editing, even if those aspects are still the ones I’m most interested in.

What projects or goals will you embark on next?

I’m headed to Canada after this where I would love to work in publishing.

Every week we recommend 5 links that the young book professional should read to feel more informed and connected. There are only 5, so even if you weren’t able to read a thing all week, these should help keep you in the know.

Maurice Sendak, beloved author of Where the Wild Things Are, passed away this week: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/books/maurice-sendak-childrens-author-dies-at-83.html

Pocket Star will produce only digital books: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/51842-pocket-star-to-be-e-book-only.html

Kindle snags Harry Potter…for a Limited-Time Only: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-57431938-501465/harry-potter-series-coming-to-kindle-owners-lending-library/

Time to write a strongly worded letter…if you think the DoJ should give Agency a chance: http://news.bookweb.org/news/aba-members-urged-make-their-voices-heard-re-agency-model

This week was Children’s Book Week! http://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=1733#m16046

EXTRA! Not really news, but fascinating (and perhaps revealing?) What publishing execs are reading–and on what platform: http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2012/what-are-you-reading-and-on-what-platform/

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If you come across a “current events in book-biz” link you think is especially helpful, email trendsetter@publishingtrends.com before noon EST every Friday to nominate your pick–it may become one of our “5  Best”!

Ever since an article on the subject in the New York Times several weeks ago, there’s been a lot of buzz about what it can mean for a young writer to self-publish. One such author, Max Leone, was kind enough to share his experiences with us, but also his thoughts about why self-publishing could be a smart move for his potential future career in book business.

by Max Leone

 I understand that the publishing industry is a rather unforgiving place at the moment, and steadily becoming more so, but I am still foolish enough to try and seek my fortune—or at least some sort of livable income—in that area. After all, I have always aspired to live in a tiny apartment and subsist on air, a dream that writing for a living would allow me to fulfill.

My first foray into publication began slightly over a year ago: As a high school sophomore, I first encountered the Aeneid, the reading of which was one of the most incredible and transformative experiences of my life. Soon after, I received an open-ended writing assignment related to the poem: The rubric called for a five-to-seven page creative writing piece. Easy enough, I thought. This won’t take too long. That first night that I sat down at my computer, I reached fourteen pages in a few hours, while still on the rising action. That was when I knew I had something. Some time later, I handed in a fifty-six page prose sequel to the Aeneid.

After asking a few people to read my monstrosity, something strange happened: I started receiving positive feedback—people actually seemed to be enjoying my writing. I can’t pinpoint an exact moment during this period, but the idea of self-publishing gradually revealed itself through scattered comments. It was an excellent time to commence such a journey: Amazon had recently started with its Kindle Direct Publishing service, which I was at the time not cool enough to know about, even though it eventually provided the vehicle for my publication.

The process actually took quite some time—far from being the “easy way,” as some have alleged, self-publishing carries with it many of the same challenges as normal publication. There was the search for an eye-catching cover, the rounds of editing, getting in contact with Amazon, and even more editing. One area in which self-publishing proved to be harder than working with a publisher is that when one self-publishes one carries the responsibility of getting the editing and formatting right.

On the other hand, being my own editor and publisher freed me from having to worry about my words being altered. Of course, the standard aspects of publication—seeing my name on the cover of a book, being able to say I had been published, autographing copies—were thrilling, and excellent supports to my ego. This experience was invaluable for an aspiring tiny-apartment-dweller, as it taught me the importance of editing, which is one of the few things that one can never do enough of.

For the task of getting an awesome cover, I had to hire a pro. My mom is a freelance author and journalist, and had a number of contacts in the publishing industry, and it was through one of these contacts that I met Chris Eselgroth. His amazing graphic design managed to turn my various vague suggestions into a perfect encapsulation of my vision.

I am not delusional regarding the currently deadly and dangerous climate in the book industry. I am well aware that gaining a published title at such an early stage can be a foothold (and major boon) in the world of commercial publication. This could be considered something that might eventually translate into some sort of economic reward-type thing, but, in general, the benefits of self-publication are generally intangible (keep in mind that the profits so far have not exceeded the cost of hiring a graphic designer for the cover art.) However, this lack of instant gratification is a valuable lesson about any business, industry, or field, not just publishing. Learning that the world is unforgiving and notoriously tight with its money is essential for anyone who wishes to maintain even a basic grip on reality.

In my view, common criticisms of self-publishing, particularly self-publication of works written by those who are not old enough to legally drink, do not often take into account the realities of the experience. It is not easy or lucrative, and only highly rewarding to those with a genuine desire to create. Self-publication is definitely not rewarding in a way that will draw a tide of those seeking quick returns on investments of time and money. They would do better to stick with traditional ventures, such as insurance fraud and televangelism. For people who actually want to write for its own sake, however, I highly recommend self-publication.

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Max Leone

Max Leone (maxleone (at) hunschool (dot) org) is a 17-year-old high school student, whose main interests are bizarre historical facts, epic literature, and reptiles. His first published piece was a Publisher’s Weekly editorial, written when he was thirteen. His sequel to the Aeneid, Riders on the Storm, is available as an ebook and a paperback at Amazon.com. He likes referring to himself in the third person.

Every week we recommend 5 links that the young book professional should read to feel more informed and connected. There are only 5, so even if you weren’t able to read a thing all week, these should help keep you in the know.

Microsoft is investing in Barnes & Noble’s Nook ereader: http://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=1729#m15967

And, in other Nook-news, Barnes & Noble is teaming up with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to produce preloaded schoolbook Nooks: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/nook-and-hmh-partner-school-deal.html

Target will no longer carry Amazon’s Kindle: http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/2/2993142/target-stop-carrying-amazon-kindle-conflict-of-interest

Remember how you forgot about Google’s book-scanning lawsuit once the Agency Model came along? Not so fast… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-03/google-argues-for-dismissal-of-authors-book-scan-lawsuit.html

Is there a trend in the removal of DRM? Duncan Baird follow Tor’s example: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/duncan-baird-remove-drm.html

Bonus Link! Publishing Trendsetter’s very own explanation of the agency model (complete with helpful infographic): http://publishingtrendsetter.com/industryinsight/simple-explanation-agency-model/

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If you come across a “current events in book-biz” link you think is especially helpful, email trendsetter@publishingtrends.com before noon EST every Friday to nominate your pick–it may become one of our “5  Best”!

Quick link to the Agency Model infographic!

You may have noticed the term “agency model” cropping up in industry news and blogs lately. But just what is the agency model and what does it have to do with the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit, filed April 11th, against Apple and five of the Big Six publishing houses? The case has the book industry buzzing, but why does everyone seem to care so much about the seemingly uninteresting question of how to price an ebook?

The Cast of Characters

• Amazon: Mustache twirling menace to book publishers everywhere… or price-lowering, healthily competitive company?
•  The Big 6 Publishers (minus Random House): Lawless scoundrels who want to put a competitor (Amazon) out of business… or ragtag group of heroes banding together to save the book publishing industry?
•  Apple: The ringleader of the Big 6 gang… or the rebel alliance’s last hope against Amazon’s empire?

Some Things You Might Be Wondering

What is the agency model? It’s a pricing system for books. Publishers set the price of the books, and distributors, like Amazon or Apple, get a fee from the publishers on every book sold (about 30%).

What’s all the fuss about? It’s all about Agency Model vs. Wholesale Model: The wholesale model is another way of pricing books—traditionally, it’s been used for print books. In this model, the publisher sells books to the distributor at a set price (usually 50% of retail) and the distributor sells the books to the public at whatever price the distributor likes.

Why it matters: The short answer is: ebooks. The same models could (and sometimes do) apply to print books (and iTunes apps, etc.), but right now the fastest growing corner of the publishing world is occupied by ebooks. That’s why everyone’s so interested in how those electronic texts are priced.

Read More »

Every week we recommend 5 links that the young book professional should read to feel more informed and connected. There are only 5, so even if you weren’t able to read a thing all week, these should help keep you in the know.

Biggest news: come this July, Tor/Forge will start selling their ebooks without digital rights management (DRM): http://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=1724#m15887

Watch out, Gutenberg. Amazon wants to print (on demand) books, too: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-04-26/amazon-vs-dot-publishers-the-book-battle-continues

Speaking of Amazon and things that don’t shock us, digital books lead to a profitable quarter for the online retailer: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/retailing/article/51721-digital-drives-amazon-in-big-first-quarter.html

J.K. Rowling may have started a trend of self-publishing among famous authors: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-kukral/the-jk-rowlings-effect-tr_b_1454392.html

Glow in the dark Nooks burst onto the scene in a flash of light–but can even this hi-tech extra steal Kindle’s spotlight? http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/26/technology/personaltech/barnes-nobles-e-book-reader-glows-in-the-dark.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

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If you come across a “current events in book-biz” link you think is especially helpful, email trendsetter@publishingtrends.com before noon EST every Friday to nominate your pick–it may become one of our “5  Best”!

Glimpses of Lisa Vanterpool’s first visit to the London Book Fair…