tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post8606149120813825244..comments2024-03-18T06:16:18.802-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Publishers WeaklyJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-47979799208165023622010-09-08T13:05:52.589-05:002010-09-08T13:05:52.589-05:00Publisher's Weekly is just the latest variant ...Publisher's Weekly is just the latest variant on what has become a common scam. If you're going to spend a hundred bucks, spend it publishing your book through Lulu and promote the crap out of it with your wits. Paying to be listed in a directory is most always a mistake for writers as well as for most web publishers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-70238733924488304782010-08-27T13:19:17.002-05:002010-08-27T13:19:17.002-05:00@pale rambler. I'd agree. From just a brush as...@pale rambler. I'd agree. From just a brush as an agent, not sure I'd want to look at listings of authors who paid $149 each to be listed. What would be the point? Most, agents look over letters and first chaps for free.Archangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18358062143743621676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-77653862568130501542010-08-27T12:21:20.115-05:002010-08-27T12:21:20.115-05:00I'll keep my money. Clever marketing from PW ...I'll keep my money. Clever marketing from PW to try and open a new revenue stream but ultimately just a bait and switch scam served up with nose-in-the-air attitude and mounds of condescension. If I gave a crap about the possibility of an agent seeing my book, I'd send it directly to an agency.Mark Feggelerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13378318592424889688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-56855433204742365362010-08-26T04:31:52.065-05:002010-08-26T04:31:52.065-05:00thanks joeK and also selena the pun-ista and Susan...thanks joeK and also selena the pun-ista and Susan B, true wit, made me laugh. Thank you.<br /><br />PW may be bleeding just like all other mags. Look at stats on Crains on immense closure of mags, downpaging of mags in print. Many mags just in last six months, gone poof<br /><br />Monetizing via newbies ebook publishing appears to be the rock bottom remainer ploy. I never bought a lottery ticket for $149. Dont want to. Dont want newbies to, either. I'll blog on it this weekend.<br /><br />It's odd, $149 to maybe kinda sorta be reviewed by an anonymous reviewer who doesnt sign name, cd be grad student homework, to have pw moniker which majority of young readers under 30 have never heard of, wrapped in a quarterly supplement that words words and more words will likely not get read; libraries cutting way back on buys of print, mags, etc., and a few agent 'they know' etc., now who exactly would those be by name? <br /><br />I keep thinking you wouldn't pay a guy $149 or even $10 to babysit if you didnt know his real name, that he was reliable, was going to show up and follow through and do a good job. Nor a car mechanic, nor a doctor. Speaking of business; that's the coin of the realm: a real up front agreement, followed through, payment contingent on, NOT paid before service.<br /><br />Reminds me of the bogus 'poetry contests' of eld, and also the 'who's who' books that attempted to 'lure' authors or others vain but more often I think simply naive... into being considered (all were accepted no matter if they played the drainpipe in C minor) and therefor the naive paid a stiff pricetag (in order to ah, ahem, be LISTED... and then the poor newbie could receive 1 copy of the volume and 'order more for your loved ones at only 89.99 per'). <br /><br />I'd agree with others here: get reviewed on blogs that reach your audience or a new audience. Better yet, do an interview. You can have a second order observer via a reviewer; but most peeps, in food, sex and many elsewheres, really appreciate first person. <br /><br />Also, you can ask permission to run the interview on your amaz. pages, or put in backs of your ebooks, and credit link website. log-rolling: good.<br /><br /> The prob w/ many mags, regardless of mission, as always in pub, not money perhaps; but rather using old inner circle tactics that ignore the potentially huge and young --and pretty wild-- readership...and authorships.<br /><br />I had my own doubts about self pub til read dan poynter's work, talked to various, began to understand that vox populii is little different than vetted, for personal tastes vary so widely in readership. For a long time authors have acted like publishers are Pope, saying one is either a believer in (pope) or an infidel to go off and dare to take control of your own destiny. <br /><br />Separate but equal is something many of us fought against for real these many years. To be a second class citizen while paying full freight and then some, seems ethically in error, not to mention conflict of interest to be paying people who review, call it a tax, call it a fee, call it a subscription; you realize, right? that subscription numbers are used to raise ad rates to advertisers...<br /><br />Ai.Archangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18358062143743621676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-77669151523355567282010-08-26T03:42:26.703-05:002010-08-26T03:42:26.703-05:00smells
like
scam
to
me.
-bowerbirdsmells<br />like<br />scam<br />to<br />me.<br /><br />-bowerbirdbowerbirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05962115094107919533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-66928850491520681282010-08-26T01:21:20.731-05:002010-08-26T01:21:20.731-05:00"Now that I think of it, Konrath is starting ...<i>"Now that I think of it, Konrath is starting to remind me of Custer."</i><br /><br />I'm not a historian, but I seem to remember that things didn't work out so well for our friend Custer.<br /><br /><i>(Unless you believe the theory (put fourth in my novel) that Custer escaped Little Big Horn and spent his remaining days hunting Bigfoot and Wendigo in the Rockies.)</i>evilphiliphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10100843889719733921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-27377770060937135592010-08-25T21:52:31.017-05:002010-08-25T21:52:31.017-05:00Now that I think of it, Konrath is starting to rem...Now that I think of it, Konrath is starting to remind me of Custer. <br /><br />Imagine if Custer would have had a blog...?Rex Kuslerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06629682795065138786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-12498975034348337712010-08-25T21:39:58.925-05:002010-08-25T21:39:58.925-05:00Don't discount the giants. In the mid-1980s th...Don't discount the giants. In the mid-1980s the Japanese were selling chips (dumping) for less than it cost to make them, in an effort to drive the American chip manufacturers out of business. It worked until the government got involved and put a stop to it.<br /><br />It looks to me like the NY houses are adopting that strategy. From free to 79 cents--look around. We're surrounded. Circle the wagons. Price your books at 99 cents or less.Rex Kuslerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06629682795065138786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-8650728165539252672010-08-25T17:36:21.982-05:002010-08-25T17:36:21.982-05:00My 8-Track Tapes Weekly subscription just expired!...My 8-Track Tapes Weekly subscription just expired! But I haven't gotten one in a while either. I think I'll renew it though, because I think 8-tracks are making a come back.Victorinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06052077366367623323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-57432635605432206252010-08-25T17:01:20.928-05:002010-08-25T17:01:20.928-05:00"Exclusive Amazon Deal Called Off: Is The Str...<i>"Exclusive Amazon Deal Called Off: Is The Struggle Between The Wylie Agency And Random House Finally Over?"</i><br /><br />Score one for the big six. Go team!evilphiliphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10100843889719733921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-86150247176221464532010-08-25T16:35:43.111-05:002010-08-25T16:35:43.111-05:00Exclusive Amazon Deal Called Off: Is The Struggle ...Exclusive Amazon Deal Called Off: Is The Struggle Between The Wylie Agency And Random House Finally Over? <br /><br /><br />http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/24/exclusive-amazon-deal-cal_n_693120.htmlPhillip Thomas Duckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02521456289647319226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-26371803853051209772010-08-25T15:50:23.127-05:002010-08-25T15:50:23.127-05:00Or save $180, sign up for PW Daily and Publishers ...<i>Or save $180, sign up for PW Daily and Publishers Lunch (both free).</i><br /><br />I subscribe to both, but the paid PW description is the full magazine in digital format. Is it not much better than the free newsletter?Moses Siregar IIIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14054458331242370871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-78888512219514689042010-08-25T15:20:45.861-05:002010-08-25T15:20:45.861-05:00I'd have to consider signing up for a PW subsc...<i>I'd have to consider signing up for a PW subscription right away, because I think that means I'd get one of these PW self-published listings for free. </i><br /><br />Or save $180, sign up for PW Daily and Publishers Lunch (both free).JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-57684408343835223742010-08-25T15:13:10.233-05:002010-08-25T15:13:10.233-05:00Hmmm... A "service" by PW that's mor...Hmmm... A "service" by PW that's more expensive than an eReader. Yeah, not paying for that.<br /><br />BTW, Joe, you called it - the third eReader listed in this article will be out in September, reportedly with a version @ $99. <br /><br />http://www.idealog.com/blog/three-new-ebook-platforms-nearing-their-debutJennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15715761180494476618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-46691620718962553832010-08-25T14:19:05.572-05:002010-08-25T14:19:05.572-05:00I don't think PW understands why people have g...<i>I don't think PW understands why people have gone Indie.</i><br /><br />I don't see it that way. Some people who self-publish want to be traditionally published, or they want to be published both traditionally and independently. <br /><br />Even those who want to stay pure indies may still be interested in getting into more libraries or bookstores, or they may want to increase their chances with agents, or they may want another review that they can use for promotions, or to impress book review sites, or they may just want the review for their Amazon page.<br /><br />Still, it remains to be seen how many reviews PW will actually do with these books. They're saying "at least 25." If they get 1,000 submissions and only do 25-50 reviews, then that will be extremely unethical, IMO.Moses Siregar IIIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14054458331242370871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-28144740154896321162010-08-25T14:10:10.077-05:002010-08-25T14:10:10.077-05:00Btw, if anyone here already has a subscription to ...Btw, if anyone here already has a subscription to PW, or wants one, you will get to enter your book in this for free:<br /><br /><i>In addition, we will provide a free 6-month digital subscription to Publishers Weekly. Current subscribers, whose subscription and authorship are in the same name, receive one free listing as a subscriber benefit. During registration please include your subscription number, from your print label, instead of the credit card info.</i><br /><br />If I already had my work in print (right now I'm just in e-), and <i>if I wanted a PW subscription</i>, I'd have to consider signing up for a PW subscription right away, because I think that means I'd get one of these PW self-published listings for free. Since they haven't opened up registration yet, I'm guessing that would work if you get a subscription before they start registration. What I don't know is if there will be a stipulation that you need to have had a subscription prior to a certain date, so this may or may not work. I'm guessing it will, though.Moses Siregar IIIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14054458331242370871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-70823008647619916092010-08-25T13:52:33.306-05:002010-08-25T13:52:33.306-05:00I love the way you always call things as they are....I love the way you always call things as they are. If it quacks like a duck... it's a duck.Barbara Silkstonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12202312076195753964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-87907143562756417442010-08-25T13:06:29.988-05:002010-08-25T13:06:29.988-05:00Joe: "That's because publishing is one of...Joe: "That's because publishing is one of the few industries that makes its money by discovering and cultivating talent. If we start paying publishers to look at our work, they don't have to make money by selling books. They can make their money from newbies."<br /><br />This is one of the wisest things I've read in a while. While I'm not quite so dismissive of vanity presses as some, I do believe that they are the wrong choice for anyone who sees what they are doing as a business.<br /><br />Scathach: "I don't think pw understands why people have gone Indie."<br /><br />This is also wise. There is an assumption made by many that people who self-publish are just people who couldn't "make it" in the regular publishing world. But in fact there are probably nearly as many reasons people don't submit to traditional publishers as there are people who don't submit to traditional publishers. Some, of course, are those who want to be published by such publishers but haven't been, and who see self-publication as a way to do so. Some are angry and want revenge on the publishers who rejected them.<br /><br />But there are others. Maybe some want to put their words into a book for their family and friends. Maybe some see writing as a hobby and self-publishing as a part of that hobby. And in the past two years, there are an increasing number who have looked at publishing from a business standpoint and have seen that it is possible to make real money at publishing because the old system is no longer the only game in town (this is as true, I can attest, for small presses as it is for self-publishers).<br /><br />But as Scathach said, clearly PW doesn't understand this.Tuppshar Presshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09967621806499316423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-84729582339700381272010-08-25T11:52:46.045-05:002010-08-25T11:52:46.045-05:00Wow. I have heard of cash grabs, but this one soun...Wow. I have heard of cash grabs, but this one sounds particularly seedy. I gotta read this again to make sure I understood it properly, because that's just damned shady at first glance.Rabid Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13307255127156087170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-4110625668245266302010-08-25T10:10:46.053-05:002010-08-25T10:10:46.053-05:00"Unfortunately, I'm sure PW will still ge...<i>"Unfortunately, I'm sure PW will still get some suckers to pay for this."</i><br /><br />We'll find out in the next "quarterly supplement". My guess is that it will be full of self-published books. People will look at it for two seconds before it goes in the recycling bin. <br /><br />I blogged about this, too-- and I was pretty critical, but honestly I don't blame PW. It's a revenue generating tactic, and it's not as if it's illegal. Why should the vanity publishers get all the money? PW wants their little piece of the pie, too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-85507500525685298142010-08-25T09:48:24.457-05:002010-08-25T09:48:24.457-05:00Robert Swartwood was the one who clued me into thi...Robert Swartwood was the one who clued me into this. Checking Google, a lot of others have picked up on it, and they're not being kind.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I'm sure PW will still get some suckers to pay for this.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-45615144693841973852010-08-25T07:11:44.221-05:002010-08-25T07:11:44.221-05:00PW Select is nothing more than a thinly veiled att...PW Select is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to increase revenue without offering anything of real value. Call it what it is: a paid advertisement. Agents and publishers are not going to pore over these listings to find projects. And to attempt to mislead authors into believing this is the case is low. Really low.Sue Collierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10004299996645793332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-50118582807353809592010-08-25T06:43:01.124-05:002010-08-25T06:43:01.124-05:00Sorry to go all YA on you, but...this just grosses...Sorry to go all YA on you, but...this just grosses me out. Totally.<br /><br />Thanks for showing me the skeeviest thing I've seen on the internet this week.<br /><br />On. The. Internet.Susan Bischoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10811600322718603388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-87596096925631736922010-08-25T04:12:28.128-05:002010-08-25T04:12:28.128-05:00I don't think pw understands why people have g...I don't think pw understands why people have gone Indie. This would appeal to people who had gone indie because they were getting nowhere the traditional route but ultimately still wanted a contract that way.<br /><br />Think about it. Instead of going through the slush pile agent editor start again routine, you simply self-publish, submit to PW and they review your work in a magazine that all the publishing dudes will read. Oh, and they invite friends to read it.<br /><br />Seriously, this could give you more chance of getting traditional published than the slush pile system.<br /><br />Of course, like I said, I don't think publishing weekly understands why people self-publish. <br /><br />I did a blog carnival recently. There were supposed to be 13 people involved, but more kept piling in on the last day. I think it ended up at 18 or so. <br /><br />Not one of them said "I'd rather be trad pubbed. I'm just doing this til PW offers me an easier way."Scathach Publishinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08129829527723695827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-5075871461249479692010-08-25T01:54:55.025-05:002010-08-25T01:54:55.025-05:00My blog gets over 350,000 readers a month (No, I&#...My blog gets over 350,000 readers a month (No, I'm not kidding or exaggerating.).<br /><br />For $25.00 I will be happy to announce your indie book (including the cover art) on the main page of my blog.<br /><br />You will NOT get any additional sales from that link (since it is a video game blog and not a book blog), but you will save $125 over what you would spend with Publishers Weekly and get the exact same results.<br /><br />LOL.evilphiliphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10100843889719733921noreply@blogger.com