Article titles reveal the vibe traditional-publishing feels about self-published authors and vice-verse. You might think traditional-publishing are targeting E-Books, but really they are targeting Amazon and independent authors. Also, the monkey flinging is just as rampant against traditional-publishing. Here are some headlines I've seen lately;
"Is traditional Publishing Dead?", "Amazon A Threat To Society", this last one; "Staying Relevant Biggest Challenge to Publishers, Not E-Books" made me realize, yes, traditional publishing are launching nukes.
If we can't have it no one will. Yet this statement made by Marcus Leaver proves to me how far gone the higher ups have strayed from being relevant. Here's a clue--E-Books ARE relevant. Amazon reports 75% of their books sold are E-Books. Amazon also has the lead as a reseller of books. (Notice the period of that last statement--it's for real)
War is defined in the Stephanisms dictionary as "You want what I have and am going to take it from you."
That's what traditional publishing is saying. the music industry tried the same thing. Napster is killing us! Stop buying pirated music!
Stop making me pay $15 for one song, then we'll talk.
I've seen through the shrugs of authors saying, "that's the way publishing is." One writer I know can't write what she wants to write because she's under contract to write what the marketers want her to write.
Yes, she, her agent, her publisher all want to make money but this goes against what the same people tell her to write whats inside. So, you want me to write sincerely, but you want me to write what you want me to write? Also, one writer can crank out 3 books, 3 GREAT BOOKS, a year but her publisher won't let her--why? Because of her contract. One writer is not allowed to enter into a certain genre because it would be too competitive against another author they have.
What buyers can't buy both? Now I come to find agents put in a clause with writers saying if Agent#1 can't find a home for your book they make you shelf it. If you part with that agent and find another that can sell your book Agent#2 AND Agent#1 get their 15% (which is 30% not given to the writer). Does that seem right to you? "That's the way publishing is." -- "That's the way that government is." -- "That's the way the DMV rolls." -- "That's the way..." No. I point at that and say UNETHICAL.
Yes you worked your tushy off trying to sell that book but your going piss and moan and cry when someone better can sell the book? Does the crappy sales guy that just couldn't help you get commission from the sales guy that did know what you were talking about, saved you hours looking and direct you to the product? No. Crappy sales guy gets fired.
No wonder E-Books are kicking your ass. Yes, I agree, there are a lot of crappy E-Books out there but still they are kicking your ass! So instead of getting up, bringing your game to the customers the way they want it your trying to pull technology back? Really?
The Big 6 have the power to rise above it a kick the m***er-living-s**t out of E-Books and all your doing is crying on the pavement? The way I see it traditional-publishing is being a doormat, an osterige, an armadillo, or my favorite--a pill bug.
Despite my ramblings I want traditional publishing to rise above a be successful. I'm one of those that nods my head and say, "I can see that" when I find out something wacky about publishing.
But the fact that they are waging war against the entrepreneurs that are making leaps and bounds by technology is looking more like suicide. Traditional publishing takes offense that technology is bringing more readers in and by passing them to get to what they want because it's convenient? Is this what I'm seeing?
I saw a report that 50% of books are impulse buys. So why not take the information and apply it. Your being dumb-asses and your forcing everyone to choose sides and really if you want to see the future, look at the music industry, look at the Motion picture writer's strike. The future is a repeat of the past if you don't learn from it.
No comments:
Post a Comment