Item: Let’s bury the Hachette.  Yeah, I know, Hachette is French and probably not pronounced like hatchet, but I couldn’t resist.  What I’m arguing for is to forget about the Amazon v. Hachette saber rattling.  These behemoths can rattle their corporate steel as much as they want, and the NY Times can write as many biased articles about the controversy as they want.  I’m tired of it.  Moreover, everything’s been said already; I’m not seeing any new thoughts (in spite of Lee Child).  Trad-pubbing v. indie pubbing is the more general issue, but all these controversies are starting to remind me of the Betamax v. VHS controversy.  Market forces (that’s most readers, by the way, and they protect themselves nicely by deciding what to buy) will determine the outcome.  Meanwhile, I’d rather work on my books.  (FYI from 10/17: The NY Times continues its one-sided presentation of this kerfuffle today in spite of the Times’ ombudswoman’s determination that their coverage is one-sided.  Oh well….)

Item: Some common misconceptions.  In my next-to-last sentence, I used the word “books.”  I’m using it as a generic term, like “novels” or “anthologies.”  Of course, all my books are in ebook format.  One common misconception among the reading public is that an ebook isn’t a book if it doesn’t have a pbook version (hard cover, trade paperback, or paperback).  One of the great things about today’s publishing environment is that readers have access to books in many ways—serialized online, ebooks, hard bound, trade paperbacks, paperbacks, audio books—who knows if new ways will appear.  My books, though, are defined by the words I put together to entertain my readers.  How I release them to the waiting public doesn’t morph them into non-books!

Along these same lines, another common misconception among the reading public is that an ebook author is an indie author—in other words, some people associate ebooks with indie publishing.  While it’s true that many indie authors release their books exclusively as ebooks (they provide the most cost effective and efficient way to release a book), traditional publishing houses release ebooks too.  In fact, the Amazon v. Hachette skirmish is about ebooks and ebook pricing for the most part.  While traditional publishers prefer paper because it allows them more control (hard to showcase ebooks in their parasitic book barns, drugstore and supermarket outlets, and those racks in airports, most of which are focused on “NY Times bestsellers,” whatever that means), many readers prefer ebooks now, but their choices might have nothing to do with indie v. traditional.  (They can, of course, because trad pubbers’ ebooks are often too pricey, but that’s another issue.)

Item: Agents.  They need to make a living.  As the old winning horses in traditional publishers’ stables die off, the question arises: can they continue to do so?  Agents are ipso facto middle men and women—sports agents, celebrity agents, real estate agents, and literary agents all have that in common.  Their days are numbered when their potential clients decide they can do without them.  With the first three I mentioned, it’s pretty clear that they could be useful.  Although all four classes of agents contain their pariahs, being a literary agent has some special features.  For those old winning horses, they’re obviously time-savers, and long-term working relationships are quite common.

I see a continuum between indie and trad-pubbling.  “Literary change agent” April Eberhardt in her article, “A Look at Partnership Publishing” (Writer’s Digest, Nov/Dec 2014—occasionally excellent articles like this convince me to maintain my subscription), offers another point in this continuum, partnership publishing.  I don’t think most indies can afford to pay to play in this new business model, but at least some agents are thinking outside the box and trying to guide writers toward solutions that work for them.  (It’s also refreshing to see an agent acknowledge some of the things wrong with traditional publishing.)

For midlist authors, trad-pubbed or not, and indie authors, the current agent’s traditional job description is too limited.  Many times midlist authors who are trad-pubbed find their publisher without an agent; and if they do use one, their agents make up for the lesser notoriety of their authors by working with more of them, which means less service to each one.  I suspect that in the future the agent who survives (literary change agent?  I prefer the term “author’s counselor” or something similar) will work with more authors and offer a wider panorama of services for less return from each author.  Right now, I’d rather have someone like an admin assistant who handles everything but my writing and reviewing, including PR and marketing.  I don’t think agents will step in to fill all these niches.  Time will tell.

Item: World Enough and Crime.  Want to know about Detective Castilblanco’s first case?  See my short story in World Enough and Crime, edited by Donna and Alex Carrick.  I’m humbled to appear among all these fantastic storytellers.  You have a treat waiting for you as a reader.  At the end of this month, look for the release of this new anthology about crime.  You don’t want to miss it.

Item: The Collector.  Soon after the release of World Enough, the new entry into the “Detectives Chen and Castilblanco Series,” The Collector, will be released.  This is more mystery than thriller, although there’s enough action and suspense to call it a thriller too.  Want to know about the art heist at Boston’s Gardner Museum?  Want to know how sex trafficking affects our nation’s youth?  The C&C team solve the murder of a NYC art dealer that involves both, a homicide investigation with many twists and turns.  Coming in early November!

Item: $1.99 Pumpkin Promos.  Looking for some special Halloween tricks or treats?  Searching for that ebook present for those special readers you know?  Thinking about Christmas just around the corner?  Three of my recent ebooks will be in promo from October 30 through November 5.  Soldiers of God (Second Edition) is that missing link between the “Clones and Mutants Trilogy” and the “Chaos Chronicles Trilogy.”  It’s been completely rewritten, but is still a fast-paced sci-fi thriller.  Aristocrats and Assassins is the ebook just before The Collector in the “Detectives Chen and Castilblanco Series.”  It’s more thriller than mystery, but the terrorist’s motives aren’t clear until the end.  Muddlin’ Through is the first Mary Jo Melendez mystery and the start of a new series featuring this ex-USN Master-at-Arms.  (Number two will be released next year.)  All three books will be priced at $1.99 from October 30 to November 5, after which time they’ll return to the original price.  Don’t miss out on this sale!  (Note: Teeter-Totter between Lust and Murder has also been reduced to $2.99.)

In libris libertas….

This entry was posted on Friday, October 17th, 2014 at 4:00 am and is filed under News and Notices from the Writing Trenches. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.