Comments on Nathan Bransford, Author: The Rejection Letter of the Future Will Be Silence...

That many thousands of authors are currently uploa...

2010-12-28T10:17:13.055-08:00

That many thousands of authors are currently uploading their books onto Kindle or iBooks, or self-publishing, means that many thousands have faith in the new system, and are happy with it. Seeing their work ‘out there,’ regardless of the quality, is sufficient for them, and rewards the vanity, if not the bank balance, and there's nothing wrong with that
Agents must be rubbing their hands in glee as we siphon ourselves off into this digital ocean, and praying that many thousands more of us will, like lemmings disappear over the edge of the cliff into oblivion. This way, at least only those of us unknowns who are true believers in the value of the review process will continue to submit our work to them. I say ‘unknowns,’ because I do think that going the digital/self-publishing route when you are an established author would seem an excellent way to go—anonymity not being a problem, and trading on previous acclaim, a definite plus.
For myself, an unknown, I was forever(?) put off everything but the traditional route, when approached at a craft fair by some poor schmuck sticking his self-published book under my nose, expecting me to buy it. I’m a writer, not a rep—not even for myself, and the idea of going out and cold selling, or expecting my relatives and friends to read, let alone buy my work, is abhorrent to me. Those who ask can, and have read my own printed-out copies (one copy of each) of my novels—all five of them thus far (I’m a compulsive novelist)—but that’s as far as I’ll go on my own behalf. I work very hard to produce what I hope is an exciting, polished page turner that I hope someone will like to read, but as someone else said here, we are incapable of critiquing our own books objectively, and at the moment, despite papering my walls with rejection slips, I am unwilling to take that leap of faith without a professional setting his or her stamp of approval on it.

After I finished what I believe could be a novel, ...

2010-09-02T18:06:53.716-07:00

After I finished what I believe could be a novel, I began doing research on how to get it published and found self publishing as an option. However, I also found that agents frown on this, which is why I'm so surprised to find this article in your blog.

I've found, from my research, that they do provide training and equipment for you to market your books. They also provide editing assistance and much more if all their package information is true. It all depends on what you pay for. And like everything else you do have to shop around and make sure you get the best deal available.

Just so that I understand, are you suggesting that if we can't get an agent that why consider self publishing? Please confirm if this is what you're saying.

... yes, but does it beat shooting books?

2010-07-07T11:28:33.517-07:00

... yes, but does it beat shooting books?

Great post, Nathan. I totally agree with you. As...

2010-06-15T14:14:35.617-07:00

Great post, Nathan. I totally agree with you. As an Indie author who just put my book up on the Kindle near the end of April, I can say I'm super pleased with the results. I've sold over 300 ebooks so far, which means instead of my book sitting gathering edust on my hard drive, it's getting read and enjoyed. That's why I wrote it. And for those who wonder how to know if your book is good enough? Join critiquecircle.com, the other writers there will tell you what you need to change. My book is totally different now from my first draft because of the great advice from the writers there.

Hmmm, surfing the wave of internet free-for-all ec...

2010-06-15T04:37:57.124-07:00

Hmmm, surfing the wave of internet free-for-all economics. I hate to be the wet blanket at this beach party, but will our reading lists soon be filled with the literary equivalent of viral YouTube videos?

Say goodbye to Moby Dick, Fahrenheit 451, and Beloved. Say hello to Mr. Hands and The Dramatic Prairie Dog.

To me, it looks like publishing is suffering the same fate as New Orleans: inadequate levees in the face of a huge storm surge. The problem with the "surf the storm surge" laissez-faire approach is that eventually you still end up with a giant, stinking, polluted, unliveable disaster zone that will have to be either cleaned up or abandoned.

(And, in this analogy, online booksellers who are enabling unfiltered self-publishing play the role of BP's fountain of toxic muck... enjoy your beach reading!)

"...on the other end of the letter there&#...

2010-06-14T19:38:33.062-07:00
"...on the other end of the letter there's a person out there whose day I'm probably ruining..."

I don't want to make this any harder for you Nathan, but I'm certain it's more than just the writer's day that's ruined by a rejection letter. Short story rejections ruin my day. I imagine a novel rejection would ruin my week, or even month.

re: Agents aren't middle men yes, hadn't ...

2010-06-13T13:06:11.794-07:00
re: Agents aren't middle men

yes, hadn't thought of that, point taken

I really liked your post. It was very informative...

2010-06-11T20:22:37.219-07:00
I really liked your post. It was very informative. Equilibrium will prevail. Writers can get their work out there by mainstream or otherwise, and readers will have broader choices. The Wild West lives.

I had a neighbor in Baton Rouge 30-something years...

2010-06-11T20:13:59.801-07:00
I had a neighbor in Baton Rouge 30-something years ago who used his air rifle to shoot stinging caterpillars on the trunks of his trees. These buggers have prickly, pronged stingers that cover the top and sides of their whole bodies. A stinging, burning sensation occurs at each point these little spears come in contact with your skin, occurrences which by design almost always happen in multiples. Many people wrap foil around the bottom of their trees to make it hard for the little pests to climb up them. I think John used the air rifle method for its therapeutic benefits. I can see how dirt clods can provide education and entertainment, as well as therapy. It is no wonder that you are so normal and well adjusted except, of course, for your monkey fetish.

This makes sense... but there's one glitch in ...

2010-06-11T12:22:02.796-07:00
This makes sense... but there's one glitch in the "filtering". Even if you have a brilliant book, it can be very hard to generate sales equivalent to those for an awful book pushed by a publisher: and there's no guarantee that a publisher will pick up a book that has poked its head above the water level. I've sold 4,000 books since September, almost all at primary schools, all through my own efforts. But I can't persuade any publisher or any agent to represent me...!

Very nice, Nathan. Your sensitivity and caring sho...

2010-06-11T12:20:38.815-07:00
Very nice, Nathan. Your sensitivity and caring show, and that's why we like you.

Ray Rhamey

Really great post with a lot of speculation and in...

2010-06-11T12:14:25.165-07:00
Really great post with a lot of speculation and insight about the future of publishing. People say that the printing industry's going down in the dumps. Maybe so, but publishing and literature itself is certainly here to stay. :D

~TRA

http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com

Nathan—I found this blog post heartening. It is ve...

2010-06-11T12:02:49.614-07:00
Nathan—I found this blog post heartening. It is very important to delineate between those who write and market books as a business concern, and those who write primary as a means of self-expression and connection with others. As a writer, and yes, a cancer survivor with a story to tell, I would be perfectly satisfied if I ever published a book that sold thousands, hundreds, heck— even tens of copies. Success is in the eyes of the beholder. What might be a piddling number of sales for a large, profit-driven publishing house, sure doesn’t sound like silence to me!

marjorie- I don't know, it seems to me that b...

2010-06-11T11:54:48.298-07:00
marjorie-

I don't know, it seems to me that books like SHIT MY DAD SAYS have always always been published. We remember the classics from every era, but it's not like those were the only books published, and in most cases they weren't the most popular either.

The big money is still in traditional publishing. ...

2010-06-11T11:51:33.352-07:00
The big money is still in traditional publishing. Sarah Silverman received a 2 million dollar advance for her book, "The Bedwetter."

If an author just wants to write and share his work without thought to profit, many avenues are available: create a blog and post the book, self-publish, and in the summer of 2010... perhaps consider "pubit." All of these other options, in my opinion, will generate small financial gain.

And the traditional market has changed. Look at the NY Times list of bestsellers. You have two books that are listed: "Skinny Italian," (I love love love Teresa Giudice), and "Sh*t My Dad Says." I think I can correctly conclude the first book was co-authored? Maybe not.

"Sh*t My Dad Says!" I don't know... It is marketing genius. It gives the public what they want, I suppose. Times sure have changed. Years ago, that crap would have been used for toilet paper. It is the sort of note-passing stuff that used to get kids sent to the principal's office. It is the stuff that would make a Bill Paley turn in his grave. I showed some of that to my friend and he said, "This is proof the end is near."

I taught grade 6 and my students could write more creative, impressive, and imaginative work. I do not like referencing the material of other authors, but it was necessary to make a point regarding this topic.

Jack Kerouac layered his work with profound themes. J.D. Salinger knew the art of true wit. And Charles Dickens? He never would stand a chance today.

Yes, indeed. Publishing has changed because what is published seems to be determined not by quality but by what will sell. So authors should be happy they have these other options. At least it gets the job done. It gets the work out there.

But in the end, it's sort of sad, huh?

2010-06-11T11:48:59.043-07:00
This comment has been removed by the author.

brianw- Since at this point 95% of the market is ...

2010-06-11T10:36:56.735-07:00
brianw-

Since at this point 95% of the market is still print, and the best way of reaching the most people via print is via a traditional publisher, and since the best way to reach a traditional publisher is via an agent, I would still advise people to try and find an agent first.

Times are changing though, and there are authors who have had great experiences self-publishing electronically. So I think it's up to everyone, and don't forget about this post on whether you should self-publish.

I think now is a time of great change and your fol...

2010-06-11T10:32:35.360-07:00
I think now is a time of great change and your follow up comments helped me to understand more plainly what wasn't expressed in the article about your personal approach. It's always a good time to become a better writer and navigator of the rich spectrum of life experiences aye, that never changes.

Nathan, I'm looking for some advice. I have ...

2010-06-11T10:31:43.401-07:00
Nathan,

I'm looking for some advice. I have the first of four novels in a YA Fantasy series finished. I have put it through the hands of some really talented people, and I think it is good, and extremely marketable. That being said, I would really like to get it in the hands of an agent, because I'm sure a true professional could do amazing things with it and my MS would be so much better.

This is my first novel, and I have no credentials. I have yet to hear a positive response from an agent (0 for 9 so far).

Do you recommend self-publishing or continuing in the traditional route?

Part of me feels like I would be selling my dreams short if I publish myself. And call me old-fashioned, but I've dreamed of holding an actual, physical copy of my book in my hands, complete with my name on it.

Advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for this blog and opening up the clouded world of the publishing industry to regular schmucks like me.

2010-06-11T10:27:01.339-07:00
This comment has been removed by the author.

This post makes a lot of sense, Nathan. Your most ...

2010-06-11T10:20:25.876-07:00
This post makes a lot of sense, Nathan. Your most interesting point is what traditional publishing workers will still provide in the new digital publishing landscape. I'd love for you to expand that paragraph into a full article some day - it's something that needs expounding from people in the know, like yourself.

Nathan - This change bothers me on two levels. F...

2010-06-11T10:17:19.524-07:00
Nathan -

This change bothers me on two levels.

First, there's something to being published that confirms that "you made it." It's like taking that first Major League at bat. All that work and all that time has paid off and you've been recognized by professionals in the field. More than that, a finite few get to that level so you will always have that satisfaction regardless of the success of your book.

Second, I don't really trust "the masses." The masses have already taken over music. It's getting increasingly harder to turn on the radio and NOT hear somebody associated with American Idol or some other fabricated art producer. I'd hate to see the literary world dominated by generic books. Maybe it already is. Maybe I'm old fashioned. I just like to know that the art I'm reading was created by somebody with a passion and an idea rather than a corporation with $$ sign goals.

Very good article that will be debated longer than...

2010-06-11T10:16:46.858-07:00
Very good article that will be debated longer than you think, since there are emotion-laded opinions on both sides. E-publishing and self-publishing satisfy the growing need of people to share their writing, and since none of us can be objective about our own work, we could make the mistake of presenting material before it's ready.

Just by way of a side note. Before copyright laws...

2010-06-11T10:10:27.754-07:00
Just by way of a side note.

Before copyright laws had some force of law behind them protecting writers' interests, literary agents were copyright pirates.

Publish a popular book through serial publication first, then through a bookmaker, and before the first production run is even off the presses the darn thing is wending its way to all corners of the globe. Literary agents were first in line at new releases, if not pirating from the galleys or piecing together serial publications. That was a hundred years or so ago and had been going on since Guttenberg. Cultural evolution in practice as a consequence of the spread of technology.

I think you hit the nail on the head. As trusted f...

2010-06-11T09:59:57.413-07:00
I think you hit the nail on the head. As trusted filters develop, be they review sites, sales stats, etc, readers will come to find ways to sift through the noise of all the available titles flooding the market and find the real gems. Writers will have more direct access to markets and readers. Roles will certainly change, for everyone involved. It will be interesting to see how it all evolves.
~jon