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Author Garrison Keillor slams self-publishing, hates modern technology

Brad Vertrees — Thu, 27 May 2010 17:40:25 +0000

Garrison Keillor is the latest author to slam self-publishing in a recent NYT Op-Ed. His rant is typical of those who hate indie authors who go it alone into the world of self-publishing. And in the same Op-Ed, Keillor manages to take a swipe at modern technology.

I don’t know what it is about self-publishing that drives some people nuts. After all, musicians who skip the large record labels and become “indie” are widely respected and have successfully thrown themselves into the mainstream – with little to no criticism. So why are indie authors seen differently?

Back to Garrison Keillor. He has some pretty harsh words:

And if you want to write, you just write and publish yourself. No need to ask permission, just open a Web site. And if you want to write a book, you just write it, send it to Lulu.com or BookSurge at Amazon or PubIt or ExLibris and you’ve got yourself an e-book. No problem.

I’m a little confused by the asking permission part. I think what Keillor is missing is that if someone self-publishes a book and it’s crap, no one will buy it. If someone self-publishes a book that’s really good, people will buy it and it might even have a good chance of getting picked up by a traditional publisher.

In the same Op-Ed, Keillor takes a pretty large jab at modern technology:

Children, I am an author who used to type a book manuscript on a manual typewriter. Yes, I did. And mailed it to a New York publisher in a big manila envelope with actual postage stamps on it. And kept a carbon copy for myself. I waited for a month or so and then got an acceptance letter in the mail. It was typed on paper.

Does it seem like he’s talking down to the reader by calling us “Children?” For Keillor’s longing for the days of typewriters and carbon copy paper, it’s ironic his Op-Ed is posted online by the NYT. I’m guessing that if he were around when typewriters first hit the market, then he’d be longing for the days of the feather pen and inkwell.

What do you think of Keillor’s take on self-publishing and technology? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Update: Looks like I’m not the only one critical of Garrison Keillor’s Op-Ed. From Flavorwire.com: Publishing’s not dead: The industry responds to Garrison Keillor

Fan fiction remains in legal limbo, divides authors

Brad Vertrees — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:00:38 +0000

Fan fiction (fanfic) is when a fan of a novel, movie or even television show writes their own stories using the same characters. However, fanfic remains in legal and ethical limbo. Some authors maintain that fanfic is just innocent flattery. But other authors go as far as to say it’s illegal.

Personally, I’ve never been enthusiastic about fanfic, not because of its legal implications, but because I just don’t find it very exciting.

One author in the latter category is historical romance novelist Diana Gabaldon. I first read about her hatred of fanfic on the Teleread blog post Novelist Diana Galbadon causes fanfic furor. She does little to hide her distaste for fan fiction on her blog:

OK, my position on fan-fic is pretty clear: I think it’s immoral, I _know_ it’s illegal, and it makes me want to barf whenever I’ve inadvertently encountered some of it involving my characters.

Galbaldon goes on to list a series of arguments people use in favor of fan fiction, then she gives her rebuttal on why those arguments are wrong. The first point she brings up is probably the most important: People who write fanfic don’t try to make money from it. Galbaldon’s response:

Well, see, this is where “illegal” comes in. You can’t break into somebody’s house, even if you don’t mean to steal anything. You can’t camp in someone’s backyard without permission, even if you aren’t raising a marijuana crop back there. And you can’t use someone’s copyrighted characters for your own purposes, no matter what those purposes are. Really. I’m not making it up; this is International Copyright Law.

She is right regarding copyright law – as far as US copyright law goes, copyright holders do have the right to restrict derivative works of their material. So yes, legally, a writer of fanfic can be sued for copyright infringement. However, the counterargument to this is fair use of a copyrighted work – which includes parody and criticism. Authors opposed to fanfic do have the law on their side.

I understand the arguments against fanfic, but I also wonder why authors aren’t flattered that they have a hardcore group of fans whose imaginations have been so strongly captivated by the author’s work. I know I’d be flattered. As long as fanfic writers were not trying to make money off their works by using my characters/ideas, I would not have any problem.

What do you think about fan fiction? Should authors be worried about it or embrace it as flattery and recognize it as free advertising? Leave a comment below and share your opinion.

Self-published author lands deal with Amazon after selling book on the streets

Brad Vertrees — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:43:56 +0000

I always love to read author’s self-publishing success stories. They are not only very inspiring, but these stories chip away at the negative stigma of self-publishing. The route these authors take is a hard one, they don’t have the resources of a large publishing house and distributor behind them. Thus they often have to promote their work themselves using their own websites, Twitter, Facebook and other methods.

But one author has taken self-publishing to a whole new level. Christopher Herz decided to use the POD model with his book The Last Block in Harlem (aff link) and then take it to the streets, literally. He’d hand sell one copy at a time to strangers on the street. You might recall that I wrote about him in my previous post Author sells self-published book one copy at a time. His efforts were even picked up by Publishers Weekly. Well, all of his hard work has finally paid off.

On his website, Christopher writes about being picked up by AmazonEncore:

My first book, The Last Block in Harlem, was recently picked up by Amazon Encore, a new publishing venture from Amazon. I originally published the book myself. I took it to the streets of New York City, literally putting ten books in my bag each day, walking up to people and asking if I could present my novel to them. It was one of the great experiences of my life.

Amazon’s website describes AmazonEncore (aff link) publishing program as a way to get great writers who are struggling to get their books into the hands of readers a larger audience.

AmazonEncore is a new program whereby Amazon will use information such as customer reviews on Amazon.com to identify exceptional, overlooked books and authors with more potential than their sales may indicate. Amazon will then partner with the authors to re-introduce their books to readers through marketing support and distribution into multiple channels and formats, such as the Amazon.com Books Store, Amazon Kindle Store, Audible.com, and national and independent bookstores via third-party wholesalers.

There are a few points I want to make.

Good Writing Still Matters

Christopher Herz is obviously a great writer who has written a great book. You can write and self-publish hundreds of books, but if your writing isn’t polished and the book doesn’t have a professional look, then you won’t have the same success Christopher has had.

This also means that you shouldn’t rush to get your book published. It’s very easy to get excited about having your book in print. However, take your time and do it right. The extra time you spend can pay big dividends.

Hard Work Pays Off

Self-publishing is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes dedication and hard work. Once the book is printed and you still have to sell it. This is where Christopher stood out by hand selling his book to people on the street. Not an easy task and one that few authors would try. Take the marketing and selling of your book into your own hands.

Hopefully other authors can learn from Chris about successfully self-publishing a book.

Congratulations Chris! Keep up the good work.

Found: One short story I wrote when I was 12

Brad Vertrees — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:35:43 +0000

After my grandmother passed away last December, my mom and her brother and sister have been going through her house to get her belongings sorted out. Among those items was a short story I wrote when I was 12, around the time I was in the 7th grade (about 1992). I sent it to my grandparents and they had apparently filed it away for all these years.

I don’t remember writing this specific short story, but I remember it being an assignment for my creative writing class. We had to read them in front of the class – which was probably the worst part. The only other memory I have of this story is was received pretty well by my classmates and my creative writing teacher.

From all my years writing fiction, this short story is probably the oldest that has been saved. Today I scanned the pages into my computer as a PDF file and I’m considering posting the file here on Brad’s Reader for all to read. Therefore, I’m not going to give away the title or plot just yet. But as my wife kindly pointed out, the story’s plot has a lot in common with an old movie that was released around the same time.

Have you ever stumbled upon something you’ve written during your childhood? Was your writing juvenile and riddled with mistakes, or were you a budding Shakespeare? Either way, leave a comment and share your experience.

Ebooks and Author Book Signings

Brad Vertrees — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:09:16 +0000

My local bookstore held a book signing for 3 authors last weekend. It drew a sizeable crowd and there’s no doubt a lot of books were sold to customers anxiously seeking an autograph from their favorite author/s.

I’ll confess, I’m a literary autograph hound myself. I have a small collection of autographed books (a collection I hope to expand). There is something about having an author sign his/her own work that makes owning that book like a trophy – as hokey as that sounds.

But with ebooks rapidly growing in popularity, what’s going to happen to author signings? After all, I wouldn’t want an author to sign my Sony Pocket Edition. As popular as ebooks have become, and as their popularity will continue to rise, I still think there will be a spot for print books in the literary marketplace.

What’s the solution? Bundling ebooks and print editions together, of course.

When I get a book signed, I’m reluctant to read it. I want the book to stay in mint condition for future posterity. Bundling an ebook with the print version solves that problem. You can get your print edition signed and shelved away with the rest of your collection and still have your ebook edition to read and enjoy.

At least one bookstore in the US is considering doing just that (although not specifically for author signings). I wrote about this in my previous post Barnes & Noble considers bundling print books and ebooks. Although B&N doesn’t plan on a true “bundle” where you buy one you get the other for free, rather, you buy the print version, you get the ebook for a reduced price.

For author signing events, publishers should use true bundling. You purchase the hardcover edition for the signing and then you get access to the free ebook version. Perhaps the ebook version will come enhanced with extra material like interviews, alternate beginnings/endings and the like. After all, if an author is going to “personalize” your hardcover with his/her signature, why not add something extra to the ebook as well?

Bundling ebooks and print editions is nothing new and/or revolutionary. It’s an idea that I love to promote because it gives people more bang for their buck. Bundling can give authors who do book signings a new promotional tool and the ability to reach out to ebook lovers and traditional print book lovers at the same time.

Going beyond the text: David Baldacci experiments with enriched ebooks

Brad Vertrees — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:37:29 +0000

Ever since I became an ebook evangelist I have promoted the idea that ebooks are the perfect platform to offer more than just the text of the novel/short story. What does this mean? An enriched ebook offers a glimpse of a working author in a “behind the scenes” sort of fashion.

While there are any number of ways to enrich an ebook, I always envisioned them with rough drafts (so the reader can see how the story evolved), outlines, interviews, alternate endings and more.

Bestselling novelist David Baldacci has done just that with his new book Deliver Us from Evil (aff link). According to Galley Cat, he’s offering an enriched ebook with a smorgasbord of features including a video tour of his office (I love seeing author’s working spaces), audio Q & A about the book, research material, deleted scenes (including the original ending) and other goodies that will enhance the reading experience.

Why did he choose to create an enriched ebook?

“They [the reader] want to look behind the curtain and learn more about a writer whose work they love. To get into the head of the person who creates the stories that keep them enthralled. It gives you several entertainment experiences, and provides more than what you would get from simply reading the book. It allows the writer to connect with the reader in new and fascinating ways. It’s aptly named because it really does enrich the experience.”

He continues by saying:

“People want to be informed and entertained. The enriched E-book does both. Bottom line is the content should drive this industry, not the delivery system. An eBook by itself is not enthralling; what’s on it is. And we have the technology that allows us to do all of this. So why not use it?”

Yes, yes and yes! Finally, an established, bestselling, traditionally published author who really gets ebooks and their potential for the future of publishing. Furthermore, it’s innovation like this that will keep the publishing industry alive. Hopefully other authors (and publishers) will catch on and give readers a choice to either just read the book, or dive a little deeper and catch a glimpse behind the text.

What do you think about David Baldacci’s enriched ebook experiment? Would you pay more for all these extra goodies? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

New Shakespeare play may have been discovered

Brad Vertrees — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:37:01 +0000

Looks like the Bard might have written more than his already prolific canon of plays. A Shakespeare scholar from the University of Nottingham is fairly certain of the confirmation a new play was written by Shakespeare. According this article from the AP via Yahoo! News:

After years of literary investigation, a professor at the University of Nottingham said Tuesday he’s certain “Double Falsehood, or the Distressed Lovers” was born out of “Cardenio,” a play Shakespeare scholars believe existed…”There is definitely Shakespearean DNA,” said English literature professor Brean Hammond, who has worked since 2002 to determine if “Double Falsehood” has Shakespearean roots.

As the article mentions, there is not enough proof with 100% certainty that “Double Falsehood” is based off of this mysterious “Cardenio” play.

However, there is more evidence for the existence of another Shakespeare play than just speculation about Shakespearean DNA found in another drama:

There is strong evidence “Cardenio” existed: records showed the actors in Shakespeare’s company were paid for acting in it. And Hammond said Theobald claimed he had used three of the Bard’s manuscripts when he wrote “Double Falsehood,” which opened to positive reviews in London’s West End.

As someone who enjoys Shakespeare (although I’m no scholar), it’s fascinating to think that there could be one more play to add to his folio.

Of course, there’s also the age-old controversy about whether or not Shakespeare wrote anything at all, or if his plays were written by someone else. I’m not going to get into this debate on this post because I’ve written about it here The verdict is in: Shakespeare is a fraud and Was Shakespeare a fraud?.

The possibility of another Shakespeare play is just another fascinating chapter in the ongoing research of the most famous writer in the English-speaking world.

Philip K. Dick died 28 years ago

Brad Vertrees — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:49:08 +0000

Science fiction author Philip K. Dick died 28 years ago. If you haven’t read any of his books and/or short stories, you are probably still familiar with his work. His writings have been adapted into such films as Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, Screamers and more. I’ve seen the movies Total Recall and Minority Report, but as usual, I enjoyed Dick’s writing a lot more than the Hollywood adaptation.

I’ll admit that I didn’t start reading Dick’s work until the last year or so. I became interested in him while I was exploring the boundaries of science fiction in my own writing, and began seeking out other sci-fi writers. I was also especially drawn to him as a person because of his the tragic life he lead.

Dick suffered from mental illness, drug addiction and lived in near-poverty for most of his life. Perhaps the most tragic part of his life was that his works received more attention and fame after his death than while he was living.

If you’ve never read any of Dick’s writing, your in luck. A selection of his early works are in the public domain. You can easily download them from the Project Gutenberg website.

Are you a fan of Philip K. Dick? If so, what is your favorite novel and/or short story? Share your comments below.

Authors suffer most from Amazon/Macmillan feud

Brad Vertrees — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:29:37 +0000

This tip was sent to me from Simon Owens from Bloggasm. Thanks Simon!

The feud between Amazon and Macmillan has seemed to settle down, at least for now. Macmillan titles are again being sold on the online retailer. But the ripple effect still lingers and its anyone’s guess how the ripples created by this feud will play out in the long run.

A lot of attention has been given to Amazon and Macmillan. But what about the authors? Each party claims it has the best interest of the authors in mind, although after seeing the way Amazon and Macmillan acted, that’s a little hard to believe. I think the biggest and most direct hit on authors came from Amazon’s decision to suddenly pull all Macmillan titles from their site. Not cool.

In a recent Bloggasm post Tor authors express worry over their careers because of Macmillan/Amazon dispute (Tor is an imprint of Macmillan), we get a first-hand account from author Jay Lake about how the decision by Amazon to pull Macmillan titles has affected him:

“The worry would be if I had a book released last Tuesday or this,” he said. “A significant portion of my initial sales velocity comes from the first days on Amazon. Writers like me sell relatively few books so that missing a few hundred initial sales, and the related rise in sales ranking and attention, could be damaging, quite possibly seriously.”

Another Tor author, Tobias Buckell, expresses the same concern about impact on sales:

“And for the past five or six years I’ve worked really hard to send people from my website to Amazon because it’s the dominant online book store. It has a tremendous impact because all my sales for my original Tor books will be dropping by 80% probably.”

I’m sure there are many more authors that express the same concerns as Jay and Tobias. It was downright un-ethical for Amazon to stop selling Macmillan titles because it hurts the authors the most.

I know readers can retaliate by not buying anything from Amazon. What recourse do the authors have? I guess they could take their titles elsewhere, although I’m not sure how easy it would be for them to bail on their current publishing contract. I think most authors could do a lot better (sales-wise) selling their books directly to consumers – as print and ebooks.

Another option for authors would be to take legal action against Amazon. Since the e-retailer is so big and dominates online book sales, there’s a lawsuit in there somewhere. If any lawyers out there want to weigh in on this, please feel free to do so in the comments below.

Author’s Guild backs Macmillan in feud with Amazon

Brad Vertrees — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:24:38 +0000

So far I’ve been silent about the recent feud between Amazon and the publisher Macmillan because there have been so many articles, blog posts, forum comments and other coverage, that I didn’t want to contribute to all the ‘noise.’ However, there is a slightly new development in this story that I do feel it’s worth writing about.

Today the Author’s Guild released a statement that pretty much supports Macmillan in the feud. There’s really nothing surprising about that since the Guild usually supports the large publishers and higher ebook prices. The Author’s Guild believes that if Macmillan succeeds in having more control over ebook prices, it will be good for the industry as a whole:

Yet if Macmillan prevails, the eventual payoff for its authors (and all authors, if a successful result ripples through the industry) is likely to be significant and lasting.

It has been well-documented (on this blog and others) that what Macmillan seeks, and what the Guild supports, simply does not work. Authors don’t make more in royalties because higher ebook prices turn off a lot of consumers, leading to more piracy. Publishers still have a long way to go in learning about the economics of ebooks.

Macmillan wants to set higher ebook prices

Bad idea. The demand for ebooks dictate the consumers are unlikely to pay much more than $9.99 for ebooks (the price Amazon uses as a standard). Macmillan’s reasoning is that higher ebook prices will increase author royalties and not “devalue” the books sold on Amazon.

However, as I said before, it has been shown that just the opposite is true – lower ebook prices equals more sales and more revenue for the author and publisher. A great example of this is author Joe Konrath, who has been published through traditional routes, and self-publishes his novels as ebooks on the Amazon Kindle. His blog, A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing chronicles his experience. He makes more money selling his ebooks at low prices than he does in royalties from his traditional publisher. Other authors have had similar experiences.

Use of “Windowing” as a tactic to increase print sales

“Windowing” is the practice of waiting until a particular edition of a new book has been on the market for a while before making cheaper editions available.

The Author’s Guild statement continues:

Windowing e-books is similarly believed to help protect a publisher’s sales channels for physical books. The risk with windowing is that some owners of e-book devices are angered that low-priced e-book editions aren’t available as soon as books are released in hardcover form.

The risk of delaying the release of the ebook version is more than just “angering” ebook device owners. The real risk is piracy. In fact most of the book piracy is scanning print books and converting them to ebooks. This is often done when the ebook is not available due to windowing or because the author/publisher refuses the ebook option. I wrote a recent post What can we learn from a book pirate that details this from one who actually pirates books.

The irony, of course, is that authors/publishers trying to prevent piracy through such tactics only encourage the practice.

Amazon also to blame

While it’s easy to demonize Macmillan for their demands, Amazon is by no means in the clear either. The largest online retailer has been criticized all around for everything from DRM, high ebook prices (a lot of consumers, myself included, think even $9.99 is too much for most ebooks), to prices not being high enough (from publishers), remotely deleting titles off the Kindle, forcing POD publishers to use Amazon’s own service, and the list goes on. So I’m not giving Amazon a free pass here. There is plenty of criticism to go around.

The ebook industry is still in its infancy and there are no ‘industry standards’ in place yet. Amazon is trying to set those standards and publishers still think ebooks should be sold and priced like print books. I hope that publishers don’t repeat what happened to record labels (who continue to self-destruct).

What do you think of this Amazon-Macmillan feud? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Brad's Reader » Author News

Author Garrison Keillor slams self-publishing, hates modern technology

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