[Hi, Carita here. In the place of one of my traditional MFA classes, last summer I got to be an intern for a literary agent. No, I wasn't getting anyone coffee or picking up dry cleaning. I was working on social media and online campaigns and learning about book submissions. My behind-the-scenes view into the process of getting a document from manuscript to publisher was so interesting. I am super grateful to Stephanie Hansen from Metamorphosis Literary Agency for taking me on last summer and for agreeing to write my third "Why Wednesday" guest post here. Stephanie Hansen's debut trio of novels, Altered Helix, Stranded Coil, and Paralleled Bond, all available on Amazon.com, are New York Times best-sellers. If you're a YA fan, as I am, you'll love her books. Without further ado, everything that follows is by Stephanie Hansen.]
Why keep your options open when it comes to book publishing:
By Stephanie Hansen, Author and Metamorphosis Literary Agency Owner, Senior Agent, and Subsidiary Rights Manager
People have been saying it for years, the publishing industry is changing. As with any industry, it’s always changing, but, with eBooks, audiobooks, Amazon, and the internet earthquakes, the publishing industry is seeing changes disproportionate to any it’s seen before. Shelf life is now forever with eBooks. Amazon sells about 60% of print and 70% of eBooks sold. Audiobooks are advantageous for a busy society with all sorts of entertainment at their fingertips 24/7.
How have we as a society responded? Well, more and more people are writing books. More and more people are publishing books on their own. There are many reasons why self-publishing can be a good option for authors. If they already have an established audience, they can reach their readers with less go-between. They don’t have to share profits with a publisher, though distribution and other fees are still incurred. Self-published books will not have the same IRL bookshelf space automatically, as stores reserve shelves for major publishing houses with book publicists and a proven track record.
Self-publishing is not for everyone. You wear all the hats as a self-publisher, whereas there’s often more of a team approach in traditional publishing. Of course, that also means you relinquish some of the control. Plus, many books are self-published before they’re ready, but that too has adapted a bit. I think we’re now at about 1/3 of self-published books are of high quality, even competing with those put out by major houses. Another 1/3 are self-published and not quite ready. Perhaps the writing is beautiful, but the author made the cover themselves versus hiring a graphic artist. Or, the content of the prose may be spot on but should have had a grammar check. The final 1/3 of self-published books are nowhere near ready. In the excitement of finishing a novel (which is a major feat), some authors publish prematurely.
According to Lit Hub, each year there are about 3,000 MFA graduates , yet major publishing houses publish only 2,000-ish debut fiction titles. (These numbers come from a combination of multiple sources and can change vastly from year to year, but I aimed for the most accurate number for 2020.) So, only 2/3 of MFA graduates will be published. While some may seek employment in the publishing industry or teaching rather than writing, the odds are still not in an author’s favor, especially if that author doesn’t have an MFA in creative writing.
Hybrid publishing has been criticized by both sides even though they are trying to bridge the gap. Is our world so used to being polarized that we can’t compromise? Is there a certain status that comes only with traditional publishing that hinders the connection to self-published authors? Self-published authors have sold millions. They’ve sold film rights with blockbuster movies produced. Why can’t we just let the writing speak for itself no matter the source? This is a subjective industry, and while a book may please one reader, it may disappoint another.
What is the answer? I think the answer is different for each individual. I still think cohesive partnerships are a wonderful idea. Perhaps major houses could have a self-pub day where they advertise self-published books, or agents could shop foreign and film rights for successful, self-published authors. Alternately, authors could invest in print, warehousing, and distribution for their self-published books. Either route you decide, be sure you are knowledgeable about the agreements you sign. That’s why I teach courses on publishing contracts. It can be so exciting for an author to receive that first publishing contract offer, but you must read the fine print. Do not sign a thing without knowing what you’re signing.
There are many affordable resources to help you. Use them.
- Reach out to friends and family.
- Do not rush.
- Stay active in research to know what the market is doing.
- Find phenomenal bloggers who will promote your book.
- Search book video mockup options for marketing.
- Become familiar with your local bookstores and libraries. Politely ask what it will take to place your book with them and if they hold author events and signings.
- Support one another!
- Let me say it again. SUPPORT OTHER AUTHORS!
Think about it. If traditional authors reach one market and self-published authors reach another, what could cross-promotion do?
Remember why you jumped into this field. From the first scribble on a paper or blinking cursor turned into letters, you struggled. Your protagonist took you down unexpected roads with plot twists as the potholes. You tried to steer with strong dialogue or action details. You painfully picked pieces of description. You cut fluff and then cut it some more. You argued with your antagonist for so long you fell for her/him. If at any moment you thought you’d just type for a few days, turn a thing out, and then become a famous author with a movie, you have to know by now that you were kidding yourself. There’s so much involved in the entire process. If you’ve been at it for years, it’s no longer a hobby or crush. You are deeply head over heels with this writing thing and cannot let it go. Why then, when you’ve polished the manuscript, when you’ve finished raising it through childhood and past the teenage years, would you throw it to the wolves? Or, would you help with college applications, health insurance, and bills until it’s ready to step out into the world ahead?
And then, would you never talk to it again? Not allow home visits over the holidays. Forget about wedding plans or baby showers. You know you’re not done with it, right? There’s a reason why people call it your "book baby." You’ll have queries, submission, edits, more edits, cover discussion, contract negotiation, marketing, promotion, details, travel, conventions, signings, the list goes on and on. As you sit at your table at the convention with your banner and your QR code bookmarks, will you talk to your neighbor? What if that writer is on the other side (self vs. traditional)? Would you avoid him/her/them? No! Once you begin chatting and finding your similarities, you might decide to share a table at the next event, bringing each other readers and enjoying the time so much more.
Stripping away all the high school clique categories, we’re all the same. We’re the thing that makes a book. We’re AUTHORS. We may come in different packages and with different histories, but we all know what it’s like to have book idea wake us in the middle of the night or be unable to find the note we took because it’s not in our daily wallet nor our travel backpack. We bleed our hearts out onto the page in hopes that one day a reader will pick it up and escape to a fantasy world, a vacation from the day, and close the book with a smile, a tear, and a laugh. Reading for escape has been and is one of our own fondest memories: to READ a book and let it take us away if just for a bit.
To find out more about the Literary Agency I own please visit https://www.metamorphosisliteraryagency.com/
Please also see my author site to find out about my published novellas and upcoming debut novel releasing in 2021 with Fire & Ice YA and Tantor https://www.authorstephaniehansen.com/
[Carita here again, great advice, right? While you're here, I thought I'd show you the pretty covers of Stephanie's books. Check out the photo below and thanks for reading. If you want to write anything in the comments below, we'd both welcome your thoughts.]
