We're halfway through this crazy year, and I'm sure things are nowhere near settled yet. At least we have the Insecure Writer's Support Group to share our concerns. If you're not already familiar with the IWSG, you can learn more about them on their website, Facebook page, or Twitter feed.
Our question this month is There have been many industry changes in the last decade, so what are some changes you would like to see happen in the next decade?
As a hybrid author, I'm not closely involved with the publishing industry. I have a few short stories in anthologies, but I self-publish my novels and related stories to keep control of my rights. Publishing contacts demand authors sign away all their rights for a fraction of their worth. I'd like to see contracts become more fair. I'd also like to see more opportunities for indie authors to prepare paper copies of their work (I found CreateSpace was much easier to work with than some of the other sites) and to get those works into libraries and bookstores. I hope to see more acceptance of indie authors at the conventions I attend.
What would you like to change about the publishing industry? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
4 comments:
I think the acceptance is coming. I don't think most readers can tell the difference between traditional and indie and I don't think they care.
I agree with Alex. Acceptance is coming. Already, indie publishing is far more accepted than it was ten years ago. Traditional publishers are going to have to change in order to survive, and letting authors keep more of their rights would be a good place to start.
Createspace was great! I loved using it for my mom's picture books and was sad to see it go. KDP for print is not as good.
I'd also like to see publishing contracts be more fair--and agents/editors treat writers with more respect.
I also think that readers can't really tell the difference between self-pubbed and traditional anymore, especially if it's got a great cover (like yours)!
Happy ISWG!
Post a Comment