01.10.19

PW OPINION PW NEWS PW LIFE PW ARTS
•GUEST OPINION•
BY LINDA LAROCHE
PENNIES FOR
YOUR THOUGHTS
THE PUBLISHING GAME MAY HAVE CHANGED BUT THE MOTIVE
OF WRITERS REMAINS THE SAME
When self-publishing assisted by print-on-demand technology became available
to the public, it was quickly dismissed as a low-grade alternative to traditional
publishing. Established publishing houses feared they would fall victim to this
assault, but they still dismissed self-publishing as a vanity fad that would pass.
But it did not pass. Self-publishing continued to grow and evolve. Even if only a
few hundred copies of each self-published title were sold, that was still hundreds of
attempts at stealing readers away from the established order of publishing. In response,
big publishers merged and became even bigger, mid-size publishers went out of
business, but small presses proliferated, using low-cost business models.
When Amazon, Lulu, iUniverse and other platforms facilitated authors to do it
themselves, writer associations around the world moved quickly to legitimize this
revolutionary movement and bring it into their respective folds. After the first poorly
constructed, badly edited, and haphazardly formatted offerings were published, the
movement took stock. Professional editors and other middlemen from the traditional
industry saw this as an opportunity to replace income lost to being fired by mainstream
publishers. Thus, self-published books gained wider appeal and over a short time
became better produced as technology improved.
Soon e-books came along, leveling the literary playing field even further. With costly
paper production and distribution taken out of the equation, e-books could be offered
for less than half the paperback price and still retain the same earnings for authors and
publishers. The old guard of publishers tried to defend e-book prices, saying they should
be equal to that of paperbacks, but that argument lacks weight as long as publishers
pay authors the same for either format and then pocket the savings from not having to
worry about paper and distribution costs.
I self-published a writing guide for my students in 2013 through Amazon, offering it
as an e-book. In 2017, I published my first novel as a paperback and chose Create Space,
which offered print-on-demand. I used their printing services and distributed it directly
from my website with no intermediary. My sights were on promoting and I was elated
when I surpassed my break-even goal.
Then, a few months ago, I received an email stating Create Space and Amazon would
merge in a united platform. The kicker was that I had to place my novel in a market for
them to continue printing it on my behalf. No longer was I an individual working in a
specialized field. It felt like I was being bullied. This new move raised questions in my
mind. What could this merger do for me? What could they possibly offer that I had not
done already? I know they set up a smart aggregator to muscle in, offering customers
popular titles at bargain prices. So how could a reader find my work amongst an
avalanche of new titles?
These were their terms: If a book sold for less than $10, I would receive a 65 percent
royalty. If it sold for more than $10 the royalty would be 30 percent. My novel sells for
$22.
In the end, success depends on what value is provided. In the case of Amazon, their
original value proposition lay in their ability to provide the largest selection of books,
without shoppers having to leave the comfort of their homes.
Is that worth giving up the lion’s share of profits? I don’t think so. The writers
who formed the vanity movement have now gone mainstream in the form of a more
respectable self-publishing movement. Their stories come from a more personal place.
Their skill set has had to increase from writer to publisher and marketer in order
to remain in the game. Yet, except for a lucky few who will be snatched up by the
mainstream, they will remain effective only at selling to friends, family and a small
circle of fans, as opposed to selling across international markets in multiple languages
aided by large marketing budgets. However, they will be read, and they will add
diversity to the literary landscape while the traditionalists retrench to promote only
their top lists as competition heats up.
How will this all level out? Motive will determine longevity. Few anymore are
making money in this game, writing having become more of a hobby than a career.
Personally, I hope writers — people who believe divine inspiration and not profit
margins guide their fingers across a keyboard — continue investing in their work. ■
6 PASADENA WEEKLY | 01.10.19