A message of hope for aspiring authors
My friend and co-teacher for an upcoming publishing course at Stanford University’s Continuing Studies program interviewed me for the Writing Life series on her website. Thanks, Shirin! And thanks to everyone who sat in on the Zoom chat.
I cringe and can’t watch myself on the recording, but I do want to articulate a couple of my main points better, because I’ve heard that some of my comments led some viewers to drink (😂), which was totally not my intention!
First: Yes, at this moment in time, getting a book deal (especially from a Big 5 publisher) might be more challenging for debut authors and midlist authors due to corporate consolidation, the shrinking of the midlist, retail challenges, supply chain issues, pandemic uncertainty, etc. Agents and publishers seem to be taking fewer chances. And yes, editors generally have less time and leeway to acquire books that they love and see potential in, but that need a lot of editorial development.
But publishing has never been a growth industry, at least not during the 30 years I’ve been in it. The sky is always falling, each new challenge is the end of publishing as we know it. E-books were killing off print books. Independent bookstores were getting steamrolled by Barnes and Noble, Barnes and Noble by mass merchandisers, and everyone by Amazon. (Bantam + Doubleday + Dell) + Random House + Penguin (Putnam) + Simon & Schuster. (Although, as of this writing, that last merger is on pause.)
As I like to say about publishing, it was the worst of times, it was the worst of times.
Second: to acknowledge the elephant in the room (as Shirin put it), yes, I am well aware of all the anxiety swirling around in writers’ circles about diversity and representation, the idea that some authors are being advantaged over others, and therefore opportunities for those others are being diminished. Questions about why some people are “allowed” or “not allowed” to write certain stories. The fear of getting canceled for writing the “wrong” book or writing it in the “wrong” way. I have a lot of thoughts about all of this, and Shirin and I might disagree about some of it, but here’s my advice:
FOCUS ON THE WORK
Writing is a thing that you can get better at. It’s hard to get traditionally published, and it always has been. You have to adjust to the market because publishing is a business, and it takes place within the context of larger societal forces such as the ones we’re currently grappling with. But as long as publishers and editors think your book will make them money, they will publish it, no matter who you are. And the better you are at it, the better your chances.
Don’t be discouraged. Keep at it. Because books are important! Books help build empathy and affirm our common humanity. So keep going, especially if you write for children or teens, who need good books more than anybody.
Focus on the work. Focus on getting better. You’ll get there. And if you don’t get that Big 5 publishing deal, you can self-publish and prove the publishers wrong. It’s been done.
And I’m going to focus on my work, which is helping you by using all the knowledge, experience, and information I gained from my years in publishing. So get in touch!
