Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click the image to learn more or sign up.
Optional Monthly Question: 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?
I feel like this is a loaded question- seems like a trick to get you to say something that everyone else will disagree with. Oh well, here I go.
More than anything I wish the culture of the publishing industry was more open. I wish there weren’t so many issues with providing and or accepting diversity in certain genres and or organizations. I’m tired of it always being the Indies vs the Traditionally published. I wish there was some sort of accreditation system in place that was used to grade books and stories to let readers know that “this product meets a certain standard” and I wish it was run by a nonprofit (free or a flat fee across the board) so that publishers and writers with more money couldn’t just pay their way to gaining this seal of approval. (I know, now I’m just dreaming. And no, Kirkus doesn’t count.) I wish there was a system in place that punished readers for stealing ebooks. I mean seriously, there are so many free ebooks in this world, it makes me angry that people are still stealing the ones that aren’t. I wish Amazon would actually do more to help authors who publish with them instead of just telling them to run giveaways all the time. I mean, why don’t they have a program that allows authors to sell ebooks at live events? (Just say’n.) I wish there wasn’t always some sort of scandal happening in the industry. But most of all, I wish the industry would come together to promote writing and a healthy reading lifestyle beyond school. I feel like the industry that could most benefit from these things spends a lot of time telling people they’re not good enough to write and then telling them what they should and shouldn’t read. I feel like the publishing industry is its own worst enemy sometimes.
But that’s just my two cents. Perhaps in 10 years, everything will be different.
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Now, on to the personal updates.
I wanted to write a bunch of stuff and give some updates, but I’m just too tired. Mentally and physically. Still, I managed to record an update video for the month of June early. Check it out if interested.
My book reviews are posted over at Lit Carnival. I read a few this from IWSG members this past month.
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What are your hope for the publishing industry?
Read any good books lately?
How you are coping with the current state of the world?
It may take some time, but I promise, will stop by your blog.
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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Jenni Enzor,
Beth Camp,
Liesbet @ Roaming About,
Tyrean Martinson, and
Sandra Cox!
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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #39).
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords #blacklivesmatter
45 replies on “#IWSG July 2020: Has the Industry really changed?”
I think those are good things to wish for. The stigma against indie publishing does seem to be fading away, but it’s not gone entirely. Too many indie authors publish books without proper proofreading and editing, and it gives the rest of us a bad reputation.
I agree, but there are more opportunities for exposure if you are not an indie. I’ve spoken at local events where I was only asked to speak because not enough traditionally published authors wanted to participate. Too often, indies are treated as back-ups or stand-ins for when “real” authors aren’t available.
A system that grades all books would be so much more fair. It would also show that there are great books in every area.
That’s what I was thinking.
I find your two cents worth very valid, Toi. Thanks.
Thank you, Joylene.
Hi,
The industry does need lot of changes. Maybe, cutting down on the competition would help. More than that, I believe that if we writers change and stop being selfish, thinking only of ourselves, the industry would have to make some of the changes you have mentioned. I’ve not seen an authors’ strike yet.
All the best and get some rest.
Visiting from the A to Z Blog Challenge.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
An authors’ strike sounds interesting.
YES, YES, YES, YES to everything you said! YESSSS!!!! I want all of that, too. Easily selling Amazon eBooks at live events would be amazing, because with Hurricane Crimes being an eBook and four others that are only eBooks, too, I could promote those at live events, but can’t, because there’s no easy way to get people to buy them at an event.
I hate the divide among traditional and indie published authors. I did a blog post about that. 🙂 I see from both sides, and it’s so wrong.
There definitely needs to be more inclusion, too.
The one thing I try to do with my blog and my writing books (like Keep Writing with Fey) is to tell people they are good enough to write. 🙂
The division is toxic. It makes me angry ’cause I read books written by both trad and indie published authors. I hate that there are groups that promote only reading one or the other exclusively. I want readers to know it’s okay to read both and expect to recieve high quality from both.
Wouldn’t it be nice (such an insipid word) if we din’t have dissension? If our work was judged by its merits and not how much publicity it got? Or how much money we spent to promote it? I wish trad vs self pubbing wasn’t divisive. I believe authors should do what works best for them. I’ve done both and am most happy with self pubbing. But that’s me, the control freak who needs to know exactly how my books are doing. It isn’t for everyone. It’s hard. I hope you have a great month and get lots of writing done.
Thank you, Diane. I too am a control freak. That’s why I love self-publishing, but I’m okay with people who seek trad publishing. Plus, I still submit from time to time just because I can.
I really like your wish list! I, too, wish there were some way to have books–Indy or otherwise–marked to show the ones that meet a reasonable standard of writing, editing, and proof-reading. For now, my approach is to buy the works of authors I “know” from IWSG and other social media places, and yes, how they blog or comment can influence my assumptions about the quality of books!
I’ve been adding so many books by IWSG authors. I’m excited to read more from the people Ive been following for so long.
Kirkus does not count at all – they review so few traditionally published books and they charge indies for a review. $400 last I looked!
That’s crazy.
Great points here. I liked your idea of having a system of rating books that went beyond Kirkus. I’m not sure how self-published writers can afford that hefty fee on top of fronting all the costs for self-pubbing.
I also agree that our education system doesn’t promote healthy reading. I’m a teacher, and I thankfully have a lot of flexibility in how I teach. But many teachers don’t, and a lot of reading/literature curriculum analyzes books to death, which totally kills reading for a lot of kids.
I feel like there just isn’t enough appreciation for the entertainment value of reading. If the culture could change to where books were up there with movies and sports, more people would read, and kids would want to read instead of being made to read.
I love your wish list! A grading system is a great idea.
Thank you, Sarah. I’d like for it to be something fair where anyone could afford it, and was unbiased so publishers or writers with more money couldn’t guarantee a high rating. It would allow all books to be on an even playing field. It would show that not all indie books are poorly edited and that some trad books aren’t as great as their marketing.
Indi publishing is still young, still fumbling, but overall, I think it is a very good direction. It opened up the gates for so many good books and authors who were otherwise unable to get published.
I agree, Olga. I love the opportunities that are available now. It’s come a long way. Still, it doesn’t hurt to dream bigger than the current situation
“this product meets a certain standard” I liked this idea a lot. I just returned two indie books to Amazon and the reason I did was because of the poor editing. In each, there were grammar mistakes starting on page one, and by page five, I had to give up or go mad.
It’s so disheartening to hear that. I know I’m not good at editing, that’s why I pay for it. Even still, I’ve found mistakes after paying. That’s why I often end up paying two editors. I’ve not had a lot of great experiences with editors either, but next time, I’ll be using one of the many editors participating in the IWSG.
So sorry to hear your fur baby is sick. 🙁 Love your reading goals – seriously, the number of books matters way less than your mindful intentions for the books you choose. I love your list. I’ve got a similar list in my post. We’ve got to get into to the business of letting authors of all walks be heard.
Aw, thank you. She’s getting better, but it’s been a tough road.
I’ll be sure to check out your reading goals.
Well said, Toi! And thanks for supporting fellow IWSG members’ books. I put a link up for your review of Voyagers (BookBub) on the IWSG Anthology blog today. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the book!
Yes. It was so good. Every story was a 5-star, hands down.
I like you system idea. I agree level playing field with fairness and unity.
Thanks, Juneta.
Thanks Toi, full to the brim with grievances, sorry to hear. I agree with some of them. Amazon is not a good reference, sales is their only criteria. What can I say come and try your luck in Europe. Check out publishers in England, they are open to a wide variety of genres and new authors and they set high standards; they are not in it just for the money, the bestseller is not their priority. Have a restful and inspiring summer.
That’s good to hear. It’s nice to know that the industry is better in some areas. Still, with all my concerns, I wouldn’t give this up. I’ll take the good with the bad as long as I can share my work. Though, it is nice to dream.
“I wish the industry would come together to promote writing and a healthy reading lifestyle beyond school.”My sentiments too.
From an educational perspective, I’d like to see more of a three-way collaboration with authors, libraries and schools: scheduled group visits to libraries where authors do live school group readings, and hold writing workshops with school writing groups, as well as other activities/events.
Stay safe, Toi.
I like your thinking, Michelle. You stay safe too.
An accreditation system is a fascinating idea.
Great post.
Thank you, Sandra.
Toi, you talk a lot of sense. I had that idea years ago where AMZ or whoever would put an ‘Edited by…’ sticker on the front so readers would know that the book wasn’t gobbledegook. But now with the free sample, you soon see if a book is worth the money. But I think self-publishing has its act together.
Forgot to say watch your email for some good news!
Thanks, Denise. I’ll be looking.
Finding a way of measuring the level of standard in a book is a difficult thing when books are soooo subjective. But I agree it is a shame that books are often indie vs traditional.
I agree this wouldn’t be an easy task, but it also wouldn’t be based on creativity. It would be based on quantifiable things such as proper formatting, grammar, and readability. There are plenty of services out there who’ll tell a reader whether or not they think their writing (aka storytelling) is any good, but I want a system for readers to be able to identify books of a certain quality, whether they are indie or trad, and I don’t want there to be an unfair advantage to authors and publishers with more money… I know, I dream too big sometimes. 😉
Wow, Toi. This post was so brilliant and dead on. Everything you said, I feel. And I 100% agree. The “telling people they can’t write and what they should or shouldn’t read” is doubly true in Canada. The literary elite is so damn snobby here.
If only your wishes could come true, it would be a much better world for all writers and readers.
I’ve said this in various places, but I’ll say it here too, just in case: thank you so much for the wonderful review of City of Ghosts. It meant a lot to me because I know your reviews are honest, and if you don’t like something, you’ll say so.
Hope you get some rest and relaxation this month!
City of Ghosts was really good. I’ve already started the next one.
I can get behind your wish. It would be great if there could be a YouTube equivalent for publishing, i.e. a way for the “indies” to get through to an audience without a corporate filter. I think of the K-pop phenomenon – not a perfect comparison since there’s plenty of Korean corporate involvement. But, bands like BTS finding a world audience was word-of-mouth. Love or hate the music, it’s hard not to be impressed. For reasons both technological and cultural, it wouldn’t have been possible 20 years ago.
Here’s hoping.
Thanks. I agree about the K-pop phenomenon; however, I don’t think it’s tech or lack of a platform that’s the issue. There are many ways for readers and authors to connect, but because the industry isn’t prompting itself properly and pitting authors against one another, it’s struggling.