Say the Word

I’m frustrated. A little angry. But most of all, opinionated (Yeah, I know.. what else is new?)

Over the past few days people have been chattering about a couple of articles dealing with authors and publishing. One is a New York Times story about best-selling authors now being told to publish more than one book a year.

The other is a breezy analysis from Forbes which basically says that anyone with a good brand can become a successful author.

At first I saw these articles as the antithesis of each other, exploring both the opportunity and the curse of the digital revolution. But then I realized they actually were the mirror image of each other. Or more accurately, cause and effect. Bottom line: the two articles reinforce an inherent paradox. A Digital Catch-22.

The New York Times article examines how best-selling authors, many of them crime fiction authors, are now being forced to double-down on product. Authors like Lee Child and Lisa Scottoline are now expected to write more than one novel a year. Whether it’s a short story (in Lee’s case) or a second novel (in Lisa’s), Big Publishing is requiring more product. This isn’t a new phenomenon. Michael Connelly has been doing this for years. Lee Goldberg, too. And, of course, Joe Konrath. More power to them. They are amazing writers. Most of us aren’t.

The Forbes article discusses how writers are increasingly interacting with readers through social marketing and working hard to create their brand. The key sentence for me was: “If someone writes well and is skillful about how to build his or her brand, incredible things can happen.“

Hold on. Not so fast.

Incredible things? Well, maybe. Financial success? Perhaps. But what about the phrase “writes well” which the Forbes article kind of tossed off? What about the quality?

That is what the New York Times article is not saying. But I will. If anyone can be a writer, why are publishers flogging some authors to produce more? It’s simple. Publishers, most of whom are in survival mode or close to it, are hoping to cut through the clutter of the “anyone can be a writer” glut with material from guaranteed sellers.

But that has created a paradox. In fact, there’s a lot of bone-headed logic in both articles.

First off, (I admit most of this is anecdotal), we keep hearing that folks who have loaded their Kindles with content are only reading about 10 percent of that content. In fact, even KDP Select, which Amazon started six months ago to give readers lower prices (ie Free) to fill up their Kindles, has slowed considerably.

So, given the sluggish pace of reading, why do we need TWO Jack Reacher books a year? Especially when most readers have only scratched the surface of their e-content? The answer is the quality of that content. When readers do dip into their stockpile of e-books, they find that a lot of it just isn’t that good.

Which brings up my beef against the Forbes article. Forbes is basically saying, if you can sell it, you’re a writer.

Well, no. You’re not.

Just because you can write doesn’t mean you should. Writers need to grow their craft. They need to understand point of view. They need to understand suspense. Develop three-dimensional characters. And they need to hone their prose. Strip out dangling participles. Eliminate TV dialogue. Deliver conflict on every page. Just because a writer has finished a manuscript doesn’t mean it’s ready. I know. I wrote four books before I was published.

Which, in a round-about way, brings me back to the NY Times article. There’s an old story in the mystery community about a woman with a full time job who, nonetheless, wrote a novel in a year. Then she decided to go part-time, thinking she could write one in six months. It still took a year. Then she quit her job altogether. It still took a year.

The point is that great novels, whether genre or literary, can take time—whether it’s research, editing, or just figuring out what the story is really about. The pressure of writing more than one book a year isn’t good for any author who cares about his/her craft. Most of the authors I know are always pushing themselves, trying new things, working to deliver fresh, dynamic stories and characters. The need to crank out more in less time threatens that drive and can lead to works of lesser quality. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle– and risk —  which no writer, especially a best-selling author, should have to face.

But they are, mainly because other e-writers are putting out an enormous amount of product. Some writers release e-books at the rate of one a month. I’m sorry, but with a few exceptions, those are not books I am going to rush out and buy. I know they’re not going to be at the same level as a new Daniel Silva or a new Mo Hayder. I don’t care how much “branding” an author does. I can tell within two or three paragraphs whether I’m going to like a book, and that depends on the writer’s mastery of craft. If it’s not there, it’s not for me.

So I’m taking a deep breath. And I hope you do too. What’s wrong with waiting till July for a new Gabriel Allon? Or Fall for a new William Kent Krueger? Even if I have to wait a year or longer, I know I’m going to get an excellent read. Not only do their novels give me hours of pleasure, but they inspire me, as an author, to keep pushing my craft higher. That’s my take.

What’s yours?

Dear Microsoft,

Now that you’ve come to the rescue of Barnes and Noble (and it clearly needs rescuing), I asked a few friends to help me write this letter with our suggestions going forward. We’ve all been thinking about these issues for a while, so we hope you’ll take them in the spirit with which they’re offered.

With me are:

Rebecca Crowley, founder of RTC Publicity in NYC (full disclosure: she’s my publicist). She started her career at Penguin Group, USA but in 2004, founded RTC Publicity. With over a decade of experience in public relations and a specialization in books, Rebecca manages both traditional marketing and social marketing campaigns.

Ruth Harris is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold millions of copies in hard cover and paperback editions.  Translated into 19 languages, Ruth’s books were Literary Guild, Book-of-the-Month Club and book club selections around the world. She’s also a former Editor, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher at Big Six and independent NY publishers.

CJ West is the very successful author of six thrillers, including THE END OF MARKING TIME. His first novel has been optioned for film. In a prior life, he helped companies solve computer networking and information management problems with firms including Arthur Andersen.

In fact, CJ and I are collaborating on this, and he’s written a more extensive version of his suggestions which will appear next week (May 17th to be exact) at the Crime Fiction Collective.

I am both a traditionally published and indie published author with 9 novels and about 20 short stories published. I’ve been nominated for a bunch of awards, and I even won a few. I spend most of my non-writing time online these days.

While I asked everyone to give me their suggestions separately, what’s pretty amazing is that all three (four if you count me) came up with virtually the same issues.

First, some general observations:

Rebecca says: I have been working with the national and regional level at B & N since the start of my career. Although we share the same goal (to sell books), over the past 9 months B & N has gotten increasingly tough to deal with. Last fall they stopped accepting events from indie authors altogether, restricting themselves to the big 6. Self-published authors always have a hard time getting their books in stores. And E-books are not selling for Nook at the pace of Kindle Books.

CJ says: Generally B&N is losing the technology and marketing battle with Amazon. B&N brings a bookstore mentality to the e-publishing business and their exclusivity has cost them the support of many indie writers.

Libby: The B&N website is clunky, not at all user-friendly, and unattractive. It’s way too difficult to find book descriptions, rankings, and reviews. Nook First, which could be a fabulous program is too restrictive. The data on the B&N website itself is often inaccurate. (E.g: my new book A BITTER VEIL was not available for over a week and when it finally showed up, its price was listed at $70.00, not $16. Really.)  Finally, it’s impossible to talk to a real person or customer service rep.

Affiliates Program

CJ: B&N missed the boat here. They had the chance to build a community around books, but didn’t do it. For example, Amazon has Kindle Boards for authors, a multitude of Customer Discussion boards as well as self-help topics. B&N has very little of this. I was an Affiliate for a while, but then they “lost” my credentials and suddenly became persona non grata. It wasn’t worth it to continue.

Libby: Comparing the Nook Boards to Amazon’s, the Nooks’ are flat and uninspiring and quite restrictive. They are not a pleasant “destination” in the way the Kindle Board and discussion groups are.

Rebecca suggests strengthening the programs by offering larger incentives to reviewers/industry insiders when they create websites/blogs specific to Nook promotion. She also suggests that B&N license and promote genre specific book clubs and offer incentives to join them.

Author Programs

All four of us are dissatisfied with B&N’s Author program.

Libby asks “What Author program?” With Amazon’s Author Central, you can talk to a real person within seconds. B&N and Pubit have nothing like this in place. ALL of us suggest much a stronger author department.

Rebecca suggests a Nook branded Author Central profile program, which should be dynamic, easy to upload. It should allow YouTube embeds, as well as other videos, Author Q&As, and even a “Conversation Corner” — where people can directly email author thru a closed email system.

Ruth agrees and suggests an “author concierge department” which permits contact via email or phone & allows follow-up with the same person. Authors could have a personal Nook rep/butler. This dept should be located in the US and employ native English-speaking reps. It will help create American jobs.

Rebecca also suggests a partnership with authors for Nook give-aways that would allow authors to buy Nooks at cost in exchange for promotional give-aways.

Nook First/Other programs

Ruth thinks it’s great program… and wants more like it.

Libby agrees but thinks it’s too limited at the moment (Only romance authors as far as I know) and needs to be expanded. She thinks a month is a perfect time to be exclusive with one vendor. It’s much better than the 90 day Kindle Select requirement.

Rebecca agrees Nook First should be expanded and suggests other programs as well, including
• A “real deals” section
• A program like the Kindle Daily Deal would work wonders
• As would B & N genre-specific book clubs that would offer incentives to readers who join.

Website Organization/ Display

Ruth believes there should be more bestseller lists that can be sliced & diced in different ways for two reasons: Authors would have a better chance to make a list, and readers will be able to find a wider variety of books that interest them

Ruth also believes that authors and readers should see the SAME category lists. There should be MORE categories in general, and authors should be permitted to create their “own” categories now that so many cross-over genres are being written.

Rebecca would like to see more prominent links between printed books and ebooks, especially when it comes to reviews. She also believes reviews should have a more prominent placement on the page.

Other Issues

Rebecca believes that if brick and mortar stores are here to stay, virtual book events are the way to go. B&N should schedule skype and/or video chats and provide ways to download e-books in-store.

Rebecca also thinks the organization should sponsor break-out tours that link the printed book and e-book (often people buy e-books after seeing the corresponding review of the printed book)

CJ: Microsoft is a smart company. If they could figure out a way to build an e-publishing tool into Word, they can give a boost to the EPUB standard and deliver enormous benefits for the Nook. They should also consider building in an EPUB viewer compatible with the B&N store that snaps into every version of Windows.

So, Dear Microsoft, we hope you’ll take note of our suggestions and ideas. We’ve really just skimmed the surface, and we’re happy to answer questions. We believe a healthy competitor to Amazon is always a good thing, and, over time, B&N could become that competitor.

Good luck and best wishes,

Libby, Ruth, Rebecca, and CJ

PS Don’t forget to go over to CJs blog next Thursday, May 17.

Here is a must read for any author in… or considering… KDP Select. Btw, my experience over the past few weeks mirrors Russell’s.

http://russellblake.com/great-until-it-isnt/

My January was incredible. March too. April was okay but not as robust. Like Russell, I believe the algos have changed. But I’m actually not that disappointed. Some of you will remember my Junkies blog. Free books are fine… but 20,000 of them at a pop? Especially when we know in advance only about 10% of them will ever get read? I’m not sanguine about the future if this keeps up.

So what IS the next best thing? Will it be Microsoft coming to the rescue of Barnes and Noble and offering heavily discounted books? Will it be Kobo, which is trying to become the “Euro” choice? Or will the Zon prevail?

Jeez… this sounds like a bad soap opera.

What do you think?

If you’ve been living on a desert island somewhere and don’t read THE PASSIVE VOICE regularly, shame on you.

Yesterday’s post is a must-read. Passive Guy is correct. Mike Shatzkin is finding it increasingly difficult to defend Big Publishing, and this post is no exception.

http://www.thepassivevoice.com/05/2012/amazons-lengthening-shadow/

Oh, and just in case you haven’t read Krish Rusch’s blog today (THE BUSINESS RUSCH, another must-read), here’s her update on e-book royalties from traditional publishing. You didn’tknow there was an update coming? Funny, that’s exactly what she says.

http://kriswrites.com/2012/05/02/the-business-rusch-royalty-statement-update-2012/

I love Thursdays.

Just wanted to remind everyone there are only a couple of weeks left for the Giveaways and Contest for A BITTER VEIL. There are two terrific offers you might want to consider:

– If you’re in a Book Club (and who isn’t), you have a chance to win copies of VEIL for your group. Book Reporter’s READING GROUP GUIDES is providing them. Go here to find out more. Not sure when this offer expires, but I know it won’t be around for long. Read their review here. Then go here for details on how to win the books!

– If you read and review VEIL on Amazon, Goodreads, or B&N, you have the chance to win a Kindle Fire. The contest ends May 18. Go HERE for more details.

Good luck, everyone!!

Finally, I’m able to concentrate on other things.

As  you know, I went to Cuba in February. My next book is set there, and I wanted to fact check some settings as well as Cuban positions on the issues. So I hooked up with a travel agency I highly recommend, btw, and signed up for a group trip centered around the Havana International Book Fair.

Aside from my daughter, the group was quite literate: librarians, other writers, even a French professor. Have I told you how much I love librarians? They are some of the smartest, craziest, best people to party with—in fact, I think they perpetuate the demure stereotype so people will leave them alone. But I digress.

Our first stop was the book fair itself. It’s important to understand that Cuba sees itself as a center of literature for all of Latin America. Consequently the Fair featured work of authors from plenty of Central and South American countries as well as Cuba.

In a word, it was HUGE. Remember, the literacy rate in Cuba is just about 100% (more about that later), it was a gorgeous Sunday, and it seemed like everyone in Havana – and their families — were there. The Fair was held at one of the oldest fortresses in Cuba, and it was packed. We literally couldn’t move for minutes at a time. The crowds were bigger than ANY book fair I’ve ever been to in the States. Note to Authors who write in Spanish: Carpe Diem!

One of the highlights of the Book Fair was a special presentation to us from a Cuban publisher. Who was also an agent. In fact, it was difficult to tell where one role stopped and the other began. But since the entire book industry is run by the State, it probably isn’t that important.

As you might suspect, the Cuban book industry is very different than ours. Some aspects are actually heartening. For example, the average print run of a book in Cuba is 20,000 copies. The bad news is that authors get very little money compared to capitalist countries. (Then again our advances aren’t so great anymore either, are they?). Every book that’s published in Cuba is required to be sent to every library in Cuba– there are over 500– usually in multiple copies. So if you’re a Cuban author, you are definitely read. (Wish that were the case here…)

We were told there are no limitations on what authors could write.

The next day we visited Cuba’s Library of Congress (The National Library) and met with the director, who talked to us through an interpreter. Various State committees decide what’s going to be published. The majority is non-fiction and poetry. We couldn’t see much of the Library itself because it’s undergoing renovations. In fact, lots of places are, although whether they REALLY are or they don’t want us to poke around is another matter. At any rate, the director talked to us about the goals of the library program, one of which is to modernize technology. For example, Venezuela helped Cuba build a cable for high-speed internet. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work. However, on the streets cell phones are becoming more common, so I suspect the post-embargo technology will focus on them. One thing I learned is that the National Library has the largest collection of Napoleonic literature, diaries, and artifacts outside of France. Odd. But fascinating.

Another highlight was a visit to a small rare-book publisher in Mantanzes. They release only 200 copies of any book they publish, and each one is painstakingly hand-illustrated. Unbelievably beautiful. Some were actually in English as well as Spanish.

We also learned about Cuba’s literacy program, which,s ince everyone in Cuba knows how to read, really is something Fidel can crow about. It’s based on a clever but simple premise: Peers teaching peers. Teenagers teach young kids. Adults teach teenagers. And young adults go on teaching stints in rural villages and provinces. Which begs the question: why doesn’t it work here?

The Book Fair lasted all week and some of our group went back. I didn’t — I was busy fact-checking. I’m glad I did. I found a warehouse that I needed in Havana, and we went to Regla, which is off the beaten path but is the focus for a couple of chapters in the book. Turns out I got it wrong, so I was thrilled I could correct my mistakes.

I realize I’ve just scratched the surface. We didn’t ask, nor did anyone offer to talk about any of the opposition writers and how they are treated; we didn’t talk about a free press, although they did admit there was no such thing in Cuba. So there are topics I still want to explore.

Bottom line: the embargo will end soon, and Cubans know it. You can almost taste the anticipation. I just hope that when it does, we don’t exploit Cuba as we did before. In fact, I believe we can learn from some of their systems.

A BITTER VEIL (the ebook) will be FREE TOMORROW on Amazon (Friday, April 20)… but for one day only. If you’ve been thinking about getting it or entering my Kindle Fire Giveaway, now’s your chance!

Here you go.

PS If you’re in a Book Club and are considering it for your group, check out  The Reading Group Guide.

I know… you’ve heard me talk of little else in the past few days. Well, it went off pretty well… we had nearly 60 people… and while they didn’t record it, here are some screen shots of what it looked like. I think this is the wave of the future…

BUT

Success depends on each individual’s computer, ie do you have the latest Flash and Adobe software, and do you have enough bandwidth… Some people couldn’t see me at all, others saw me in herky-jerky fashion, and some even saw my slide show perfectly. Anyway, enjoy the pix… in a few years, we’ll ALL be doing this!

Thanks Shindig and Aryeh. You were wonderful!

Hi, all. To celebrate the release of A BITTER VEIL, I’m delighted to announce the launch of my KINDLE FIRE GIVEAWAY contest!

Here’s how to play:

o    Anyone in the US or Canada can enter.

o    Like My Facebook Author Page.

o    Read A BITTER VEIL and write an honest review

o    Post the review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or B&N. Audible  counts too, if you’re doing audio.

o    Leave a link to that review on my Facebook Author Page  – VERY IMPORTANT — that tells us you entered the contest.

As an incentive, A BITTER VEIL will go free for one day, but one day only, during the coming days. Be sure to check back here, or my Facebook Author Page, or Twitter to find out when. (Hint: it will be sooner rather than later.  On Friday, May 18, a winner will be chosen at random and announced on my Facebook page. If it’s you, please message us within 4 days so we can get your Fire to you.

Even if you don’t win the Kindle Fire, you WILL win something. Everyone who enters gets one of my short stories FREE. Your choice. Just let us know which one. You can find excerpts of them all here.

Enjoy!

I’m getting to the end of the promotion stuff. Promise. But there are three posts I am very proud of and wanted to blab about — er — share with you.

The first is a review of A BITTER VEIL from BookReporter.com. It was lovely, and I am incredibly grateful.

The second is a post I wrote about writing without a net, and what I did when I wrote myself into a corner. The star of it is my friend and colleague Cara Black. Thanks to QBR (Quickie Book Reviews) for posting it.

And the third is a link to a radio interview with Rick Kogan on WGN’s “The Morning Papers.” Enjoy!

That’s it. Have a great weekend.