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I wrote this essay in 1997, when the world of publishing
was very different from what it is today. Back then, who could have anticipated
the revolution in epublishing and the way it has given rise to self-publishing
and independent publishers. Upon reflection, however, I think it's worth considering. Let me know what you think!
Many recent articles in newsletters, magazines and
websites describe the dire state of publishing and the difficulties which
writers face in order to break in, let alone survive or flourish. Conventional wisdom resonates with images of
loss and scarcity:
"The midlist is dead!"
"IDs (Independent [Book] Distributors) have
imploded!"
"If a single book fails, your entire career is
finished unless you change your name!"
"Media tie-ins and franchised universe fiction are
squeezing out original work on bookstore shelves!"
The background to these declarations is grim. Approximately 50% of all novels marketed as
first novels are in fact written by established writers seeking to escape from
poor sales figures. This situation
benefits publishers because they then need pay only first-novel level advances
for solid, midlist‑level books. The average advance has not increased in a
decade, while those for a few, more highly promoted books have skyrocketed,
further fueling the "boom or bust" polarization. Bookstore chains
occupy an increasingly large share of the market and their computerized
ordering practices base advance orders on the author's previous sales. Some
critically‑acclaimed books sell so poorly that their authors have difficulty
finding a publisher for their next work. In this age of micro-management by
distant multiglomerate corporations, the success of a book can be determined
before it appears on the shelves. Publishers hold "autopsy" conferences to discuss why a book
which they believed would do well "failed" in terms of sales.
Advice is easily given in an atmosphere of unspoken
desperation. Sometimes the suggested
tactics succeed: a byline change or a switch to a more commercial form of
fiction may rejuvenate an author's sales or at least subsidize more serious
writing. Too often, however, such
changes are proposed and undertaken without consideration of their emotional
implications. Well‑meaning advice gives
special privilege to forces which are inherently beyond a writer's control and
which have to do with merchandising, not creativity. The writer who follows such advice unsuccessfully
is particularly vulnerable to feelings of guilt, regret, loss of artistic
identity, and betrayal ("having sold out.")
