There’s an interesting phenomenon going on
out there right now. Maybe you noticed it. Economists are all abuzz with it.
Social scientists and psychologists are gossiping to each other about it: the exponential growth curve—or “S” curve—that
we are currently in the middle of is fuelling our food shortages, oil shortages,
inflation, economic collapses, tensions between countries, population rise, and
everything else to do with humanity on this planet.
Ecologists have long been studying this
biological—and sociological—phenomenon in nature. The typical “S” curve has
three parts to it: 1) the beginning, where it lags and shows a slow rate of
rise; 2) then the steep rise of exponential growth; and 3) the eventual levelling off when the supposed carrying capacity is reached. There is another
kind of curve, the “boom and bust” curve that instead of plateauing at the end
toward sustainability, plummets just as steeply back to or below levels in the
first step (that’s a whole other topic and blog post).
Why am I talking to you about this? Because
it has everything to do with your writing. The publishing industry is currently
experiencing its own version of the “S” curve and the “boom and bust” curve
(for traditional publishing houses, I’m afraid). We are currently witnessing a
growing influx and legitimization of self-publishing and Indie publishing.
Thanks to a few crazy success stories and the new affordable paradigm of POD
digital publishing, publishing hasn’t been easier. This new model heralds an
unprecedented renaissance of self-expression and creativity, shared worldwide.
Consider these statistics: in 2009, Publishers Weekly
reported over 750,000 self-published/micro publisher titles, over twice the
number of traditionally published titles that same year. The figures (I couldn’t find more recent
ones—let me know when you do) are assuredly much higher today. From 8,000 to
11,000 new publishers currently enter the field every year and most of them are
self-publishers or small indie publishers. Seventy-eight percent of titles
brought out come from a small press or self-publisher. Fifty-two percent of books sold are not sold in bookstores; they
are merchandised through mail order, online, in discount or warehouse stores,
through book clubs, and nontraditional retail outlets.
As a function of
this renaissance of self-expression, the number of books hitting the market is
rising at an exponential rate. There’s that “S” curve again. Check out Amazon:
they have over seven million books on their virtual shelves. And now, thanks to
their new policies, it’s growing exponentially. What does this mean for you?
It used to be that
the screening for excellence in books occurred behind the closed doors of prestigious
publishing houses; if a book wasn’t deemed worthy of the standards or didn’t
fit the style of that publishing house (with its own reputation), it was not
accepted and didn’t see the light of day. The rejected and dejected author
often went back to the drawing board to improve their artistic work before
resubmitting. That was then. Now, works are published without prejudice in the
open for the world to see. It used to be that writers complained of
their writing being “sterilized” by the editor of the publishing house, which
was only conforming to the house style and their
vision of what is salable. Now authors wishing for creative control simply self-publish.
Self-publishing
has created a kind of anarchy in publishing; anything can be published (so long
as you have the money). And while this is incredibly liberating for authors
around the world, it is also incredibly dangerous. Here’s why: once you publish
your material, it will be out there for the world to see forever. That means
FOREVER. It becomes a permanent record of your standards of excellence and
taste; essentially a statement of who and what you are. You had better be proud
of it then and for a very long time. It is no longer the responsibility of the
publisher to determine publishing worthiness; the onus is on YOU, the writer.
What will you do to ensure the best possible work for your readers?
Competition will
become ever more fierce AFTER you’ve invested and AFTER you’ve published; your
book will then compete with a world of self-published authors in addition to
those published by traditional publishing houses. In order for your book
to rise above the massive competition, it’s more important than ever to produce
a concise, clean, clear, polished-to-perfection manuscript that you are proud
of. With an awesome cover (see my post on book jacket covers).
Self-published author Dave Bricker shares that, “Poor editing is the number one complaint heard from
critics of the independent publishing industry. Though the standards of
mainstream publishing houses are overrated, I've read many indie books where
spotty spelling and lack of polished prose present barriers to enjoyable
reading. Unedited authors sully the publishing waters for the rest of us.” He’s
talking about poor packaging. Poor manuscript presentation can seriously
undermine an author’s chances of being taken seriously. A good reputation is
earned slowly and tenuously; a poor reputation, like the plummeting “boom and
bust” curve can end a writer's career.
“Why not produce a pressure-tested product that has
already withstood the scrutiny of a professional critic whose standards are
much higher than those of the average reader?” says Bricker. “As with your
typesetting and cover design, the best route to success is to engage a
professional.” He is right. If you want to be treated as a professional (by
readers) then be professional and engage professionals.
What
do professional editors do?
Editors aren’t proofreaders, although
this might be one task in several they can provide. Most editors are what are
variously called structural or story editors; someone capable of commenting on
the work objectively and with competence. Is the story believable? Are there
unexpected temporal jumps or unexplained threads in the narrative? Are the
article’s assertions properly supported? As with affairs of the heart, it’s
easy to understand the problems of others and difficult to acknowledge what
we’re too close to see—and if you think writing isn’t an affair of the heart,
you haven’t started your book yet. Get that third-party perspective.
No one likes to be edited. Of course
you feel protective of your material; that is natural. You’ve put so much into
it; how could a stranger possibly understand and treat it with the respect it
deserves?
Professional editors are accustomed to
interacting with authors in a mutually respectful relationship. Editors have to
make a living, and they would quickly find themselves unable to if they treated
their clients in any way other than professionally and respectfully. A
professional editor is more likely to serve your true interests in getting
published than a friend or relative who likely knows little of “storytelling”,
plot and character; and may side-wind you with inappropriate advice or
platitudes. In fact, showing your work to a friend or relative may be the
reason why you have decided that you “don’t like to be edited.” Before I was
published, I once showed my work in progress to my husband, who was too close
to the subject and its writer; he made very unprofessional remarks that were
more damaging than helpful. If you go with a professional you will not have
this problem.
Throughout history, authors have relied on their
editors to be their sounding boards, to represent the eye and ear of the
reader, and to help bring a viewpoint that can't arise spontaneously in the
author's head. In the past, the traditional publishing house has typically
provided this service. Many publishing houses now expect the writer to provide
a manuscript that has already been edited. Indie and self-publishing scenarios
leave the onus on the writer.
Two of the most common excuses that authors find
for not engaging a professional editor include cost and venue.
I
can’t afford an Editor: can you afford to put out a book for
the world to see that is full of mistakes? If you aren’t serious enough about
writing and publishing to invest in your career with good guidebooks, courses
& workshops and coaching and editing, then perhaps you should rethink your
career. No one would think twice about training and getting professional help
to become a successful nurse or pilot. Writing is the same. For it to be
successful, it requires investment. Especially if you are considering
self-publishing.
Self-published author Dick Margulis reminds us
that “Self-publishing is a business - the publishing business - and if you hope
to succeed in it, you have to manage it like a business. You have to look at
your skill set and decide which of the many tasks associated with publishing
you are suited to doing yourself and which can be done more effectively and
more economically by others. Your time has value, and you have to decide how it
is best spent.”
It’s Just an
E-Book: a common mistake, particularly with digitally published books, is
the notion that because you haven’t invested in typesetting or printing you can
fix the mistakes later. That is a poor notion. And a risky approach that smacks
of laziness. Letting your readers find your mistakes for you is a poor show and
will hurt your reputation as a writer (no matter who publishes you). With
books, no matter what format, the first impression is critical. For some
readers that may be the first and last time they meet you and your work. Make
sure it counts. Word gets around pretty fast on the Internet. Ensure that it’s
a good word.
Check out my site, www.NinaMunteanu.me for more cool advice, resources and links and to sign up for my writing coaching services. My new series of writing advice e-books on Kindle is currently available for $0.99 each (like the one pictured above). Each ebook contains informative and useful articles on all aspects of writing and publishing.
Nina Munteanu is an
ecologist and internationally published author of novels, short stories and
essays. She coaches writers and teaches writing at George Brown College and the
University of Toronto. For more about Nina’s coaching & workshops visit www.ninamunteanu.me. Visit www.ninamunteanu.ca for more about her writing.
