Business Beagle
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Songshi QuanThe Secret Society of Publishers
September 23rd 2008 12:13
The Secret Society of Publishers
Well, you’d be better off chiselling your memoirs into stone tablets to be found and published hundreds of years from now, then waste your time, effort and money trying to convince the established fortress of the self-titled ‘literary elites’ of the worth of your story.
Don’t believe me? Allow me to tell you a true story, a factual account that will highlight the blind arrogance of a few of these publishers and their equally flawed system.
Two days ago, I attended a local writer’s festival and paid $63 to attend a one and a half hour presentation on “How to get Published” featuring two local and one international publisher – Jane Palfreyman (Allen & Unwin), Ann Patty (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, US) and Henry Rosenbloom (Scribe).
The session started with the usual housekeeping rules about keeping your mobile phone switched off as a standard courtesy in such seminars etc before Henry Rosenbloom kicked things off with his ‘take’ on how to improve your chances of attracting a publisher’s interest in your manuscript. To begin with, he rather bluntly told the audience that unless you come from the appropriate literary stock, with parents that have had an active interest in reading and the literary field, it would be very unlikely you could ever become a writer of any merit. Apparently, in his opinion, good writing is a talent that you are born with rather then a skill in which you can hone through practice.
I could get sidetracked here with a debate on genetics and it’s relationship to creative writing, but I want to stay on the main topic here.
Mr Rosenbloom then went on to highlight the unavoidable aspect of the manuscript appraisal process – the subjective nature of one person reviewing a manuscript and all of the resulting problems of; first impressions, subject bias, having a bad day, etc. He made particular mention of first impressions and how he himself was guilty of such a method of appraisal that could and often did lead to premature and unqualified rejection of potentially profitable material. Mr Rosenbloom took particular affront to a poorly written initial email enquiry attached to a submitted manuscript. According to Mr Rosenbloom, if you can’t get your email enquiry right, why should he bother to waste his valuable time on your manuscript?
It was at this point that Mr Rosenbloom’s mobile phone interrupted proceedings with its little chirrup of rings.
The thought crossed my mind that if Mr Rosenbloom could not get something as basic as the ‘house rules’ right, why should I deign to pay any attention to anything else he might have to say? Perhaps Mr Rosenbloom needs to take a fresh look at the issue of fallibility both within himself and within the manuscripts and covering emails that cross his desk. A mistake in spelling or grammar should not preclude any manuscript from receiving the full and careful review that the publisher would expect from a piece of his or her own work. This should be irrespective of the inclination for humans to make a hasty first impression.
To be fair, Mr Rosenbloom did later mention a manuscript he received that was riddled with basic errors and yet he decided to publish it anyway. Inconsistency must be another human trait we all share.
The remaining speakers continued the theme begun by Mr Rosenbloom, so I won’t paint him as the sole villain of this piece. The impression this Beagle got from the entire session was that these three publishers loved the books they had published, respected many of those authors and felt nothing but contempt for every other writer that had the temerity to occupy a portion of valuable office furniture real estate within their hallowed halls.
Rather interestingly, Ann Patty mentioned that only around 10% of the books published are ever really profitable for the publisher. I found this to be quite remarkable. I suspect her point was to allude to the fact that even if your manuscript was ‘the chosen one’ selected because it struck a resonating chord within the breast of the reviewing publisher, that it still might be a total flop in the marketplace, so don’t get your hopes up people!
Call me crazy, but I had a slightly different take on her statistic. Perhaps the low conversion rate of economically successful books spoke more about the flawed review and selection process then it did of the quality or merit of the book itself. I know that I speak sacrilege in the criticism of my literary betters, but maybe, just maybe, it’s not all the fault of the author.
In the United States, you must obtain an agent before you can get your manuscript before a publisher for review. In Australia, you are able to send your manuscript direct to a publisher, however such submissions are put into a ‘slush’ pile for eventual cursory examination before becoming landfill. Mr Rosenbloom enlightened the audience on the publishing industry’s rejection letter system and what it all really means. The shortest version of the rejection letter in his words means “drop dead” and find a new career choice. The next higher version is not much more encouraging and the best version is a very encouraging and obscure invitation to send in a little more for review because we might just like it, but don’t get your hopes up.
Publishers earn a living bringing the writer’s work to the public masses. I’m assuming here that it is not purely a hobby for them, but a job, a job that requires profits for owners or shareholders. A job that has clients, and those clients are writers. Ann Patty mentioned that in her experience, it is often more profitable to publish a new author’s work then to publish a third or fourth work from an existing author. Taking her on her word (after all, she is one of the panel of experts), then unpublished writers attending a seminar on ‘how to get published’ would be the absolute target market for publishers. They would have to be the proverbial ‘golden goose’.
So, it beggars belief, that for an hour and a half, these three publishers focused their presentation solely on the barriers to entry into the secretive, cult-like world of mainstream publishers and why the chances of attaining the attention, let alone the affection of a fickle publisher was so infinitesimally slim as to make the lottery a sure bet by comparison.
To be told, in summary, that:
1. We often use first impressions to judge your entire manuscript without deigning to give it a proper review based on some consistent, measurable and dare I say it, accountable standard.
2. Creative writing is a talent more likely the product of the genetic lottery then a skill you could ever hope to hone to our exacting standards through hard work.
3. On average, the success rate of our dubious selections in terms of profitability in the marketplace is around 10%.
I cannot help but feel that I wasted $63.00 on a presentation by elitist, condescending literary snobs with a proudly stated track record of failure.
I wonder, should you wish to challenge the decision of a publisher, is there a regulatory body that governs them? An Ombudsman perhaps? The court of public opinion has clearly had no impact upon them or their methods.
Publisher: I, the self appointed custodian of the English language do hereby sit in judgement upon your scribbling and find them unworthy. Be gone.
Publisher’s lackey: My Lord, it would appear that the peasants are revolting!
Publisher: Well done lackey, your sentence structure was adequate and indeed, I too find the peasants rather distasteful.
Publisher’s lackey: I think I’ll just go stand over there with the peasants.
Woof!
Business Beagle
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Comment by JeffersK
It has to be said that the internet will end up shoving their little games up their own fundamental orifices, and the reading public will end up reading online, pay or free.
It's the future, whether we like it or not. So do not fret, my esteemed writer, you will be read, and with fervor, I hope!!
The world is at your feet!
Comment by alt_ed
Alted Opinion
ArtCombat
The Inner Saintdom
I work for one of the top 5 Australian magazine publishers, and have a close working relationship with Harper Collins (wonderful people), and I've a colleague who has had been published by Allen & Unwin.
It's not always the product that Publisher's turn down, but rather the packaging. If you ask them for advice, before submitting your works, you may be surprised at just how obliging some of them can be. Re-work the packaging, and see how things go!
Comment by Business Beagle
Business News
Robert Keanalley
I mean no disrespect Alt_ed to your publisher or those you know and vouch for. I also know and fully appreciate the value of a skilled editor and what they bring to a project.
I guess, beneath the sarcasm of my article, I would like to see more publishers look at a project they receive as a sculptor would view a piece of raw marble. Apply or recommend an editor with whom we can work with to polish the project for future publication, should it be worthy. As you mentioned, guidance is the key to bringing more successful writers to the marketplace.
Woof!
Beagle
Comment by Songshi Quan
Out of the blue success stories do happen, and you've got what it takes to be one