The Speed of Publishing

Discussion in 'Traditional Publishing' started by BayView, Jan 14, 2019.

  1. Cephus

    Cephus Contributor Contributor

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    I don't know that they're treating writers poorly. People are sending them unsolicited manuscripts that they didn't ask for, they didn't commission, and that they now have to go through, paying labor to do so, to see if there is anything in there worth looking at. How many hundreds of books do they have in their slush piles that have to be gone through? Everyone pretends they're the only one but there are tons of people doing exactly what they're doing and everything that happens costs the publisher money. It's why self-publishing is so popular now, because there are far more people writing books than there is room for books in all the bookstores on the planet.
     
  2. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    This isn't just about unsolicited manuscripts. Yeah, the slush pile tends to be the absolute slowest, but publishers are slow even when they're responding to agents and even when they've asked for the stories to be submitted. The original tweet, the one that prompted KJ Charles to respond, said "No matter the stage, whether you're out there querying, or have an agent, or have a book contract... publishing is a game of patience and waiting."

    It's not just about the slush pile. Publishing is super-slow all the way through.
     
  3. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    They could do the honest thing and stop taking submissions. Not that I understand a good story being rejected because publishers are 'full'. Slow to respond, I understand. But an agent limited in 'space' still taking submissions, what is the point?
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2019
  4. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    expecting to be paid in the same year you do the work is hardly entitlement
     
  5. Cephus

    Cephus Contributor Contributor

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    You're not actually working for anyone, no one has even offered to pay you. You are working for free of your own accord and hoping that someone, someday, might give you money for it.
     
  6. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    so when you have a publishing deal you aren't providing a product for them to sell ?
     
  7. TWErvin2

    TWErvin2 Contributor Contributor

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    I can't speak to agents, but publishers have limited resources and budgets. If they have all of the anticipated novels out for two years (those are good novels too, supposedly). Some do close for submissions. Some have established windows for open submissions. A lot of just gone to not accepting unsolicited submissions. Then it falls on the agents to do the query/slush pile screening.

    Another thing authors attempting to break into a publishing house are up against are successful authors that have a solid track record of sales (especially if it's with that publisher), and even a growing readership.
     
  8. Cephus

    Cephus Contributor Contributor

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    If you have a publishing deal, you're not sitting in the slush pile.
     
  9. Cephus

    Cephus Contributor Contributor

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    Most publishers only have a very few slots available for non-established authors, some as low as 1-2 a year. They go through the slush pile very, very slowly because there are far more books in it than they could ever publish, even if they wanted to publish the vast majority of them, which obviously they don't. Anyone who went into writing thinking it was a quick money maker is in the wrong field.
     
  10. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    Again, though... this criticism isn't limited to the slush pile. Publishing is very, very slow at all stages. Not just slush reading.
     
  11. Cephus

    Cephus Contributor Contributor

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    Indeed it is. Publishers only have so much money, they only produce so many books per month. Even if you are accepted for publication, you will get published when they have the money and time on their schedule to do so and no sooner. That's another thing a lot of writers don't get, they don't work for the publishers, even if you have a contract. You are a freelancer. You get paid when your work makes money and not before. They don't actually owe anyone anything. Writing is not a regular job, it doesn't give you a regular paycheck, you get money when your work sells and if it doesn't sell, you don't get anything. Nor should you. Writing for a living is a choice, as I keep saying. If you've got a mortgage to pay and bills coming due, writing is not the career for you. Do something else and write on the side. It's not going to change any time soon.
     
  12. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    Have you heard the term “advance”?
     
    BayView, Tenderiser and deadrats like this.
  13. Cephus

    Cephus Contributor Contributor

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    Which pretty much doesn't exist anymore unless you are an established writer. Hardly anyone gets money up front these days.
     
  14. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    Are you telling poor people not to be writers? And yeah the advance thing. It's really not uncommon to get some sort of advance.
     
  15. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    That may or may not be true, but it doesn’t change the inaccuracy of your inaccurate statement of non-fact.
     
  16. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    yeah but it still takes months or more for the book to actually be published - also at least with the big publishers I seriously doubt that money is the limiting factor

    I know a number of established authors who say that their big 5 publishers are very slow to release 'the next book' as a matter of choice... because they (the publisher) feel that the once a year release schedule is the right marketing option
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2019
  17. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

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    It's not true.

    Most (maybe all) of the big print houses give advances. So do many of the mid-size and even some of the small presses. No advance is only common among small publishers and e-first/only publishers.
     
  18. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    I'm wondering how much if any experience you actually have because you are stating things as facts which are just basically wrong.
     
    deadrats likes this.

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