In many ways, PW is a relic of the past (just as ”Variety”, a Hollywoodland publication that has become a shell of its former self). I certainly couldn’t keep up with the weekly print issues, especially when it seemed I’d already read so much of the content online. Of course, for every wired, connected member of the publishing establishment, we still have one who isn’t quite up-to-speed on the various new ways of communication. Especially since those ways seem to be changing daily!

Sara Nelson seemed capable of straddling the two worlds. She seemed to understand the balance between traditional and new media. Her reported replacement, Brian Kenney, of School Library Journal, might very well have the same savvy, but to lose someone who so clearly gets it shows that Reed doesn’t.

For someone like Sara Nelson, who began as a reporter, this likely offers the opportunity to try new and exciting things. For a business like Reed, it’s like throwing in the towel. In order to become relevant in the new media world, you need people who are able to connect all the moving pieces. It would have been smarter — if Reed is planning for PW to remain a going concern — to take Nelson out of the editor-in-chief role and put her in charge of a task force focused on establishing the publication as a voice of the future.

Since Reed is laying off 7% of its staff and we haven’t heard anything official from PW as of this moment, I worry about the other smart, savvy folks who might be affected by this news. I worry about the people who still utilize PW as a key news source. I don’t, however, worry about Reed. This feels like bad management trying to salvage what’s left of itself.

With eyecatching colors and a mix of social networking features — video, audio, polling, discussion, and lots and lots of words to read — the site tells its target audience to stick around, read, and chat. Not necessarily in that order.

Interestingly, the Penguin name is the least prominent aspect of the home page. You have to scroll way down the page to catch that aspect. Of course, that means you have to scroll past a whole bunch of older looking authors as well, plus a mix of pop artists to balance things out. While I like the idea of treating authors like rock stars, the seriousness of their photos seems to detract from hipness of the site.

Or maybe it’s just the bald dudes.

In fact, this may be the most difficult aspect for the site going forward, balancing the age differential between the audience and the content creators. Purists will sputter about the grand and noble art of writing and that it’s certainly not about how the author looks, but that’s a bit like trying to have it both ways. You cannot complain that kids today don’t read, try to market books to them, and then give them something that says “this is not for you.”

If I watch Mad Men long enough, I will find just right marketing maxim to make that message appropriately pithy.

Take a look at the site — Spinebreakers.co.uk — and see how well Penguin has done in erasing the multiple personality disorder that plagues most publishing sites. Oh, and have some fun. That’s what it’s there for.

It was also supposed to bolster our spirits when Monday mornings rolled around and the meeting we’d spent far too many hours preparing for was cancelled.

Suing in the entertainment industry is practically a rite of passage (“you’re nobody until you’ve been deposed”). People sue for lots of things, though we suspect today’s story may take the cake. Genesis Press, a Mississippi-based publisher is suing two of its authors, one for apparent slander and defamation, another for conspiracy to steal staff and authors. Also, because it is

…”not unusual” for a publisher to sue his own authors for complaining about royalty statements.

Is this true? Can you be sued for complaining? If this is the case, then we have a serious problem. Complaining is just one way we get through interminable days. If you take that one small pleasure away from us, we will be stuck with whining…so unattractive.

We digress. The case is quite serious. In September, Publisher’s Weekly published an article that discussed certain problems authors have with Genesis Press, specifically late or non-issued statements, late or non-issued payments, and inaccurate tax forms. All of which, by the way, are bad. Naturally, Genesis denied all allegations, citing a changeover in distribution, among other things (presumably lousy accounting records).

According to PW, 30 authors have made complaints — and more have come forward since mid-September, more than one supporting claims of non-reporting. The authors, who were not shy about their complaints, received a fair amount of press. Genesis, wanting ink time of its own, responded by suing. Pardon our cynicism, but litigation is expensive, and this feels a bit like someone is trying to quiet his critics by bankrupting them. These suits were filed in jurisdictions that all but guarantee expensive travel and the hiring of local attorneys.

One author, Miriam Pace, who lives in California (suit filed in Georgia), is being accused of stealing Genesis authors and staff to start her own publishing venture. Yeah, it’s always cost effective to relocate from Mississippi to Southern California. Kayla Perrin is being sued for making defamatory comments — that would be the complaining about royalty statements. Or, rather, complaining about royalty statements and payments that she hadn’t received.

While the Pace issue may hinge on specific clauses in author agreements (option clauses can ruin your day, let us assure you), the Perrin case will rely upon the at old litigation classic: documentation. In the second PW article, Perrin notes that she has correspondence and records to support her theory. Paper trails can indeed be your friends. That former boss we mentioned also liked to discuss the importance of good documentation — we would get quite punchy late into Friday night.

And this is today’s life lesson: document. We know that you enjoy a loving, trusting, friendly relationship with your agent and/or publisher. We know that you know that everyone has your best interest at heart and nobody wants to rip you off. Perish the thought!

We also know that, in matters of business, it is best to err on the side of professionalism rather than emotion. Statement late? Put it in writing. Miscalculations? Writing. Verbal agreements about changes to your contractual arrangements? Writing. He who writes the contract rules the deal, but if you put a change in writing and the other party doesn’t respond, then they will have a difficult time saying that wasn’t the deal.

A good agent will be your best friend when it comes to these pesky business matters. Your job, naturally, is to keep the arrangements with your agent just as professional.

Of course, if you choose to ignore our advice, well, be assured that you will one day contribute to the bustling litigation economy.

• Authors Cite Problems with Genesis Press
• Genesis Publisher Sues Writers For Millions

Technorati Tags: publishing, genesis press

At Three Rivers Press, Carrie Thornton likes books that focus on today’s culture (as long as said focus will be relevant tomorrow, see: Bob Marley example). She also like authors who come with a nice little platform, making it easy to launch the book into the cruel, cold world. There is a lot of noise in the world of publishing, and the more unique you can make yourself and your work, the easier it is to get noticed.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, good writing and strong voice matter. A lot. She makes that clear. Let’s be honest, those aspects of the job should go without saying. Unless you’re writing a throwaway celebrity-tell-all, talent is essential. But in these days of almost non-existent publicity budgets, it’s important for authors to be involved in the selling books part of their careers from moment one.

In addition to non-fiction with a pop culture bent, Thornton seeks out edgy, emotional fiction — something different, something that makes her sit up and take notice. You know how it goes: she’ll know it when she sees it. Heck, when she has time, she’s out there on the Internets looking for great talent (one can almost imagine a sea of bloggers suddenly thinking they need to write sharper, funnier posts).

One way not to catch her eye? Agents who submit sloppy proposals (yes, Virginia, agented proposals), including those that don’t fit her style. Note:

Think about what the editor’s list looks like before you submit to them — shooting in the dark never works.

• From the Editors: ‘Make Me Laugh’ – Zeroing in on humor and pop-culture books, editor Carrie Thornton of Three Rivers Press likes titles that “show just how weird everyone is.”

For the one or two of you who are unfamiliar with Soft Skull, they are a New York-based small press. They focus on publishing books that other publishers believe won’t sell. While it’s business model that won’t lead to riches for anyone involved — Nash notes that his staff survives on tiny salaries — it does allow for alternative voices to enter the market. Still, Soft Skull manages to produce a mix of non-fiction and fiction titles that make readers think. If only all publishers could have that as a goal…granted, it doesn’t always lead to big profits, but we’re feeling idealistic this morning.

Hmm, idealism is already clashing with pragmatism. After Nash discusses the way he finds authors (“get authors the same way I try to promote them, through relationships, said relationships forged in all kinds of different ways — me finding them, them finding me. Rather than break things down in given channels or structures, I find it most helpful to think of the process as an attitude, and that attitude has to be one of relentlessness. Find your world, and inhabit it, as fully as possible.”), he, as he discusses advances and other finances, then uses words that make us smile, mostly because we’re sick, sick, sick:

[Advances range from] $300-$1,000. Independent publishing is about managing cash flow. Given that the publisher absorbs that vast majority of financial risk in the entire supply chain of writer to reader (the cascade of returnable product all ends at the publisher, but not to the printer), and that the first cent a publisher sees is 120 days after the book first ships, and yet everyone else has gotten paid already. It’s just not rational for poorly capitalized independent publishers to be assuming all the financial risk.

Anything I can do to make the process one in which risk is more evenly distributed, I will do. This means of course that it’s hard to work with non-fiction writers with opportunity costs (the freelance money or magazine money forgone) since the advance is expected to offset that. By necessity I work with writers who have sources of income beyond selling books. I will note that I’ve worked with several writers who have made far more money with Soft Skull than they made with corporate publishers paying “normal” advances.

Now we send you off to read the whole interview all by yourself.

• From the Editors: Richard Nash, Soft Skull Press

Technorati Tags: soft skull press, richard nash, publishing, small presses

In today’s romance market there is a wide range of character types, plots and subgenres. Romance readers tend to read a lot, both in and out of the genre, so romance authors — and publishers — capitalize on this by providing romances that blend genres, such as romantic thrillers, Christian romance, romantic suspense, erotic romance, and women’s fiction. First and foremost, romance novels are about the emotional high of finding love. That’s still true today.

Boyd then explains that an author needs to combine voice, craft, and really good story telling to grab her attention. This is, after all, a person who reads dozens of submissions a day. Okay, maybe it’s just dozens a week. Time flies when you’re having fun. Bottom line: it’s the story that keeps her going. All that starting with a great hook stuff is lovely, but you have to back it up with something more. You’ve been warned.
And after you’ve caught Stacy Boyd’s attention? Keep it. Here’s how:

The thing an author can do at the revision stage is to actually make the changes I’ve asked for. Revising is as much a skill as writing that first draft, and it is often as difficult and as important. I never ask for changes arbitrarily. I consider myself a first reader, so if something is confusing or boring or clich&2acute;d to me, then it will be to another reader as well. So, while I don’t expect an author to incorporate all of my suggestions, I do expect them to think about the concerns I raise and figure out a way to solve the problems.

• From the Editors: Stacy Boyd, Harlequin (Note: Subscription probably required)

Technorati Tags: harlequin, silhouette, luna, bombshell, intimate moments, special edition, writing, publishing

But this isn’t about our emotional problems — today, we are excited to point you to a lovely interview with John Williams of HarperPerennial. Let us relieve your mind on one point: we are not talking about the stodgy, stuffy imprint of old (perennial being one of those words that dredges up thoughts of classic novels crammed down your adolescent throat). After a period time that Williams describes in this manner:

…many people locked themselves in rooms for many hours to draw up a plan, and they came out with a great new logo and a beautiful, more uniform design for the books, which really stand out

– the imprint re-emerged with a hipper, younger feel. Call it HarperPerennial for the Net generation. While still reprinting titles from the other members of the Harper family, Perennial publishes original paperbacks that focus on readers who walk in the worlds of both NPR and Entourage. In other words, the imprint is targeting a diverse, savvy, smart audience.

Where do you fit in (yeah, we know, you only support our fascination with this series because we give you what you really want)? Well, again, we remind you that this editor, like so many others, is seeking quality writing, great story, writerly knowledge of what the editor has acquired in the past (this is called “doing your homework”), and a foot in the door:

… we have a policy of only looking at agented material. There are exceptions, but they’re rare, and they more often happen when we reach out to a writer who happens to not have representation, rather than vice versa.

Of course, Williams also noted that

With fiction, I depend mostly on talking to agents and getting things in from them, because it seems like anyone who’s ever had a story published anywhere has an agent these days (I think that’s a good thing, by the way, but I can’t imagine being an agent and trying to get to these writers first—that should be an Olympic sport).

You want more? Go read the article, visit the blog, discover a stalking opportunity (we mean that in a healthy, non-scary sort of way).

• From the Editors: John Williams of Harper Perennial
• The Olive Reader – HarperPerennial’s Blog

Technorati Tags: writing, publishing, editors, harperperennial

According to editor Brooke Warner,

Our most barebones mission statement is that we publish books that inform a woman’s life.

Mostly this comes from the serious, non-fiction perspective. Warner doesn’t outright dismiss fiction that informs women’s lives, but, if we can read between the lines — and who’s going to stop us? — she doesn’t seem inclined in that direction. Of course, she notes that there are elements of women’s writing that has commercial appeal elsewhere. Why not focus on works that would likely get lost in the morass that is a big publishing house?

Other than the feminist focus (meaning the publisher is big enough to recognize that men have a stake in the issue), getting your foot in the door at Seal requires the same factors as any other publisher: good writing, solid proposal, you know the drill. Warner does note that

I will work with someone who I believe has potential even if their initial proposal isn’t totally right for us because I can see that they’re flexible; maybe they need a little handholding, but ultimately they seem capable, smart, and have good follow-through. The author is all-important to me. Prior to acquiring a book that’s unagented, I want to call the author to get a sense of them and make sure we have a connection, even if it’s just over the phone. I sort of have to trust my instincts on that, but within 10 minutes I know whether or not we can have a working relationship.

• From the Editors: Brooke Warner of Seal Press

Now, we think it’s fair to say that even when we were officially part of the 18-to-34 generation, we didn’t have a clue about our peers. Now that we edged (ha!) past that group, we feel our elder statesman-like viewpoint serves us well. Meaning, yeah, we’re getting a bit of disconnect from the following two statements. First:

We set out with the goal of publishing books for the 18-to-34-year-old demographic, in the hopes of reaching readers who weren’t necessarily being catered to by other imprints.

Then:

I’m really excited about the list we’re building right now. We have some amazing books coming out in the next year—Tommy Chong, Jerry Heller, Foxy Brown, Phil Gordon, Gabe Kaplan, The Rejection Collection, Mortified—all stuff you’ll be hearing a lot about in the coming months.

Gabe Kaplan? Gabe Kaplan? Was there a Gabe Kaplan renaissance and nobody told us?

Boczkowski (and we thought our last name was a typing challenge) does, to our delight, offer up the most candid comment we’ve heard from an editor in a while:

While I don’t really want to impose any limits on what kinds of proposals are sent to me, because you never know when you’ll take a shine to something, I also don’t want to have to wade through a lot of crap. Just don’t send me crap… unless, of course, it’s so crappy that it’s hilarious, and will make for an entertaining editorial meeting.

• From the Editors: Tricia Boczkowski of Simon Spotlight Entertainment

There’s an interesting mix of what’s new at Harlequin and her own personal insights. For instance she shares her experiences at the BEA as well as information on Harlequin’s On The Goâ„¢ (HOTGo) program.

Wouldn’t You Like To Know…