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Pride,
Prejudice, and Professionalism
I begin this issue by asking for your forbearance. This topic is
both very sensitive and difficult for me to talk about, yet I
feel it's important.
Let's begin with a few definitions:
Pride: A sense of one's own proper dignity or value; self
respect. Prejudice: An adverse judgment or opinion formed
beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts.
Professionalism: Professional status, methods, character, or
standards.
Face it, the publishing industry is a brutal place to be. Overall
book sales are dropping as society's infatuation with special
effects and passive visual entertainment drives movie revenues
ever higher. Pervasive advertising and news clips have given rise
to the modern sound-bite society. Big publishers have lost half
their market share over the last several years (The Big Five have
gone from controlling 80% of the market to 45%) and are resorting
to ever more onerous contracts in a frantic attempt to retain and
grow earnings. The National Writers Union has a great article
about this. A major bookstore chain has decided to suspend e-book
sales and is launching its own line of books to take over shelf
space once used by other publishers. The list goes on. The
challenges facing authors are enough to make one wonder if some
dark conspiracy isn't afoot.
This problem exists throughout the industry and no author or
publisher is immune.
Published by a major publisher? Thousands of copies of your book
hit store shelves nationwide and a weeks-long countdown begins
until the returns start adding up. You won't get any marketing
help and your advance certainly won't cover much publicity. How
can you possibly hope to achieve sell-through as an unknown
author? And once your first book loses money, good luck placing
the second one. New authors are unknowns. Authors whose books
lost publisher money are bad investments. To add insult to
injury, publishing contracts may include language that
essentially hold future books hostage to pay off losses incurred
by earlier titles- the publishing industry equivalent of
indentured servitude. Small presses often don't have the clout to
get their titles into stores. Their drawback is thus the opposite
of large presses. POD presses have it even worse as many
bookstores, reviewers, and author organizations see POD books as
second class citizens and their authors as unpublished rubes. If
you think the stigma against small presses is bad, just try using
a subsidy press or self-publishing your book. Is your book
published in electronic format? Heck, it isn't even a real book,
according to some folks.
No wonder some authors feel persecuted!
One need look no further than our inner cities to see the effects
of persecution on a population. Beset by prejudice, insults, and
marginalization, people will eventually turn their anger,
despair, despondency, and insecurity on themselves. And why not,
if one sees no way to beat a system that demeans them at every
turn? Sticks and stones may break bones, but hearing the same
message over and over again will sink into a person's core until,
consciously or unconsciously, s/he starts to believe in her own
inferiority. Street gangs are a prime example. Their members are
so desperate for the respect most people take for granted that
they resort to violence in a vain attempt at maintaining an air
of dignity.
And that is exactly what has happened to the publishing industry.
Some author organizations have adopted exorbitant membership
requirements that bar small, self, and electronically published
authors from joining. To them, authors who don't meet their lofty
criteria aren't even authors to begin with. Meanwhile, the
small-author groups rail against the "big boys" who don't take
them seriously and adopt prejudicial rules of their own. Some
even launch witch hunts against members who dare deviate from the
party line, which sometimes involves an air of elitism fueled by
a deep-seated sense of victimization. So who's right? More
importantly, who's wrong?
The good news is that everyone is right. Large-press authors have
climbed the pyramid of success and achieved their status thanks
to lots of backbreaking work. They deserve to harvest the fruits
of their labor and to not have jealous mobs nipping at their
ankles. Small-press authors are finding that doors are slamming
in their faces and are working hard to climb their own pyramids
only to have the big boys stepping on their hands at every move.
The bad news is that everyone is wrong. Large-press authors must
remember and remain true to their roots. And small-press authors
must acknowledge the immense efforts it takes to achieve any
modicum of success.
So how do we resolve this problem?
I believe two things need to happen. First, large-press authors
and the industry segments that cater to them must see small-press
authors as a legitimate body of artists worthy of equal status
and full professional respect and courtesy. Second, as the
underdogs, small-press authors must prove that they are indeed
worthy of that acceptance and respect. Small-press authors are
seeking equality and a level playing field. In other words, they
are fighting for the publishing industry equivalent of civil
rights. So let's look at another great civil-rights movement.
When you think about the civil rights movement of the 1960's, who
do you think of? Martin Luther King. In the face of violence, he
preached peace. In the face of hatred, he preached love. In the
face of disrespect, he preached dignity. In the face of
inhumanity, he preached super humanity. In other words, he
exhorted his followers to rise above their detractors. After
centuries of slavery, lynchings, "separate but equal" treatment,
insults, and oppression, how did he respond?
Four words: "I have a dream!" A dream that every person be judged
on the content of their character, not a mere trait.
Small presses and their authors must follow Dr. King's example.
We must write and produce the best books we know how to produce
and make them look and read every bit as well as their mainstream
brethren. We must actively promote our books to gain awareness
and build our fan bases. We must return the disdain we face with
a smile. And we must stick together. United we stand, divided we
fall. Fighting amongst ourselves accomplishes nothing. It weakens
us, both as people and as professionals struggling for acceptance
and recognition, and relegates us to the ghettos of the
publishing world.
Whether you're published in print or electronic format, in short
print runs or in POD, whether or not you paid to have your book
produced, we are all authors. We all face the same challenges,
obstacles, and opportunities. We can- and will- achieve
everything we set out to achieve and then some. We face a long
and difficult journey. But we've made it this far. We can go the
distance. We must. Otherwise, those who look down at us will be
vindicated. And I for one don't want to see that happen. Strength
of character as evidenced by pride in what we do, refusal to
succumb to prejudice, and professionalism in both our writing and
our dealings with each other are what will carry the day.
Pride: Have pride in yourself, your books, and those of your
peers. Settle for nothing less than having your books look every
bit as good as any New York title.
Edit your books until they bleed. In order to gain respect and
acceptance, you must deliver a product that beats the big boys in
as many respects as possible. Prejudice: Accept the fact that
prejudice exists and channel that energy into your pride and
professionalism. Refuse the temptation to be prejudiced against
any author because of what they write, the format they are
published in, or how big their press is. Professionalism: As
published authors, you are in business. Everything you say or do
reflects on yourself, your publisher, your peers, and every other
author, press, etc. Always maintain the highest levels of
courtesy and respect for your peers. Learn how the publishing
industry works. Learn how to promote your books.
The greater our temptation to veer from this path, the more
fervently you must stay the course. No one is perfect. To err is
human. Authors are passionate people by definition and I am no
exception.
My passions fuel my determination to succeed as an author and
entrepreneur and to see all those around me enjoy equal or
greater success. But they can also get ahead of me at times,
thereby causing or catalyzing the exact opposite of what I'm
trying to accomplish. And for that, I apologize.
Expect success. Plan for it. Then go out and make it happen. You
deserve it!
Just my 2 cents' worth!
Anthony Hernandez, creator of: Marketing Your Books: A
Holistic Approach & Getting Published: End To Beginning
& Selling Your Books: A Roadmap For Success endorsed
by Jay Conrad Levinson & Dan Poynter available from Dawnstar Books
Mr. Hernandez is a guest author for American Book Publishing.
© 2002
Anthony Hernandez *All other trademarks used by permission. All
rights reserved.
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