My one comment deals with the notion that more attention needs to be paid to the role of digital technology in the sea change that’s beginning to be felt in publishing than to the notion of publishers’ unwillingness to take risk with new voices. The stagnation of the state of American Literature is apparent to any reader who takes a moment to put a critical eye to their reading. Many “lionized” authors that make publishers the most gold, are becoming predictable, tired, and word-processor-driven storytellers. The demands of margin are clearly the first consideration with much of the “serialized” work currently mass-marketed.

Those of us who have chosen POD to put our book out before the market are soon aware that the real skills involved in selling books have little to do with your skill as a writer, with the exception of press releases. Those who have a skill in marketing, added to writing skills are formidable, indeed! But even they, at some time or another, will need the help of a professional drum-beater & deal-maker to ever see real income as a result of the agony of filling blank pages.

I have literally, reams of complimentary letters from potential agents who are not adding new fiction authors right now, to their programs, despite the promise of the work (or is that just nice boilerplate?). I have an equal stack of replies from mainstream publishers who again, compliment the work, while demurring, often adding, “we only consider projects brought to us by a literary agent” — which is I suupose, an expected reply for an unknown such as me.

What direction is left for new, novelists with no celebrity or inside connections other than POD?

http://dir.salon.com/story/books/feature/2002/02/25/slush/index.html

Dennis A. Cass

Gray Collar Crimes is a contemporary crime thriller set in the world of identity theft, bank fraud, and high finance money laundering. How does an inexperienced mortgage broker pull off the biggest white collar crime in the history of American finance and walk away? The answer is really quite simple…by accident!

I wish you luck.

This aritcle however, seemed to be an
insult to the writing world. Yes, there are people who have
misconceptions about what writing a book will do for them AND they will
not bother to pay attention to these six points. I’d like to ‘wring the
neck of this ‘wranter’ for the negative slant on writing and publishing.
It’s not that what he/she says is untrue, it’s the message to ‘give up
already’. Who thinks that whay they write is ‘crappy’?. Not I! Who
wants someone who has never seen their work to slam the door in their
faces saying, DON’T EVEN TRY? Not I! For after reading this, what
person in their ‘write’ mind would consider themselves or their stories
worthy of publication? I do! This ranter needs an attitude adjustment.
Probably been in the trenches for too long and has a cynical axe to
grind.

Most writers write because they feel they must–they believe that they
have something to say. They have something to say and no matter how much
it stinks to the rest of the world, no matter how much effort it takes
in terms of time, money, or energy, it is the expression of who they
are. The schmuks will be schmuks and they will not pay an iota of
attention to these tips. But for the majority of self-published
writers, people who this company apparently serves I say give them their own voice. Encourage and enrich them!
Who cares if everyone in the whole world wants to write books? In fact, let’s celebrate the self-expression that it represents. By the
lines I see at the bookstore when I check out, it doesn’t matter that
there are more writers in the marketplace–plenty of us are still
reading. As always the best-written, best-marketed and most importantly,
books with a message that appeals to the masses will make their way.

I sincerely hope that this type of rubbish never again makes it to the
masses of writers who turn to “Book Publisher” for advice and encouragement.