Is the publishing industry in freefall? Is paperback books dying? And where the heck did I put my Walkman music player?

When my son was in the 6th grade (almost 3 years ago), his class took a field trip which included a lengthy bus ride to get there. The kids were told they could bring some music to listen to on the way to entertain themselves. Of course, my son wanted to bring his music too—a CD player and ONE shiny, round disk called a CD (not sure what I’m talking about, look up “CD” or “Compact Disk” in the history section of Wikapedia).

At the moment, neither of us thought anything about it. We were a CD listening family.  At school though, he was embarrassed and I was embarrassed for him. All the other kids had these fandangled new contraptions called iPOD’s. Some even played music videos and movies. AND these iPODS held in memory a kabillion songs, not just one lousy CD by one lousy band that my son had to listen to over and over.

I watched my son carefully slip his portable CD player-like-Walkman into the inside pocket of his coat, trying to hide it so the other kids wouldn’t see how backwards and behind the times he and his family were. (Do you remember the Walkman?)

My son looked at me and mouthed the words, “I’m a nerd and it’s all your fault.”

Okay, maybe he didn’t say that, but I could feel his pain.

Three years later, our family is now the proud owners of four iPODS and two iPHONEs. KA-ZAM! We’re cool now.

So what does this, if anything, have to do with writing and publishing?

EVERYTHING.

The times are a changing.

For instance, have any of you walked into your local Barnes and Noble lately? What did you see at the front of the store? For those of you who haven’t been to Barnes and Noble in the past several months, you will be in for a shock. For those of you who have, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Where there once was loads of bookshelves and space for paper books, you will now find those shelves removed and that area replaced with tables, for both adult and for the little kiddies, in which they can touch and feel and sample the new electronic device called NOOK. Gone with the shelves. In with the electronic e-reader.

I know people balk at the idea of Kindle and Nook and such devices. Some even suggest these electronic readers will fade out. People like the tactile feel of paper books and they won’t give that up. Paper books will always be around.

Oh, really?  Where are all the music stores? Where have they gone?

The ebook is the biggest thing to hit publishing since the invention of movable type and its impact on the publishing industry has been incredible! With limited shelf space in bookstores, Barnes and Noble pushing the NOOK and Borders scrambling to climb out of bankruptcy after closing nearly half of its stores, publishing houses have to find a new way to compete.

AND because publishing houses have to find a new way to compete in the ever shifting world of digital media, everyone is feeling the pinch. For agents to succeed, they need to sell books to publishers. Once the writer receives their advance, the agent will receive their cut, roughly 15%.  The problem: publishers aren’t buying up books like they used to. They have to be very selective because the books they buy have to make money, and lots of it. If they can’t guarantee it will pull in big dollars they will pass. They can’t afford to take chances.

Then comes the downfall: agents make no money, writers are dropped, agents quit the business. Even if the publishing houses do decide to publish a book, the advances they are handing out are smaller than they ever used to be, and that is, if they are able to afford to pay advances at all.  
Just this past Tuesday, the agent I had been working with over the last ten months emailed me and said she was quitting the literary business herself. She said “it is almost impossible to sell anything these days—and will get worse as more bookstores close. The industry is in freefall.”

Just fantastic, huh? Not very optimistic.

Since this email I’ve gone slightly crazy trying to figure out what I should do and where I should go from here. I’ve been researching everything I can get my hands on, trying to figure out what step to take.

Either I start over and begin querying agents once again (I just started twitching at the thought) or I look into other options such as publishing my books myself, possibly diving into the ebook phenomenon that is exploding like mad (I just started twitching at that thought too).

Self publishing scares the bejebbies out of me. I don’t even know where to begin. I’m not a marketer. I’m not pushy (okay, maybe I’m a little pushy). But once I hit up all my family and friends to buy my book, then what? How does one succeed at self-publishing? And how do you get people to believe you are anything but a “hack writer who couldn’t make it any other way”? How do you get pass the stigma?

But going the traditional route is no guarantee either. Okay, you made it. You went through all the painful hoops to prove you’re not a “hack writer.” But did you know books by new authors are only given a 2-3 month shelf life in the bookstores and if they don’t pull in the sales, they are quickly replaced with something else that might? Publishers aren’t paying big bucks to market these books either. It’s in the author’s hands to get the word out (not much different than self-publishing). If an author doesn’t rake in the sells the publishers were hoping they would, the author may never get to publish a second or third book. A new author’s career can tank in a matter of months.

I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry.

I WILL figure out what is best for me. I’m researching like a mad woman hyped up on caffeine and zero sleep cruising the internet for answers (sadly, this is very, very true).

I love writing. I will not stop writing. I want to be buried with my laptop—just in case heaven (or hell, depending on where I’m headed) doesn’t have one. But someday, I want people to read my stuff. Writers write. Authors publish.

I want to publish, gosh dang it friggin’ heck! (I’m from Utah and that’s how we swear around here). All I know is that I’m not giving up until I am published, one way or another.

I will not quit. 99% of failure comes from quitting and I’m no quitter.

What are you going to do in these ever changing times? Which option are you pursuing (or have pursued)? Help me, I beg of you. If you have answers, please feel free to tell me what they are. Should I keep plugging away the traditional route, or dive in to the self-publishing world?

(For a really fun read, check out the YA fiction book called “Rash” by Pete Hautman. Printed in 2006, before the big takeoff of ereaders. This book is set in the future, the year 2076. I read this book with my son, same said son as above, for extra credit for history. It is hilarious. I highly recommend it. Especially the part in which the 16 year old MC discusses the feel of books in his hands—antiques his grandfather owns on a bookshelf. In the future, everyone reads on what is called Wind-O’s).

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