tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post7662181107911387408..comments2024-03-19T14:52:00.000-07:00Comments on Coming Down the Mountain: As I See It: Publishing Snobs and How to Ignore ThemKaren Jones Gowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11378428503220197256noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-20903918475919133312010-10-23T09:59:57.001-07:002010-10-23T09:59:57.001-07:00I agree with Pat Tillet that sometimes snobs are j...I agree with Pat Tillet that sometimes snobs are just bullies and the only reason people bully someone else is because they ultimately feel threatened by them. <br /><br />I've read some great books which have been put out by a small press (which has then gone on to garner acclaim for what it was publishing and gain a good reputation within the publishing industry). I've also read some fab self-published titles and am starting to read those only published on Kindle, and those few I've read to date, I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on reading.Kathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12719765628886270649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-65562697496368730362010-10-19T18:06:30.966-07:002010-10-19T18:06:30.966-07:00I like how you see it, Karen. :) People want to s...I like how you see it, Karen. :) People want to set up their fiefdoms wherever they go, don't they?Nicki Elsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11412032684225126973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-91560596541340418002010-10-18T07:34:52.323-07:002010-10-18T07:34:52.323-07:00As an author, publishing with a small press gives ...As an author, publishing with a small press gives me more freedom to explore genres. Signing on with an agent usually means pigeonholing one's self into a formula genre, staying with a theme your readers will expect, something the agent knows he/she can sell. I want to experiment with writing different types of stories. <br /><br />I say "real" authors write what moves them. Simple as that!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-41614914034125050192010-10-15T11:55:31.399-07:002010-10-15T11:55:31.399-07:00Amen, fellow writer/author!Amen, fellow writer/author!Margo Berendsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476308235642890474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-78171002128458862632010-10-13T09:11:47.025-07:002010-10-13T09:11:47.025-07:00Way to stand up for everyone, Karen!
It's n...Way to stand up for everyone, Karen! <br /><br />It's not nice to put people down for any reason...Everyone who aspires to be an author is on a journey and how they get to their destination is their own business...Heck, their destination is their own business. Not everyone has the same goals...<br /><br />BTW...My name is Sharon and I'm a writer. (smile)Sharon K. Mayhewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07799235347319851345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-41711740103942844112010-10-13T08:19:25.447-07:002010-10-13T08:19:25.447-07:00Tamara, Not lately. It's just my Monday rant, ...Tamara, Not lately. It's just my Monday rant, my new feature.<br /><br />Ann, just write and move forward is the best way to handle the naysayers, you are so right.Karen Jones Gowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01153821980625034810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-70274601040137475772010-10-13T06:12:20.928-07:002010-10-13T06:12:20.928-07:00Someone above said "write from the heart.&quo...Someone above said "write from the heart." I think you just have to write, period, and not worry about "snobs." Let's face it--the world really isn't fair.<br /><br />I just sent you an email (your yahoo address) about Paul Yarbrough.<br /><a href="http://ann-jen.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"><i>Ann</i></a>Ann Besthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14628616245339887301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-49755424021005633132010-10-13T05:24:06.328-07:002010-10-13T05:24:06.328-07:00hear hear. Great post. Did somebody say something ...hear hear. Great post. Did somebody say something to bring this on?Tamara Hart Heinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07562765111202443160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-47339872311703781152010-10-12T19:43:18.523-07:002010-10-12T19:43:18.523-07:00Great post! The way I see it, the snobs are making...Great post! The way I see it, the snobs are making tons of money off the writers and you're right, there is NO real logic in it. Actors get paid more than the directors and producers for their talents. So why should writers get paid so little for theirs?Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15846051579802335412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-74771948546831974222010-10-12T14:50:20.058-07:002010-10-12T14:50:20.058-07:00I think everyone knows how I feel about editing. I...I think everyone knows how I feel about editing. It is SUPER IMPORTANT, and especially when self-publishing. The publishing snobbery that bugs me the most is when people say going with a small press can hurt you, because if you don't have good sales then no one else will take you.<br /><br /> And bad sales with a big press WON'T hurt you? So the titles that big publishers put out never sell poorly? There's no real logic in the snobbery, which is what makes it snobbery. Or as Pat Tillett says, bullying.Karen Jones Gowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01153821980625034810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-58122619649837109952010-10-12T12:45:14.096-07:002010-10-12T12:45:14.096-07:00these are excellent points, Karen! And I'm alw...these are excellent points, Karen! And I'm always reading articles about self-published books that have been picked up by publishers and reformatted. Do your best and then follow your heart~ :o) <3LTMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05239077455322030275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-42559588756598786732010-10-12T12:33:47.045-07:002010-10-12T12:33:47.045-07:00I think the industry will turn around. With a new...I think the industry will turn around. With a new demand coming from e-readers, titles are bound to increase, self-pubbed or traditional. I don't know . . . I always liked finding that "secret" book in the back of the library. Self-pubbed kind of hold that feel for me. It's exciting!Amy Saiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00346366018143891761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-65130794002287932062010-10-12T11:49:15.190-07:002010-10-12T11:49:15.190-07:00Thanks for dropping by my blog today. Yes, Lemon l...Thanks for dropping by my blog today. Yes, Lemon lips, I guess must be a British term. If you check out my post for the One Shot Weds last week, it's all about a lemon lipped person.<br />http://scribbleandedit.blogspot.com/2010/10/moleskine-magic.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-71152651493866101472010-10-12T11:40:18.495-07:002010-10-12T11:40:18.495-07:00There were no rules until a bunch of people came a...There were no rules until a bunch of people came along and realised they could make a massive load of money by making rules. So they did and here we all are.<br /><br />I do what I think is best for my writing and that's it. I don't bother about anyone's idea of 'rules' or 'the right way to publish'. Life is too short.Jai Joshihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04858987106548357551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-29882472828182738552010-10-12T11:22:18.911-07:002010-10-12T11:22:18.911-07:00Self-pubbed authors can eliminate the snobbery by ...Self-pubbed authors can eliminate the snobbery by doing two things - hiring a professional editor and avoiding the subsidy presses. Those are the two biggest complaints. (And usually go hand-in-hand.) As more writers publish quality works, the stigma of self-publishing will gradually vanish.<br /><br />The publishing industry has changed a lot over the past ten years. Hang on for the next ten, as it's gonna be wild!L. Diane Wolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06425864276166334896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-3152520011236061732010-10-12T07:54:21.091-07:002010-10-12T07:54:21.091-07:00Oh, Karen-this was a FABULOUS rant! There is a ve...Oh, Karen-this was a FABULOUS rant! There is a vested interest of the industry keeping all of us buying into this. (Probably the author world ALSO has an interest, so bookstores don't disappear, BUT...) I wholeheartedly endorse the SUPPORTING of other authors. I would sure love to see some sort of 'guild' or something so that authors could give a little guidance making sure books are their best before going to the self-publishing. Because I agree--that doesn't MEAN books are bad, but a lot of bad books go that route, which is hard on the credibility of the resource.Hart Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17599570189253229318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-6309099018965116522010-10-12T07:48:33.966-07:002010-10-12T07:48:33.966-07:00Lucky you! Such a new follower and Pe-Yoww, your n...Lucky you! Such a new follower and Pe-Yoww, your name was drawn as Flashlight Follower.<br /><br />This must be exciting for you, cause I know it is for me :-)... Paigehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04702664099837224184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-355794154889439772010-10-12T07:14:57.922-07:002010-10-12T07:14:57.922-07:00I hear that self-publishing got a bad rap because ...I hear that self-publishing got a bad rap because there were people churning out crap. It's a good idea to pay for an editor to weed out our typos & "Darlings." <br />Another point I recently heard was that "Indie" music and movies have a lot of "Street Cred." Why not books? I think our time is coming!Will Burkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10158149526658590324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-68149948685513675952010-10-12T06:12:03.284-07:002010-10-12T06:12:03.284-07:00Karen,
I love this post and agree completely with...Karen,<br /><br />I love this post and agree completely with what you say. The prejudice against certain genres of writing, in particular, annoys me very much!<br /><br />As to self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, I just don't see this as an either/or any more. There are surely pros and cons to both approaches. Why should we have to choose?Simon Kewinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11537163555998763769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-25195498485833632172010-10-12T06:06:51.495-07:002010-10-12T06:06:51.495-07:00So true Karen. I met a guy at a writer's confe...So true Karen. I met a guy at a writer's conference who told me that self-publishing can help first time authors establish a platform if enough books are sold.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00501918398545296619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-66189610977815647962010-10-12T06:05:16.267-07:002010-10-12T06:05:16.267-07:00I LOVE this post, Karen. Jane Friedman has been s...I LOVE this post, Karen. Jane Friedman has been saying something similar for months. Traditional forms of publishing are not the only way to be published anymore. And the snobbery bothers me too. We don't need to look down at people because their genre is YA or faith-based or chick lit or whatever isn't considered literary by some. <br /><br />Thanks for writing this. I love the support from my fellow bloggers - especially the published ones because they can speak from experience.Theresa Milsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03477761307315565259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-88114553580793994402010-10-12T02:13:21.961-07:002010-10-12T02:13:21.961-07:00Hear, hear! *applauds*Hear, hear! *applauds*Queeniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06988379866736219329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-5338629247682829932010-10-12T01:42:27.218-07:002010-10-12T01:42:27.218-07:00A very thought provoking post. Isn't it madden...A very thought provoking post. Isn't it maddening how many people out there try to spoil people's enjoyment and enthusiasm for their art/craft? If a piece of work is good it will speak for itself however it is published etc. It's like when Bob Geldof organised Live Aid people called him Saint Bob. They are the lemon lips of society! BTW there's an award over at my blog for you, (something else the lemon lips try to diminish). ;O)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-5894056348424790232010-10-12T00:58:43.141-07:002010-10-12T00:58:43.141-07:00YES!
There is one published author who has a blog...YES!<br /><br />There is one published author who has a blog, (a few followers), who drives me bloody nuts talking about "rules" all the time. Go away and let me write.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7852800943772489474.post-48477969513044828532010-10-11T22:51:23.872-07:002010-10-11T22:51:23.872-07:00Amen!
The publishing world is changing so fast. ...Amen! <br /><br />The publishing world is changing so fast. People who are willing to try new things, use different ways to get their stories out there, will find readers, whether the snobs like it or not.Sherrie Petersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11670339498152684137noreply@blogger.com