And check out Stephen Roxburgh's new venture, Namelos. A fascinating approach to launching new authors and streamlining the publisher's experience. What do you think? Do you think that children's publishing will take a different direction than adult publishing? What does this cultural and technological (not to mention economic) shift mean for writers and readers? Are you ready for what's coming next?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
More about the Future of Publishing.
Back in December, I blogged about the gloom and doom that seemed to be stalking many of my writer and illustrator friends. I said that publishing is not dying, but it is evolving—and I still believe that. Check out this article in TIME and see what Lev Grossman had to say about the matter today. I would love to hear your comments/predictions.
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ReplyDeleteStill forming my opinion on Namelos. I recently paid to have my manuscript critiqued by a professional editor at a mentoring workshop, so why not via Namelos, who will also help place the project? Although I realize they don't make any guarantees. Hard to understand how much cost an author might incur with their services, however. Unpublished authors aren't known for their deep pockets.
I wonder what kind of effect this will have on the publishing houses. Will the slush piles get smaller or will they grow? Hmmm...
Interesting things to think about, thanks, Mary Ann!
Great questions, Tara. I'm really eager to see how this new venture evolves. I definitely could not afford to do something like that, but then again, how much do we spend on conferences? I guess it would depend on what your primary goal for a conference is. Is it networking, getting face time with editors? Is it learning the craft? For me it's both. So would I choose to spend my money on the kind of service Namelos provides instead of attending conferences? I honestly don't know.
ReplyDeleteAgain, it would probably depend upon where I saw myself in the process. Am I really ready to get to that point? Most of us want to believe we are ready as soon as that first manuscript is hot off the printer. ...not usually the case, though. I've learned a lot over the years.
I'm not sure what to think. I'm sure as it gets more difficult to get a book accepted at publishing houses, companies like Namelos will gain popularity. Would I shell out the money for one of their in-depth critiques? Not at the moment, but maybe in the future.
ReplyDeleteMy reasons for attending conferences are: opportunities to submit to otherwise closed houses, face time with an editor, networking with other writers, learning more about the craft, and inspiration to continue doing what I do.
I might shell out the $200 if it was a full length manuscript, but...it's 40 pages, and that seems an awful lot for 40 pages.
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