C h a z z W r i t e s . c o m

See all my books at AllThatChazz.com.

10/02/2024 • 9:20 AM 2

What If We Changed Publishing Again?

Publishing novels is not for the weak. There are many obstacles on the path to publication. Indie publishing cut through the gatekeeping with positive and negative results. Hybrid authors straddle that divide. In the past year, many authors began selling directly. If you can drive enough traffic to your website and have high stress tolerance, you might make a go of that. The advice I’ve seen lately is to get out of your basement, get a table, and sell at book fairs, flea markets, and whatever public events your introvert ass can tolerate. Meet the people! (The horror! The horror!)

Today, I stand on a new precipice. I have questions, maybe even a good idea.

I’ve just completed a new novel. In the past, I put out several books a year, but this one had to percolate longer. I had two hips replaced with bionic implants, and that put a dent in my progress. Now that I’m mostly recovered, I’m back at the writing biz, full steam ahead and all that. This one is a thriller about vigilante justice packed with all sorts of clever ways to get back at bad people. It’s a lot of fun, heartfelt by turns, and ultimately, a heist caper with crazy twists.

So, what happens next? Typically, this:

1. I’m going to spend the next week or so listening to the manuscript for one final polish. I did a lot of editing as I went (not recommended, but it’s what I needed to do at the time). With all that faffing about back and forth, I want to make sure I’ve sanded all the puzzle pieces to make sure they fit. I typically add more jokes with every pass.

2. Then it’s off to the editor while I reach out to a graphic designer to discuss the look of the cover.

3. I have to revamp my author site. There are problems with its functionality which, frankly, I have not prioritized. Pain, physiotherapy, and surgical appointments distracted me from such trifles for quite a while.

4. Planning marketing and promotions, bien sur!

But do I have to go back to Amazon? Probably, but I do have some concerns about the Zon.

I’ve published forty books since 2010. The last one, Endemic, published at the end of 2021, was my latest pride and joy. Amazon sabotaged its launch. They wouldn’t allow me to advertise and promote it properly for months. That hurt. I got pretty depressed and hid out in my blanket fort. Eventually, Endemic won awards from the Hollywood and New York Book Festivals, a Literary Titan award, and the North Street Book Prize. That exoneration soothed me, but I still felt burned by Amazon.

At about the same time as Endemic was getting torpedoed by Amazon, a publisher reached out to me. Suitably impressed after reading This Plague of Days, they asked me to send fresh book proposals their way. After doing some research and hearing from authors they’d published, I became less excited at that prospect. The publisher didn’t seem very adept, or even interested, in what’s required to market a book. That particular publisher’s forte was more about the publishing side and less about selling in the Social Media Age.

Now I’m wondering about a different model for publishing. Don’t be afraid. Everything is unprecedented until it’s not.

I have an editor whom I adore (Gari Strawn of strawnediting.com). I have a graphic design company with a great track record. I can do marketing and promotion. I don’t love it, but I can do it. Whatever way we choose to publish, most of the marketing falls to the author, anyway. Promotional work from publishers is not an ongoing project. It’s a short burst of activity followed by a sink-or-swim mentality. The one thing traditional publishers excel at that I can’t do easily or widely is distribute to bookstores.

What if we tried something different? Instead of getting the publisher to do all the things I can do, let’s let everyone max out in their major, not muddle in their minor. I package the book: writing, editing, cover. If the publisher likes the package on a take-it-or-leave-it basis, they add it to their catalog and get their sales force selling to bookstores.

The terms of such an agreement might sound complicated, but wouldn’t be as hard as colonizing Mars or getting a politician to tell the truth. The traditional boilerplate contract would be set aside. The split and rights would be negotiated through an IP lawyer. I’m taking care of all the editorial side, so the publisher’s work and expense are greatly reduced.

I’m proposing a model for publishing books with less back and forth and endless logistics. You want it? You do what you do best and my editor and I will do what we do best. I’d get the autonomy I crave, and you get a product to sell with less investment, less risk, and at greater speed to readers. Don’t think it can’t be done? I’m not reinventing the cheese slicer. Book packagers have been around for years. This is just taking out the middleman between publishers and the artist.

What do you think?

And, hey! If you’re a savvy publisher who is not trapped in inertia, reach out to me at expartepress@gmail.com.

~ I am Robert Chazz Chute. A former newspaper journalist, I worked in trad publishing for several years before doing a bunch of other things, from healthcare to speech writing and working as a freelancer and magazine columnist. Now all I do is write crime thrillers and apocalyptic epics, read, ride my bike, and think about how much better the world could be if we got out of our own way.

To see all that’s wrong with my author site at the moment, go to AllThatChazz.com.

Filed under: publishing, Amazon, book packagers, book packaging, book proposals, books, distributing to bookstores, new models for traditional publishing, publishers, publishing, Robert Chazz Chute, self-publishing, writing

05/15/2010 • 4:13 PM 0

Your Book, Publishing Platforms and Cross-pollination

Brainstormed some ideas for a friend last night. He makes films. He’s not an author yet, but he’s in an excellent position to get published and build a media empire. I have every confidence he will be a published author soon after he decides to do it. Here’s why:
1. His films provide excellent material.
2. Book launch + world film premiere = mucho moolaaaah because one medium cross-pollinates the other!
3. He has a background in writing.
4. He’s not shy about going on the road for screenings, signings and presentations.
5. I think he could bring a distinct voice to the material.
6. He has the equipment and know-how to launch websites and a podcast to build his audience.
7. The film tie-in is very attractive to grant institutions, agents and publishers.

I went on and on about my enthusiasm for his publishing potential but it boils down to these seven points plus this:

BONUS

If you want to write a novel, you are better off writing non-fiction first. Non-fiction is more profitable (generally) and is easier to sell. If you’re selling fiction, you need the full manuscript. Do not go to an agent or editor with an idea for a book if you’re a first-time author. They need to see you have the full, complete and polished manuscript. No exceptions.

With non-fiction, you can put together a killer book proposal and synopsis and swing a deal before you officially type “Chapter 1” and begin pulling your hair out. Non-fiction is a different skill set in many ways, but after you’ve got an audience, agents, editors and publishers are much more receptive to the fiction you want to write.

I’m not saying never write fiction first. I’m saying that, in this person’s case, the road to publication will be wider and smoothly paved compared to the goat path most writers find themselves on at the beginning.

DOUBLE BONUS:

Have you got an advantage in a particular niche either through specialized knowledge or unique access? Who is your audience? Can you reach them through networking, association connections, websites, blogs, speaking engagements? Do you have expertise and the credentials to back it up? Are you comfortable speaking in front of an audience?

The potential abounds in many people I know. For instance, I know a professional woman who has a special interest and experience with bullying in the workplace. She’s connected to a community of like-minded people. She’s a non-fiction book proposal away from making her book happen.

More examples: I know an opinionated teacher who uses imaginative approaches to reach his students. Another friend is a SWAT expert who could write an antiterrorism manual (or a terrorism manual, come to think of it.) I know a couple of cops whose fascinating career experiences would make great memoirs. I’m editing a memoir for a lady now who catalogues all the tragedies, events and family foibles into a loving memoir that sees the pain through humor. A great friend of mine travels the world constantly. He’s a font of hilarious travel stories, each tale the length of a Blackberry entry. I know an expert in strategies to deal with mental illness and I’m married to an expert in learning disabilities. Another friend was a casualty of Multiple Sclerosis, overcame it and became an expert on MS and alternative health treatments. My God! There are potential books everywhere!

If you’ve got a special interest, (and who doesn’t?) start working on your platform now. Publishers expect it as part of the business plan for your book.