Monday, October 10, 2011

Let Them Eat Cake

I took today's title from a quote attributed to Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France. Supposedly, it was her response when told the peasants had no bread and were starving.  While the quote isn't real, it is endemic of the disconnect between those in power and the general public.

Over two hundred years later, leaders are making the same mistakes. Look at how the Occupy Wall Street protests are spreading across the country.

What the PTBs don't get is that the loss of one leader isn't going to stop the revolution. Nowhere was the more prevelent than Publishers Weekly's gleeful headline last Friday: 'Konrath to Take Hiatus From Telling Authors To Abandon Publishers.'

Just because Joe stops blogging for a while (and frankly, I'll be surprised if he lasts more than two weeks) doesn't mean writers will accept bad contracts and crappy deals. Not to mention, there are plenty of other bloggers like Bob Mayer, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Dean Wesley Smith, and Passive Guy who are trying to educate the writing public.  And these folks aren't going away any time soon.

Last week I talked to two friends, both whom had books with a certain publisher.  In both cases, these ladies were now self-publishing.  Apparently, their former publisher is sending out e-mails to their authors or former authors asking for submissions. At least for one publisher, it's sinking in that they do need writers.

The real question is will the publishing industry as a whole get a clue before the guillotine is sharpened.

7 comments:

  1. Publishers Weekly's gleeful headline last Friday: 'Konrath to Take Hiatus From Telling Authors To Abandon Publishers.'

    My first thought was, "You're kidding?!" but I'm sure you're not. [sigh] Yeah. See, what I got from his posts about that is that he's taking a break from blogging, not specifically from telling authors to abandon publishers. [eyeroll] And it sounds like he's lined up about a bazillion other writers who are happy to take up the slack for him, in his very popular blog, so anyone who reads him is going to be getting plenty of info on why they should abandon their publishers and how to go about doing it, while Joe's gone.

    Idiots, seriously.

    Angie

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  2. LOL Yeah, I read Joe's post as 'taking a break' too.

    I'm just tired of the backbiting and negativity on all sides of the equation. Just like in the French Revolution, neither side is a bunch of saints.

    I think what prompted Joe's withdrawal was the knock-down drag-out between him and Chuck Wendig earlier in the week. And once again, snarking started because neither side will admit that there's no one-size-fits-all career path in this crazy world of publishing.

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  3. Yes, we should all panic and run screaming into the night because Joe isn't going to blog regularly. Oh, my! How will we know what to think? To do? *LOL*

    More than anything I found the PW headline rather insulting. I mean, are indie authors really perceived as being lemmings?

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  4. I agree about the negativity...I've tried to distance myself from a lot of it and just write. The keys is a lot of books for indie writers...I'm concentrating on that! At least that's what I tell myself...it's more that the voices won't leave me be!

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  5. Yes, Joan, folks perceive ALL writers as a bunch of lemmings, or sheep as Angie pointed out a few months ago.

    Which is why my company is Angry Sheep Publishing. *grin*

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  6. You're a smart woman, Tess!

    And congratulations on releasing Eyes of Jade!

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  7. Thanks, Suzan!!! I love coming to your blog!

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