The 11th edition of The Australian Writer’s Marketplace is out now! Check out the fantastic foreword written for it by the wonderful Fleur McDonald, Australian bestselling author of Red Dust and Blue Skies:
Writing is a solitary occupation. We sit at the desk, with only characters for company, and tap at the keyboard. The cast of our latest project become friends and, for a time, that is all we need. Everything else fades into insignificance. What happens, when we merge from the cocoon, manuscripts ready for publication? Who do we turn to?
The Australian Writer’s Marketplace, of course!
When I first came to the world of writing, I had no idea where to start. It was only through hard research that I began to understand little of the industry. I foolishly thought that writing for me was enough – I didn’t need to talk to others, didn’t need anyone except my publishers. I was very wrong.
Luckily, I stumbled across The Australian Writer’s Marketplace and, I can tell you, it travelled many a mile with me! It sat next to me in the ute while I was shifting stock, I poured over it each night before bed, and I had it beside me when I made my first pitch to an agent. It was like my map in a world that was completely unfamiliar, and is responsible for me finding writers groups and like-minded people, as well as my publisher.
I quickly became aware of its power and have purchased one every edition since. I now proudly own five copies – and what is even more exciting is being able to point aspiring authors towards it!
One of the things I’ve learnt during the publication of my two books is that just because one publisher doesn’t want your manuscript today, doesn’t mean no one will want it tomorrow. As a writer, you need to keep this book handy, so when the rejection
letters come (which, unfortunately they will!) you can find the next publisher without having to spend too much time researching where to pitch next – with The Australian Writer’s Marketplace the information is all in the one place.
The dedicated team at Queensland Writers Centre spend many hours putting together this resource that not only includes almost every publisher in Australia, but also where to find agents, writing groups, magazine specs, advice on setting out your manuscript and many industry hints that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. I think I was incredibly lucky to have this book as my ‘best friend’ and will continue to keep it close by as my writing career continues.
Thank you to all who have had a hand in compiling this book and to all who use it, I wish you the best of luck in your writing career – using The Australian Writer’s Marketplace will help you go far!
Yesterday’s ‘Whole Shebang’ session at MWF was a full day of professional development for about 110 folks building a career in writing and publishing. Guests included publishers, agents, editors and authors who dished amazing facts and information about the Australian writing and publishing industry. I was honoured to provide a presentation too, and sat in on the whole day, absorbing the wealth of wisdom shared. Highlights? Let’s start with the publishers sessions:
Bob Sessions, the gentlemanly publisher of Penguin, gave an overview of Australian book publishing ‘at this crucial moment in its evolution’. He acknowledged the rise and rise of eBooks, but pointed out that last year in Australia, Penguin sold 7 million books compared to 500,000 eBooks – ‘we are not experiencing the end of the book, but a watershed in the history of publishing and writing’. While acknowledging the instant gratification of one-click eBook purchase, Sessions championed the pBook as a cultural artefact of enduring value: ‘our books on our shelves in our homes says something about our culture.’
Sessions shared a fascinating insight: multinational media conglomerates, which own newspapers, magazines and film studios, try to ensure that they also own a publishing house – like Murdoch with Harper Colllins – because they are hoping to mine gold: the million dollar success story that often begins with an author’s brilliant idea. ‘Some of the best ideas start in books – writers are the best ideas people.’
So for Sessions, no matter the format, a publisher is still an ‘ideas facilitator’ or a ‘cultural business person’, who must filter, tailor and fund ideas – ideas which begin with the author.
Sue Hines, Publishing Director from the Australian-owned Allen&Unwin made an impression, striding up to the lectern claiming: ‘I’m a revolutionary – bring on the future!’ Allen & Unwin now produce an eBook version of every book they publish (except pictorial rich ones, due to tech constraints). Their business model is that eBooks staff will be integrated throughout the publishing house, resourcing another process in the complex series of interlocking steps involved in publishing. She is adamant that the role of the publisher and editor will continue.
Hines sees the real challenge for publishers as how to sell into the electronic market, without the bricks’n'mortar shopfronts for customers to browse. Publishers need to develop ways to get customers’ attention online: ‘the revolution is here – now we just need to work out what the new world will look like.’
Hines’s shared an interesting observation from her international experience in publishing. Publishers tend to describe their roles in metaphors: in Australia, it used to be that publishers compared themselves to caring professions – handmaidens and midwives. When Hines asked her New York colleagues, no one used caring metaphors – instead they saw themselves as generals, quarterbacks and gamblers. But when she returned to Australia, she found it a rougher and tougher place. Australian publishers now see themselves as orchestra conducters, team players – gone are the midwives of Australian books.
Ending on a positive note, Hines stated that the ‘new world’ will give writers more chance of getting published.
Aviva Tuffield also had positive news and useful insights for Australian authors. Tuffield was hired as Fiction Acquistions Editor at Scribe in 2006 specifically to build an Australian fiction list, and has achieved incredible success. After spending the first 5 years just getting Scribe on the fiction publishing landscape, Tuffield has gone on to develop an amazing list: 3 out of 5 of Scribe’s top bestsellers last year were fiction.
Tuffield reported that Henry Rosenbloom, founder and publisher of the independent Scribe, has a philosophy of publishing ‘books that do good as well as doing well’.
Tuffield works to a broad brief of finding and publishing ‘quality fiction’. She said for her, it’s the writing that matters, especially that ‘the narrative voice is very important for a writer to find – it’s about communication with readers– a sense of audience’. Tuffield hunts for promising manuscripts via literary agents, but also scours literary journals and competitions (and not just the winners). She urged authors to get their work out there – ‘it’s both an art and a craft.’
Tuffield is also a big believer in ‘late-bloomers’: the Scribe CAL prize for over-35s closes on Sept 15. Last year, out of 530 entries, the winner was chosen – and a 72 year old woman from rural NSW achieved her lifelong dream of being published – and Scribe then chose to publish the two shortlisted winners as well. These odds are much better than those facing unsolicited manuscripts.
Tuffield concluded by emphasizing that one major strength of small publishers is the care and attention they give their authors. Small publishers have limited marketing budgets, so they rely on good reviews and word-of-mouth to drive sales – which means they will take the time and effort to work with each author on each project to make it the best possible book it can be.
All up, The Whole Shebang provided a great industry overview from the publishers presenting. Next, I’ll share the highlights from amazing presentations by Clare Forster, literary agent, and Tom Cho, author and grants write, among others.
But right now I have to head in to MWF to catch a crime panel!
Ever thought about self-publishing your book if you can’t get a publisher interested? For some writers, in some genres, self-publishing is a great option. It can get you published, give you control, and return a greater percentage of profit. For other writers, self-publishing is a deadly mirage: the perils and pitfalls of high setup costs, poor marketing and distriubtion networks, and low production quality can leave some authors in a financial and creative drought. Much has been written about self-publishing, and there will be an informative article by publishing contracts lawyer Alex Adsett in the eleventh edition of The Australian Writer’s Marketplace due out later this year. But here is an insight via Galleycat into the amount of work that goes into just one aspect of book publishing: the creation of the cover.
Orbit Books creative director Lauren Panepinto gave aspiring artists, science fiction fans, and publishing aficionados a peek into her long process of designing a book cover. This two-minute video captures every Photoshop tweek and edit on the cover design of an upcoming novel by Gail Carriger.
From covers to remixes: Ursula Le Guin discusses literary remixing at Book Cafe, drawing a distinctino between information (content) and art (object), Le Guin challenges the digital influence on concepts of ownership (and plagiarism) of literature. However, her Australian example, if it’s the one we think it is, seems to misconstrue the issue from complex identity fraud to one of pure plagiarism. Have a read and see what you think.
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So what’s happening tonight at AWMonline? Lashings of writing, that’s what! We will be joined by special guest Kate Forsyth. Kate’s first book Dragonclaw was published when she was only thirty, and was an international success straightaway. Her books have been sold to 12 different countries and she has been shortlisted for numerous awards. With a BA (Literature) and a MA (Writing) Kate has taught creative writing from primary to tertiary levels for over ten years, so it will be to write alongside Kate tonight! Join us tonight at 7.45pm AEST to chat with Kate about her craft, and her latest novel The Puzzle Ring, which has been gaining rave reviews all around the world.
By now, you would have heard the anguished cries of authors around Australia railing against the Productivity Commission’s recommendations to lift all Parallel Importation Restrictions (PIR). The Commission’s report can be summed up a few keypoints:
repeal PIR protecting Australian publishers and independent booksellers in 3 years
‘review’ the financial assistance needs of the Australian literary sector
ABS to survey industry and measure impact of changes in 5 years
In case you didn’t catch the drift there, the Commission is recommending that the currently self-sustaining Australian literary sector be forced to take taxpayer handouts, so that profits can be syphoned off to big booksellers.
Heading the media charge to spin these findings in favour of Australian readers is Dymocks CEO, Don Grover, who heads up the so-called Coalition for Cheaper Books."This will only serve to bring in a more competitive market," says Grover. Excuse me? How is a market where smaller booksellers are wiped out and fewer Australian titles available for sale more competitive? Ah, I see, he mispoke. He clearly meant to say "…a more profitable market. For me." Got it.
Bob Carr claims the report is "A win for Australian literacy". Awesome! This from the man whose political legacy has been to completely trash the infrastructure of the state of New South Wales, and now has the Australian writing and publishing industry in his sights. Good to see he is at least consistent in his strip mining approach to social equity and infrastructure, since the books available to Aussie kids will finally teach them how to pronounce "mom" and "zee" correctly. Bring on the Republic.
At Criminal Brief (The Mystery Short Story Web Log Project), The A.D.D. Detective, Leigh Lunden, observes that
Vanity publishing is like T-ball:
Everyone gets a chance at bat, gets a hit, and takes home a trophy.
But don’t expect anyone other than your mom to applaud.
Crossfire of the Vanities is a brilliant post on the benefits and pitfalls of self-publishing. When does self-publishing work, i.e. when is it an appropriate option for you to consider? And when is it simply an admission that your manuscript is "not quite ready for prime time"? Lunden scores some home-truths and home-runs on the artificially level playing field of vanity publishing.
If I had compiled a sweet social history of my family or community, if I was providing valuable trade instructions, or if I were a touring bush balladeer, then I’d be shopping around for an ethical, professional self-publishing company for sure. Otherwise, I’d bear in mind that ‘neither authors nor readers are well-served by self-published fiction’, and keep putting in the miles; editing my manuscript, attending my crit group, putting my bum on seats at writers events and festivals, and generally serving my apprentice. In honouring the craft, the patient pathway to publication is its own reward.
Speakeasy fell in lurve with Alice Pung when we read her post on Becoming a Writer at The Inc. Blot, the blog of Black Inc., independent Melbourne-based publisher of literary non-fiction, fiction and poetry. Unpolished Gem sounds a treasure indeed.
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Have you seen Inside the Shortlist? It is a guide to the CBCA’s Shortlist Information for teachers from Prep/Kinder through to senior secondary, offering a wealth of ideas for displaying, discussing, and enjoying this year’s best Australian books for young people. Purchasing a copy of this teacher resource keeps the project viable, ensuring young people in Australia continue to have access to locally produced works of art and literature.
I am now a quiet fan of e-readers. I don’t own one, or foresee myself getting one in the next 3-5 years (maybe I should before they turn into this) just cause there isn’t any great choice in the Australian market yet. Anyway this great article from Kasia over at BookSquare once again highlights the discrepancies in e-book pricing.
With the GFC and all that biz, you’d think that publishers would want people to spend money on their books, not have consumers turn against them.
In other news, as someone who volunteered for an arts organisation to get experience and the kudos of having that organisation’s name on my resume, I found this really weird. When you get your foot in the door, you don’t take it out again and run away. (Maybe he got trapped in a Kindle?)
I guess when it comes to digital publishing and ‘the future of the book’ we all just need to take a leaf out of Dave Eggers’ book and ‘calm the f*** down’. People will still love reading and the written word. No need to get all crazy about it.
But if you do feel the need to get active and save the book personally, join in the fight to save Salt Publishing. The publisher was set up after Oxford University Press closed its poetry list 10 years ago. But now they no longer have funding to operate. So they need YOU! They started a viral campaign on Facebook (as well as this). Go and buy a book now!
In amongst all that east coast rain, a big Amazon storm hit over the Easter long weeekend. In an attempt to stop potentially offensive material popping up in the top spots of search results, Amazon stripped the sales rankings from over 57,000 books within specified "adult" metadata categories, effectively making the books invisible unless searched for by exact title. Problem was, the categories extended beyond "adult" to "even vaguely possibly offensive to certain subgroups", so that the well-known children’s book Heather has Two Mommies was included, along with Lady Chatterley’s Lover and books on surviving sexual assault.
Commentary on the snafu includes: a google-bombing revenge campaign by smart bitches, a glitch as reported in the New York Times, unintentional homophobia in cumbersome corporate culture as seen by Patrick at Making Light, and Richard Nash’s (formerly of Soft Skull Press) exceptionally cogent "guilty until proven innocent" argument on why it is always the non-normative books that get caught in the glitches.
Amazon has issued an apology for, and an intention to rectify, what they have termed an "embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloging error", and aggrieved authors like Mark Probst are willing to forgive and forget. But given that this issue began at least in early February, when writer/photographer Craig Seymour documented his own Amazon-ranking wrangle, the whole #amazonfail debacle highlights the enormous control over authors, publishers, and readers that is increasingly flowing along Amazon’s corporate corridors. Brrr, makes me shiver to think of the power of that "buy" button. At least the Easter showdown has demonstrated the democratising checks and balances of life online can effectively fight the power, as bloggers and tweeters brought the issue to light.
Building an author platform for unpublished writers can be daunting. Editiorial Anonymous has some sage advice on what to include – and what to leave out – for writers without any publications to list in their bio.
For those lucky writers who do make it through the gauntlet to publication, Chris Currie, writer and bookseller, is critiquing book covers over at Furious Horses. A quality problem, sure: "Oh I know that getting published has been my lifelong dream that I have sacrificed everything to achieve, but now that I’ve managed to achieve it, I just hate the cover they’ve put on my book!" [cue teensy weensy violins]. The best advice seems to be to give your considered input as the author, and then leave it to the design-and-marketing experts to decide. But as Chris’sposts show, that doesn’t always result in a winner…
And in the wake of Bob Stein’s visit to Australia, over at Another Lost Shark Graham Nunn is asking "What is a Book". For those of us who have heard Stein speak during his Australian sojourn, the concept and reality of a book has become a series of questions and discussions rather than a simple "medium for ideas’ kinda thing. So here’s my thoughts on it:
For me, the book is an experience of ideas. It is candlelight and comfy cushions, a wild ride, a knotted rope to freedom. It is a place beyond place and time where I can find like minds. So whether it’s a tree-book or an e-book or an open-ended interplay of on-and-offline experiences, it is a book. And if I find like minds in and behind and around the story, it’s a good one.
Bob Stein got me thinking about writers as leaders of research and story-telling, rather than as owners of a finished product: ‘the book’. A community of readers is drawn around the cyber-fire to embellish and guide the tale. Wonderful! But I am left with the access and equity puzzle unsolved: who benefits from the new-look book? Will a class of interwebbed literati leave the rest of the world out in the cold?
Remember: Writing Race for subscribers tonight at AWMonline Forums 8-9pm AEST, with special guest Angela Slatter.
Call for proposals for the 2009 This Is Not Art, the Festival which showcases emerging art and new media, are now open. Of particular interest to writers are the National Young Writers Festival and Critical Animals (including students, academics, and quasi-intellectuals…).
And while we’re talking about new books … two beautiful new titles by Kate Middleton and Adam Aitken are available in Giramondo’s award-winning poetry series.
What’s in the water in Melbourne. you guys?? There’s yet another fabulous Melbourne-based indie literary magazine: stop drop and roll will launch Issue One Crash Course, on Friday 20 March at Yah Yah’s, 99 Smith Street, Fitzroy, from 8.30pm. Best promotional tagline ever: ‘A compact sucker-punch of new writing and art from Australia and overseas’. It includes a range of short fiction, poetry, and essays. Available online from their funky website.
Writing Race word count update: 11,705. As one new racer put it: "I will probably use most of what I wrote last night so the exercise paid off big time for me. I am going to try to make it a regular event on Tuesday evenings. You are all great motivators." A big thank you to Belinda Jeffrey, who was an inspiring guest racer. Belinda’s book Brown Skin Blue is due to be launched in June.
In more ‘Tales of the Past and Future’ let us travel back all the way to the year 1842 when Edgar Allan Poewrote a letter to his publishers apologising for his behavior during a trip to New York.
“Will you be so kind enough to put the best possible interpretation upon my behavior while in N-York? You must have conceived a queer idea of me – but the simple truth is that Wallace would insist upon the juleps, and I knew not what I was either doing or saying.”
As a massive fan of the Poe-ster (I used to read his books late at night as a kid and scare myself silly) I don’t know what I love more about this letter – the fact that he is apologising for becoming ‘queer’ on too many juleps or that his letter (which is basically just a submission letter and an apology for his drunken behaviour) will now sit in a library collection to be viewed as an historical document. Brilliant!).
Entering the future now and Faber & Faber is ‘pulling a radiohead’. Radiohead offered their most recent CD, In Rainbows, as a download from their site where customers could nominate what they wanted to pay. Faber & Faber plan to follow suit and release early e-book versions of upcoming titles on a ‘pay what you like’ scheme. While a scheme like this was probably not in any danger of losing considering it was done by one of the biggest bands in the world. But it’s great news for e-book readers. With the release (in the US) of Kindle 2, Sony Reader and the Apple iPhone, technology that will accommodate e-books is definitely evolving at a cracking pace. And publishers need to catch up.
Quoting Faber marketing executive, Silvia Novak, (from an article you can read in full here) "We’re wondering whether a reader’s perspective will change from the initial rush of getting something for free — or close to — to an actual enjoyment of a piece of work, and whether that would translate into wanting to pay more for that experience.”
I think this is great news, but my knowledge of digital publishing is still only about a teaspoon of the whole chocolate sundae. So I am very excited to hear about BookSquare University. Yeah for online uni!
What’s in the water in Melbourne. you guys?? There’s yet another fabulous Melbourne-based indie literary magazine: 
In more ‘Tales of the Past and Future’ let us travel back all the way to the year 1842 when 
