Tardif on Andrew Wylie, Random House and Amazon dispute

Everyone in the book world has been buzzing about the controversial move made by New York literary agent Andrew Wylie, who according to book industry expert Jerry D. Simmons "earned the nickname "the Jackal" for a reason; he doesn't mess around when it comes to his clients." Wylie recently teamed up with Amazon on an exclusive deal to have the mega book retailer sell his clients' ebooks, bypassing the regular route of finding publishers for his clients first.

Some of the controversy stems from the fact that Wylie is the agent. His job is to sell his clients' works to a publisher, and many believe he has crossed some boundaries here. Questions arise like "Isn't this a conflict of interest then?" Is it fair for him to take a publisher's cut on top of an agent percentage? Will he? How hard will he work to sell his clients' print rights if he's investing time into the ebook venue?

While I agree this is a bold move on Wylie's part, I think it's also a reflection of the monumental changes that have occurred--and WILL occur--in the book publishing industry. Authors are jumping onboard the ebook train, independently and with their publishers. And I can see why. Amazon recently reported that ebooks far outsold hardcovers. Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, reported, "Even while our hardcover sales continue to grow, the Kindle format has now overtaken the hardcover format. Amazon.com customers now purchase more Kindle books than hardcover books." Everyone wants in on the ebook craze. Can we blame them?

Authors Guild has raised some concerns over the issue. They believe publishers were largely to blame for the dispute that has risen between Random House and Andrew Wylie. Random House has stated they will not conduct business with the agent until the issue is resolved. Authors Guild is concerned also about the exclusivity agreement, stating, "That the Wylie/Odyssey agreement is reportedly exclusive raises many questions and concerns. Amazon has, time and again, wielded its clout in the industry ruthlessly, with little apparent regard for its relationships with authors or publishers or, for that matter, antitrust rules."

American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher also voiced his concern: "The issues sparked by evolving business models in the rapidly developing world of digital publishing are multifaceted and, at times, complex. However, from the perspective of independent booksellers one important reality is unchanged: Diminishing the availability of titles and narrowing the options for readers can only harm our society in the long run. That the Wylie agency has sought to distribute these works through a single retailer is bad for the book industry and bad for consumers."

Jerry D. Simmons, who has been in the publishing industry for nearly 33 years, has this to say about Wylie's decision: "Either way Amazon deserves a big place at the table for selling content in printed and digital format. However they are not the only game in town and teaming up with them exclusively is wrong. This means that any reader interested in an eBook from one of Andrew Wylie's authors must purchase a Kindle. The better choice for Mr. Wylie would have been a separate deal with Amazon, Apple and anyone else who distributed eBooks to offer those titles across the board."

I agree with Jerry, who runs a publishing company and WritersReaders. It is far better to have your books distributed through multiple retailers than to team up with just one--no matter how big that giant is. As a reader, when I want to buy books I want a choice of places to shop. I don't want to be limited to one store, one format, one experience. As an author, I want to offer my readers a variety of formats, as many as possible so that they have a choice. I would not want to be the author who has to say, "I'm sorry but you'll have to buy a Kindle to read my ebooks." I prefer to say, "You can read my ebooks on your PC, laptop, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, iPad, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Sony...etc."

In response to book industry outcry, Andrew Wylie told the New York Times, "I’m going to think about it a little bit...we take it seriously, as do the authors we represent. This area of discussion and negotiation needs to be resolved."

I think that's a good idea. Take some time and think things over before jumping into the frying pan. While being a trailblazer in a new frontier is commendable, Wylie's exclusive deal could backfire on him. It could hurt his authors' chances of ever getting published by a major publisher. It could create tension for other author/publisher relationships. Wylie's day of "the Jackal" may be over sooner than he thinks. Or he could see such huge success that other agents follow his lead. Only time will tell.

For now it's safe to say that old models in the publishing world are just that--OLD. It's time for change, no matter how scary and unpredictable that change may be. Authors, literary agents and publishers must learn to adapt unless they want to be swept under by the tide of change.

Readers, what do you think? How would you feel if your favorite author told you you'd have to buy a Kindle to be able to read his or her books?

Authors, would you want this exclusive deal? Do you think there'd be a conflict of interest and that your agent would be less inclined to push print sales to publishers? Would it hurt your chances of having your books read by publishers?

Cheryl Kaye Tardif is a bestselling author of suspense, paranormal and inspiring mystery. Her latest release, Skeletons in the Closet & Other Creepy Stories, was inspired by Stephen King short story collections, and Twilight Zone and The Hitchhiker television series. You can learn more about her at http://www.cherylktardif.com/ and http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com/

Making the Right Editing Match

Here's another great article, printed here with permission and recently featured in my good friend and publishing expert Jerry D. Simmons' newsletter, which you can subscribe to at www.writersreaders.com.

Making the Right Editing Match - By Barbara McNichol

Setting out to find the right editor for your manuscript puts you on the road to feeling confident you’ve got a good match. You want to feel comfortable that your editor understands what you’ve set out to accomplish so you can “polish” it together.

Look for a reputable editor who understands the type of book you have written. For example, if your book is business or self-help, choose an editor experienced in editing these genres. Ensure that the editor you chose has worked with both traditional and self-published books over a number of years. That person’s website should reveal that information and project a professional image. After all, you want your writing to reflect a professionalism that comes from expert editing.

To help in your search for find the right match, use this checklist of questions to prepare you for questions a good editor could ask in the qualifying process.

Checklist of Questions to Ask

Your answers to these questions give a professional editor a better understanding of your project and help you both make a match in heaven. How would you answer these?

· Who is in your book’s target audience (demographics, age group, position, industry, region, etc.)?

· What genre or market niche does your book fall in? What section would it be found in a bookstore?

· What is your expected editorial timeline (e.g., when did you promise to give it to an agent or designer, or have it ready for a conference, etc.) allowing time for your review, peer reviews, and a professional editor’s review?

· How much of your book is written? Have you finished all the content you want including front and back matter (e.g., foreword, testimonials, acknowledgments, dedication, footnotes, resource list, glossary, appendix, etc.)? If your answer is not 100%, what is missing? When would you be ready to send your complete content?

· What is the current length of your book before editing? (number of pages and/or number of words in an MS Word document)

· What is the anticipated total length, including front and back matter?

· If you want to have a foreword, have you asked someone to write it and provided a deadline for delivering it?

· How much are you expecting to spend on having your book professionally edited (excluding proofreading after the design)?

· What else do should the editor know about your expectations so he or she can do a really good job for you?

An editor who asks these types of questions shows eagerness to understand your project and set up a discussion that gives you a sense of how you’d work together.

Here’s a key question: “Is the manuscript 100% content-complete?” If you answer “yes,” you can expect a project price and an estimated timeline from an experienced editor. If it’s “no,” your manuscript is likely a candidate for a Manuscript Review. This analysis evaluates the ideas and wording to provide direction for changes you’d make before it’s deemed content-complete.

The All-Important Sample Edit

How do you start to find the right editor for your manuscript? First, ask your writer and designer friends for recommendations, check acknowledgments in books you like and contact the editor listed, and search the Internet for editors in your genre. Then request a Sample Edit of your own work—especially if more than one editor is in the running for your business.

If an editor works magic on your writing but you don’t agree with the approach or the kinds of changes made, it’s good to discuss them up front so you both can adjust. Some authors (mostly new ones) fall in love with every word and find it painful to see their prose change. That’s why discussions help a lot.

Here’s a rule of thumb when reviewing the Sample Edit: If you, the writer, can clearly see an improvement from the editor’s work, if you recognize that the words flow better and your writing has more clarity and pizzazz, that’s a green light. If you don’t agree with the changes or find yourself arguing with them, that’s an amber light. Time to talk.

Yes, locating an editor who’s the right match for you requires effort to make sure you’re comfortable with the editor’s approach. Ultimately, you want your editor to be the advocate of those you want to reach—the pro who makes it easier for your readers to connect with you and your message.

Barbara McNichol edits articles, book proposals, and manuscripts. Request a free questionnaire “Getting to the Results You Want” based on the ideas in this article via email at editor@barbaramcnichol.com or contact Barbara at 887-696-4899 (toll free). To help you perfect your writing, sign up for Word Tripper of the Week, a free ezine at http://www.barbaramcnichol.com/.

To subscribe to Jerry D. Simmons' Tips for Writers from the Publishing Insider newsletter, visit http://www.writersreaders.com/.

Want to review books for WritersReaders.com?

Do you like to read? Want some free books in exchange for writing a review?

WritersReaders.com is looking for people who love reading to review the stacks of books that are pouring in to a new book review program.

If you enjoy reading, don't mind getting a free book (or 2...or 5) and like to write reviews, then this is for you!

From the newsletter TIPS for WRITERS:

We have tons of books and not enough readers to review them...if you know someone that would love to read and review books please send them my way. It’s easy, they can pick what they want, there is no timeline, the book is free, all we need are interested readers. Your help is appreciated.

For more information, please contact Jerry D. Simmons.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
Canadian suspense author

Borders Tries About-Face on Shelves Counting on Covers to Sell, Bookseller Changes Display While Cutting Titles Stocked

*THIS ARTICLE BY JEFFREY A. TRACHTENBERG HAS BEEN EXCERPTED. It recently appeared in Jerry D. Simmons' newsletter - TIPS for WRITERS from the PUBLISHING INSIDER. It has been reprinted here with permission from Jerry D. Simmons, http://www.writersreaders.com, and the author.

Borders Group Inc. has decided you can sell a book by its cover.

In a radical move aimed at jump-starting sales, the nation's second-largest book retailer is sharply increasing the number of titles it displays on shelves with the covers face-out. Because that takes up more room than the traditional spine-out style, the new approach will require a typical Borders superstore to shrink its number of titles by 5% to 10%.

Reducing inventory goes against the grain of booksellers' efforts over the past 25 years or so. Chains like Borders and Barnes & Noble Inc., the nation's largest book retailer, became household names with superstores that stocked as many as 150,000 titles or more. The rise of Amazon made it even more important for stores to offer deep inventories.

Borders has little choice but to experiment. Competition from the Internet, videogames and other electronic devices has flattened growth in book sales in recent years.

The new display strategy is the brainchild of CEO George Jones, who says he learned when he was a buyer at Dillard's Inc. early in his career that dresses sell better when the entire garment is shown rather than hung sleeve-out. So he recently decided to test sales of books shown with the cover visible at a newly built prototype store in Ann Arbor, Mich., where the company has its headquarters. Results were so encouraging after the first two weeks -- sales of individual titles were 9% higher than at similar Borders stores -- that all of the retailer's superstores have been told to adopt the new strategy.

The retailer says customers throughout the country should be able to see the difference in displays within six weeks. While books shown face-out will still be in the overall minority, as many as three times the titles as in the past will be shelved with covers showing. Certain categories, such as books about food, cooking, travel, art and photography -- and children's books in particular -- lend themselves to the new approach.

Shoppers in the Borders store where the new face-out display was tested Borders says customers visiting its prototype store said their impression was that more books were available. Even so, its new strategy -- which at a typical superstore will mean a reduction of anywhere from 4,675 to 9,350 titles from the former total of around 93,500 -- could make Borders vulnerable to a marketing campaign from Barnes & Noble that promotes its own vast selection. The average 25,000 square-foot Barnes & Noble superstore stocks approximately 125,000 to 150,000 book titles, and the chain says it has no intention of cutting back.

The Borders push may affect small publishing houses, which can often place a debut novel in Borders because it has such a broad selection. Whether that will be more difficult in the future is unclear.

From Cheryl:

I have always bought books that are facing out, unless I've gone in for a specific title. It is always the cover that grabs me first, then the author's name, then the title and back cover or inside flap text. This is how I pick a book.

What about you? What makes you buy a book? Does it matter to you if it's facing out?

If you're an author, have you ever gone into a store and turned your books face out? :)

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, bestselling author