ESPAN

Today’s guest blogger is Treva Harte, from digital publisher Loose Id.

As the cleanup hitter (which would be scary except the previous blog articles have already hit home runs) I want to discuss viewing e-publishing with a career focused eye and add a few things to what Deidre, Angela and Raelene have already discussed.

Electronic publishing is or soon will become part of any professional romance author’s career focus for the following reasons:

–Anything in a professional writer’s contract, including distribution of e-rights, is of interest to the professional signing that contract.

–Traditional print publishing companies are now including e-books as part of their releases and are looking at how electronic publishing models can change their industry.

–Electronic publishing can create new markets for mainstream print and give authors who know that market an “in” when print publishers want authors to deliver that product.

–Romance writers, should they choose to e-publish, can make money and have a writing career.

I emphasized the last point because the benefits of e-publishing which were previously touched on – ability to take on new authors and/or risky stories, less stress, monthly paychecks, backlists, easier submissions process, shorter time to publication, possible print – are absolutely true.  But making money—either short or long term—is a consideration.

All authors invest in whatever publisher they publish a story with.  Their stories are intellectual property and the smart author does his or her best to sell that property to the right market.

All publishers invest in authors, whether the publisher pays an author an advance or a royalty check. An author focused on a career will check on how any publisher will invest in him or her before signing a contract. An accessible, attractive, professional website, an understandable submissions process, books that come out regularly and on schedule, responsible, knowledgeable editors who work closely with authors, providing advertising in many venues, offering carefully constructed legal contracts, and, of course, giving regular royalties are all signs that the company takes pride in its reputation and is going to invest time, effort and money in its authors. Before a manuscript is released the publisher should have paid for cover art, multiple rounds of edits and quite possibly advertising. (Loose Id even has an Author Development Editor to help authors before they formally submit stories to us.) After publication most e-publishers send out books for review and provide other marketing such as scheduled chats on author and reader lists. Wise publishers offer as many avenues to help their authors as they can since they are in partnership with the author to have their books succeed and to have author careers grow.

I have no desire to tell RWA how best to conduct its mission. My own mission is to continue to help run a very profitable business in a way that is best for Loose Id and our authors. It’s unlikely RWA will affect the company’s or the e-publishing industry’s growth if it ignores us, as mentioned in a previous blog.

I might suggest, however, that a thoughtful e-publishing education for those who have a writing career is important to the membership of RWA and will affect them, whether or not RWA takes on that mission.  The e-publishing industry would be happy to assist you and any other organization who chooses to meet that challenge because we want informed, aware authors in our community and the writing community as a whole. It’s part of our investment in authors. I’m sure that RWA wants to invest in having informed, aware authors as well.

- Treva Harte, publisher, Loose Id

Share on Facebook