Lets Hear From The Authors (Continued)

Conventional wisdom would suggest that authors who work in publishing would be the most critical as their insider knowledge allows them to judge the editing, selling and marketing capabilities of the house releasing their book. But in fact, what we discovered when we interviewed a number of people, is that these authors are among the most contented. Instead of hearing how there were no copies in this store or that store, or the publisher wasn’t supporting the book with ads and an author tour, we heard nothing but praise.

When asked how her bookselling experience has helped her during the publishing process, Erin McHugh saw home turf advantages in addition to marketing know-how: “You mean besides putting them in the front of the store all the time? I do think you get a better idea of what type of jackets are moving a book — from color to type treatment to artwork.” She has also, however, observed the importance of balance in promoting herself as an author. “I use social media — Facebook and Twitter primarily — to promote my books and keep folks interested in my writing, but I try very hard to avoid the temptation of overpromoting myself and my books. I think it’s a real problem with a lot of writers. We’re home alone, and it’s hard not to shout our wares from the virtual rooftops all day long.”

As much as these writers understand what it’s like from the other side of the table, inevitably there will be some points of contention. “I’ve certainly offered feedback on covers and marketing, at times at odds with my publisher, and there have been battles I’ve fought and lost and others I’ve won,” said Jason Pinter. “When I sold The Mark, I told myself I was going to do all the positive things my authors had done to contribute to the publication of their works, and none of the negatives. I’d say I’ve been 71% successful.”

When asked what it is like being published by a company other than his/her employer, all the authors we talked to found their relationships with their employers to be different from that with their publishers, a separation that has allowed their employers to be supportive of their creative work. John Donatich described Yale University Press as being very encouraging of his work, though, he did not that it comes with the territory: “I work at a university who routinely reviews publication — even expects it from certain folk. I’ve also worked at places where that wasn’t so.”

For Carole DeSanti, there were some noticeable differences: “At Houghton Harcourt they seem to be a bit stricter about things like word and character limits, and in general their process felt a bit more formal than ours at Penguin. (Of course, some are Bostonians!) And yes, my employer and my colleagues have been wonderfully supportive. Since I’ve been working on this book for so long, I think they were a bit relieved, too.” David Levithan, Editorial Director of Scholastic, continues the longstanding pattern of people working in children’s publishing also writing children’s books. As the author of popular novels like Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist written with Rachel Cohn (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2006) and soon-to-be-published Every Day (Knopf Books for Young Readers, Aug 2012), David commented on a much bigger discrepancy between his employer and his publisher: “My relationship to each is completely different. Although the coffee machines at the Random House office are legendary, and cannot be replicated elsewhere.”

Because of their experience both in publishing and as authors, everyone seemed to be in agreement that self-publishing is probably not a path they would consider in the future. “Yes, it’s easier than ever to do,” commented Bronwen Hruska. “But the truth of that fact only ensures that there will be more and more ebooks out there and it will be harder and harder, as a reader, to navigate the crowded marketplace. I think going forward, readers are going to have to pay more attention to the publisher’s brand as a way to identify which books are worth their time and money.” For John Donatich, traditional publishing isn’t just a choice; it’s a lifestyle: “I want to live in a publishing town where people pick up after their dogs (copyedit), attend town meetings (sell books to bookstores) and mow their lawns (make pretty books).”

No matter what the future of publishing, these authors plan to continue to write. “I just finished my new YA novel, This Is What Happy Looks Like, which will be out next spring, and I’m hoping to start something else soon,” said Jennifer E. Smith. “It’s always a bit of a juggling act, doing both jobs, but I feel really lucky to have found two things I love this much.” Erin McHugh also echoed this sentiment; when asked if she will continue writing, she answered, “Until I drop dead. I’ve known I wanted to do this my whole life, and I ain’t stopping now.”