tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post2858434807934106998..comments2024-03-13T06:31:17.010-04:00Comments on Susan Says: The Bad, Good Old DaysSusan Gourley/Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02669793865290876168noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-19696446309289227022015-10-02T11:16:40.086-04:002015-10-02T11:16:40.086-04:00You were a clever pioneer! I like that the market...You were a clever pioneer! I like that the market has changed to let readers themselves decide what they want rather than editors at stodgy big pubs dictating what makes it to market. <br /><br />Thanks for the link to Diane's post - heading right over. Nicki Elsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11412032684225126973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-61884790443473192692015-10-02T07:38:19.035-04:002015-10-02T07:38:19.035-04:00Yes, there are still strict guidelines re romance,...Yes, there are still strict guidelines re romance, as readers are said to have certain expectations, which is probably true. Thank goodness that the publishing world is less rigid, but self-publishing is no picnic either. Self-published authors don't have access to a whole plethora of editors, marketing departments etc. How can they expect to produce a book anywhere near the quality of the Big 5? You read up to a page of acknowledgement from those who've helped bring a book into the world. We need such a team to bring a self-published book into the world. We shouldn't expect to do it all by ourselves. :-)Denise Covey https://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-3729869957726071212015-10-02T06:14:05.194-04:002015-10-02T06:14:05.194-04:00Oh the good old days weren't that good except ...Oh the good old days weren't that good except for the privileged writers who were able to crack through. Now many authors can get their stuff out there and find readers. TBMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12062603677194826834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-69234019454986340842015-10-01T21:46:40.860-04:002015-10-01T21:46:40.860-04:00I remember SASEs.I remember SASEs.The Happy Whiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13438469476168485775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-67075921998958723782015-10-01T15:43:59.351-04:002015-10-01T15:43:59.351-04:00It does pay to make your own choices. The recommen...It does pay to make your own choices. The recommended choice is not always the best.Ann Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17759967601352382204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-54845762078259765792015-10-01T14:35:41.422-04:002015-10-01T14:35:41.422-04:00Following publishing news is like following regula...Following publishing news is like following regular news: all bad, depressing, devastating. I do like reading posts on the trends though. Thanks for sharing all this.dolorahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08715849844092553699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-71612990949435685152015-10-01T08:03:07.136-04:002015-10-01T08:03:07.136-04:00I remember those days. I still have a couple of gu...I remember those days. I still have a couple of guides to literary agents which were invaluable then. Now all that info is free on line. And thank God for email queries!mshatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06308916014310536449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-19312545370885139522015-10-01T04:34:04.792-04:002015-10-01T04:34:04.792-04:00The prices for new release ebooks by the Big 5 hav...The prices for new release ebooks by the Big 5 have been insane lately. If I'm going to pay more for an ebook than for a paperback, I'll...well, I won't do that. I'll get the paperback. :D However, most of my ebooks are from indie authors, and I've got plenty of those!Shannon Lawrencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934641808195675935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-24135720778886677732015-09-30T16:22:23.762-04:002015-09-30T16:22:23.762-04:00It's not a surprise that the Big 5 are so obdu...It's not a surprise that the Big 5 are so obdurate when it comes to digital. And with those prices, it's no surprise that their e-sales have "stagnated".J E Oneilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09780097298061829471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-13517079284368974432015-09-30T12:25:52.650-04:002015-09-30T12:25:52.650-04:00Being an agented author, I pretty much adopted a n...Being an agented author, I pretty much adopted a new way of doing things. Write for the traditional market; if the big houses don't pick it up, then self publish it. It'll get published either way. :) David Powers Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10942728197352977520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-66151776283985931502015-09-30T12:07:36.190-04:002015-09-30T12:07:36.190-04:00You mean the days when we were at the mercy of the...You mean the days when we were at the mercy of the gatekeepers? Yeah, I'm so glad those are over. I sent out one query back in the day with the SASE, and I didn't even get it returned. Nothing. Ugh. I'm so glad for the publishing revolution. Crystal Collierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03912469552483168148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-80516325894502155682015-09-30T11:12:45.740-04:002015-09-30T11:12:45.740-04:00I love this because I remember doing all of that. ...I love this because I remember doing all of that. I hated doing snail mail. I'm actually still submitting to agents (luckily most accept e-queries now) for a series I would like a big house to snatch up but I love the small press that accepted me when no one else would. Chrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-43817420141159143392015-09-30T11:03:30.262-04:002015-09-30T11:03:30.262-04:00I remember the old days. I love we have so many op...I remember the old days. I love we have so many options now. If I could change one thing, I would have been braver earlier. Yet my skin was too thin. I couldn't handle rejection, and so I didn't publish anything no matter that I was always writing.Christine Rainshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08263694662585963900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-61356693466506734002015-09-30T11:02:10.889-04:002015-09-30T11:02:10.889-04:00Hi Susan - yes .. we may rue the passing of the ol...Hi Susan - yes .. we may rue the passing of the old days - but there are more options now and ways of finding those niche markets. I feel like Pat above ... I'm glad I'm where I am now - cheers HilaryHilary Melton-Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596532480645510678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-37887499639572831552015-09-30T10:11:09.719-04:002015-09-30T10:11:09.719-04:00Thankfully I never started until things changed. G...Thankfully I never started until things changed. Going through all of that would have annoyed me to no end, especially the stupid rules like kiss by such a page, etc.Pat Hatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07745293224202430152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-30905193287752186832015-09-30T08:07:52.498-04:002015-09-30T08:07:52.498-04:00I LOVE this post. What you said is exactly what I ...I LOVE this post. What you said is exactly what I found, which is why my husband and I decided to create our own publishing company to publish my books. I couldn't imagine attempting to be creative in that stifling atmosphere. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11622191037152999869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-68438578397406562662015-09-30T08:01:38.021-04:002015-09-30T08:01:38.021-04:00I remember those SASEs. I also remember going to t...I remember those SASEs. I also remember going to the library to use Literary Market Place Guide (or whatever it was called) to look up agents and magazine guidelines. And every Christmas, I asked for the Writer's Market book for that year. Wow, times have changed! Madeline Mora-Summontehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05529397293165046430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-90966903551044973132015-09-30T07:29:36.897-04:002015-09-30T07:29:36.897-04:00Thank you so much for mentioning my post.
I do re...Thank you so much for mentioning my post.<br /><br />I do remember sending off large packets and SASE to publishers and agents. I don't miss those days at all. I also remember when ebooks had to be read on the computer because there were no other options.L. Diane Wolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06425864276166334896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-6044996599051050982015-09-30T06:31:57.874-04:002015-09-30T06:31:57.874-04:00I entered into the market about the time things we...I entered into the market about the time things were changing. For which I'm grateful. I've been very happy with my small publisher and know it was the best choice for me.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-581859367210093092015-09-30T05:27:01.794-04:002015-09-30T05:27:01.794-04:00I remember those snail mail days! I hadn't rea...I remember those snail mail days! I hadn't realized the guidelines for romance submissions were so crazy-strict, though, (Yikes!) Glad the digital publisher route ended up being such a blessing for you, Susan!Heather R. Holdenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04309060285955963459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-556528429571644528.post-9764474425743552182015-09-30T05:25:20.952-04:002015-09-30T05:25:20.952-04:00I have had my three books self published so have n...I have had my three books self published so have not had any problems you have written about, but it's was interesting to know what do go on in the publishing world. Great to read,<br />Yvonne.nashvillecats2https://www.blogger.com/profile/02326956741209246895noreply@blogger.com