This is the third and final part of the answer I gave when I spoke to the writers’ group earlier this month in Greenville, South Carolina. I tried to keep this list of trends brief and relevant to authors of crime fiction.

Anyone who monitors the trade book publishing news will think of many more innovations, but I couldn’t ramble on when it became time for the event venue to close for the evening. Please feel free to add or comment on the changes that matter most to you.

Trend:

Increasingly, larger publishers expect authors to license publication rights worldwide in a specific language, such as English, or in multiple languages. In the past, dividing those rights and licensing them in each geographic territory into which a publisher’s business extended was common practice, and many smaller publishers continue that practice. The rationale for publishers expanding their territories is that English-language trade book markets outside the United States and the British Commonwealth, plus foreign-language markets, especially in the BRIC countries, are seen as better opportunities for growth as economic power shifts around the world.

Trend:

Now, a single publisher is able to produce and has the means to distribute a book with several editions in a variety of languages, rather than waiting for a foreign publisher to acquire a foreign translation rights license after the book has become successful in the original language. Smaller publishers, naturally, have been more agile and innovative, sometimes forming co-publishing relationships for this purpose. They’ll soon prove the economies, and then larger publishers will follow their example in-house. Listed here are a few of these early endeavors, so you can see what I’m describing:

40k

Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing

Frisch & Co. Electronic Books

Open Road Integrated Media

Stockholm Text

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Go to Part 1 of 3: Trends in traditional book publishing

Go to Part 2 of 3: Trends in traditional book publishing

Here’s Part 2 of the answer I gave to the Sisters in Crime of Upstate SC writers’ group earlier this month.

Trend:

There are increasing numbers of ebook-first imprints, designed to reduce publishers’ up-front investment in new, unproven novelists. Get used to this concept, because minimizing risk is a prudent business strategy.

Trend:

Quite a few new imprints dedicated to crime fiction, including crime novels in translation, have been launched over the past few years, as a result of the success of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy.

Have you noticed that dark, horrifying, and brutal seem to be selling well these days? Vendettas appeal to readers, who might be growing accustomed to unconventional protagonists who are more renegade than heroic.

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Go to Part 1 of 3: Trends in traditional book publishing

Go to Part 3 of 3: Trends in traditional book publishing

One of the Sisters in Crime asked, “What changes do you see coming in traditional publishing business models and contracts?” Quite a few transformations are occurring, so I’ll make the answer I gave to that question into a three-part blogpost. Most of these changes already are taking place, but they might not be noticeable to everyone just yet.

Trend:

Publishers’ fortunes are rising and falling on the basis of one megabestselling series, such as The Hunger Games trilogy, the Fifty Shades trilogy, the Millennium series trilogy, Twilight, and Harry Potter. It’s easy to see all the consumer-facing hoopla, but these series have had huge impacts on their publishers’ bottom lines in certain years.

Trend:

Businesses like clothing stores, restaurant chains, ad agencies, and health spas that have never before been involved in publishing books are starting their own publishing initiatives. It makes sense to capture all of the profit potential in a particular niche of special interest. This kind of specialization is often referred to as a vertical—in essence, a one-stop shop. Get your canoe + purchase a code to stream the movie Deliverance + sign up for whitewater sports classes + buy the paperback edition of Into the Wild all in the same store, right? Special markets, and suitable formats for books sold through them, are becoming more interesting and important.

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Go to Part 2 of 3: Trends in traditional book publishing

Go to Part 3 of 3: Trends in traditional book publishing

Two esteemed publishers who also happen to be gifted writers, Meike Ziervogel of Peirene Press and Charles Boyle of CB editions, will be present with two of their authors, Birgit Vanderbeke and Miha Mazzini. Accompanied by half a dozen additional award-winning authors from across Europe, the audience will embark on a literary journey spanning the region, from Spain to the Netherlands to Turkey, with entertaining stops along the way.

Rosie Goldsmith invites the public to “enjoy an evening of readings where the personal and the political sit side by side, shift places and remind us all of the joy and pain of being alive.”

Tickets for European Literature Night 2013 can be reserved through the online box office.

Sponsors include European Union National Institutes for Culture – London, the European Commission Representation in the UK, and the Czech Centre London. European Literature Night is produced by Speaking Volumes Live Literature Productions with the participation of Foyles bookstore.

Download program brochure (PDF)

Back when mashups were still page one—which is to say about five years ago, when I was trying to foresee the digital transformation of trade book, textbook, and scholarly publishing—the idea of an anthology mashup made sense. What was needed at that time was an online interface designed to allow any user to pull together licensed content from various sources for a one-of-a-kind anthology compiled and printed on demand. The concept was logical from the user’s standpoint. Now that ebooks are sufficiently popular, the execution should be even simpler.

Because I just read the news of yet another such publishing endeavor outside the textbook sector, it’s due time for a list here on the blog.

What should I call these anthology mashup publishers?

• AnthologyBuilder
  First to grab the perfect trade name and catch my eye was this publisher in Rantrum, Germany, offering custom anthologies in print for $14.95 plus shipping charges.
• Bindworx
  Set to launch in May 2013, this UK company, a collaboration of Eden Interactive of Chester and Trust Media Distribution of Carlisle, is an ebook-conversion service for publishers offering “whole or fragmented content” to consumers in ebook format.
• Slicebooks
  This publisher in Denver, CO, allows publishers “to slice and remix ebooks, journals, and magazine content.”
• BiblioBoard Library & Nuvique
  A platform and an application developed by the Charleston, SC, publisher that goes by the name BiblioLife, this multimedia software launches in 2013 with an eclectic assortment of public domain works.
• CAT Publishing
  In Palo Cedro, CA, this company publishes short print runs of co-authored textbooks. Its current catalogue is very limited.
• Bedford/St. Martin’s
  This texbook publisher, which is part of Macmillan, has a permissions editor on call to facilitate the creation of customized anthologies for classroom use. A minimum quantity of books is required for an order, and they’re delivered in four to eight weeks.

This is not a comprehensive list. Let it be said that many publishing companies could, and most big textbook publishers already do, offer user interfaces to make anthology mashups possible, with someone behind the scenes handling rights licensing and customer service. The products are likely to be called custom or customized anthologies or solutions. If you’ve used one, please feel free to leave a link to the company in the comments section.

Obviously, there are logical objections to sales of one-off anthologies and collections. Anthologies often include works from authors who are not well known, and they’re a beautiful, time-honored way to introduce these emerging or overlooked talents to more readers. Furthermore, the editors of anthologies receive extra attention for their efforts, even if none of their own writing is included in the books they chaperone through the publication process. If anyone can become an anthology creator, well…

Nevertheless, the web, like the world, is user oriented. In a sophisticated world of users and makers, the former will tend to outnumber the latter. Makers, perhaps because they’re often more vocal and more visible, and because they’re running the show, tend to forget that the much more numerous users are equally indispensable. The user experience will establish the reputation of the maker, good or bad.

Cheers to the makers who recognize the value of usability!

Copyright law is complex, but so are lots of laws. Bewilderment and impatience aren’t excuses for ignoring other people’s legal rights.

Not long ago, at a writers’ workshop I attended, the friendly and easygoing instructor advised the class members that there was no real need to worry about incorporating copyright-protected material without permission, because the chance of pirated matter being discovered by a rights holder was so minuscule that it ought to be a matter of pride if it happened. It would mean the project under discussion had succeeded in attracting notice beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Better to ask forgiveness than permission, in other words.

It was difficult to keep my mouth shut, and some of you will be surprised that I did. After all, rights trading is my business. But it’s not cool to contradict the teacher, so I swallowed my objections. I’m not proud, just pragmatic.

Within a few months, the workshop instructor learned from a much better authority. A portion of his own work was taken and rebranded without his authorization, and he realized that it wouldn’t be worth the expense to litigate for copyright infringement. From the standpoint of a victim, he was outraged.

Funny how wrong people can be when they believe their own convenience supersedes other people’s rights.

It was a good reminder for me as well. I don’t need to teach people anything. They’re going to learn.

Bloggers using WordPress.com click on a button labeled “Publish” to make each of their posts publicly visible. But it doesn’t take a warning on a button to prove that bloggers are de facto publishers, with all of the legal responsibilities that publishing entails. All it takes is a little common sense.

Publishers must have the rights in, or the permission to publish, what they’re publishing. Every time. Not merely when it’s convenient. I’m happy to see companies like Imgembed addressing the problem of inconvenience, because at $20 or $25 per post, blogging for pay is a losing proposition when illustrated posts are expected.

Imgembed is new, so its selection of images doesn’t yet appear to be enormous. Scroll down to The Creative Finder on the Imgembed website to browse or search for images to use.

I’m not wild about the minimum image size requirement, but I’m not sure every image has a minimum. The photograph I embedded in this post is as small as I was permitted to render it. Also, my use of the owl image through Imgembed is free of charge for up to 10,000 impressions, which means that about eight years from now, I’ll need to remember to remove it from my blog if I don’t want to buy a license. I wasn’t given any indication what a rights license might cost me at that point, if I decide I want to continue to use the photo. Surely the licensing terms will be made clearer as the Imgembed site evolves. As far as I can tell, the terms offered are fairly standard for this type of use. I am happy that the photographer was automatically credited and linked, saving me a series of time-consuming steps when posting. All in all, it’s a great concept. I hope it catches on.

My work in R&D entailed considering the perspectives of every stakeholder in the organization’s undertaking, which included more than just the people within the organization. I took the objective seriously. These days, as a literary agent, seeing the big picture relevant to book publishing comes naturally to me, which is not to say that it’s easy. It’s a very big picture.

Let me give you just a few examples of the complexity when considering stakeholders in the book business, or more specifically, in rights licensing.

For some writers, working directly with multiple literary agents is an advantage. It can be a good strategy for an individual who is the author of scholarly works, technical manuals, screenplays, adult fiction, and children’s books to be represented by a different agent specializing in each category. Specialization and expertise tend to be found together. On the other hand, there are agencies that conveniently handle several categories, and that’s not only fortunate for the agent, it can benefit the author as well. Some editors acquire manuscripts in a variety of categories and will ask questions about all of the titles an agent is handling, so an editor and agent’s initial conversation about a novel could turn into a rights license for a technical title by the same author. Those specific kinds of serendipitous connections are more likely to happen if the same agent is handling all of an author’s work.

For the sake of efficiency, it’s typical for a writer to have a primary literary agent, sometimes called a manager, who serves as an advisor in career matters, a negotiator of book deals, and a contractor with subagents (subsidiary rights agents, or co-agents) to help license dramatic rights, translation rights in foreign territories, etc.

Let’s say an author wishes to eliminate the intermediary and work directly with literary agents in each language rather than having a primary representative who engages subagents. Doing so could give the author more control. It definitely would reduce agency commission fees and keep more royalties in the author’s pocket. The flip side is the extra time it would take for the author to establish and maintain multiple agency agreements. What many writers also might fail to consider is that it’s not a good incentive to curtail each literary agent’s potential earnings while at the same time requiring the agents to interact directly with the author, a business relationship that is more labor-intensive than the role of the subagent, who might never have contact with the author.

In another scenario, an author potentially could distribute his or her individual titles within a single category among various literary agents, so that each title had a primary agent but the author had several, all working in the same language and territory. Seems like a good strategy, causing the agents to compete against each other, right? Well, maybe not. Think about it for a minute.

Many of us prefer to represent a client’s entire body of work, to the extent that we feel capable. An agent invests a great deal of effort in finding a publisher for a debut novel. Many hours are spent explaining the publishing process to an author, who might be experiencing it for the first time. It’s natural for a literary agent to hope that, if a client’s first book is successful, the second one will be an easier and more profitable deal. If each of the client’s adult novels, let’s say, has a different agent, then the agents probably won’t have quite as much motivation to work as hard as they would otherwise. The agents might even find themselves talking to the same editor at the same time, creating an awkward situation in which two of an author’s titles were in competition with each other.

The trend toward disintermediation can be a very good thing. I’m not opposed to it. Change is inevitable, and I enjoy learning new systems. Of course, part of the effects of disintermediation will be hidden, at least initially, and not all of the results will be beneficial. That’s life. I’d like to know how writers would analyze, suggest improvements in, and structure the work of a literary agent these days—that is, setting aside the fantasy of an agent for every writer. It would be nice to have that sort of feedback.

Now that I think about it, the show’s scripts are extremely tight. The ensemble cast is large, and there’s no superfluous dialogue. Scenes are brief if there’s no musical performance involved. The Nashville series scriptwriters are using compression as carefully and thoughtfully as lyricists.

Callie Khouri, who wrote the screenplay that became Thelma & Louise, is the series creator. She wrote the originating script for Nashville and is credited with three additional episodes. The other writers on the show, each with credits for two episodes so far, are Wendy Calhoun, Jason George, David Gould, David Marshall Grant, Todd Ellis Kessler, Meredith Lavender, Liz Tigelaar, and Marcie Ulin. Somehow these folks are managing a seamless narrative with surprising and fairly realistic plot twists. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when they’re at work, because I know it can’t be easy.

Sure, the videos make it look slick and fun and effortless. You can be sure that it’s not. I’m really impressed by these people, and particularly by the respect they give each other.

Images © ABC.com

Few U.S. literary agents represent poetry. I won’t add insult to injury by explaining why.

Every year, I receive queries from poets, so it can’t hurt to post the form letter I send in reply, just in case a writer somewhere is conducting online research in the hope of having a book-length collection of poetry published by a respected literary press in the U.S.

The market for books of poetry is entirely different in languages other than English and in other parts of the world, but I’m monolingual, and the poets who contact me usually write in English.

To poets who ask if I’ll consider being their agent (a form letter)

If you’re reading this form reply from Robin Mizell Ltd., chances are you haven’t seen the agency’s website, RobinMizell.com, which provides up-to-date query guidelines. I don’t represent poets. A small number of agents work with the most celebrated poets, but most poets work directly with the publishers of their work.

In many cases, in order to have a book of poetry accepted by a traditional publisher, first you must have your poems published in highly respected literary journals and poetry anthologies. I can’t stress enough the importance of submitting your work only to the best small magazines and presses. The Poets & Writers website lists literary journals and contest deadlines. I think you’ll find its online resources helpful.

If you truly wish to pursue the idea of having a literary agent, then you should look for submission or query guidelines on literary agencies’ websites before contacting them. If poetry is not listed as a category of manuscripts an agent is seeking, then that agent is not looking for new poets to represent.

Learn which literary agencies might be seeking new poets as clients by reviewing the agency listings on free networking sites like these:

QueryTracker

Agent Query

Author Advance

Association of Authors’ Representatives

Your local library also will have guidebooks such as Poet’s Market. There’s no need to purchase the book. You can borrow it from the library nearest you. Find the closest library by searching WorldCat.org.

Good luck with your endeavors.

Sincerely,

Robin

If you’re reading this blogpost and can suggest improvements or additions to this form letter, please let me know, either via email or in the comments section. Is there a reliable online resource for writers who want to learn how to find reputable publishers for their poetry?

1. Litquake’s Lit Cast, featuring presenters who’ve participated in San Francisco’s literary festival and related events, a podcast that’s also available on iTunes and Stitcher
2. Book Fight, Barrelhouse editors Mike Ingram and Tom McAllister’s lighthearted discussion of a chosen book plus questions submitted by listeners, also available on iTunes and Stitcher
3. University of Oxford Podcasts on a range of topics, which can be narrowed to those tagged ‘literature’

Care to tell me about a podcast you think I’d like? Please leave a link in the comments section and say a little something about why it’s your favorite.