Publishers and agents on the panel Writing Matters event at Watchung Booksellers, Montclair, N.J., a week ago Friday--where the subject was Brave New World: Publishing a Book in 2010... and Beyond--agreed that the book business is in "a great time of transition," as Reagan Arthur, publisher of Reagan Arthur Books at Little, Brown, put it. "We're all feeling the shift dramatically."
And Aaron Talwar, publisher of Dark Coast Press, said: "The business has come a long way in 10 years. A lot has to do with technology."
The youngest person on the panel, which was adeptly moderated by Jenny Milchman, Talwar continued, "My generation wants everything now and fast, which will dictate the kinds of books that come out in the future. Readers of the future will be the people who text." Still, he sees an important role for publishers: "We take an editorial look at a book. We go through the slush pile. Being published mean you have gone through all this."
The technological changes have opened up more opportunities for writers. As Janet Reid, an agent at FinePrint Literary Management, said, "There are avenues for writers to be published that are vast compared to before, when the only alternative to established houses were vanity presses. Now there are lots of ways to be published." These changes help some hard-to-place books, she said. "Some books have limited utility to the vast market but have vast utility to narrow markets."
But the concept of being published has become fluid. "When people say they're published authors," Reid said, "I ask, 'Where?' "
One personal positive for Reid about the growth of publishing venues is that when rejecting a submission, she takes "comfort in saying no and knowing I'm not shutting down a writer's career." All in all she said she finds the changes in the industry simultaneously "terrifying and fascinating."
Literary agent Joelle Delbourgo of Joelle Delbourgo Associates illustrated how the changes have made her job so different from 15 or 20 years ago: "It's amazing that I can run a global company from a laptop in Montclair," she said. "I e-mail a co-agent in Japan, and in five minutes, I get a response. Technology allows me to bring my books into as many formats and languages as possible." And technology now allows for direct conversations between authors, readers and publishers. "It's rich but it can be exhausting sometimes."
Delbourgo suggested that new technology won't sweep everything away. Her own digitally adept 20-something son is not interested in her Kindle, and called the book "a technologically perfect thing."
And Amy Gash, senior editor at Algonquin, said there will always be a place for independent booksellers, with whom Algonquin has strong ties and who create buzz for many of the publisher's titles. "Independent bookstores are where you can meet and connect," she said. (A point illustrated by the packed panel.)
At the same time, change is occurring, sometimes in surprising ways. Reagan Arthur said she saw a big change in attitude while on vacation this summer with her extended family. Her aunt, to whom she has often sent books, had a new iPad that she loves. Arthur had been reading Innocent, Scott Turow's latest book, and when she was done, offered it to her interested aunt. Instead of taking the free book that was handed to her, her aunt pressed a few keys and bought an e-book version for her iPad.
Challenges
The battered economy and technological change have led "publishers to pull out their hair," Delbourgo said. "They're more selective. They're buying less. They're less liable to take risks." (Still, she stressed, "extraordinary books are published every day. Fantastic books get through.")
In fact, after 25 years as an editor, Delbourgo decided to become an agent, because editors' jobs came to consist mainly of going to meetings while "so much of what I loved about working with authors went to agents."
Book reviewing is going through a sea change. Reagan Arthur noted: "I feel very acutely this year the complete collapse of the review community." She cited several defunct free-standing newspaper book review sections--and the only survivor of the bunch, the New York Times Book Review. Slowly replacing that are online reviewers, who in five or 10 years will be as "vibrant" as those in the print world.
But Janet Reid confessed that she never reads the New York Times Book Review and said "readers buy books based on what their friends say." She was supportive of online reviewing, noting that now "a hundred million people across the country are talking about books."
Amy Gash agreed with a statement that there are fewer author tours paid for by publishers. More of that money is going to other ways of promoting authors, such as video trailers, websites and video chats. "Some authors do book groups via Skype," she added.
Despite the turmoil in the industry, there are some constants, particularly concerning writers who want to have their work published, for whom panelists had some practical suggestions.
Janet Reid emphasized the importance of having a "compelling voice and compelling first line" in any submission. Since her areas of interest include mystery and crime, this can mean that "if you set someone on fire on page 1 and do it well," she'll want to read more.
Amy Gash said she looked for a voice, "and it has to be original."
For her part, Joelle Delbourgo said, "If I don't like the first sentence, I won't read the second." She advised writers to work hard on their manuscripts and query letters.
Delbourgo also provided some perspective on the current state of the book world, quoting longtime editor Michael Korda, who observed that "every decade the industry believes it is the end of the book and the end of publishing. But people are still reading books."--John Mutter