Comments on: Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 26: How Publishing is Changing in the new Century

By: Howard Tayler

Howard Tayler — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:40:27 +0000

@Saluk: Barnes & Noble is still around. Borders is the one that’s gone. And while the Kindle and the Nook may have had something to do with this, managerial practices at Borders were probably the ultimate culprit. When you’re #3 in the marketplace you have to compete aggressively, and Borders didn’t do that.

Still, you’re right. We’re not prescient, but we’re trying to divine the future nonetheless. We’re STILL trying to do that.

“Short-sighted” probably isn’t the right word though. We’re all gainfully employed as creative professionals, so whatever our predictions, our business plans have served us well thus far.

There’s a great episode of the Freakonomics podcast that deals with prediction and the folly thereof. It’s worth a listen.

By: saluk

saluk — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 18:45:01 +0000

What a difference a few years has made. This podcast sounds incredibly shortsighted in 2011 Baen’s universe is gone, kindle and the nook are going strong – in fact, the nook is just about the only reason barnes and noble is gone. Borders is on the way out. People are finding that the benefit of having a single device full of content, such as a phone or a tablet, is much superior to carrying around 5 books in a big bag, and individual devices for each kind of content. What does this mean for the future of book writing and book sales? What will happen to the publishers? That 25 years from the prompt is looking more like 5 or 10.

By: Robert Grant

Robert Grant — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:57:01 +0000

My local bookstore, Blackwell’s in Charing Cross Rd, has a POD machine in the store and it’s been there for months. Has a colossal library of books on it and can print, cover and bind your chosen book in less than 10 minutes. While I love the technology and the fact that it makes previously hard-to-find books easily available, I fear that it won’t be long until the 6 floors of book store will be whittled down to a single, small space -akin to an arcade – but lined with kiosks where you just pop in, swipe your credit card and leave with your book. This will inevitably lead to the death of ‘browsing’ which will be a sad day indeed for book lovers.

By: Jerm

Jerm — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:53:46 +0000

Wow, I must say that Nancy Fulda has a very lovely voice
It was a joy to listen to

Just one question: what kind of microphone is used to record these podcasts, as I have the impression that the soundquality could be better (no offence intended)

By: Clare K. R. Miller

Clare K. R. Miller — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:38:51 +0000

I've just now listened to this podcast and had an immediate answer to the question about making money like webcartoonists do, but with fiction. Well, so far only one person that I know of has done it, but she has: Alexandra Erin makes a living from her various online serial novels (the main one being Tales of MU), through sales of print books, other merchandise, advertising, and possibly most importantly, straight donations. Tales of MU is a story that could never have been published by traditional publishers, even if AE didn't have a strong distrust of them. It's weird and eccentric, it's got lots of kinky sex, and it would probably be a very different story if it were written in book-length installments and revised as wholes, rather than being written and released a chapter (a few thousand words) at a time. Like I said, Alexandra Erin is making a living, and a number of others are succeeding to varying degrees at making money. I think the second most notable example is MeiLin Miranda. I also have an online serial novel and I make a dollar or two a week in ad revenues. It is possible. It's hard--harder than webcomics, I suspect, because, like someone else here said, it doesn't have the immediacy of art. For more online fiction--some of which is written in hopes of making a profit, some of which is not--check out Web Fiction Guide or its simplified, streamlined companion, Novels Online.

By: Eliyanna

Eliyanna — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:26:11 +0000

I think the best way to give away fiction for free to build an audience is the episodic audio podcast format. I don’t really have the patience to try out a new author reading their stuff online, but I find it easy to download a podcast to listen to while I’m buying groceries or something. A few authors (Mur Lafferty, Scott Sigler) have made me their fans this way.

As an aside, I read I Am Not A Serial Killer over Passover and loved it. I was amazed at how convincingly Dan got into the head of a tween sociopath. I noticed in the Acknowledgments the line: “To all of you let me please reiterate that this book is not autobiographical.”

Hm. Methinks the lady….

By: Jeff Baerveldt

Jeff Baerveldt — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:46:07 +0000

Oops … there’s a typo in the last line. It should say — “I CAN only read on a screen for so long.”

By: Jeff Baerveldt

Jeff Baerveldt — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:44:55 +0000

I think offering fiction for free works only if you’re an established writer. Whenever I see an unpublished writer putting up his fiction for me, my first thought is that this person thinks he’s gonna be the next Scalzi.

However, I’m more likely to read “free” fiction by a professional writer. As Howard said on the podcast (I think it was Howard), if I like what I read, I’ll probably end up buying the novel. I can’t only read on a screen for so long.

By: Jon W.

Jon W. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:43:23 +0000

Interesting podcast, as usual. In the discussion of giving it away for free, I am a little surprised that podcast novels/writing (podiobooks) didn’t come up. I’ve listened to several dozen different podiobooks which are given away free in small weekly portions. (Though I tend to wait till it is all released before listening). I love audiobooks in general, and many authors use podcasting to turn their stories more into audiodramas with multiple actors, sound effects, and music. I’ve generally been impressed with the quality of the storytelling and the listening experience as a whole, and there are several of the unpublished authors I eagerly await to find a publisher so that I can buy their books out of appreciation for their work and to support them.

Many of these authors seem to have been able to get published in no small part through the publicity of sharing their work in the podisphere. Brandon / Dan, as the novel writers of the group, what are your thoughts on podiobooks as a means of getting your name and product out there? Is this something you would or could do?

By: Colter Hawksteter

Colter Hawksteter — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:28:39 +0000

Very good stuff to know. I’ve been pondering the possibilities surrounding free fiction, so it was good to hear the stuff in this podcast.

As always, I’m still a fan of 20 minutes =) .