Dear Litopians,
This is probably the longest letter I’ve ever sent you, and I’m sure your inbox is already groaning under New Year bloat, but – do read to the end since it covers quite a few important topics. Added incentive – there’s a special offer below, too
This letter is partly about what you can expect from Litopia this year. However, I can’t really do that without referring to the wider publishing industry context, so I’m dusting off my crystal ball too.
Bigger & Better: Pop-Up Submissions
Will go from strength to strength. At the end of last year we opened up a Publishers’ Portal for editors to review winning submissions and make comments and offers. Britain’s National Film and Television School, whose alumni include the cream of today’s leading film and TV directors, are making a promotional video for us as part of their Diploma students’ final year project. The format of Pop-Ups will develop in interesting new ways this year: but the Genius Room – which includes all Litopians – will continue to be the beating heart and soul of what we do. So don’t miss a show! We’re back this Sunday, 8th January at 5pm UK / 12 noon EST.
Free This Saturday: Huddle Open House
For the whole long, dreary experience of lockdown, Litopia’s Huddle was open to all members, Full or Basic (i.e. free). This Saturday, we’re once again opening up to everyone, which will give you a perfect opportunity to see what the heck goes on in there and why so many people consider it to be a vital part of their writing life. A reminder: if you do join us – and I hope you will – you’ll be subject to strict confidentiality. What happens inside the Huddle stays in the Huddle, no exceptions. You can’t quote anyone’s words outside of the Huddle… that’s how we create a safe environment for writers and their words. Register here if you’d like to join us this Saturday 7th January, from 4:30pm onwards.
Topic: What Shall We Do About The Mid-List?
I’m using the term “mid-list” to refer to anything that’s conventionally published that isn’t “lead title”. To be pedantic, “mid-list” actually has a rather narrower definition, but let’s not get bogged down by semantics. Here’s my point. It’s one of publishing’s dirty-but-open secrets that the lion’s share of publishing resources are lavished on a minority of lead title books. Everything else on a typical publisher's list – probably the other 80% or so – will only receive cursory attention and little in the way of marketing support.
For most first-time authors, this doesn't initially appear to be such a big deal. After all, it’s flattering to be published by a “name” publisher, isn’t it? It validates you as an author.
But that’s short-term thinking. As the years and manuscripts roll by, most mid-list authors will never rise to the ranks of lead title status. They stagnate, with sales never reaching the threshold that allows them to live on their earnings. The resentment builds.
This is an enormous challenge for us in the traditional publishing industry. If we don’t do better for the mid-list author, then we really will only have ourselves to blame if authors slowly realize that self-publishing is a better option, and the mid-list gradually atrophies.
There is no quick-fix solution to this issue, but it’s a conversation we really need to have – and we will.
Memo To Everyone: Yes, You Should Develop Self-Publishing Skills
For a while now, Litopia has been “agnostic” in terms of its position re traditional publishing or self-publishing. It all depends on a wide range of factors and considerations. What suits Jane may not suit John.
Realistically, successful self-publishing is hard. Don’t be misled by the slew of “easy money” self-pub courses and aggressively-marketed online products that are cluttering the landscape. As your own publisher, you will face exactly the same range of challenges that traditional publishers do – usually without the skills or resources they have.
However, my own view is that every author needs to learn the basic skills of self-publishing, even if you only ever intend to go the traditional publishing route. It will make you a better, more-informed author. Over the course of this year, you will see Litopia start to give you the tools to do so. It’s going to be an exciting journey for us all!
Keynote For The Year: Portable Contracts – The Time Has Come
So here’s another murky secret that the traditional publishing industry needs to confront before it bites us all in the bum. Years ago, when publishing was analogue and the most radical threat we ever faced was the advent of the paperback book, author contracts existed for the duration of copyright (70 years after the author’s death in the UK) and that was fine and dandy.
Today, it’s not so fine. Imagine you’re an author with a few books under your belt, but poorly published (see mid-list above) with a lacklustre agent. What are you going to do about it – indeed, what can you do? Well, unless the publisher and/or agent are generous enough to remove themselves from your contracts (i.e. to revert) then… absolutely nothing. You are utterly stymied. Your books are dying of neglect, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
I’ve seen too many authors in this situation, and it’s tragic. The answer, I believe, is to bring in something I’m going to call “portable contracts”. Contracts that permit you to move publishers, or agents, after a specified period of time, or subject to certain conditions of performance.
Yes, this may hurt those publishers or agents (usually the more sclerotic operations) who make a substantial passive income simply by sitting on top of publishing contracts and doing little in return. Well… too bad.
Giving authors the right to move their contracts to more dynamic agents or publishers will greatly stimulate the market. As far as agents are concerned, it will encourage new growth and new talent. Older literary agencies make most of their income passively: from sitting on contracts that are often many decades old. Too often, success as a literary agency simply represents the amount of time you (or often your parents or grand-parents) have stuck around in the business. It says little about how good you are at looking after your authors. Let’s shake this up a bit – the entire industry can only benefit.
I’ll be taking every possible opportunity to float this idea during the course of the year. If you agree with me, please do the same. Meanwhile, if you possibly can, avoid signing a contract that involves giving away your rights for the term of your work’s copyright.
Opportunity: Why Audiobooks Must Go Streaming
I don’t entirely like what I’m going to write here... but (a) it’s clearly inevitable and (b) if we’re clever we can use it to our own advantage. If you’ve ever gotten into audiobooks as a consumer, you'll relate to what I’m going to say: audiobooks ought to be on every streaming platform just like music.
Ouch. That’s going to decimate one of the few robustly-remaining sources of authorial income, right? Well, yes. It will roughly do to authors’ income what the likes of Spotify did to musicians. Which is not pretty. So why should I be arguing in favour of this?
Well from the consumer’s point of view, the argument is unassailable. When you really get into audiobooks, they become part of your daily life. Buying them one-off makes no sense at all. You want a book at bedtime, every bedtime… but you don’t want to pay twenty bucks for each one! Neither do you want a mere one book per month for a $14.95 subscription. What you want is access to everything – for an affordable monthly subscription.
Amazon’s Audible operation is clearly moving in this direction in any case, which I think testifies to its inevitability. The world is moving this way, so for once let’s get in front of the curve.
Where I think this year’s opportunity lies is in genre-specific markets. Just as some of the biggest bestselling books of recent years have arisen from the humble ranks of genre-based fan fiction, so too can consumers’ unquenchable demand for audiobooks be leveraged to break out brand new authors… within their own genres. Whether fan-driven or publisher-driven, there is clearly an opportunity to feed consumer demand for genre-specific audiobooks… either simply as a way to launch a new author, or as a way to transform listenership from the low hundreds into five or six figures… or more. We know from our industry’s e-book experience that consumer demand is highly sensitive to price. Make them an offer they can’t refuse, for all the genre audiobooks they can eat, and watch the numbers explode. Who will do this first? I’d like to think that maybe one of the more progressive publishers will… or maybe a collaboration of genre authors. The opportunity is there for the plucking.
Gratitude: Use This Coupon Now!
I don’t have to tell you that this is going to be a very challenging year for a very large number of people. Litopia’s Basic membership is free, and offers a huge amount of support and facilities for writers who are under financial pressure. For those who can afford our modest yearly Full Membership, you’ll find that the sheer value we offer this year will simply grow and grow.
As you know, Litopia’s ethos is one of self-help. Which is why we encourage members to gift a Full Member Upgrade to any member who may not be in a position to afford it for themselves.
Try it! You'll get a warm glow of satisfaction And you can do it anonymously, too.
Use this coupon code to get a 25% discount on a Gift Upgrade:
Gift Upgrades give six months of Full Membership to your recipient and do not renew – it’s not a recurring subscription. There are two ways to do it…
Go to any post they’ve made and simply click on their name. This will show a pop-up box. Then click on “GIFT UPGRADE” and follow the instructions. Check the “Gift Anonymously” box if you so choose, and complete the payment process.
Or, you can go to the Account Upgrade Control panel. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and where it says “Gift Upgrade” enter the member’s name. Click “Proceed” and follow the instructions.
To watch a how-to video click here. This offer expires on 21st January so do it now!
And Finally…
This is such an exciting time to be a writer. The future is challenging… even a little bit scary… but bristling with opportunity and potential. Let’s take this journey together
Peter
This is probably the longest letter I’ve ever sent you, and I’m sure your inbox is already groaning under New Year bloat, but – do read to the end since it covers quite a few important topics. Added incentive – there’s a special offer below, too
This letter is partly about what you can expect from Litopia this year. However, I can’t really do that without referring to the wider publishing industry context, so I’m dusting off my crystal ball too.
Bigger & Better: Pop-Up Submissions
Will go from strength to strength. At the end of last year we opened up a Publishers’ Portal for editors to review winning submissions and make comments and offers. Britain’s National Film and Television School, whose alumni include the cream of today’s leading film and TV directors, are making a promotional video for us as part of their Diploma students’ final year project. The format of Pop-Ups will develop in interesting new ways this year: but the Genius Room – which includes all Litopians – will continue to be the beating heart and soul of what we do. So don’t miss a show! We’re back this Sunday, 8th January at 5pm UK / 12 noon EST.
Free This Saturday: Huddle Open House
For the whole long, dreary experience of lockdown, Litopia’s Huddle was open to all members, Full or Basic (i.e. free). This Saturday, we’re once again opening up to everyone, which will give you a perfect opportunity to see what the heck goes on in there and why so many people consider it to be a vital part of their writing life. A reminder: if you do join us – and I hope you will – you’ll be subject to strict confidentiality. What happens inside the Huddle stays in the Huddle, no exceptions. You can’t quote anyone’s words outside of the Huddle… that’s how we create a safe environment for writers and their words. Register here if you’d like to join us this Saturday 7th January, from 4:30pm onwards.
Topic: What Shall We Do About The Mid-List?
I’m using the term “mid-list” to refer to anything that’s conventionally published that isn’t “lead title”. To be pedantic, “mid-list” actually has a rather narrower definition, but let’s not get bogged down by semantics. Here’s my point. It’s one of publishing’s dirty-but-open secrets that the lion’s share of publishing resources are lavished on a minority of lead title books. Everything else on a typical publisher's list – probably the other 80% or so – will only receive cursory attention and little in the way of marketing support.
For most first-time authors, this doesn't initially appear to be such a big deal. After all, it’s flattering to be published by a “name” publisher, isn’t it? It validates you as an author.
But that’s short-term thinking. As the years and manuscripts roll by, most mid-list authors will never rise to the ranks of lead title status. They stagnate, with sales never reaching the threshold that allows them to live on their earnings. The resentment builds.
This is an enormous challenge for us in the traditional publishing industry. If we don’t do better for the mid-list author, then we really will only have ourselves to blame if authors slowly realize that self-publishing is a better option, and the mid-list gradually atrophies.
There is no quick-fix solution to this issue, but it’s a conversation we really need to have – and we will.
Memo To Everyone: Yes, You Should Develop Self-Publishing Skills
For a while now, Litopia has been “agnostic” in terms of its position re traditional publishing or self-publishing. It all depends on a wide range of factors and considerations. What suits Jane may not suit John.
Realistically, successful self-publishing is hard. Don’t be misled by the slew of “easy money” self-pub courses and aggressively-marketed online products that are cluttering the landscape. As your own publisher, you will face exactly the same range of challenges that traditional publishers do – usually without the skills or resources they have.
However, my own view is that every author needs to learn the basic skills of self-publishing, even if you only ever intend to go the traditional publishing route. It will make you a better, more-informed author. Over the course of this year, you will see Litopia start to give you the tools to do so. It’s going to be an exciting journey for us all!
Keynote For The Year: Portable Contracts – The Time Has Come
So here’s another murky secret that the traditional publishing industry needs to confront before it bites us all in the bum. Years ago, when publishing was analogue and the most radical threat we ever faced was the advent of the paperback book, author contracts existed for the duration of copyright (70 years after the author’s death in the UK) and that was fine and dandy.
Today, it’s not so fine. Imagine you’re an author with a few books under your belt, but poorly published (see mid-list above) with a lacklustre agent. What are you going to do about it – indeed, what can you do? Well, unless the publisher and/or agent are generous enough to remove themselves from your contracts (i.e. to revert) then… absolutely nothing. You are utterly stymied. Your books are dying of neglect, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
I’ve seen too many authors in this situation, and it’s tragic. The answer, I believe, is to bring in something I’m going to call “portable contracts”. Contracts that permit you to move publishers, or agents, after a specified period of time, or subject to certain conditions of performance.
Yes, this may hurt those publishers or agents (usually the more sclerotic operations) who make a substantial passive income simply by sitting on top of publishing contracts and doing little in return. Well… too bad.
Giving authors the right to move their contracts to more dynamic agents or publishers will greatly stimulate the market. As far as agents are concerned, it will encourage new growth and new talent. Older literary agencies make most of their income passively: from sitting on contracts that are often many decades old. Too often, success as a literary agency simply represents the amount of time you (or often your parents or grand-parents) have stuck around in the business. It says little about how good you are at looking after your authors. Let’s shake this up a bit – the entire industry can only benefit.
I’ll be taking every possible opportunity to float this idea during the course of the year. If you agree with me, please do the same. Meanwhile, if you possibly can, avoid signing a contract that involves giving away your rights for the term of your work’s copyright.
Opportunity: Why Audiobooks Must Go Streaming
I don’t entirely like what I’m going to write here... but (a) it’s clearly inevitable and (b) if we’re clever we can use it to our own advantage. If you’ve ever gotten into audiobooks as a consumer, you'll relate to what I’m going to say: audiobooks ought to be on every streaming platform just like music.
Ouch. That’s going to decimate one of the few robustly-remaining sources of authorial income, right? Well, yes. It will roughly do to authors’ income what the likes of Spotify did to musicians. Which is not pretty. So why should I be arguing in favour of this?
Well from the consumer’s point of view, the argument is unassailable. When you really get into audiobooks, they become part of your daily life. Buying them one-off makes no sense at all. You want a book at bedtime, every bedtime… but you don’t want to pay twenty bucks for each one! Neither do you want a mere one book per month for a $14.95 subscription. What you want is access to everything – for an affordable monthly subscription.
Amazon’s Audible operation is clearly moving in this direction in any case, which I think testifies to its inevitability. The world is moving this way, so for once let’s get in front of the curve.
Where I think this year’s opportunity lies is in genre-specific markets. Just as some of the biggest bestselling books of recent years have arisen from the humble ranks of genre-based fan fiction, so too can consumers’ unquenchable demand for audiobooks be leveraged to break out brand new authors… within their own genres. Whether fan-driven or publisher-driven, there is clearly an opportunity to feed consumer demand for genre-specific audiobooks… either simply as a way to launch a new author, or as a way to transform listenership from the low hundreds into five or six figures… or more. We know from our industry’s e-book experience that consumer demand is highly sensitive to price. Make them an offer they can’t refuse, for all the genre audiobooks they can eat, and watch the numbers explode. Who will do this first? I’d like to think that maybe one of the more progressive publishers will… or maybe a collaboration of genre authors. The opportunity is there for the plucking.
Gratitude: Use This Coupon Now!
I don’t have to tell you that this is going to be a very challenging year for a very large number of people. Litopia’s Basic membership is free, and offers a huge amount of support and facilities for writers who are under financial pressure. For those who can afford our modest yearly Full Membership, you’ll find that the sheer value we offer this year will simply grow and grow.
As you know, Litopia’s ethos is one of self-help. Which is why we encourage members to gift a Full Member Upgrade to any member who may not be in a position to afford it for themselves.
Try it! You'll get a warm glow of satisfaction
And you can do it anonymously, too.Use this coupon code to get a 25% discount on a Gift Upgrade:
LOVE25
Gift Upgrades give six months of Full Membership to your recipient and do not renew – it’s not a recurring subscription. There are two ways to do it…
Go to any post they’ve made and simply click on their name. This will show a pop-up box. Then click on “GIFT UPGRADE” and follow the instructions. Check the “Gift Anonymously” box if you so choose, and complete the payment process.
Or, you can go to the Account Upgrade Control panel. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and where it says “Gift Upgrade” enter the member’s name. Click “Proceed” and follow the instructions.
To watch a how-to video click here. This offer expires on 21st January so do it now!
And Finally…
This is such an exciting time to be a writer. The future is challenging… even a little bit scary… but bristling with opportunity and potential. Let’s take this journey together
Peter
That being said, I feel that the momentous doings at hand demand it. Therefore, with apologies, here we go:
