Self-Publishing And The Sexes

[Paul Whybrow]

I've touched on how gender bias affects writers and readers before, and found a report in the Guardian newspaper which makes some interesting claims about self-published books.

In particular, I was struck by the figure that 67% of books on the top ebook publishing platforms are written by women. This percentage comes from an online publishing platform called Ficshelf.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/20...eak-book-industrys-glass-ceiling-survey-finds

They also claim that 61 of the top 100 traditionally published books on Amazon are written by men. This is seen as further proof that men rule the long-established world of book publishing. Male writers dominate in lists compiled by newspapers for best novels.

Somehow, none of this surprises me, for I’ve always believed that more women regularly read books than men, and there’s a tiresome old boy network among book firms. It’s unusual to find a literary agency or publisher that has a woman as CEO, even though it's reckoned that up to three-quarters of literary agents and publishing executives are female.

It’s food for thought. Perhaps I should become Pauline Whybrow to publish my ebooks that have a romantic and spiritual theme, to encourage more female readers …

 

[Nicole Wilson]

I don't know about the literary agency thing. Most of the agencies I've seen are tiny and 90% of the agents themselves are women as well as the agency owner/CEO (though I don't know that I've seen anyone called a CEO of the ones I've been looking at). I'm actually a touch surprised when I run across an agency that has anyone working there that's male.

 

[Jason Byrne]

I wouldn't hazard a guess about the ratios, but I've seen a lot of women heading the literary firms to which I've submitted. This is certainly skewed somehow, as I only submit to literary agencies which accept fantasy fiction, but certainly for than a few women are in charge.

Things like this — in this day and age — are unacceptable. These are not clerics scribing bibles and the Classics from Antiquity, this is 2015 — the beginning of the Nano Age. If women can gun down our nation's enemies, they can sure as [ ] be put into print.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

I wouldn't hazard a guess about the ratios, but I've seen a lot of women heading the literary firms to which I've submitted. This is certainly skewed somehow, as I only submit to literary agencies which accept fantasy fiction, but certainly for than a few women are in charge.

Things like this — in this day and age — are unacceptable. These are not clerics scribing bibles and the Classics from Antiquity, this is 2015 — the beginning of the Nano Age. If women can gun down our nation's enemies, they can sure as [ ] be put into print.

While I agree, I think the market itself is what needs to change. If the readers will start buying more female authors, then agents will be more likely to sign and publish them. I know this is an issue especially in the thriller/action-based genres, because the reader base doesn't perceive women to be as "qualified" to write them (and also because that and fantasy are the two genres that men predominantly read). But as the market is changing - which it is - agents are taking more on. Not because they were holding women back on grounds of being a woman before (though some may have, I'm sure), but because if the readers aren't buying them, agents can't sell them. At least, that's my take on it.

 

[Jason Byrne]

While I agree, I think the market itself is what needs to change. If the readers will start buying more female authors, then agents will be more likely to sign and publish them. I know this is an issue especially in the thriller/action-based genres, because the reader base doesn't perceive women to be as "qualified" to write them (and also because that and fantasy are the two genres that men predominantly read). But as the market is changing - which it is - agents are taking more on. Not because they were holding women back on grounds of being a woman before (though some may have, I'm sure), but because if the readers aren't buying them, agents can't sell them. At least, that's my take on it.

Yeah... but when I think of names like Anne Rice, J.K. Rowling, Colleen McCullough... women were selling well enough before! There had to be some holding-back purely on account of gender.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

Yeah... but when I think of names like Anne Rice, J.K. Rowling, Colleen McCullough... women were selling well enough before! There had to be some holding-back purely on account of gender.

I'm positive there was some of that. That's the kind of world I think we're emerging from. I'm just not sure the readers are fully there yet either.

 

[Jason Byrne]

I'm positive there was some of that. That's the kind of world I think we're emerging from. I'm just not sure the readers are fully there yet either.

They will be when I'm through with them.

I've always wanted to say that. Not sure if it actually works. Damn it, did I waste it?

 

[Nicole Wilson]

They will be when I'm through with them.

I've always wanted to say that. Not sure if it actually works. Damn it, did I waste it?

Haha, you should start replying to everything on here with that phrase trying to make it up.

 

[Jason Byrne]

Haha, you should start replying to everything on here with that phrase trying to make it up.

You leave that to me...

Yup, I think you're right.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

You leave that to me...

Yup, I think you're right.

You'll regret that.

Hey! That's fun!

 

[Jason Byrne]

You'll regret that.

Hey! That's fun!

See?! Supervillainy. Also a niche. I'm working on that one.