Why The Book Industry Should Publish This Book -- And Others!

Why Is The Book Industry Failing Great Writers – And How Can We Change This?

The book publishing industry misses many opportunities to publish some truly great books, ones that exceed the caliber of many of the books that they choose to publish. Society loses out. Authors lose. And book publishers nay be losing as well. Let me explain.

I met a writer recently and provided him with a paid consultation about what book publishers are looking for and how to get a literary agent. He wanted his self-published book to get the benefits a publisher provides — better distribution, a sales force, translation and movie rights, more publicity — but I was in the frustrating and unenviable position of having to explain why the odds are heavily stacked against him.

Not All Great Books Get Published

It wasn’t because his book stinks. No, it is great and he is a credentialed writer. It is because of his lack of marketing — and secondarily his age.

It should not be that in America one is deprived of a chance to succeed. And it should not be that publishers and literary agents decline authors who truly have penned some of the best quality books to pass their desks.

There are about 400,000 books published annually by traditional publishers, a number that is 10 times what it was 35 years ago. However, authors of some of the best books written are not getting a contract.

The public is denied these books. Book publishers can be making a financial miscalculation, but more importantly, are failing in their mission to serve society by bringing the best books to light.

There are over 7500 new books published daily in America, but about 6500 — the vast majority — are not coming from traditional publishers. This means only a small percentage of books receive the better distribution and recognition that traditional publishing often affords.

So, even though the gentleman that I advised technically has a published book, it doesn’t in any way stand a chance of success without a publishing brand and strong marketing behind it.

Is Publishing Only A Business?

Now, to be fair, publishers release some amazing books. They don’t miss or turn away every gem, but generally they filter books based mainly on economic considerations. If a dumb book came in from a celebrity, it gets published. If a poorly written book comes in from someone with 1.2 million followers on X, it is published. If an author shows a publisher how he will market a book or guarantee purchasing books to resell or giveaway, it gets published. In each situation, the allure of gift-wrapped sales green-lights a book.

But a well-written thriller by a first-time author can go nowhere, especially if the author does not indicate any kind of ability to initiate their own marketing efforts.

Of course publishers hope to split the difference.

First they choose great books from qualified authors who also have a solid marketing platform.

Then they go to decent books from authors with or without credentials but who have a great marketing platform and even a plan to buy back some books.

Marketing Poor
Lost in the shuffle is the great book penned by a highly credentialed author but offers a huge nothing when it comes to a marketing platform. The book may be marketable and the author is willing and able to fulfill anything the publisher arranges for, such as conducting media interviews or attending book fairs to speak and sign books. But, if you ask the author to initiate a marketing campaign or to turn into a rabid social media poster, good luck.

Well, it is that last type of author who seems to have little voice in getting a traditional publisher or literary agent into his corner.

Publishers will say they are in business to make a buck. True. But they should also feel a desire or an obligation to give a great book its due. One such book is The Red Widow, by T. Castle Furlong. The author was an award-winning journalist of 37 years. Read below to learn more about it. If you are a literary agent or a book publisher, please, give this guy a break!

About The Red Widow
"The Red Widow is a fast-paced mystery thriller that draws heavily on the author's 37 years working in the chaos of a dying American newspaper business. As the subtitle says, the book is "A Story of Journalism, Treachery, Betrayal and Murder" in the Land Down Under. Kirkus Reviews calls the novel "a well-plotted thriller that will keep readers engrossed to the very end."

"The narrative takes place over 15 years, starting in the days just prior to 9/11/01. On center stage at the start is an unhappy reporting couple stationed in Sydney, Australia for the mythical New York Herald. The duo-Angela and Rafer Flanagan-is known to their editors in New York City as the 'Tandem Couple From Hell.' Their loathing for each other (and occasional lust) knows few limits. Her correspondent career is ascendant, his is on the rocks after winning a Pulitzer Prize early in his foreign reporting career. His drug of choice is alcohol, hers is cocaine.

"The Flanagans are in New York area on home leave when the terrorists strike the World Trade Center. Rafer is supposed to be in an interview at the top of the north tower when the first plane hits at 8:46 on that nightmarish morning. He isn't there--and that's how the mystery begins.

"The narrative bounces from America to Australia and back again-from steamy Washington D.C. to even steamier Darwin at the very top of the Aussie west coast. The chase is on for the Red Widow (Angela). In hot pursuit are reporters, editors, mobsters, gang members, local cops, federal cops and a takeover tycoon poised to pounce on the carcass of the Herald.

"The climax plays out near Darwin where the fearsome salt-water crocodiles rule the waterways and mudflats."

A Solution Is Needed

What can be done to ensure the book publishing industry does not fail in its mission to publish great books? 

It is an industry, and therefor, as a business it is empowered to make money. Nothing wrong with that. We live in a capitalist society, an economy dependent on people making a living and companies making profits and providing shareholder and investor value.

 

Self-Publishing Is Not An Equalizer

Self-publishing, despite its appeal to authors, is not the great equalizer to traditional publishers. Sure, it gives authors full editorial control, faster publishing times, and higher royalty rates – but with it comes poor distribution, disrespect by some media, and high costs to bring a book to the marketplace - -not to mention the financial burden of marketing and advertising a book. Today’s self-published author suffers a bruised ego, a broken heart, and a hole in their wallet. 

Some book publishers, some of the time, may need to risk or knowingly sacrifice profits in order to try to publish the best books. Why? Society needs the best books. Why? Society needs informed access to the best minds and their writings. We are a better nation and world and individual when we fill our minds with the best quality books. Many self-published books, due to poor marketing and a lack of shelf-space, just die. Almost no one knows these books exist. 

Take A Risk

Why, dear acquisition editor or literary agent, should you be willing to take a risk? Big risks could yield big rewards. The random gem, the lottery winner, the gold nugget – it is out there. You’ve seen them, but your eyes were closed and your heart empty to their plight.

Instead of judging a book on its merits, you judged it on surface stuff like how many Twitter followers they have or if they have been published before. 

Unfortunately, book publishing is looking at all kinds of metrics that may help a publisher figure out how to publish books that won’t lose money but not necessarily help grade which books deserve to be published or which ones are so good that they are worth the effort and risk one invests to get a book out to the marketplace.

 Experts Make Mistakes, Too

Many experts get things wrong. Who hasn’t failed to predict sporting events winners? Who hasn’t bet on the wrong candidate for political office? Who hasn’t wished they didn’t marry the person they ended up with? Mistakes are made often by a lot of experts. Sports scouts often misjudge young talent and end up encouraging their teams to acquire or draft a player who looks like a stud but ends up a dud. Stockbrokers get investment picks wrong all of the time. TV networks greenlight bombs and Hollywood studios bank on movie glory, but instead, draw stale popcorn. Well, publishers and literary agents make many bad or missed decisions, too. 

Here's the problem: Everyone is pressured to make a buck first, second, and third. Whether something is a great book seems to not be anywhere near a priority. 

It is the Scrabble mentality at work. 

With that game, you can have a mediocre vocabulary but destroy the competition with strategically placed words. Some can score 50, 60, or more points with a simple word that uses the Triple -Word score and overlays with another connecting word that yields a windfall of extra points while someone else can have a six-letter SAT word and get more than 15-20 for their effort. The winner uses the rules and strategy to defeat even the most linguistic wordsmith. 

That’s publishing today. 

Come out with a gimmicky book or re-package an old but proven formula – and creatively market the book – and you may sell many copies. Write and amazing book that could be worthy of book awards? It won’t even get published because others have decided they didn’t see enough marketing potential from the author. 

Some books v\can be turned into movies. Others can get translated into many languages. Some books sell their rights to the audiobook. There is extra money that could come from a book –not just the domestic sales - -so that is a factor that needs to be considered by publishers.

 Someone Has To Step Up

I need one literary agent or book publishing acquisitions editor to step up to the plate, to shed their pre-conceived notions, to lose their biases, and to stop dismissing a book only because an author does not bowl you over with marketing bluster. 

Granted, T. Castle Furlong is 78. He may not have many books left in him. He is not 28 and ready to promote like one with techno-savvy and youthful energy. He has not social media footprint, hasn’t done any speaking engagements, and lacks a web site. But his well-told mystery thriller is fantastic. It represents its genre well. The author is an award-winning writer who for 37 years wrote for some of the greatest newspapers, the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. It’s in his blood. His dad was a journalist for 49 years. Furlong is a complete person – a military veteran and the father of five – who brings real life – personal and professional experience – into his book. 

Why can’t a great book by a talented writer get published – without a marketing platform or any book sales track record? 

Because the industry has lost its way. 

I encourage any literary agent or book publisher to get a copy of The Red Widow: A Story of Journalism, Treachery, Betrayal and Murder, and that someone step up and invest in a great book and remind the industry that it exists to publish great books. Profits will come. Take a risk – and live your mission. 

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over 3.9 million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.