Another great interview. So much of this resonated with me - especially the bit about nowadays having to go through many rounds of edits before a publisher is happy (which in my recent experience, happens before they’re willing to take a text to acquisitions)!
This is happening to me too, Simon. I worried the first time that it was because I had lost the ability to write anything worth reading. Now I know that this is the way the industry is now - there's less of an appetite for seeing the potential in an idea, even if it's from someone who's been published before. I wish I could say it makes better books in the end, but I'm not so sure...! A topic for another Substack, Naomi and James!?
This has happened to us too. I've worked on multiple rounds of edits on a text before it's acquired, and sometimes, it still doesn't get through acquisitions. I do think it's crazy that you have to do so much work in this industry upfront, for free in the hope that you might one day get paid. Can you imagine if you asked an electrician or a plumber to do the work before you decided you wanted to keep it? Maybe there is a post in this Anna...
Glad to hear it’s not just me then, Anna. I certainly think it was easier 8-10 years ago to get texts taken on; publishers would acquire them based on potential - they’d offer, and THEN the work would be done, rather than the opposite, which seems to be the new status quo. Or at least it feels that way!
Yes! Thanks for this great post guys, and your honesty Anna. It exactly reflects my experience in the industry and that change has been rapid and weirdly silent (but slightly deadly!). I love collaboration, so I used to gain a lot when I could work on a general seed of an idea with a publisher until we'd formed something more polished. It is so much less useful if you haven't yet signed a contract at that point. The relationship is terribly uneven when at any point your idea can get dropped with nothing to show for it. Not only do you lose time and confidence, but you're also giving away intellectual property for free.
Another great interview. So much of this resonated with me - especially the bit about nowadays having to go through many rounds of edits before a publisher is happy (which in my recent experience, happens before they’re willing to take a text to acquisitions)!
This is happening to me too, Simon. I worried the first time that it was because I had lost the ability to write anything worth reading. Now I know that this is the way the industry is now - there's less of an appetite for seeing the potential in an idea, even if it's from someone who's been published before. I wish I could say it makes better books in the end, but I'm not so sure...! A topic for another Substack, Naomi and James!?
This has happened to us too. I've worked on multiple rounds of edits on a text before it's acquired, and sometimes, it still doesn't get through acquisitions. I do think it's crazy that you have to do so much work in this industry upfront, for free in the hope that you might one day get paid. Can you imagine if you asked an electrician or a plumber to do the work before you decided you wanted to keep it? Maybe there is a post in this Anna...
Or a comedy sketch!
Yeah, it really is crazy when one thinks about it that way! Just one more thing that’s stacked against creatives in the industry…
Glad to hear it’s not just me then, Anna. I certainly think it was easier 8-10 years ago to get texts taken on; publishers would acquire them based on potential - they’d offer, and THEN the work would be done, rather than the opposite, which seems to be the new status quo. Or at least it feels that way!
Definitely a topic worthy of its own post…
It's definitely not just you Simon!
Yes! Thanks for this great post guys, and your honesty Anna. It exactly reflects my experience in the industry and that change has been rapid and weirdly silent (but slightly deadly!). I love collaboration, so I used to gain a lot when I could work on a general seed of an idea with a publisher until we'd formed something more polished. It is so much less useful if you haven't yet signed a contract at that point. The relationship is terribly uneven when at any point your idea can get dropped with nothing to show for it. Not only do you lose time and confidence, but you're also giving away intellectual property for free.