Publishers=Stupid?

[icythaco]

Personally, I don't understand why none of the mainstream publishers will publish NA...especially with some of the other crap they've published, crap that was alot worse than NA...

Your thoughts/ganders?

[ChaosMage]

Simple. Crap that fits into the generic list of mainstream literature will be bought by someone. However, taking a risk is a no-no, even if its already sold better than most of that crap.

[adamark]

Because publishers are a business that set out to make money. If they don't think something will sell very many copies, why would they publish it?

How do they determine what will sell a lot of copies? by personal preference, probably. just because you are in this niche market and you understand it doesnt mean everyone else does or will, and certainly not publishers.

[icythaco]

just because you are in this niche market and you understand it doesnt mean everyone else does or will, and certainly not publishers.
In most cases, that would be true, but I am one of those rare few who actually read nuklear age before ever viewing a single episode of 8-bit theater...I was hooked by the writing, not by any previous loyalty I felt to 8-bit theater ('cause I had never seen it before).

So either my tastes are screwed up or the publishers' tastes are, because I personally think brian is sitting on top of a gold mine that no one (with any corporate power) has insofar been smart enough to invest in...

[Artman317]

Ive gotten 2 other people to read my copy of the book.
It's not a bad book in the least.

If you as a reader want more people to read the book, rave about it to your friends in person, go to comic book stores and talk about it, Online journals, chats, Aim, blahblahblahblah. you get my point.

Read the short funny parts to them in person. Such as the time satan prank called Nuke. Or when he was pulled over by the Civil Defender.



Hell my little brother wants to read the book. And the biggest book he's read was "Hoot"

[Kurosen]

Yup. Guerilla tactics will get the word out there. The literary agent contacted me because they'd heard my book was selling so well. After reading it they said they didn't think a publisher would think it would sell. If we can prove them wrong by spreading the word, creating a buzz, and getting more people to buy it, then they'll finally figure out they should've been publishing it all along.

[Deathosaurus Wrecks]

well, getting things published is a remarkably hard buisness, any writer will tell you that. Brian's experience with a publisher telling him that his book won't sell is one of a thousand that i've heard of. things are especialy hard for "unknowns" to get thier first piece of work published, no matter how good it is.

by the way Brian, how many publishers did you have to take it to before it got accepted?

[Continuum]

Don't forget the specific genre.
Things with superheros (Even popular superheros) don't always sell well.
Just look at all the comic book projects that have failed for DC and Marvel.
And publishing houses rarely risk with comedies, few people actually read comedies and those that do, often read only known authors.

[adamark]

So either my tastes are screwed up or the publishers' tastes are, because I personally think brian is sitting on top of a gold mine that no one (with any corporate power) has insofar been smart enough to invest in...
If you feel that this is a gold mine, find a way to invest your life's savings into it. If it is truly a gold mine, you will reap great return.

Take note that corporations are notorious for maintaining the status quo. I don't know why that is but I'm sure we'd all understand if we ourselves owned corporations.

Also, I don't think anyone's tastes are screwed up, per se. Just conditioned.

[Warlock]

Publisher's aren't stupid, just conservative. Unless the publisher knows for sure they're going to be able to sell it, chances are it won't get picked up. There are exceptions, of course, but it is the same as with the music industry. People need to get a name for themselves on the underground circuit before record companies take notice.

[Technocrack]

Traditional publishers are conservative, cautious, and wary of any new talent or ideas... Which is precisely why they will one day die out.

I sent my book off to about ten or twenty traditional publishers, with the same response each time: "It's good... It's different, and it's unique... Which basically means it won't sell."

Self-publishing companies such as Xlibris.com (which, by the way, offered to publish my book. ^^) will one day replace the traditional publishers. They're not afraid to take chances on new talent.

[Warlock]

Traditional publishing companies will never go out altogether. Smaller, newer companies may rise up, but the traditional companies won't go away. The reason? They know their business. And that business is making books they know will sell. Small companies, you have problems of something you think will sell might actually do really, really badly. And that can really hurt a small company. Just like you'll see things like RC Cola come along, but Coca-Cola will never die.

[adamark]

Self-publishing companies such as Xlibris.com (which, by the way, offered to publish my book. ^^) will one day replace the traditional publishers. They're not afraid to take chances on new talent.I don't know about that. I think that no matter how brilliant a small, new publishing company might be, if they are taking risks they might hit on a best seller or two but they will also hit a LOT of duds. they will do worse economically than traditional publishers because they are going out there actually *seeking* risks, which is pretty stupid if you think about it.

once again, i ask you to imagine having a few million dollars invested in publishing, and deciding what your company goes all out for and what it risks its corporate livelihood on. people with lot's of money generally like to keep most of it. that means not taking risks even if it looks sweet.

[icythaco]

Modern soceity works like this: It is the companies' responsibillity to make the most money possible so that we have a good economy...
It is the artists' responsibillity to create new and interesting ideas in order to advance our own culture...

These often-conflicting goals are just another example of our system of checks and balances...

[Jaythe4th]

I think this is my first post here since May.

Just a question, is the reason the publishers are shying away from the book due to the concept, with the superheroes? Or Brian's big joke at the end of the book on the readers?

[AZeitung]

Did Brian ever try submitting to a literary agent, rather than directly to publishers? I don't know if his chances would be any better (it usually takes submitting to around 100 agents, or so, from what I've heard, and the length of his book might have been a bit of a turn off as well), but agents are usually the way to go, as far as I know.

The thing is, there are a lot of people out there who want to be published. A ridiculously huge number, in fact. Publishers don't want to spend a lot of money on anything that isn't a sure bet, in terms of sales, which means that first of all, they like to stick with previously published authors who already have a following, and second of all, they don't want to waste their time reading anything that hasn't been verified for quality by an agent first (unless you're lucky enough to be one of those already published guys).

Now, in terms of traditional publishers being phased out - I don't think this will ever happen, even to a small degree. Maybe Brian's book can do well getting published through iUniverse, because he has a following in 8 bit theatre - but POD, from what I've heard, seems (and rightfully so) to generally be a very bad way to go if you want to get sales. There's a lot of garbage that gets published that way. I've heard that Publish America, for example, published a book that was 30 pages long, copied and pasted over and over again to create 200 pages. And this, despite the fact that they *claim* to review and edit every manuscript that comes in.

I mean, ok, maybe you thought Nuklear Age was great, and deserved to be published by a real publishing company. But cut them a little slack - it's a long book, with a relatively small audience, by a first time author, who it doesn't seem submitted through an agent. Getting a work published *is* incredibly hard, and good work doesn't usually speak for itself. Publishers, like any other business want to make money, and you can't really blame them for that.

[Kurosen]

They never get to the end. They see a few chapters of wackiness, puns, and parody, and assume that's all there is. Which is a damn shame 'cause if these morons would read the whole thing they'd go, "Oh, dyamn. Let's make some money."

But, no. It's easier to assume that superheroes don't sell. Comedy doesn't sell. Comedy about superheroes really doesn't sell. You can tell it won't sell because no one prints it. And they won't print it because it doesn't sell. This is the exact line of reasoning I get from publishers. They are making their business decisions based on logical fallacies you learn in high-goddamn-school.

Did Brian ever try submitting to a literary agent, rather than directly to publishers?
A literary agency contacted me because they saw how well my book was selling on amazon (outselling all of their authors). So I sent them a copy and a few days later they replied saying that they didn't think that a publisher would think it would sell so they declined. That's how backwards these publisher are. An agency contacted me because my book was selling so well and publishers don't think it will sell.

Goddamn.

[AZeitung]

After reading my last post again, I wonder if it might come across as a bit insulting to you, or your work, in which case I'm sorry, because that wasn't my intention at all.

All I am saying, is I can understand WHY they feel the way they do, even if their feelings aren't necesarrily justified.

At least, if you write another book in the future, the fact that this one was selling well enough to attract an agent will probably be of great benefit.

[Kurosen]

Oh, I understand why they make their decisions too. It's just a smidge frustrating that my livelihood is directly affected by their inability to think straight. If I came across harshly, it was all directed at publishers. Thinking about these morons upsets me.

[AZeitung]

Hehe - no worries. You came across fine.

I know how you feel, though. I'm not really a writer. I'm majoring in physics at U of I, and have over the past few years, done a bit of writing on the side. After researching publishers, agents, and the whole process (and talked to several writers and would-be's at writers.net), I'm more than a bit frightened at the prospect of trying to get anything published.

I scrapped the last two projects I was working on (one of which was upwards of 60 pages - or around 120 in novel format), because I didn't think publishers would be interested in them.

Suffice to say, the latest thing I'm working on, which I fully intend to finish, and which has been going quite well, is a slight, but rather dark, comedy, set in 20th century Chicago. I'm sure the title I want to give it will scare away any prospective agents, though, "The Amazing World Of Chris and Jeff: Adventures in a Perilous Time".

Anyway, I read those reviews on Amazon.com - and I'm pleased to say that I'm one of the people that actually can sit through 25 of your comics, and enjoy them (actually, it was more like 100 when I first found this site about a year ago). I'm not sure I want to scrap together the money to buy Nuklear Age just yet, though.

I did, however, a few days ago, read the sample chapters at iUniverse. The beginning of your book sounds a lot like the way I tend to write sometimes, although, I think you'll probably take that to mean something that it doesn't. . . I don't mean the aspect of it that you think - I get the impression that you spent a long time trying to perfect the first few pages (and I don't mean this really in a positive or negative way, just a statement of what I gathered from the way they sounded). Is that true?

Anyway, I told myself I was going to get some more writing done today, so, I guess I'd better get back to it.

[Kurosen]

Well, the thing about Nuklear Age is that the text evolves from the beginning to the end. I did spend a long time trying to "perfect" the first few (50-ish) pages, but that perfection had more to do with how I wanted people to be introduced to the book's world rather than being a super excellent writer.

Does that make sense?

[AZeitung]

Perfect sense - and quite reasonable, too.