As a collection development librarian, I can see (in real time) the trends. And it’s bleak from my end. I’d piss off some progressives if I gave the inside scoop because it quite pushes against their rose-tinted narrative.
And the volume of graphic novels is… insane. Absolutely and utterly insane.
This is scary. Where will writers go? Can they make a living at doing what they love anymore or will they have to compromise or give up on their dreams altogether? There's no question the kind of writing you're talking about is at a crossroads.
Will anyone need agents down the road? How do agents feel about all of this? It must be hitting them in their wallets, too. And what about the companies looking to buy good stories? Is the market glutted? Can they have their pick and get them at such low prices it's practically unsustainable for writers now?
And where does this form of blogging fit in? Some writers are thriving while others are still hoping for the best. Another example of market glut? Then there's AI.
My kids love graphic novels, and I've been really impressed with the storytelling in them. But they also read plenty of other young adult books, as do most of their friends. I read that article you linked to, and it said the decline is basically going back to pre-Covid levels of 2019, which kind of makes sense. My kids had a lot less time to just hang out and read once they were back in school.
I find "kids these days" perspectives disheartening and rarely perceptive enough. What I can say as a parent and aunt and someone who spends a ton of time volunteering in schools--and drawing from my 22 years working in textbook publishing--is that I think a lot of the problem is less the stuff kids go for online in their downtime than it is the online learning being forced on them in schools. Most of it is terribly developed and written, unmotivating, and often punitive. It drags on their attention and self-confidence while actually degrading learning. (Most of the teachers I talk with don't like these programs either but can't always articulate why.) Plus they're subjected to standardized testing constantly. When my kids come home and want to spend some time online, it is pretty much always playing something with rich story structure or a social aspect.
The publishing industry is a real wreck. I have said this elsewhere, but it feels like it runs mostly on mystique. One bright spot: I've talked with editors at a couple of academic publishers, and there is a lot of talk about academic publishers taking some of the space that smaller publishers like Milkweed and Graywolf Press handle. That's kind of an interesting development, though I'm not sure how much fiction it would apply to. Still, for people like me who write nonfiction that's unlikely to sell in the tens of thousands, it's something to watch.
I'm in violent agreement with you, Brent. I've been a full-time writer for 10 years (it's my third career) and have tried all the ways to peice together a living. Crowdfunding, self-pub, trad pub with a Big 4, and small press. The small press revenue-share model works best for me right now, but as you point out, the whole system is changing.
I think it's true that there are less readers, but I'm finding the readers I have are more dedicated. When they find an author they like, they try to support them as best they can. I think Kevin Kelly put forth 1000 True Fans model--and it's still true.
Your point about trying the new pub methods (ie.g. Substack) is a good one. Your success here is inspiring.
Sometimes you just have to deal with it and move on and reinvent yourself on different terms. I got outplaced --twice--from traditional print publishing media sales over twenty years ago as that industry collapsed and reshaped itself to digital media. Took an unplanned temporary government gig to keep my insurance going--moved up THAT foodchain capitalizing on my negotiating skills, and twenty years later retired happier and wealthier than I ever would have imagined. Sometimes I think we don't see all our own possibilities and get too transfixed on what we think we are--vs what we can become?
Yesterday, I told a young writer that I probably would not recommend graduates to become writerss.
It is bad even in Asia where there is a need for good English writers. But writing has given me the life I wanted and I am grateful for it, and I have never been attracted to traditional publishing methods. I think in Asia, at least South East Asia, leveraging new media is the way to go. Fiction is robust and doing well in China and South korea,for example, where a thriving economy revolves around web novels penned by “amateurs”. A lot of these novels end up being made into TV shows!
I just wish that people in Malaysia would be more open to publishing their works on substack or other platforms.. A lot of good fiction and non fiction only exist on print and it is only a few thousand copies and then the publisher gives up on them. They could live on forever as ebooks.
My agent said similar things. It’s disconcerting for sure. Why is middle grade not selling anymore? If even people in the industry don’t understand what’s happening in the industry…
I’m lucky that my former job connected me with a few dozen writers. A few are continuing to publish their novels, plays and poetry. Several have now turned to writing for TV. It is such a rough row to hoe. Several became academicians, in programs that produce MORE writers (honestly, I sometimes think MFAs in creative writing are a pyramid scheme). The movies A Little White Lie and American Fiction skewer the literary industries, that’s for sure. In my experience, writers are not making choices—they are driven to write. And the luck of a good agent or the right person reading their work at the right time makes all the difference.
When it comes to adult genre fiction, writers are doing well in the small publisher/self publishing space. It might be worth checking how middle grade/new adult books are developing there.
Yes... oh yes. I had to hire an editor for my first novel. I sent out the query. A real life event with fictional LGBTQ characters. One well known agent responded saying, "I love it! Send me more." This went on 3 times till the entire novel was in their hands. Then came the denouement. The crux of the entire book, more than halfway through, was too violent for her. Gay LBT= okay. But the violence of gays and everyone else in the concentration camp? Too much.
That was the closest I came to being published. Now I try with another novel. From an actual event with fictional characters. I can pretty much guess what the result will be.
When I started self-publishing in late 2017, I desperately wanted to be published "for real." But I had no self confidence and figured I had no shot. (My god, if only I knew how much I'd have to master to succeed as an indie!) These days, I'd have to take a huge pay cut to go the traditional route, not to mention give up a ton of control. Of course, I'd still do it. I guess to be human is to crave status!
Anyways, great article. I have no ideas for how to remedy the issues with legacy media. But you definitely aren't stupid for hanging in there in my opinion. I totally would in your shoes!
Hang in there, whatever you decide, and trust your gut. If money needs to be made, money needs to be made (which would mean no more free articles, I'm guessing). I still have no idea how anyone makes enough money via online efforts to cover living expenses. I only earn enough to cover my website's. But I'm also not a writer, nor trying to be. I just care about listening to/sharing life experiences because I think it helps us all, which, for me, is meaningful connection due to my desire for community. That desire to connect with and cheer like-minded others is why I enjoy cheering on your personal experiences. But I know nothing else here. I'm not in the business. I'm just here to say ... I hope you do what you feel is best for you. Even if some of us have monthly budgets that don't allow us to pay for everything we want to read, we totally understand.
An insightful, absolutely terrifying piece. I'm addicted to the written word, so I can't stop, even if it's all worthless, I'm a goddamn junky. But still...
Wait, I got into writing for the money, prestige, and boost to my confidence. Are you trying to tell me my expectations might be out of whack?
As a collection development librarian, I can see (in real time) the trends. And it’s bleak from my end. I’d piss off some progressives if I gave the inside scoop because it quite pushes against their rose-tinted narrative.
And the volume of graphic novels is… insane. Absolutely and utterly insane.
This is scary. Where will writers go? Can they make a living at doing what they love anymore or will they have to compromise or give up on their dreams altogether? There's no question the kind of writing you're talking about is at a crossroads.
Will anyone need agents down the road? How do agents feel about all of this? It must be hitting them in their wallets, too. And what about the companies looking to buy good stories? Is the market glutted? Can they have their pick and get them at such low prices it's practically unsustainable for writers now?
And where does this form of blogging fit in? Some writers are thriving while others are still hoping for the best. Another example of market glut? Then there's AI.
Are writers an endangered species?
My kids love graphic novels, and I've been really impressed with the storytelling in them. But they also read plenty of other young adult books, as do most of their friends. I read that article you linked to, and it said the decline is basically going back to pre-Covid levels of 2019, which kind of makes sense. My kids had a lot less time to just hang out and read once they were back in school.
I find "kids these days" perspectives disheartening and rarely perceptive enough. What I can say as a parent and aunt and someone who spends a ton of time volunteering in schools--and drawing from my 22 years working in textbook publishing--is that I think a lot of the problem is less the stuff kids go for online in their downtime than it is the online learning being forced on them in schools. Most of it is terribly developed and written, unmotivating, and often punitive. It drags on their attention and self-confidence while actually degrading learning. (Most of the teachers I talk with don't like these programs either but can't always articulate why.) Plus they're subjected to standardized testing constantly. When my kids come home and want to spend some time online, it is pretty much always playing something with rich story structure or a social aspect.
The publishing industry is a real wreck. I have said this elsewhere, but it feels like it runs mostly on mystique. One bright spot: I've talked with editors at a couple of academic publishers, and there is a lot of talk about academic publishers taking some of the space that smaller publishers like Milkweed and Graywolf Press handle. That's kind of an interesting development, though I'm not sure how much fiction it would apply to. Still, for people like me who write nonfiction that's unlikely to sell in the tens of thousands, it's something to watch.
I'm in violent agreement with you, Brent. I've been a full-time writer for 10 years (it's my third career) and have tried all the ways to peice together a living. Crowdfunding, self-pub, trad pub with a Big 4, and small press. The small press revenue-share model works best for me right now, but as you point out, the whole system is changing.
I think it's true that there are less readers, but I'm finding the readers I have are more dedicated. When they find an author they like, they try to support them as best they can. I think Kevin Kelly put forth 1000 True Fans model--and it's still true.
Your point about trying the new pub methods (ie.g. Substack) is a good one. Your success here is inspiring.
Sometimes you just have to deal with it and move on and reinvent yourself on different terms. I got outplaced --twice--from traditional print publishing media sales over twenty years ago as that industry collapsed and reshaped itself to digital media. Took an unplanned temporary government gig to keep my insurance going--moved up THAT foodchain capitalizing on my negotiating skills, and twenty years later retired happier and wealthier than I ever would have imagined. Sometimes I think we don't see all our own possibilities and get too transfixed on what we think we are--vs what we can become?
Yesterday, I told a young writer that I probably would not recommend graduates to become writerss.
It is bad even in Asia where there is a need for good English writers. But writing has given me the life I wanted and I am grateful for it, and I have never been attracted to traditional publishing methods. I think in Asia, at least South East Asia, leveraging new media is the way to go. Fiction is robust and doing well in China and South korea,for example, where a thriving economy revolves around web novels penned by “amateurs”. A lot of these novels end up being made into TV shows!
I just wish that people in Malaysia would be more open to publishing their works on substack or other platforms.. A lot of good fiction and non fiction only exist on print and it is only a few thousand copies and then the publisher gives up on them. They could live on forever as ebooks.
My agent said similar things. It’s disconcerting for sure. Why is middle grade not selling anymore? If even people in the industry don’t understand what’s happening in the industry…
I’m lucky that my former job connected me with a few dozen writers. A few are continuing to publish their novels, plays and poetry. Several have now turned to writing for TV. It is such a rough row to hoe. Several became academicians, in programs that produce MORE writers (honestly, I sometimes think MFAs in creative writing are a pyramid scheme). The movies A Little White Lie and American Fiction skewer the literary industries, that’s for sure. In my experience, writers are not making choices—they are driven to write. And the luck of a good agent or the right person reading their work at the right time makes all the difference.
When it comes to adult genre fiction, writers are doing well in the small publisher/self publishing space. It might be worth checking how middle grade/new adult books are developing there.
Bullshit!
Yes... oh yes. I had to hire an editor for my first novel. I sent out the query. A real life event with fictional LGBTQ characters. One well known agent responded saying, "I love it! Send me more." This went on 3 times till the entire novel was in their hands. Then came the denouement. The crux of the entire book, more than halfway through, was too violent for her. Gay LBT= okay. But the violence of gays and everyone else in the concentration camp? Too much.
That was the closest I came to being published. Now I try with another novel. From an actual event with fictional characters. I can pretty much guess what the result will be.
So now I call my writing a 'hobby'.
Dane McFadhen
When I started self-publishing in late 2017, I desperately wanted to be published "for real." But I had no self confidence and figured I had no shot. (My god, if only I knew how much I'd have to master to succeed as an indie!) These days, I'd have to take a huge pay cut to go the traditional route, not to mention give up a ton of control. Of course, I'd still do it. I guess to be human is to crave status!
Anyways, great article. I have no ideas for how to remedy the issues with legacy media. But you definitely aren't stupid for hanging in there in my opinion. I totally would in your shoes!
Hang in there, whatever you decide, and trust your gut. If money needs to be made, money needs to be made (which would mean no more free articles, I'm guessing). I still have no idea how anyone makes enough money via online efforts to cover living expenses. I only earn enough to cover my website's. But I'm also not a writer, nor trying to be. I just care about listening to/sharing life experiences because I think it helps us all, which, for me, is meaningful connection due to my desire for community. That desire to connect with and cheer like-minded others is why I enjoy cheering on your personal experiences. But I know nothing else here. I'm not in the business. I'm just here to say ... I hope you do what you feel is best for you. Even if some of us have monthly budgets that don't allow us to pay for everything we want to read, we totally understand.
May I ask who the agent is who said that on Threads? I’m trying to resist signing up for Threads still, but I can still look up their handle 😆
My question is if Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book and tried to get it published now, Mach 2024, what would the industry's response be?
An insightful, absolutely terrifying piece. I'm addicted to the written word, so I can't stop, even if it's all worthless, I'm a goddamn junky. But still...