Literary Agents, Publishers and Email?

[amicus]

This is a little bit of a rant after an afternoon of researching Literary Agents and 'Mainstream' Publishers on line and finding that a large number do not accept Email inquiries or Submissions.

Assuming there may be a large number of writers seeking representation and publication on Literotica, I wonder have you discovered the same?

If so, why is it, do you think, that the 'traditional' publishing industry does not welcome the internet with open arms?

My assumption is that the internet has basically made the US Postal system obsolete. Am I wrong?

What am I missing?

Thanks....

Amicus the frustrated...

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

WAHAHA!

DELETED due to massive idiocy and misreading. Have flayed own skin alive in penance.

They mark it up, distribute it around, and whatnot. It's easier to do mark-ups and post ideas on the margins on paper than on Word. Speaking as an author who's done some so-called "real literature", I often do my revisions and editing on sheets upon sheets of dead trees even though the writing itself may occur on laptop, binder paper, tree bark or whatever is handy at the time. It's just easier that way. Also, they don't want the stories being mixed with spam and viruses. Asking for large attachments from strangers in a public email address is like painting a sign on your mail server saying "Bring me down, hakz0rs".

So 'fraid you'll have to dead tree route just like you did on all the books you supposedly have published before. Just like all the submissions you have been doing for years as an old-time author. You know, like that. Unless perhaps you were.... *lying*. No, it's unthinkable, forget I mentioned it.

 

[Guest]

In my experience, most of the major (and not so major) publishing houses and agents want hard copies of work. I believe this is because they then only receive serious submissions, and, when it comes to reading through the work, it is much easier to do in hard copy than it is from a computer screen.

They receive many, many submissions per week, and why should they bear the cost of printing out the manuscript, when it might turn out to be crap?

Also, it is easier for an editor to go through. That's why they ask for certain formatting, so that they can write their comments on the pages as they go.

That's just my take on it all.

Lou

 

[amicus]

Thanks Luc and Lou...

What with Ebooks, and online publishers vanity and otherwise, I was under the impression that the traditional means of publishing were under intense competition. Perhaps not...

But..it would seem to me...that the POD 'Print on demand' industry is the coming thing, if inroads can be made in the advertisement, promotion and distribution areas.

Perhaps the same, 'good ole boys' network between printers, distributors and actual bookshops, jobbers and marketers, is too strong to combat.

Having some, (oft mentioned), belief in the free market system, I suspect, or hope, that the new technology will eventually overcome the old.

It costs money and trees to send an inquiry and three chapters, with S.A.S.E, a dozen times and takes months if not years.

Wherein, an email .doc file...or even a visit to an online site where work is posted...would seem to me to be a more efficient way to discover new authors worthy of publication.

I am experimenting with a book accepted by an 'online' publisher, if it is successful, I will pass the information along.

amicus

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

Thanks Luc and Lou...

What with Ebooks, and online publishers vanity and otherwise, I was under the impression that the traditional means of publishing were under intense competition. Perhaps not...

But..it would seem to me...that the POD 'Print on demand' industry is the coming thing, if inroads can be made in the advertisement, promotion and distribution areas.

Perhaps the same, 'good ole boys' network between printers, distributors and actual bookshops, jobbers and marketers, is too strong to combat.

Having some, (oft mentioned), belief in the free market system, I suspect, or hope, that the new technology will eventually overcome the old.

It costs money and trees to send an inquiry and three chapters, with S.A.S.E, a dozen times and takes months if not years.

Wherein, an email .doc file...or even a visit to an online site where work is posted...would seem to me to be a more efficient way to discover new authors worthy of publication.

I am experimenting with a book accepted by an 'online' publisher, if it is successful, I will pass the information along.

amicus

Sometimes we all have to do the time. I know I have been. And yes, the months of agonizing waiting can make my lands seem like f-ing paradise, but there you go. I've always had faith in the belief that a good writer of short stories and plays can get enough street cred to breakthrough to novel writing even in the new system.

Good luck I guess with the "online publisher". Publishing a non-university non-fiction book not written by some politician or big-name will probably slightly less difficult than training a dozen cats to synchronize swim. And I mean that in earnest.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Personally, I don’t think Publish-On Demand is going to amount to much of anything except in the vanity market.

When you buy a hard-copy of a book, you’re buying something that’s already been vetted and read and found to be worth the financial risk of setting into type. The book’s been screened by a bunch of people and judged worthwhile.

On a POD book, unless it’s by an author you already know, it’s a total crap shoot. It shifts the burden of risk from the publisher to the purchaser.

---dr.M.