Rise of the Planet of the Small Publishers

The publishing world is experiencing a sea change and recently I experienced it in a personal way.

The new paradigm bursting boundaries in the book world reminds me of the rise of independent movie companies, who not only challenged the studio system, but have come close to parity in terms of turning out quality films, making a nice profit and garnering Oscar nominations.

The trailblazer was Miramax Films, owned and operated with the kind of hands-on approach the old studio moguls did back in the day. The Weinstein brothers had an acute eye for quality scripts, and also a knack for plucking the best indie films from film festivals, quirky flicks the studios passed on.

Today, major studios produce far fewer films than they did in their hay day. In searching for box office hits and potential Oscar nominated films, they are picking up the distribution rights to movies made by indie companies. The majority of the movies I watch today tend to come from these indie studios, with or without Hollywood distribution.

In publishing there is also a sea change that is taking many forms, beginning with the powerful effect of E-books, sold on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s Nook and various other tablet formats. A few months ago Amazon even announced that the sale of E-books on their site had totaled more than hardbacks and paperbacks combined, quite stunning. A glance at the New York Times Book Review section will tell you even the Old Grey Lady has accepted to a degree the new paradigm. Under the heading Best Sellers, the first subhead is Print & E-books, followed by hardback and paper.

Another change is the arrival of hip new, no old-world rules-apply small publishers. Many are open to submissions without the middlemen, agents. That was virtually unheard of in publishing when the so-called Big Six--centered in New York-- was the Master of the Publishing Universe.  These small publishers are hungry and on the cutting edge to alternative ways to sell their product, including E-books, marketing using the social media and “book trailers” (similar in style to movie trailers). So far, only St. Martin’s Press among the elite old houses has understood the change coming, having hired about eight months or so ago a vice president for social network marketing.

Until recently I was still old school: write a book, get an agent and then wait endlessly for the Big Six to respond to submissions. I went that route with the first book in my new mystery series, and the majority of responses I received from agents was: it is almost impossible in today’s market for a new mystery author to get published. Even when they liked the samples I sent them, they had the same answer, which surprised me. History has shown that in the Great Depression, entertainment was a major form of release for people. Hey, does entertainment get any cheaper today than a good mystery book?

Another problem with agents is they are inundated with email queries from authors, so much so that it takes them usually a minimum of two months to respond, and some don’t even bother to reply at all, even with their ubiquitous rejection form letters.

I eventually did get an agent, but without going into details, we parted ways. So I hunted for small publishers who take submissions without the “broker” (think: real estate agents who have inserted themselves into the equation). I followed the small publishers submission instructions and sent off material. Each said they would respond within six weeks, which is a helluva lot sooner than agents did.

I happen to have a talented friend who is a mystery, chick-lit writer, a young first-timer who had just gotten a three-book deal from one of the indies I sent samples to. Her series takes place in the world of baseball, mostly behind the scenes. She knew I had 19 years experience as a sportswriter covering New York baseball teams, among other sports. I offered to read her book when published and give a blurb.

She mentioned me to her publisher, gave my creds, including writing currently for HBO’s boxing website. The publisher sent a PDF version of the book to me--which will be out Dec. 1--and asked in a personal note if I would like to review it. I wrote back and said I would gladly, and threw in that I had a submission of my own with her publishing company. I said nothing further.

She wrote back right away and said: “I'm so sorry you haven't heard back from us. We are in the process of trying to catch up on submissions. I will have a look right now. We have a new Acquisitions Editor and I will make sure to bring your manuscript to her attention.”

Such a response from a major, old-world publisher would have tilted the earth on its axis. Six different buffer flaks would have replied before the publisher would, if they even bothered. I was stunned and also very impressed. This was a publishing company that was looking for new stars and not constipated by the old rules. I realize, the times they are a changing.

No matter what happens, if the company ends up publishing my book or not, I have realized these small, hip companies are the way of the future, just like the indies were in film. If I were 25, this would seem to me to be no big deal, just the way of a world. For a guy who wrote and published his first two novels using a manual Remington typewriter before the internet and computers arrived on the scene, it was eye-opening and revolutionary.

Some say it is hard for old dogs to learn new tricks, and to an extent that is true with humans. I resisted at first, but adapted to the new reality because the reality is if I didn’t, I would become a dinosaur. And most importantly, my work would never be seen.

I quote the great actor Sir Lawrence Olivier. When asked by a reporter when he was in his 80s: “You have accomplished everything there is to do in acting, won every award, why do you still act?” Olivier responded: “Because there is still so much to learn.”