Let’s All Wear Our Grown-Up Pants: An author speaks frankly about the publishing industry.

The publishing industry is changing. This is not news. Well... it is news, but in my opinion, old news by now. So what’s the “new news?” It’s what we’re all going to do about it.

Let’s face it the facts:

• More people are reading e-books than ever before.
• Many still enjoy reading physical books.
• Consumers (including readers) are shopping online more.
• Every “Joe Schmo” can self-publish, making it difficult to ascertain what’s good.
• Literary agents (and by extension, publishers) are taking on fewer and fewer projects, thereby making it nearly impossible for actual skilled writers to get their books into the marketplace through traditional channels.

“But it’s not fair!” we all chorus. “We don’t like it this way!” “How  are we supposed to do our jobs and make any money with all this craziness?”

The answer is simple: Move forward. Find ways. Embrace change. Be creative. Or not. But if you choose “not,” then don’t be surprised to discover that you’re lagging behind at the tail end of a forward-moving march. Make no mistake--the march is not going to stop just because you refuse to join in.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not crazy about some of the changes either. As an actual skilled writer, (who remembers how much simpler it was when you simply queried and got hired because you’re good), I can personally attest to the frustrations. Having been self-employed my entire life, I understand the peril experienced by bookstore owners. And as a consumer, who has purchased a book that made me say, “Seriously? How did this book ever get printed when the author doesn’t know the difference between there, their, and they’re?” I have experienced those frustrations too.

However, I decided a while back that either I can let my work languish in my laptop never to be read by anyone, or I can move forward within the parameters of today’s reality. After receiving dozens of personally written e-mails from top literary agents saying how strong my writing is and how much they love my book, yet lamenting that they just can’t take my project because of their ever-shrinking list, it became apparent that I may need to think outside the box. Yet I didn’t want to self-publish and be perceived as a “Joe Schmo” either. Time to get creative.

A close friend who owns a small, local bookstore, was nearly going out of business. Yes, he had the three-legged store cat, beloved by visitors. He had a crackling fireplace and cozy sofas. He also had a shrinking clientele that basically consisted of a few moms, far outnumbered by their kids, who would run wild, destroy things, and scare his cat, while the moms would sit in their coffee klatch, drinking their $1 cup and making no other purchases. Time to get creative.

Interested? Stay tuned for Part Two of this series: Outside the Box Ideas for Small Independent Book Stores.


I welcome you to comment, share, or even repost on your own blog or website. I do ask that you include the following information about me: Lori Verni-Fogarsi is a writer whose novel, “Momnesia,” is being released 3/16/2012 by Brickstone Publishing. She is also the author of one nonfiction book, and has worked as a seminar speaker and small business consultant. She invites you to visit www.LoriVerniFogarsi.com.

The Finished Novel: Dream or Doom?

My novel is finished! Actually, it's been finished for quite a while, but I decided that I wouldn't query any agents to move toward publishing until I have absolutely, positively, not even the slightest urge to make sticky notes, go back and fix something, or anything else that remotely resembles editing.

I'm happy to say, I reached that point a few weeks ago. Yay for me! In fact, to take a quote directly from my family dinner table, "Total yayness!"

So why is the title of this post, "Dream or Doom?" Because now that my query letters have been sent and I have no book to work on, here is how my day looks:

Wake up. Check e-mail to see if there are any query responses.

Pour coffee. Check to see if there are any query responses.

Do a couple of household chores that don't take me too far away from the computer because I have to be able to check. And check, and check, and check.

Decide that it would be best to leave the house. Go out, do some clothes shopping, take the kids to the pool, do a large grocery shopping, and return in no longer than 15 minutes.

Check e-mail and find that there is a query response and they've requested a partial! Send partial immediately, then resume checking because surely the agent is sitting at her computer, holding her breath and unable to concentrate on anything else because she's so excited about my book.

Check again. Get reprimanded by Gmail because it's been checked too recently.

And so on.

I've received some positive responses. I'm excited! A few days have gone by and I've now developed my new plan: Leave the house. Every day. Do other things. Do not think about my finished book, my next book, my old book, or anything else that resembles a book of any kind. Maybe read a magazine, but also go the long way so I don't have to drive past the library, which makes me think about books. My books.

Okay, I'm obsessed. I admit it.

Thank goodness I don't have e-mail on my cell phone. Wait!... I think the Apple Store is having a sale... which would be shopping and therefore counts toward my plan of keeping busy...

See? I'm doomed. And it's a dream. Both. Wish me luck!