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To be honest, the only reason St. Martins wants a contract with her is to get a big chunk of her money. That's it. I congratulate her and all, but if it wasn't for her self-publishing and getting all her money by herself first, St. Martins would've passed her up...and quick.
People want to sign on with a publisher so they won't have to worry about all the marketing. Personally, marketing is the fun part (hence the title). If it wasn't for me self-publishing and marketing, I wouldn't have met some of my good friends on Facebook, Blogs, Goodreads, etc. Authors and readers alike. And guess what: by marketing myself, I don't have to pay anyone 15% of my profits. It's free!
Yes, you might not go on tour all over the country or in others (which is a cool part about being an author), but at least you have all the control, all rights, a bigger salary than published authors (if/when you make it big), and a great feeling of accomplishment :)
It takes awhile to market your book and make it as big as Amanda, but it's not hard.
I know, when I make it to that point, I will always be able to say that I wasn't just placed on the best-selling list, I worked hard and made it there myself.
"the only reason St. Martins wants a contract with her is to get a big chunk of her money." --> Well, yes. Of course they want money. Publishers have to make a profit somehow!
ReplyDelete"if it wasn't for her self-publishing and getting all her money by herself first, St. Martins would've passed her up...and quick." --> Exactly ... Personally I think they're taking advantage of her popularity, not considering solely the quality of the book (although I haven't read it except for the first few pages, so I can't really pass judgement...)
"marketing is the fun part" --> It is if you have the time/patience. One of the reasons I decided against self-publishing was because I don't think I have the marketing skills. I'm not very convincing ... Plus I've seen a lot of self-publishers marketing their books left and right, only to sell a handful of copies. Luckily you seem to be more successful than most self-publishers I've encountered. :) Also, I've met a lot of lovely people in my attempts at traditional publishing (on AbsoluteWrite, Goodreads, the ABNA forums, QueryTracker, etc).
"at least you have all the control, all rights, a bigger salary than published authors (if/when you make it big)" --> I don't think it's quite about "control". When someone gives you advice, is that "controlling" you? Yes, agents have suggested changes for my manuscript, but in most cases I considered their opinions to be true and their feedback to be constructive. If an agent makes me feel uncomfortable, or like he/she is suggesting changes I don't feel are right for my story, then I don't take the advice. For example, one agent recommended cutting my book into two separate books, which I felt was totally wrong. Hence, I didn't take that agent's advice. In other words, I think it's the author's fault if he/she chooses a controlling agent rather than an agent who knows what he/she is doing.
As for getting a bigger salary than a published author ... that's a very slim chance. Making it that far would require a tremendous amount of patience, marketing skills, and luck. Successes like Hocking's, Paolini's, etc. are extremely rare.
"I know, when I make it to that point, I will always be able to say that I wasn't just placed on the best-selling list, I worked hard and made it there myself." --> It seems unfair to imply that traditionally-published authors don't rightfully earn their place on best-seller lists. No one just "places" them there. Like self-publishers have to spend their time marketing, authors in pursuit of traditional publication have to spend their time writing dozens of query letters and synopses, not to mention revising their manuscripts over and over again. Even when you get an agent, you have to keep revising. Yes, you give up part of your profit, but there's a reason why––it pays off. Your book is at a better quality before it reaches an audience, hence it will get better reviews and attract a larger group of readers. Plus, like you said, authors get to go on fun tours and whatnot! :)