Are Publishers Lazy?
By Jerry D. Simmons | December 4th, 2005 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
A good friend of mine read an article recently that outlined the jobs of publishers and editors. It said that promotion was part of their responsibility, and even though authors are encouraged to generate some of their own publicity, part of the job of editors and publishers was to promote books. There was a feeling among writers that publishers in general were not doing their jobs the way they should, they do not promote authors enough, and the implication was that publishers are lazy or careless. So I had to address the question: Are publishers lazy?
Considering that I worked in New York for more than twenty years, those of you reading this blog may think that my bias would be towards the publishers. However, those who have read anything I have written should know otherwise. The answer to the question is a resounding NO! Publishers are not lazy, just overextended, under funded, and desperate to find new ways of generating income from the sale of books.
Publishers are not profitable companies, they often operate in a corporate environment where growth rates in double digits are expected. The result is that publishers do not have the time, money, or manpower to promote books and generate publicity the way they should. It is not a fact of being lazy or careless, just the facts surrounding the business of publishing as part of a major media conglomerate.
This is why it is so important for writers to understand the marketplace, and how the business operates behind the scenes, so they have the kind of information they need to be more responsible for, and responsive to, the sale and marketing of their book(s).
Tags: Book Publishing
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