I'm sorry to say that I don't think the younger editors will get a chance to "fill the positions left behind". I've worked in the corporate world long enough to know how restructuring works. If those positions are being cut, It means that the company wants to reduce labour costs. You don't reduce labour costs by promoting people and increasing their salaries. Any young editors who are promoted will find that they are being paid significantly less for the same work than their predecessors were. The ones who aren't promoted may find themselves laid off as company decides to use "contractors" (aka the employees they just laid off paid significantly less for their work and with no legal obligation to provide benefits) for editing. Or shift the costs of editing onto authors themselves.
People who have been in the top positions for 10 or even 20+ years will naturally be on a higher salary and have insane benefits because of the amount of experience they have with the company. Of course those positions will be filled, as they're needed positions. The alternative is people in a lower position pick up the work for no benefit which just promotes low morale. It cuts costs because there will be a shift in positions lower down/they'll hire less people going forward. The people now going into those higher positions will cost the company a lot less as they have less experience etc. but as the company hopefully grows, so will their experience, benefits, and salary too.
I think celebrity worship in every arm of the Art Industry is past its prime. I'm grateful for that shift. I think talent and merit have a chance to shine, now that the 'clique' is in its destruction phase.
Are you sure talent and merit haven't been sabotaged already? What if these things lose their importance in the shuffle for a new power dynamic? Sorry if I seem a little cynical here, but, I have always hoped to be traditionally published because I knew that talent and merit were important markers for accomplishment. I just hope it doesn't change too much.
@@adamhenrysears3288 I try to use history as a reference. In a simple power vacuum, historically yes, another tyrant would rise. But if that power vacuum is accompanied by crisis, change is inevitable. We've cycled through innovative original Art eras (post WWII - Vietnam War,) then gotten comfortable and did nothing but badly remake the wheel for a while (current movies, songs, etc.) But I see innovation around the corner. We'll eventually cycle back to that era of Great Art being called for and recognized. ((When that happens, I'm out of a job, because I write formulaic commercial fiction hahaha))
I'm sad for anyone losing their livelihood, but a good shake up of the industry is WAY overdue! The big publishers need to be embracing change, adopting the digital/hybrid model, and work faster/smater.
Interestingly Big Six/Five had the digital model for as long as the Kindle/Amazon digital has been out (nearly 15 years), and nearly all of these digital-first publishing areas have struggled except for certain Romance and Indies. The Hybrid Model is pretty garbage, not only do YOU the author have to pay a publisher, you lose the quick response of a true self-publishing strategy.
I expect that pressure from the self-pub side of things will force trads to improve their treatment of employees and authors. For the longest time, self-pub was not a viable option. Now that it is and authors have a choice of which path to take, trads have to offer decent terms or authors won't bother with them. And this has opened an entire new market for editors and book cover artists to sell to.
I'm not sure if that forces them to improve the treatment of employees. Also, I think that there are plenty of authors who prefer to be traditionally published; self-publishing is similar to running your own business and some people just prefer being employees. In a traditional setting, someone else takes care of the design, marketing, distribution, licensing, sales, and, most importantly, the editing process, leaving the author to do what they enjoy best: write. As a self-published author you need a completely different mindset, not to mention, a plethora of skills. You also need to develop the ability to split your time between the aforementioned tasks, including design, marketing, distribution, licensing, sales and editing.
I agree with you. Honestly, I am going through self publishing, which I honestly wasn’t expecting, because when I signed with my publisher who they said they were minor-league to Simon and Schuster, which they are, but I was also told in the beginning that they would help me with getting a literary agent then after my book was going into being published by Talked with them about it and they said that the recruiter must’ve been misinformed because they don’t do that. They said yes they are minor-league disseminate Schuster but they’re more similar to sell publishing and they don’t have literary agents so I mean yesterday and amazing job on my book you know I had to pay a lot of money but I really felt duped so now I’m trying to get a literary agent because I want to be in the top tier of authors that are traditionally published, and I know my book has the potential heck even my auditor even said I had huge potential. And I am blessed even with my book being published through Archway Publishing because I did get a book published, which a lot of people don’t get that opportunity, even though the circumstances for me were not ideal because I thought they would connect me with a literary agent, like the recruiter said. I do get some very good reviews. I am really blessed with it. That’s one of my reviewer’s paid me a huge compliment by saying that my book reminded them a lot of the book interview with the vampire. I am never seen that movie or read that book but my husband and say it was very good. I do know it is a Ann Rice novel, which from what I understand like she is a legend in literary as specially in horror and vampires. Because my husband is a huge horror fan he is a huge Stephen king fan. So I’m very blessed that someone compared my book to one of hers. I am very honored for that. I just really wish and hope that it gets the recognition that it deserves, and someone of an agent will take notice of it, but beyond reading just a few pages because I would love to be represented by Simon and Schuster or Penguin Random House, rather than being self published, which honestly is a pain because you have to do everything yourself and a lot of it cost money that not everyone has. I know I have two bucks other box that could go in the publishing but I don’t have the money to publish them right now and it would be so much more nicer and easier to be represented by a traditional agent so I don’t have to pay that out.
Self-published books rarely compete when it comes to literature though; I've never read a self-published book that was well edited. And self-published books that do gain high amounts of sales are usually purchased by traditionally publishing companies anyway: that seems to be the goal. If self-publishing became the norm, we'd end up with a diluted and more saturated market than it is today
I just hope everything works out for everyone at the end of the day. I haven't even began the publishing process of my first novel yet and I feel anxiety from events that have nothing to do with me.
An opaque industry that you are shining a light on. And indeed, you are. I've learned so many things about it from your channel, and I don't really even know where else I would go for this information. You're doing good work.
I really hope this whole 'changing of the guard' situation will led to a massive shift in the traditional publishing industry. The fact that it can take over a year for some of these publishers to respond to submissions is just absurd. It's one of the few reasons I've decided to go for Self-Publishing over Traditional.
This is a great video. As an author in the quest, something in the air was pushing for some sort of change and modernization. At least from my own experience, with self-publishing methods and the online world becoming more relevant than the offline, the added value of a traditional publisher became diluted by the years. Nowadays, it may be exposure and marketing, but paradoxically, many request that from the author. If the author has to do the heavy lifting to build a platform, they will most likely choose to go self publishing and keep 40 more cents on the dollar and reinvest that in self promotion. Even if profits end up the same as with traditional publishing, you control the rights. Maybe I had the wrong types of experiences.
It's not just the publishing industry. It's the movie industry as well. These companies don't want well told stories anymore with interesting characters and dialogue. They want to check off the boxes. It's all about pushing their ideology. That's the main problem. It's not about what sells. That's a lie.
When you talk about how glamorous the publishing industri was in the 90s, I wonder if it is fiction or fact? When lots of people get fired it does mean opportunities for others and for more diversity. But it also means that personal safety is gone. The new people hired to fill the positions can get fired just as easily, which will create more stress and likely more desperate things will be done to stay in position. The worse employees are threated, the worse the end result, and the other way around, employees whom are safe in their position will be under less stress and likely perform better and burn themselves out less.
When a video filmed in 5 minutes can go viral but a query email can take 3 months before you get a response, or no response at all, there's a problem. Literature is less popular than video these days and the industry is still moving like a dinosaur when ufos are flying overhead.
The 600-pound gorilla fact in the room is that "Big Five" publishers are being quickly outperformed by Amazon publishing. It's like watching a slow motion car accident.
Alyssa, I am trying to be optimistic about this news, but it is painfully reminding me of the financial crisis of 2008. As well, I am concerned about forming a strong working relationship with an editor, only to see that editor laid off before we can finish the project! As I have a full manuscript out and I’m waiting to hear back, I’m very aware that I could be on submission by this time next year and could be facing this reality! Very very much appreciate your reassurance and wisdom and experience.
The big house publishing industry is changing...but not voluntarily. Amazon is quickly becoming the Megalodon of publishing. At the rate of Amazon's growth, the "Big 5" will look like quaint, boutique publishers in about five years. I believe the "Big 5" should adopt Amazon's publishing model and make publishing more accessible to new and indie authors. The days of presenting oneself, hat in hand, to ivory tower literary agents and the "Big 5" is slowly becoming history. The "Big 5" are missing out on big opportunities. My indie book purchases outnumber Big 5 publications easily 10:1. No one cares where it was published if it's a good book. Yeah, some are awful. But many are quite good.
Seems like the main difference between your negative and positive predictions is the type of people who are promoted. If they're smart and forward-thinking, ready to try new things, it could be great. If they're ideologically bound and cliquish (in that they only understand and cater to people who are like them) that particular industry will continue to shrink.
Thanks for the info. Honestly to me, this sounds like part of the baby-boomer generation moving on, and this is going on in lots of places. I can't say how it will play out, but oddly enough, I saw something similar happen in the manufacturing industry in the 80s and 90s when the greatest gen leadership was enticed out the door. As an aside, this usually turns out to be a pretty good deal for senior-level people leaving a few years ahead of retirement. How did it play out in manufacturing? Well, it mostly moved offshore, hurting more junior-level staff far more than the people who received early retirement packages. These are obviously two very different industries, and I don't know that I see publishing making the same move, but there are more similarities than you might think. In addition to the turnover in leadership and concerns around labor costs, manufacturing was facing major technological disruption during that time. Regardless, there's not a lot I can do about any of this. My advice, and my intent - keep writing, baby!
I look forward to the opportunities that will be afforded by the changing of the Guard. The "heyday" of the publishing industry is fading as it is in many other conglomerates. I don't think they'll fade very fast though. Any organization, group, government, committee, etc., is designed for self-survival despite the inefficiencies.
I'd like to know exactly why these people were laid off. If it is just to give younger and more diverse people jobs, then...well...I don't like that. If it's because they cost too much money...I can sort of understand, but a life time of experience should be prized and be worth five inexperienced people. If it's because they weren't doing a good enough job, such as failing to create and promote work that the public is interested in = dead weight, then it's a good thing.
You are awesome! Can you please talk about archway publishing. I was scammed n it destroyed my emotional state,but I tried to get up again n now thinking of going with Archway.
Def a positive for indie writers and a negative for trad publishing. Rather than prioritizing its authors' rights back in the early 2000s by leaving "all rights reserved" in the rearview - as opposed to the standard back in the 80s and 90s of letting authors keep the rights to their books - was the first step. Then the second step was prioritizing the OWN voices back in 2015 and 2016 (now constantly rebranded to things like BIPOC and whatever new slang is in vogue). The final step is barring those who do not already have audiences or do not tow the ideological line to insert token characters or ideological monologues into the end products. The best up and coming authors are currently making more than ever by learning the basics of marketing and outsourcing to other specialized professionals for covers, ads, and more (basically what trad publishing used to do before they became IP-focused). This is a great thing for the best authors who can focus on making a quality product and make money to live off of while keeping their rights as opposed to the trad published who has to keep her day job and if her book doesn't sell, she doesn't have the rights to take it somewhere else.
thank you for your clarity and comprehensive breakdown of this situation, it feels like it's great cause for hope for many of us, though the idea of folks losing their jobs always hurts, knowing that others will have a time to shine and seeing it happen... it's all just watching the wheel turn. And, those who paved the way before, will have an opportunity to perhaps, create their own new niche.
Why pay six digit editors when you can get the aspiring authors to pay for editors themselves? From what I have seen, the publishing industry is moving to making authors pay for the chance to be published. I also feel that they believe in the near future, editors can be replaced with Char GPT type AI's. Knowing how profit orientated companies are, if they can manipulate copyright law AI written work copyrighted they would eliminate the authors from the equation as well.
Who tf brought up race? And what makes you think diversity means an automatic book deal? Plenty of WHITE authors write about POC. And plenty of POC are still struggling to be published. A call for diversity is just that, a call for different POVS.
Translation: The publishing industry is about to go down the same disastrous path as Disney. If you aren’t producing woke garbage, you can forget about traditional publishing. Since most people don’t want to read that kind of content, e.g., Jack Reacher goes trans, new channels will emerge to satisfy the demands of the larger market. I think freelance editors are about to become much more powerful as authors seek them out directly. The self publishing model will gain more and more respectability, and unless the big houses can resist the constant pressure of DEI, they will go the way of the dinosaurs. Dismissing older editors in my mind means you are about to see a shift towards the young graduates coming out of the ivys who are more interested in pushing their woke agendas than publishing great books.
i've been really really self publishing this one piece i wrote, by which i mean i didn't go to a self publishing company but i print my own copies and distribute it for free. this model, of course, can't be extrapolated to all my work, as this one is extremely short and i feel very relevant and important. i would totally pursue more traditional options for other pieces if i had any i felt was ready at the time, but i think the way i'm going about this is a little way to subvert the for profit system, in this one case, while possibly building name recognition
Diversity should never be a concern, only the merit and quality of the material. If the best book ever written was written by the most diverse person one could possibly conceive, who cares? The immortality of the work, the instant classic appeal of the novel and its exemplary aspects of literature should be the only thing that matters. If it revolutionizes fiction and leads readers and aspiring authors in a direction that is bold yet unfettering, establishes a new canon, then old versus new guard shouldn't be a concern. If the ossification in the industry was leading to an elite insiders group getting published, when a wider pool of talent is intentionally overlooked, then this is perhaps a good thing. However, if the new guard is fulfilling personal agendas based on identity rather than good storytelling, then the industry is truly entering a dark age.
Taste is subjective and so when a select group of tastemakers are the gatekeepers as to what material is "good" and "bad," certain material gets neglected because it isn't favorable amongst powerful people. That's why diversity is a concern - it allows for the proper appraisal of work.
@@troydaum4728 Possibly. But I'm a firm believer in archetypes and their role in forging the human psyche and humanity's perception and interpretation of the human condition. There are certain things that are timeless and represent us. Then there is writing in and of itself. There are ways to formulate a sentence that is both excellent and poor. As long as quality of writing, story, and character are the paramount aspects of an editor's pursuits when helping an author publish, then everything should be fine. If people are pursuing an agenda based on identity--something that is an aspect of, but not the definition of character and story--then we are in trouble. Diversity has its weaknesses. I am not fooled into believing that diversity is only a strength. There are two sides to every coin.
Diversity should absolutely be a concern if there are gifted, talented authors whose stories are being silenced DUE TO their identity, and nothing more. Which you alluded to, meaning you know that is a fact. So being that that is and has been the case for decades, then yes, it should be a concern. Anyone who reads from authors of all walks of life would know that some of the most beautiful, moving, and brilliant pieces of literature come from a collective of humanity. So my question is, why would someone, knowing that people of certain “identities” are being overlooked, then argue against diversity in any way? You must think that diversity and talent are mutually exclusive. Spoiler alert: they’re not. Integrity of literature would not be compromised for the sake of “identity,” (It’s literally just hearing from everyone) nor was that ever implied. I’m genuinely curious why this idea always comes up, or it’s called an “agenda” whenever authors of “color” are given a chance, but when traditionally favored “identities” have been given an unfair spotlight over everyone, that’s never looked at as an agenda. If completely stifling most voices in literature except people from ONE PARTICULAR group isn’t an “agenda,” I don’t know what is lolol I want to live in a world where all stories are told. It’s sad that this is even a conversation.
@@Buttercup360-k7m It reads as if you're arguing based off of an agenda. On the one hand you agree with me, and on the other you prove my counterpoint. Simply because someone is "diverse" doesn't mean they can write for shit or tell a good story. I honestly don't care about the author's proposed, supposed, or actual diversity. If they're a stellar writer and write an outstanding novel, I don't give a crap if they came from Mars, what matters is, they wrote something amazing and I'd like to read it. We're talking about the publishing industry, not cultural political science issues. Novel writing is certainly a platform for that, but if the work is terrible, it's terrible. Publishing it anyway because the person is "diverse" is preposterous. Do you agree?
Of course I agree with that. I believe anyone would. But my question was, why on earth would that be happening? Who said anyone who couldn’t write was being published? Where did that idea even come from, and why is it only brought up when diversity is mentioned? You act as if year after year, non diverse writers don’t put out their fair share of dribble, I’m sure you’d agree with that, let’s be honest. People have been complaining about the quality of writing and lack of editing for a while now, and its been well before this “diversity” movement. And on top of it, I’ve seen several non diverse writers already proclaim that they’ll have no problem using AI to write all together, and have no respect for the craft at all! Do you have an issue with these authors who can’t write, or only the diverse ones? Believe me, I see the point you’re making, and I appreciate your perspective. The standards shouldn’t be lowered based on race, and writers who can’t write should absolutely not be published solely based on their identity. My argument is that that is not what’s happening. Diverse writers go through the same process of publishing as everyone else, just watch their interviews. And I have one more question. You keep mentioning an “agenda.” What about publishing diverse writers is an agenda, and what does that agenda entail? I can understand the push for a specific sexual orientation being an agenda, I can even see extreme liberalism being pushed as an agenda. But simply publishing romance and fantasy about dragons and wizards from authors who happen to be of color? Again, how exactly would that be an agenda, and what would that agenda entail? Please be specific.
I'm surprised at the impact these changes have had on Knopf, a publisher I've admired for a long time. Were the long-timers who received a buy-out also required to sign a non-compete agreement, I wonder?
The industry is dying because they deliberately tried to eradicate beloved genres like Techno-Thriller stories, and replace them with social commentary oriented fantasy stories.
I'm looking to eventually reach traditional publication. I find the changes to be something of a good & bad change. I'm happy indie authors are doing better now due to the circumstances in the trad publishing. It's so interesting & awful to think several editors aren't in order. I don't know if they'll be rehired or find a different job. I do hope it leads to newer editors being hired and fresh eyes on books. Perhaps something good will come from it. I hope so.
Sounds a good bit like the role of "Gatekeeper" being removed. Trads are seeing how well indie authors are making it. But will the quality of books suffer? We'll see. Hope the companies survive.
It's interesting what you say, like watching the Ben Affleck movie 'Company Men' where the people who do the job interviews get major perks and waste money on dinners and still don;t hire people!! It's the old 'lean and mean' formula. Perhaps they are getting rid of the mean part after all. We'll see!
The future of publishing is self-publishing, according to what I've read. People are tired of woke agenda material in books and movies. The stories and characters we loved are being changed to serve Hollywood's agenda. While books and movies have all the source material laid out for them, they end up destroying the story by changing it. Books adapted to movies are in a state of distress unlike anything ever seen in history, people are tired of low-quality content. I do see this as a positive change.
You'll want to query a Literary Agent and have them sell your book to a traditional publisher. Alyssa has some great videos on how to traditionally publish and what Lit Agents are looking for, so I'd suggest checking those out.
Hi there - here's a video I made about how to get a literary agent, which might be a good place to start: th-cam.com/video/89bljc8Za5I/w-d-xo.html Hope that helps. Good luck in your publishing journey!
08:38-08:50 So glad you said that. It’s important to note diversity in our industry. I believe this is a positive change and a necessary direction for us to move in. Representation matters. Thank you for sharing.
A while back I had a choice to make, who to build my house. An old, wise builder with decades of experience, or a young starry-eyed person fresh out of trade school. Yes, there was a large difference in cost. You know how the story ends.
If these old editors are responsible for a lot of the woke stuff then its good they're gone. If not then its not exactly fair if these guys are great at their work.
I see the "changing of the guard" as a positive potential for change. I don't care what an editor's name is, I care that they do their job well. Let's give these new people a chance to prove themselves, just like we would want if we were in their shoes.
It could be a great move. Or it will bring in a load of woke numbskulls and that will be the end. They need to come up with ideas to value add and attract writers away from indie. The time it takes to get a book to market has to come down.
Lets all be glad that a lot of people who believe their opinion is the truth and have been allowed to do so for the last however many decades are no longer taste makers.
Alyssa, as much as your video is both entertaining and informative, it is also gravely off the mark in our current world. Two words....A. I. This (sadly) will obliterate both traditional and self publishing....the former first. Three years tops. Sorry.
Books will lose ground to online media and increasingly immersive video. Case in point, we are watching this presentation. Complete loss? I don't think so, but I believe books go the way of classical music.
Reading is a more popular leisure activity now than 50 years ago. The format of books and how/which ones get published will change, but books aren't going anywhere.
@@StarryEyed0590 Both me and bf are under age 30 and prefer physical books. We're also from different countries as well. So some young people do prefer the physical hold-in-hands books.
@@Anonymuser0 Personally, I prefer physical books too. But even if physical books stopped existing, which won't happen, e-books and audiobooks are bigger than ever.
Pale, male, stale and fail? Probably good news for people who don't like publishing megacorps. Everything I hear like this is pushing me towards self publishing.
100% The push to only publish people who look a certain way or believe a certain thing takes the focus away from the quality of the product and will tank the trad system. It barely gave living wages to authors (based on sales) or to its agents who often had to have another job just to survive. Now indies who just know how to be consistent are making living wages by learning a thing or two about marketing and realizing with the current tech revolution they can do it all themselves.
They’re getting rid of expensive older employees. Same story everywhere. 😞
I'm sorry to say that I don't think the younger editors will get a chance to "fill the positions left behind". I've worked in the corporate world long enough to know how restructuring works. If those positions are being cut, It means that the company wants to reduce labour costs. You don't reduce labour costs by promoting people and increasing their salaries. Any young editors who are promoted will find that they are being paid significantly less for the same work than their predecessors were. The ones who aren't promoted may find themselves laid off as company decides to use "contractors" (aka the employees they just laid off paid significantly less for their work and with no legal obligation to provide benefits) for editing. Or shift the costs of editing onto authors themselves.
People who have been in the top positions for 10 or even 20+ years will naturally be on a higher salary and have insane benefits because of the amount of experience they have with the company. Of course those positions will be filled, as they're needed positions. The alternative is people in a lower position pick up the work for no benefit which just promotes low morale. It cuts costs because there will be a shift in positions lower down/they'll hire less people going forward. The people now going into those higher positions will cost the company a lot less as they have less experience etc. but as the company hopefully grows, so will their experience, benefits, and salary too.
I think celebrity worship in every arm of the Art Industry is past its prime. I'm grateful for that shift. I think talent and merit have a chance to shine, now that the 'clique' is in its destruction phase.
Unfortunately still going strong in politics 😕
Are you sure talent and merit haven't been sabotaged already? What if these things lose their importance in the shuffle for a new power dynamic? Sorry if I seem a little cynical here, but, I have always hoped to be traditionally published because I knew that talent and merit were important markers for accomplishment. I just hope it doesn't change too much.
@@adamhenrysears3288 I try to use history as a reference. In a simple power vacuum, historically yes, another tyrant would rise. But if that power vacuum is accompanied by crisis, change is inevitable. We've cycled through innovative original Art eras (post WWII - Vietnam War,) then gotten comfortable and did nothing but badly remake the wheel for a while (current movies, songs, etc.) But I see innovation around the corner. We'll eventually cycle back to that era of Great Art being called for and recognized. ((When that happens, I'm out of a job, because I write formulaic commercial fiction hahaha))
So, what will this new clique bring? Is it going to be more of what we see on the news?
I think it's hard to say what talent and merit is in a subjective industry.@@adamhenrysears3288
Traditional publishing is not dead, it's just changing. If self-publishing became the norm, it would severely dilute literature
I'm sad for anyone losing their livelihood, but a good shake up of the industry is WAY overdue! The big publishers need to be embracing change, adopting the digital/hybrid model, and work faster/smater.
Interestingly Big Six/Five had the digital model for as long as the Kindle/Amazon digital has been out (nearly 15 years), and nearly all of these digital-first publishing areas have struggled except for certain Romance and Indies. The Hybrid Model is pretty garbage, not only do YOU the author have to pay a publisher, you lose the quick response of a true self-publishing strategy.
I expect that pressure from the self-pub side of things will force trads to improve their treatment of employees and authors. For the longest time, self-pub was not a viable option. Now that it is and authors have a choice of which path to take, trads have to offer decent terms or authors won't bother with them. And this has opened an entire new market for editors and book cover artists to sell to.
I'm not sure if that forces them to improve the treatment of employees. Also, I think that there are plenty of authors who prefer to be traditionally published; self-publishing is similar to running your own business and some people just prefer being employees.
In a traditional setting, someone else takes care of the design, marketing, distribution, licensing, sales, and, most importantly, the editing process, leaving the author to do what they enjoy best: write.
As a self-published author you need a completely different mindset, not to mention, a plethora of skills. You also need to develop the ability to split your time between the aforementioned tasks, including design, marketing, distribution, licensing, sales and editing.
I agree with you. Honestly, I am going through self publishing, which I honestly wasn’t expecting, because when I signed with my publisher who they said they were minor-league to Simon and Schuster, which they are, but I was also told in the beginning that they would help me with getting a literary agent then after my book was going into being published by Talked with them about it and they said that the recruiter must’ve been misinformed because they don’t do that. They said yes they are minor-league disseminate Schuster but they’re more similar to sell publishing and they don’t have literary agents so I mean yesterday and amazing job on my book you know I had to pay a lot of money but I really felt duped so now I’m trying to get a literary agent because I want to be in the top tier of authors that are traditionally published, and I know my book has the potential heck even my auditor even said I had huge potential. And I am blessed even with my book being published through Archway Publishing because I did get a book published, which a lot of people don’t get that opportunity, even though the circumstances for me were not ideal because I thought they would connect me with a literary agent, like the recruiter said. I do get some very good reviews. I am really blessed with it. That’s one of my reviewer’s paid me a huge compliment by saying that my book reminded them a lot of the book interview with the vampire. I am never seen that movie or read that book but my husband and say it was very good. I do know it is a Ann Rice novel, which from what I understand like she is a legend in literary as specially in horror and vampires. Because my husband is a huge horror fan he is a huge Stephen king fan. So I’m very blessed that someone compared my book to one of hers. I am very honored for that. I just really wish and hope that it gets the recognition that it deserves, and someone of an agent will take notice of it, but beyond reading just a few pages because I would love to be represented by Simon and Schuster or Penguin Random House, rather than being self published, which honestly is a pain because you have to do everything yourself and a lot of it cost money that not everyone has. I know I have two bucks other box that could go in the publishing but I don’t have the money to publish them right now and it would be so much more nicer and easier to be represented by a traditional agent so I don’t have to pay that out.
Self-published books rarely compete when it comes to literature though; I've never read a self-published book that was well edited. And self-published books that do gain high amounts of sales are usually purchased by traditionally publishing companies anyway: that seems to be the goal. If self-publishing became the norm, we'd end up with a diluted and more saturated market than it is today
I just hope everything works out for everyone at the end of the day. I haven't even began the publishing process of my first novel yet and I feel anxiety from events that have nothing to do with me.
Changing of the Guard is a great way to look at it. - Personally, I like the idea that those leaving are making room for new talent to shine.
An opaque industry that you are shining a light on. And indeed, you are. I've learned so many things about it from your channel, and I don't really even know where else I would go for this information. You're doing good work.
So glad you find my content helpful! Thanks for commenting.
I really hope this whole 'changing of the guard' situation will led to a massive shift in the traditional publishing industry. The fact that it can take over a year for some of these publishers to respond to submissions is just absurd. It's one of the few reasons I've decided to go for Self-Publishing over Traditional.
This is a great video. As an author in the quest, something in the air was pushing for some sort of change and modernization. At least from my own experience, with self-publishing methods and the online world becoming more relevant than the offline, the added value of a traditional publisher became diluted by the years. Nowadays, it may be exposure and marketing, but paradoxically, many request that from the author. If the author has to do the heavy lifting to build a platform, they will most likely choose to go self publishing and keep 40 more cents on the dollar and reinvest that in self promotion. Even if profits end up the same as with traditional publishing, you control the rights.
Maybe I had the wrong types of experiences.
It's not just the publishing industry. It's the movie industry as well. These companies don't want well told stories anymore with interesting characters and dialogue. They want to check off the boxes. It's all about pushing their ideology. That's the main problem. It's not about what sells. That's a lie.
Thanks for sharing. I often times as of late feel discouraged about writing.
“The less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it”-The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
When you talk about how glamorous the publishing industri was in the 90s, I wonder if it is fiction or fact?
When lots of people get fired it does mean opportunities for others and for more diversity. But it also means that personal safety is gone. The new people hired to fill the positions can get fired just as easily, which will create more stress and likely more desperate things will be done to stay in position. The worse employees are threated, the worse the end result, and the other way around, employees whom are safe in their position will be under less stress and likely perform better and burn themselves out less.
How many billions of dollars were they throwing at that merger again? But layoffs. Necessary. Very needed.
When a video filmed in 5 minutes can go viral but a query email can take 3 months before you get a response, or no response at all, there's a problem.
Literature is less popular than video these days and the industry is still moving like a dinosaur when ufos are flying overhead.
The 600-pound gorilla fact in the room is that "Big Five" publishers are being quickly outperformed by Amazon publishing. It's like watching a slow motion car accident.
I'd heard about the failed merger, but I didn't hear about the subsequent layoffs. Thank for the update and analysis.
I'm going with the optimistic view that this is an opportunity for change!
Agreed. Nothing could be worse than the status quo
Alyssa, I am trying to be optimistic about this news, but it is painfully reminding me of the financial crisis of 2008. As well, I am concerned about forming a strong working relationship with an editor, only to see that editor laid off before we can finish the project! As I have a full manuscript out and I’m waiting to hear back, I’m very aware that I could be on submission by this time next year and could be facing this reality! Very very much appreciate your reassurance and wisdom and experience.
The big house publishing industry is changing...but not voluntarily. Amazon is quickly becoming the Megalodon of publishing. At the rate of Amazon's growth, the "Big 5" will look like quaint, boutique publishers in about five years. I believe the "Big 5" should adopt Amazon's publishing model and make publishing more accessible to new and indie authors. The days of presenting oneself, hat in hand, to ivory tower literary agents and the "Big 5" is slowly becoming history. The "Big 5" are missing out on big opportunities. My indie book purchases outnumber Big 5 publications easily 10:1. No one cares where it was published if it's a good book. Yeah, some are awful. But many are quite good.
Seems like the main difference between your negative and positive predictions is the type of people who are promoted. If they're smart and forward-thinking, ready to try new things, it could be great. If they're ideologically bound and cliquish (in that they only understand and cater to people who are like them) that particular industry will continue to shrink.
Watched this because it was recommended to me but this was insightful.
Thanks for the info. Honestly to me, this sounds like part of the baby-boomer generation moving on, and this is going on in lots of places. I can't say how it will play out, but oddly enough, I saw something similar happen in the manufacturing industry in the 80s and 90s when the greatest gen leadership was enticed out the door. As an aside, this usually turns out to be a pretty good deal for senior-level people leaving a few years ahead of retirement. How did it play out in manufacturing? Well, it mostly moved offshore, hurting more junior-level staff far more than the people who received early retirement packages. These are obviously two very different industries, and I don't know that I see publishing making the same move, but there are more similarities than you might think. In addition to the turnover in leadership and concerns around labor costs, manufacturing was facing major technological disruption during that time.
Regardless, there's not a lot I can do about any of this. My advice, and my intent - keep writing, baby!
I look forward to the opportunities that will be afforded by the changing of the Guard. The "heyday" of the publishing industry is fading as it is in many other conglomerates. I don't think they'll fade very fast though. Any organization, group, government, committee, etc., is designed for self-survival despite the inefficiencies.
Ready to hear about what's going on!
I'd like to know exactly why these people were laid off. If it is just to give younger and more diverse people jobs, then...well...I don't like that. If it's because they cost too much money...I can sort of understand, but a life time of experience should be prized and be worth five inexperienced people. If it's because they weren't doing a good enough job, such as failing to create and promote work that the public is interested in = dead weight, then it's a good thing.
You are awesome! Can you please talk about archway publishing. I was scammed n it destroyed my emotional state,but I tried to get up again n now thinking of going with Archway.
my god you are well-spoken.
Def a positive for indie writers and a negative for trad publishing. Rather than prioritizing its authors' rights back in the early 2000s by leaving "all rights reserved" in the rearview - as opposed to the standard back in the 80s and 90s of letting authors keep the rights to their books - was the first step. Then the second step was prioritizing the OWN voices back in 2015 and 2016 (now constantly rebranded to things like BIPOC and whatever new slang is in vogue). The final step is barring those who do not already have audiences or do not tow the ideological line to insert token characters or ideological monologues into the end products. The best up and coming authors are currently making more than ever by learning the basics of marketing and outsourcing to other specialized professionals for covers, ads, and more (basically what trad publishing used to do before they became IP-focused). This is a great thing for the best authors who can focus on making a quality product and make money to live off of while keeping their rights as opposed to the trad published who has to keep her day job and if her book doesn't sell, she doesn't have the rights to take it somewhere else.
thank you for your clarity and comprehensive breakdown of this situation, it feels like it's great cause for hope for many of us, though the idea of folks losing their jobs always hurts, knowing that others will have a time to shine and seeing it happen... it's all just watching the wheel turn. And, those who paved the way before, will have an opportunity to perhaps, create their own new niche.
Why pay six digit editors when you can get the aspiring authors to pay for editors themselves? From what I have seen, the publishing industry is moving to making authors pay for the chance to be published. I also feel that they believe in the near future, editors can be replaced with Char GPT type AI's. Knowing how profit orientated companies are, if they can manipulate copyright law AI written work copyrighted they would eliminate the authors from the equation as well.
Will this affect emerging writers like myself who chose to go through the Traditional route? Is it going to be promising or bleak for us writers?
Competency matters. Not race.
Who tf brought up race? And what makes you think diversity means an automatic book deal? Plenty of WHITE authors write about POC. And plenty of POC are still struggling to be published. A call for diversity is just that, a call for different POVS.
Translation: The publishing industry is about to go down the same disastrous path as Disney. If you aren’t producing woke garbage, you can forget about traditional publishing. Since most people don’t want to read that kind of content, e.g., Jack Reacher goes trans, new channels will emerge to satisfy the demands of the larger market. I think freelance editors are about to become much more powerful as authors seek them out directly. The self publishing model will gain more and more respectability, and unless the big houses can resist the constant pressure of DEI, they will go the way of the dinosaurs. Dismissing older editors in my mind means you are about to see a shift towards the young graduates coming out of the ivys who are more interested in pushing their woke agendas than publishing great books.
i've been really really self publishing this one piece i wrote, by which i mean i didn't go to a self publishing company but i print my own copies and distribute it for free. this model, of course, can't be extrapolated to all my work, as this one is extremely short and i feel very relevant and important. i would totally pursue more traditional options for other pieces if i had any i felt was ready at the time, but i think the way i'm going about this is a little way to subvert the for profit system, in this one case, while possibly building name recognition
I don’t know. Out with the old, in with the new, seems to be the gospel today. But alas, the new will age, too. And someday, they’ll be booted.
Thanks for these videos!
Diversity should never be a concern, only the merit and quality of the material. If the best book ever written was written by the most diverse person one could possibly conceive, who cares? The immortality of the work, the instant classic appeal of the novel and its exemplary aspects of literature should be the only thing that matters. If it revolutionizes fiction and leads readers and aspiring authors in a direction that is bold yet unfettering, establishes a new canon, then old versus new guard shouldn't be a concern. If the ossification in the industry was leading to an elite insiders group getting published, when a wider pool of talent is intentionally overlooked, then this is perhaps a good thing. However, if the new guard is fulfilling personal agendas based on identity rather than good storytelling, then the industry is truly entering a dark age.
Taste is subjective and so when a select group of tastemakers are the gatekeepers as to what material is "good" and "bad," certain material gets neglected because it isn't favorable amongst powerful people. That's why diversity is a concern - it allows for the proper appraisal of work.
@@troydaum4728 Possibly. But I'm a firm believer in archetypes and their role in forging the human psyche and humanity's perception and interpretation of the human condition. There are certain things that are timeless and represent us. Then there is writing in and of itself. There are ways to formulate a sentence that is both excellent and poor. As long as quality of writing, story, and character are the paramount aspects of an editor's pursuits when helping an author publish, then everything should be fine. If people are pursuing an agenda based on identity--something that is an aspect of, but not the definition of character and story--then we are in trouble. Diversity has its weaknesses. I am not fooled into believing that diversity is only a strength. There are two sides to every coin.
Diversity should absolutely be a concern if there are gifted, talented authors whose stories are being silenced DUE TO their identity, and nothing more. Which you alluded to, meaning you know that is a fact. So being that that is and has been the case for decades, then yes, it should be a concern. Anyone who reads from authors of all walks of life would know that some of the most beautiful, moving, and brilliant pieces of literature come from a collective of humanity. So my question is, why would someone, knowing that people of certain “identities” are being overlooked, then argue against diversity in any way? You must think that diversity and talent are mutually exclusive. Spoiler alert: they’re not. Integrity of literature would not be compromised for the sake of “identity,” (It’s literally just hearing from everyone) nor was that ever implied.
I’m genuinely curious why this idea always comes up, or it’s called an “agenda” whenever authors of “color” are given a chance, but when traditionally favored “identities” have been given an unfair spotlight over everyone, that’s never looked at as an agenda. If completely stifling most voices in literature except people from ONE PARTICULAR group isn’t an “agenda,” I don’t know what is lolol
I want to live in a world where all stories are told. It’s sad that this is even a conversation.
@@Buttercup360-k7m It reads as if you're arguing based off of an agenda. On the one hand you agree with me, and on the other you prove my counterpoint. Simply because someone is "diverse" doesn't mean they can write for shit or tell a good story. I honestly don't care about the author's proposed, supposed, or actual diversity. If they're a stellar writer and write an outstanding novel, I don't give a crap if they came from Mars, what matters is, they wrote something amazing and I'd like to read it. We're talking about the publishing industry, not cultural political science issues. Novel writing is certainly a platform for that, but if the work is terrible, it's terrible. Publishing it anyway because the person is "diverse" is preposterous. Do you agree?
Of course I agree with that. I believe anyone would. But my question was, why on earth would that be happening? Who said anyone who couldn’t write was being published? Where did that idea even come from, and why is it only brought up when diversity is mentioned? You act as if year after year, non diverse writers don’t put out their fair share of dribble, I’m sure you’d agree with that, let’s be honest. People have been complaining about the quality of writing and lack of editing for a while now, and its been well before this “diversity” movement.
And on top of it, I’ve seen several non diverse writers already proclaim that they’ll have no problem using AI to write all together, and have no respect for the craft at all! Do you have an issue with these authors who can’t write, or only the diverse ones?
Believe me, I see the point you’re making, and I appreciate your perspective. The standards shouldn’t be lowered based on race, and writers who can’t write should absolutely not be published solely based on their identity. My argument is that that is not what’s happening. Diverse writers go through the same process of publishing as everyone else, just watch their interviews.
And I have one more question. You keep mentioning an “agenda.” What about publishing diverse writers is an agenda, and what does that agenda entail? I can understand the push for a specific sexual orientation being an agenda, I can even see extreme liberalism being pushed as an agenda. But simply publishing romance and fantasy about dragons and wizards from authors who happen to be of color? Again, how exactly would that be an agenda, and what would that agenda entail? Please be specific.
I'm surprised at the impact these changes have had on Knopf, a publisher I've admired for a long time. Were the long-timers who received a buy-out also required to sign a non-compete agreement, I wonder?
The industry is dying because they deliberately tried to eradicate beloved genres like Techno-Thriller stories, and replace them with social commentary oriented fantasy stories.
I struggle already for years to get an agent, but who knows, maybe these changes may work out.
@@elementeight8 Tried the self path and it was a disaster. Not going back to that. Rather quit writing all together.
How's the publishing industry in the United Kingdom lately? Is it mirroring the US?
I'm looking to eventually reach traditional publication. I find the changes to be something of a good & bad change. I'm happy indie authors are doing better now due to the circumstances in the trad publishing. It's so interesting & awful to think several editors aren't in order. I don't know if they'll be rehired or find a different job. I do hope it leads to newer editors being hired and fresh eyes on books. Perhaps something good will come from it. I hope so.
Sounds a good bit like the role of "Gatekeeper" being removed. Trads are seeing how well indie authors are making it. But will the quality of books suffer? We'll see. Hope the companies survive.
The corporate culture in Late Capitalism is a nightmare.
It's interesting what you say, like watching the Ben Affleck movie 'Company Men' where the people who do the job interviews get major perks and waste money on dinners and still don;t hire people!!
It's the old 'lean and mean' formula. Perhaps they are getting rid of the mean part after all. We'll see!
Hi, Alyssa. Do you have any blurb advice for literary fiction? Of course, there are plot twists, etc, but my novel is more character-driven than plot.
I'm guessing that what happened at Penguin/Random house is also happening at the other Big 5, Simon & Schuster, etc? Is that the case?
Interesting!
The future of publishing is self-publishing, according to what I've read. People are tired of woke agenda material in books and movies. The stories and characters we loved are being changed to serve Hollywood's agenda. While books and movies have all the source material laid out for them, they end up destroying the story by changing it. Books adapted to movies are in a state of distress unlike anything ever seen in history, people are tired of low-quality content. I do see this as a positive change.
Agree one gabillion percent.
Skip to 2:30
Who might I try to submit my work to if I decide and want to go traditional ?. Thanks for this video.
You'll want to query a Literary Agent and have them sell your book to a traditional publisher. Alyssa has some great videos on how to traditionally publish and what Lit Agents are looking for, so I'd suggest checking those out.
Hi there - here's a video I made about how to get a literary agent, which might be a good place to start: th-cam.com/video/89bljc8Za5I/w-d-xo.html Hope that helps. Good luck in your publishing journey!
@@AlyssaMatesic Are you an editor for children's literature as well?
Thank you for creating and posting this content. ✍📚
So getting rid of the good ones
08:38-08:50
So glad you said that. It’s important to note diversity in our industry. I believe this is a positive change and a necessary direction for us to move in. Representation matters. Thank you for sharing.
And now Simon & Schuster is sold to a private equity firm, so this looks like an exercise in prettying up the balance sheet.
Hi everyone
This is a positive change.
A while back I had a choice to make, who to build my house. An old, wise builder with decades of experience, or a young starry-eyed person fresh out of trade school. Yes, there was a large difference in cost. You know how the story ends.
they need to get out of new york, high rent for prestige, and stop paying for new york times ads, paying for prestege
Prediction: Publishing industry goes woke, then goes broke.
with the rise of booktok, this industry isn't going broke anytime soon.
That doesn't exactly sound like a shake up at all.
If these old editors are responsible for a lot of the woke stuff then its good they're gone. If not then its not exactly fair if these guys are great at their work.
New Blood is sometimes a good thing.
I see the "changing of the guard" as a positive potential for change. I don't care what an editor's name is, I care that they do their job well. Let's give these new people a chance to prove themselves, just like we would want if we were in their shoes.
First
It could be a great move. Or it will bring in a load of woke numbskulls and that will be the end. They need to come up with ideas to value add and attract writers away from indie. The time it takes to get a book to market has to come down.
if people who work at publishing companies know what sells and what doesnt, why dont any of them write the books?
😅
Sounds to me more like this industry is a molting snake.
So...publishing is already AI dominated. That's what I'm hearing.
Lets all be glad that a lot of people who believe their opinion is the truth and have been allowed to do so for the last however many decades are no longer taste makers.
Great news, Alyssa🎉 The old order must dissolve to make way for the new.
So "happy" people are "happy" as long as the one losing their job are "old" and/or "whitish". Awesome.
Alyssa, as much as your video is both entertaining and informative, it is also gravely off the mark in our current world. Two words....A. I. This (sadly) will obliterate both traditional and self publishing....the former first. Three years tops. Sorry.
Books will lose ground to online media and increasingly immersive video. Case in point, we are watching this presentation. Complete loss? I don't think so, but I believe books go the way of classical music.
Reading is a more popular leisure activity now than 50 years ago. The format of books and how/which ones get published will change, but books aren't going anywhere.
@@StarryEyed0590 Both me and bf are under age 30 and prefer physical books. We're also from different countries as well. So some young people do prefer the physical hold-in-hands books.
@@Anonymuser0 Personally, I prefer physical books too. But even if physical books stopped existing, which won't happen, e-books and audiobooks are bigger than ever.
In short, Bidenomics is a failure. Expect more lay-offs and overpriced books. But muh diversity.
Get woke go broke.
Define woke.
@@brockb3692- he can’t or won’t, because he’ll then very obviously look foolish.
@@brockb3692 what is a woman?
@@BooksForever Low-quality content with the inclusion of what the majority of people don't want to see.
@@DrakeEastwood - sounds like you are struggling though life if you are asking such questions at all, let alone in the wrong forum. Go ask your mom.
Pale, male, stale and fail?
Probably good news for people who don't like publishing megacorps.
Everything I hear like this is pushing me towards self publishing.
100% The push to only publish people who look a certain way or believe a certain thing takes the focus away from the quality of the product and will tank the trad system. It barely gave living wages to authors (based on sales) or to its agents who often had to have another job just to survive. Now indies who just know how to be consistent are making living wages by learning a thing or two about marketing and realizing with the current tech revolution they can do it all themselves.
This might be what LGBTQ authors need!