A Work in Progress

Panel: Steve Jackson (M), Tom Doherty, Irene Gallo, Joshua Bilmes, Betsy Mitchell

My Notes

• Editors are needed to help the author make the book the best it can be
• Agents are helpful in getting the right book to the right person
• Provides a team of people already on the ground—curators
• Personal relationships are important
• Agents understand the contracts
• Agents can how explain how the publishing and sales process works
• Mass market is really hurting (repeat item from another session)
• Only 3 key wholesalers now
• Returns well over 70% last year for the largest distributor
• In the digital space, a good cover is still needed
• We talk about them being thumbnails now, but they always have been
• 50% books are being sold online, so you want your marketing online too
• Tor: 40% ebooks, but mostly backlist — about 18% on new titles
• Partnership with NASA to make sure the science is right and will inspire kids
• New term (for me, at least): "YA Okay"
• NASA has a reach into tens of thousands of classrooms and will help to promoter their books
• Self-publishing is not really a stepping stone to get into traditional publishing
• A lot of bad books get good reviews—it's the sales that count
• A hybrid model is best, particularly for new authors
• Authors who request this, though, might be at a disadvantage