So what is behind the death spiral of the traditional publishing model? Synergy is the phenomenon in which the combined effect of multiple events or actions is greater than the effect of each taken individually. The digital revolution that created laptops, smart phones and mobile devices like the Kindle and iPad not only changed the medium used by the average reader, it has changed the way we read. Another big change occurred when the business model for mass market paperbacks became unprofitable.

Richard Curtis, one of the heavy hitters (big-time literary agent and author) not only knows where the skeletons are buried, he watched from the sidelines while publishing executives dug the holes. His article. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE MASS MARKET PAPERBACK is here:

http://www.thrillerwriters.org/2007/01/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-mass.html

I'm off to the beach. More later.

DEAD PEN PALS Released

http://www.deadpenpals.com/

DEAD PEN PALS was released by Solstice Publishing this week. It's my third novel, but the first published. The others will never see the light of day. I'm no stranger to publishing. I have 2 successful fire protection textbooks that are widely used in higher education and public safety academies. But it took 10 years to break through the fiction wall. How come?

My first two novels simply weren't good enough or marketable. DEAD PEN PALS was rejected by 109 agents and publishers. I received replies from agents such as "The plot is too complicated," or "Too many subplots to keep straight," along with the standard "It just doesn't fit into my list, thanks." The truth is, the agents didn't feel they could sell it and make any money. Agents want to sell books. They want to feed their families-- they weren't conspiring against me.

So what happened? The publishing paradigm has changed. Few saw it coming. Publishing as we knew it only a few years ago is going the route of the Pterodactyl, becoming extinct before our eyes. Fear not, you will still be able to get books printed on paper. But for many, they will become nothing but a nuisance that collect dust. Epublishing is opening a whole new market where readers have more choices and authors have more opportunities. The winners are readers and writers. The losers will be the owners of the traditional publishing infrastructure and the gatekeepers (agents) who cannot adjust to the new publishing model. Who saw the demise of Border's Books coming? And it's not just books. Suprised to that the Washington Post's primary source of income was their Kaplan education branch? The Post bought Kaplan in 1984. By 2007, Kaplan accounted for 50% of their revenue. Kaplan, like many for profit education companies is falling on hard times. Rather than change with the times, the Post tried to diversify, perhaps at their peril.

I want to use this blog to discuss my work(s), writing, and books in general. Join me if it suits you. In the upcoming weeks, we'll discuss all three.