This is Why Publishizer Will Disrupt the Book Publishing Industry
Book editors and literary agents have been doing the same things forever. It’s time to change it.
Let’s face it: the publishing industry is one of the most resilient to change, but it is also one of the hardest ecosystems to navigate. Book editors have been attending the same book fairs and talking to the same literary agents for decades. Literary agents learn the lists and tastes of book editors. Once they acquire prestige, books come to them: authors come to literary agents, literary agents come to book editors.
Book publishing is not only about glamour and prestige. A book editor’s job is way more complicated than what outsiders think. There is infinite bureaucracy behind a book editor’s desk: 120 emails, dozens of calls, endless meetings, several authors’ visits… per day. Moreover: viability analysis now and then, interns’ rotation, dealing with the back-office, being bombarded from every flank with the most outrageous demands and complains.
Book editors love what they do to the same extent they are overwhelmed by the neverending requests of corporate life. That is why they would rather stick to the way things have always been: good literary agents curate book proposals for them and pitch them with what they know suits their lists — no wonder why most book editors are not open to direct author submissions. Authors, literary agents, and well-connected authors combine in chaotic but still perfect synchronicity that translates into a very competitive and yet healthy book publishing industry.
However, what happens to all those fantastic ideas by unknown authors who haven’t yet found their way to a literary agent willing to represent them? Some of them give up in the face of utter frustration and table their book for a future moment when they feel ready to deal with rejection again, in the hope of finally coming across a literary agent who trusts their work. Some others realize they may not even need a literary agent nor a publisher and turn to self-publishing.
Literary agents and editors do keep track of self-published books in the hope to come across the hen of the golden eggs. To mention a couple: Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, 50 Shades of Gray by E.L. James, and Eragon by Christopher Paolini began as self-published books. And even these authors, in the end, succumbed to literary agents and the traditional publishing world.There must be a good reason for that.
Publishizer aims to and will democratize the way books are published nowadays. Founded by Guy Vincent in 2014, Publishizer was born to become crucial in the publishing equation. Most editors ask authors to have a platform already, to be their promotional vehicle themselves.
Whoever thinks publishing a book is a means to make a lot of money is making a bad decision and pursuing the wrong ends. Do the math yourself: how much money will you make out of the usual industry standards with the following royalties — on the retail price?
- Hardcover: 10% on the first 5,000 copies sold; 12.5% until 10,000 copies sold; 15% thereafter.
- Trade: 7.5% on all copies sold.
- Mass-market paperback: 8% on the first 150,000 copies; 10% thereafter.
- Ebook and audio: 25% on net receipts.
So no - do not publish a book because you need money.
Nevertheless, you may always write a bestseller that eventually becomes your hen of the golden eggs!
Going back to Publishizer…
Publishizer is a book crowdfunding platform that allows you to prove your readership and then commits to connect you with the most suitable acquiring editors, so you land a traditional deal. By using the platform, you demonstrate there is a market for a book no one had the chance to take a look at. If you hit 500 or more pre-orders, editors can no longer deny there is a pre-existent demand of your book, not to mention the pre-orders you raised through the campaign will subsidize the initial print run of the book.
Some people have raised the following concern: why not going to other crowdfunding platforms that only take a 10% commission on the allocated amount instead of the 30% commission Publishizer makes? I wonder if there is any other book crowdfunding platform out there with experienced literary sales agents to coach you before and during the campaign, with a robust professional network to afterward help you to land a deal with a traditional editor. If you know of any other platform able to do this, please, let me know.
Authors may submit their book proposals to Publishizer, and there will be an agent taking care of that proposal. In parallel, Publishizer scouts for mind-blowing authors. The ultimate goal is to launch campaigns, prove a readership, and finally connect authors with critical players in the publishing industry.
Publishizer is a sophisticated platform to explain, like everything else within one of the most traditional and passionate industries in the cultural arena: publishing. Publishizer may become your traditional literary agent, but not necessarily. Publishizer is born where two worlds collide, books and technology, and only good and unexpected things may come out from that.
Last but not least, I want to say that I do not write this article because I joined the company in February. The other way around: I gladly accepted to join the company because after 12 years in the traditional publishing industry it was about time Publishizer was born — and I’m proud and thrilled to be a part of it.
To find out more about us head to publishizer.com
Written by Wendolín Perla, who was part of the Penguin Random House family for over 11 years.
