An insight into the publishing industry : talking to Pete Adams, a local author.

I recently spoke with Pete Adams about all things publishing a topic on which he has a lot of strong opinions.

He’s built these opinions over the course of his career where he has so far published 12 books out of a 14 part series with an international publisher, Next Chapter publishers.

His books sell all around the world and I may have imagined a more triumphant and self-appreciative tone to his response, and yet here he is. He is brutally honest about his thoughts and experiences.

He is well aware that his opinions may not be liked by everyone in the “biz” but was prepared to put all his thoughts down on paper.

We hope that from this interview you can take away the fact that writing and becoming published is a difficult but rewarding task.

1. What is writing to you?

Writing is a solitary occupation: It is also an area wherein so many feel they have a place, or at least can put a toe into the enormous pool of talent; “Everyone has a book in them” and there is nothing wrong with that. However, we have a ‘gaggle’ of authors flooding a market that can only be described as confused: what book should a reader buy, should I take a chance on an unknown author, a self-published book, safety first with a known publisher, and what is the collective noun for novelists, is it a Chapter?

1. Is the publishing industry ready to take on new work? 

We have a commercial market that is seriously ‘risk-averse’. New manuscripts that make it past the stringent initial screening, where so many get thrown out on basic submission errors, or a poorly written synopsis, a ‘great book’ could be discarded or go onto the ‘slush pile’ and stay to be later thrown out, only a few landing on the desk of mainly scaredy-cat conservative editors. Mainstream publishers look for the ‘safe bet’ for a formula, repeated. Not willing to take a chance on finding the next Harry Potter, and if a book published with their full promotion doesn’t make it in, reputedly 6 weeks, it is dumped to make its own way.

1. Is self publishing the easy solution?

Self-publishing. This offers an enormous opportunity for authors to get their book out there, further diluting the pool of choice, especially so if you think of the categories of writer, ranging from ‘the toe in the water’ one book, to the dedicated writer who ‘must’ write and has given up on finding an agent and a publisher. The difficulty they all have is marketing, and more often or not the most talented are writing, not selling, have no marketing skills, and the pool of choice is further diluted by average books written by clever sales people. This can work, but it also risks a downward spiral of quality. Finally, there is the

recognised (successful) author who decides that the publisher is taking too much from them, and having established a strong following, they self-publish and many are successful at this.

1. Is there a chance for the industry to improve?

I favour a solution that would see the mainstream publishers create a shared contract with the good Indie publishers. This allows the small Indies to take the risk in finding the good writers and the great novels. They could then pass this onto the big boys with an agreement to share in profits (like a hybrid agent); good for the Indie publisher, less risk for the big boys and, good for the author. This however would be too sensible for the ultra-safe and greedy

mainstream publishers who rarely republish, so if your book has been out there, even if it is

self-published, it is a no go for them.

There is the idea of an author’s collective becoming a limited publisher, building up a head of steam to help debut writers, even established writers, with part royalties funding for a pool of good editors, graphic designers and printers, and then with the collective power, do a deal with the distributors. This could work, but like many such idealistic and creative ideas, as they begin to show grass-root signs of success, the middle class step in. I have seen this personally in many instances throughout my life, and below is a paragraph I penned that one day may form the basis of a book, titled, Cold Vision:

“You know what I dislike, more and more, as I get older – it’s the fucking

middleclass. I always thought it would be the upper-class or the aristocracy. Well, I likely despise them and their innate sense of privilege and sense of right, but the middleclass…

What the middleclass do is see something that is really good, often created by a person who is dedicated and had to be to create, whatever it is. Then they decide they would like to be a part of that and are welcomed in, and what do they do? 

They drive the ‘thing’ to mediocrity, shove out the creatives or sideline them, all so they can shine and look fucking smug about it, without having a clue about what they are doing; ‘look at me, I’m an author’.”

1. If you could go back and tell yourself anything before your first book was published what would you say?

This may be the essence of this interview, because to be a good creative

writer you must, in my opinion, press on regardless. The hurdles are there and as you reach them, you get over or go around, all along hoping that the swamp that is the mystery of publishing will eventually be cleared. Incidentally, this is my story – I had not a clue what I was doing, but along the way, good people directed me out of the kindness of their hearts, this included agents, librarians, successful authors and eventually, publishers. However, what I have learned goes back to the opening statement; writing is a solitary occupation. Yes it is, and so you have to have faith in your abilities living in isolation.

1. What is the most difficult thing to overcome?

As your success grows, so bitter jealousy creeps in and if not destructive, the support systems disappear (it’s that fucking middle-class sense of their right to own everything and preach much that they don’t understand from the pulpit of the church of mediocrity). Also, as success grows you can be viewed as elitist. I have met successful authors and they are so far from elitist, in fact they are always willing to help and advise; one even directed me to her publisher, and as they say, 12 books later… That said, I always keep my eye open, agents and publishers; complacency kills in this biz, and on too many fronts. 

After all, I love writing, but I have to eat.