Just had to re-blog this from Kristen Lamb's Blog . What she says, I couldn't have expressed better myself.
Go ahead and read it.
PAY THE WRITER—Pirates, Used Bookstores & Why Writers Need to Stand Up for What’s Right
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
All righty. I’d vowed to take off for the holidays but *laughs
hysterically* sure. Like THAT was going to happen. No, seriously, I’m
working on resting more. I’m also working on learning to shut up.
Clearly those two goals are getting re-slated for 2016 resolutions
because the whole “
Inside words stay inside…”
Not working out for me. So why not leave 2015 with a bang? Haters gonna hate.
To quote the great Tywin Lannister,
Lions do not concern themselves with the opinions of sheep.
Today I’m going to say something that could quite possibly be grossly
unpopular, but whatever. It’s for your own good. I’m feeding y’all
broccoli to offset all that fudge and alcohol you’ve consumed during the
holidays.
There’s a trend that just makes me see red and I’m calling it out
today because if we do not address this 500 pound used paper elephant in
the room, then it’s going to be really, really hard for you guys to
reach your dreams, which I assume is to work as a full-time PAID writer.
For those of you who do NOT want to be PAID to write? The following
does not apply. If you are content to work a full-time regular job AND
slave over a manuscript as a second job and your ONLY reward is simply
nice reviews, compliments, hugs, cuddles, and the joy your stories might
create in the hearts of others?
I am NOT talking to you.
If, however, you have
ever complained about “an evil day
job” that you really wish you could leave because it is sucking out your
soul and your very will to LIVE day by day and you would rather be
lobotomized than return to Satan’s Cube Farm after the holidays?
Then probably want to pay attention.
Readers ARE Excused
Readers are different. Readers are excused from what I am about to
discuss. Readers are NOT writers. Yes, I understand that many writers
began as readers. But
there is a difference. We have progressed past the point of consuming
an intellectual/creative property and now we are producing this
intellectual/creative property.
We now have something at stake.
So why am I in a tiff?
Yesterday, I was on Facebook and it would have been one thing to see
one writer post this link. But I saw like TEN writers post this link
and they were excited…as if this
Washington Post article were announcing a GOOD thing for our profession.
In an Age of Amazon, Used Bookstores Making an Unlikely Comeback.
Here’s the deal. I don’t care about bookstores. I care about
writers. In
fact, readers should care about writers more than bookstores because no
writers? Well no real point in bookstores now is there?
Want to support the arts? Pay artists. Want to support books? Pay
writers. It is simple. Before we go any further, some education…
How Are Writers Paid?
This seems a bit silly, but we all need to learn this when we decide to do this writing thing as a job.
First of all, I am not against doing stuff for free. But the thing is? Writers already do
all kinds of stuff for free. Every friend, colleague and family member expects us to be an on-call resume-writing, essay writing and editorial service.
Most of the time? We oblige.
Often, we blog for free (though if you do it the way I teach you
actually DO get a return on that investment). Once we are published? We
do interviews and guest posts for…FREE.
So please. Do not expect to ALSO get our books for free. We are frankly DONE with free.
How
can a writer get PAID?
So happy you asked.
Digital pays writers the best. Then print copies. NEW ones. Buy
on-line or in a bookstore or at an event in person. We writers get a
royalty. Depending on the contract, writers can even get paid if a book
is checked out of a library. That library PAID for the book and the
writer was then, in turn, paid a royalty.
Upon so many times checked out? The writer is then PAID again for a new “copy” of the book.
Want to support a writer in the new year? BUY BOOKS.
Writers are NOT PAID for the purchase of used copies. So while I LOVE
used bookstores I want to make a point here. Writers MAKE NO MONEY.
As a professional, I treat my fellow writers-at-arms the way I want to be treated. I do not buy used books as a first choice.
If I DO happen to buy a used book, I make sure to purchase at least a digital copy so that writer is PAID for his or her hard work.
But that article? That article in
The Washington Post was beyond the pale. I was livid. Ripping off artists is not cool. It is not cultural, not avant garde.
To be clear, I do not mind used bookstores. What I
mind is the attitude that somehow digital is bad and Amazon is bad
whereas “paper” and used bookstores are “cultural” and therefore GOOD
and preferable for writers.
And unfortunately, I witness a lot of this among writers. I “get”
that many of you love old books and browsing dusty old shelves and
discovering old treasures. For out of print books? No argument from me.
Rock on. But…
We have to be really, really careful that as artists we are not perpetuating the very behavior that pisses us off.
We like getting paid for our work. We work really really hard and expect (rightfully) that we should be rewarded for doing so.
Surgeons work hard and they expect to get paid. No one gripes when
the sales clerk gets paid. Heck, no one gripes when the UPS driver gets
paid or the barista who makes the triple-shot espresso peppermint soy
cappuccino with half foam and vanilla sprinkles in a special red holiday
cup and does not commit MURDER gets paid.
Oh, but it is artsy and bohemian to rip writers off because old books are cool?
No. And again, let’s keep the debate clear here because I can already
hear the blogs now, “Kristen Lamb hates bookstores!” No. Pay attention.
I love old books. Have stacks of them. Want to buy old copies of
Jane Eyre? Be my guest. I doubt Charlotte Bronte is counting on that
Amazon royalty check to pay to upgrade her Scrivner or unscrew Windows
10 or, I dunno, eat.
Want to support civilization? Buy old books. Want to support a writer and his/her family and
career? Buy new ones or e-books.
Encourage and educate readers to do the same. Because here is the deal. If we
writers
go around cheering how AWESOME used bookstores are? How the heck are
readers going to know they are benevolently gutting our careers?
They (readers) see us posting the links. They ASSUME we are
benefitting. They have no idea how we get paid. Why not direct them to
places where we might make money?
I will parse this article in a moment but first? Let’s look at some of the common reasons people defend the used bookstore.
Used Bookstores Allow Readers To Discover New Authors for a Smaller Investment
Okay, so does digital. Difference is? The writer actually gets paid from an e-book.
Know who else claims they are doing writers a favor by letting readers “discover” new authors on the cheap?
Pirates.
Writers are the first to grab digital pitchforks when their work is pirated because they don’t get paid. GASP! The horror!
Some site offering their books and they don’t get a royalty.
Burn them! Take down the site! They are stealing! Oh, but when a used bookstore does the exact same thing?
It’s okay. Because, well, it’s paper. It’s “culture.”
*head explodes*
Why? That
pirate used bookstore gave you “exposure.” Shouldn’t you be happy that a reader could…”discover” you. That
pirate used bookstore is doing you a favor really.
Just to be clear, piracy is a whole other blog and not the topic of
today and I KNOW used bookstores are not actually stealing. I am only
using this to point out how Janus-faced we writers can be about the
“Ooh! Exposure!” crap.
The Author Can Get “Exposure”
Will Wheaton
took Huffington Post to task on this. Again,
what I am seeing is a Digital Versus Paper Bias. Huffington is a
Pulitzer-winning news outlet that when it sold last year, sold for over
$300 million dollars. Why can’t it then PAY writers who submit? (Hint:
It can. Just doesn’t want to because it doesn’t have to).
Oh but you get “exposure.”
Granted, I bit. I allowed Huffington to repost a couple of my blogs
that had already gone viral. I was flattered to be asked to write for
them and then wrote a couple of pieces just to be able to add
“Huffington” to my resume of accomplishments.
But, I’m ultimately a businesswoman. I had to ask the HARD question. What were they doing FOR ME?
Truth was? Not all that much. It wasn’t worth being troll food,
because, when you post for Huffington, you have no control over comments
and you have to be nice to people whose sole purpose in life is to crap
in your Cheerios.
Here? I am benevolent dictator and do
not have to be nice.
If you want to comment here and write something like this:
Kristen, you are a talentless
hack and a hopeless amateur. Every time you speak a kitten dies from the
sheer stupidity you spew into the ozone layer.
I have this wonderful thing called “edit function.” I can delete. OR, I can change your comment to read.
OMG, Kristen. You are supreme
writer of all that is genius and I want to be JUST LIKE YOU one day. I
have even started dressing JUST LIKE you, which is weird because I am a
dude! <3 <3 <3
Probably shouldn’t have told y’all that. Oh well. Sally forth…
Yes, here I blog seemingly for “free.” But I trust me, I don’t. Not wholly. Because this is MY blog. I own the content.
I make money off my hard work. Which, by the way, is as it should be.
By the way. YOU work hard and guess what? I believe YOU should be paid, too. Wow! Imagine that.
Heresy!
And writers seem to have no problem getting very indignant that so many blogs and digital outlets expect them to work for free.
Oh, but sell my paper books and make all the profit? Go ahead! That’s “culture.”
And before anyone gets too ticked at me, yes, Amazon sells used
books, but the difference is that there is ALSO an active promotion of
that author’s OTHER books that are NOT used where the writer CAN be
paid. On Amazon, it is also extremely easy for a browsing reader to
discover and purchase other titles by that particular author.
So maybe I do buy a used book because it is out of print, but then I CAN buy something IN print so the author can…I dunno. EAT.
Back to This Article…
I think why this article aggravated me so much (aside from writers
promoting the heck out of it) was it was treated as it it was some
“grand thing” for the arts and some big favor to authors. It isn’t. It
helps readers. YES. Writers? Eh, not so much.
Let’s take a look, shall we? From the article…
Quote #1
Sierra, like other book
lovers, has read articles about slowing e-book sales and watched as
independent bookstores such as Politics and Prose thrive, catering to
readers who value bookish places as cultural hubs and still think the
best reading device is paper.
First of all, Sierra, e-book sales are NOT slowing. That is a
patently FALSE claim that does not account for the explosion of indie
and self-publishing. Yes, e-book sales have slowed for traditional
publishers and print has picked up for traditional publishers, but
namely because when publishers insist on charging the same for a PAPER
book as an e-book? Readers will just go ahead and buy paper because
$14.99 is just simply ridiculous for a digital book.
But even if that were the case, if you really do love books? Be a sweetheart and try supporting those who write them. Thank you.
Quote #2
And it’s a business with
good economics. Used bookstores can beat Amazon and other online
booksellers on price, offering shoppers both a browsing experience and a
money-saving one. Also, profit margins on used books are better than new ones.
That part I outlined in red was my favorite.
It is amazing how much profit margins increase when you don’t
actually have to pay the person who worked long and hard and sacrificed
to create the product you are profiting from. The sky is the limit!
Then there is THIS gem.
Quote #3
“It’s (the used bookstore) like having a museum or a theater. It’s a cultural center.” ~Gottwals
Except that museums are supported by private donations, government
funding, grants and patrons PAYING A FEE to walk around and look at the
collections. And theaters? Same thing. Try going to
Phantom for free, Mr. Gottwals. Good luck getting a seat NOT in the nosebleed section for under $250.
Quote #4
“I can find these books online,
but I don’t want to…and if you don’t support the little guys, they won’t
be around anymore.” (Customer)
Exactly, dear customer. If you don’t support the little guys they
won’t be around. They will have to give up writing and work retail and
then saw open their wrists with a spork while listening to Bjork and I
hope you are happy #writerkiller .
We Must Take Ourselves Seriously
Yes, I admit it. I’m ranting today. Why? Because if writers don’t
take themselves seriously, why would anyone else? When I protested the
article on social media,
writers argued with me. They acted as if a book is the same thing as a house or a car.
NO.
A car is a tangible property, not
intellectual property.
I have no problems with people reselling books to used bookstores. I
do it. I buy books from used bookstores. BUT, I also actively go out of
my way to
make sure writers are PAID.
Because here’s the thing. We cannot cheer that used bookstores are
“socking it to Amazon” and at the same time bemoan we aren’t making any
money.
We cannot collectively cheer the “return of paper books” when they are
in the used form and then
also cry that we can’t leave the day job because we are not being paid for our work.
We can’t promote articles like these, directing readers to outlets
where we don’t make royalties and then stand mystified that no one takes
our career seriously. Why are we promoting businesses who brag about
not paying us? Again *head explodes*
We cannot say, “Well I am just happy when a reader discovers my
story” if we are not in fact simply okay with just that. If cuddles and
compliments are enough? Then good. But do not let me hear any complaint.
I do not want to hear ONE word about how much that day job sucks.
And if we ARE going to promote used bookstores (
which IS fine) then by GOD educate readers and
ask for the sale. Let them know that you will not be paid off that sale and to please also buy a full-price version if they like your book.
Educate your readers because the bookstores aren’t going to. Clearly
they do not care if writers get paid because they make money either way.
In fact bookstores make MORE money if writers don’t. That’s just math.
Working for free while others are sole profiteers is NOT okay. It is exploitation.
No one else works for free. You shouldn’t either.
You don’t fill up gas and expect it for free. You don’t expect
cashiers to work at the grocery store for free. You don’t expect people
who cut your hair to do it for free. You
value others and what they contribute to
your life. And maybe I’m a jerk because all I am asking…all I am imploring is that you give the same honor to yourself.
Because in the new year? It won’t matter one whit what resolution you
make. WE are the first step. WE have to draw the line and say that what
we do has value. And we have to call people out when they devalue what
we do.
And when bookstores go around
bragging to
The Washington Post about how much profit they make because the margins are
so much better on used books than on selling NEW books (which
is code for:We don’t have to pay royalties) and expect me the author to
bite on some Book-Buying-Trickle-Down-Economics wrapped up with an
“It’s Culture” ribbon?
NO!
Yes, I love paper books too. I buy them NEW.
Honor yourself. Honor your fellow authors. I love all of you. I
believe in you and hope you see that I DO support bookstores, but
dammit…it is about %$#ing time they returned the favor and supported
those who are bleeding to line their pockets.
You matter. Your dreams matter. Your work matters.
What are your thoughts? Have I finally gone too far? She is MAD! Mad
it tell you! I would blame it on alcohol but I haven’t started
drinking…yet. I needed to drink after that article. What are your
thoughts? Do writers need to stand up more? We already do way too much
for free. We needed to with the expansion of Web 2.0 But now that the
Internet and social media has hit a critical mass, do you think we need
to step back and start saying NO more? What are your thoughts? Were you
unaware how writers were paid?
Do you think use bookstores need to do more to support the actual
WRITERS instead of this cop out of “exposure”? Maybe take some of those
“high profits” and invest in apps or tablets with links to NEW works by
the authors? Maybe let authors come in and talk and promote NEW works so
they can continue to WRITE? What are your thoughts? Are you dressing
just like me?
:D
By the way, I LOVE this short film. There IS STRONG adult language so you are warned. But THIS!!!!!!
I love hearing from you!
Make SURE you sign up for my upcoming classes! This is part of how I
fund my plans for global domination. Purchase a class! Buy a book! OR
ignore all that follows but DAMN sure buy all your books NEW or I WILL
FIND YOU
O_o ….
Remember to check out the new classes listed at W.A.N.A International. Your friends and family can get you something you need for Christmas. Social Media for Writers, Blogging for Writers, and Branding for Authors.
Also, I have one craft class listed. Y
our Story in a Sentence—Crafting Your Log-Line.
Our stories should be simple enough to tell someone what the book is
about in ONE sentence. If we can’t do this, often there is a plot
problem. This class is great for teaching you how to be master plotters
and
the first TEN SIGNUPS get their log-line shredded for free, so you will be agent ready for the coming year.
Enough of that…
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