Top 5 Dumbest Business Practices in Publishing

Today's re-blog comes courtesy of Dean Wesley Smith who offers some very interesting insights into the publishing business. Something to really think about if you're considering the traditional route with your writing.

The Top Five Dumbest Business Practices in Publishing - See more at: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/the-top-five-dumbest-business-practices-in-publishing/#sthash.cHEUsR5G.dpuf

The Top Five Dumbest Business Practices in Publishing

From the real world perspective, publishing is really, really, really known for its head-shakingly stupid business practices. But inside of publishing, these practices have become so common and set in “the way things are done” as to be defended by otherwise sane business people.

So I figured I would honor Dave Letterman’s departure with a quick top five list.

I’ll give the real world equivalent of the publishing practice, then the actual publishing practice, working down to the most stupid publishing practice of them all.

There are many others. I try to deal with a lot of them in the Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing books.

And if this little blog helps you wake up a little and realize you have fallen for one of these “the way things are done” practices, great. But if you keep on doing this stuff, just be warned that what you are doing really, really is flat dumb when looked at from the light of real business.

Drumroll please….Read the rest at Dean's Blog

From the real world perspective, publishing is really, really, really known for its head-shakingly stupid business practices. But inside of publishing, these practices have become so common and set in “the way things are done” as to be defended by otherwise sane business people.
So I figured I would honor Dave Letterman’s departure with a quick top five list.
I’ll give the real world equivalent of the publishing practice, then the actual publishing practice, working down to the most stupid publishing practice of them all.
There are many others. I try to deal with a lot of them in the Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing books.
And if this little blog helps you wake up a little and realize you have fallen for one of these “the way things are done” practices, great. But if you keep on doing this stuff, just be warned that what you are doing really, really is flat dumb when looked at from the light of real business.
Drumroll please….
- See more at: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/the-top-five-dumbest-business-practices-in-publishing/#sthash.cHEUsR5G.dpuf

The Top Five Dumbest Business Practices in Publishing - See more at: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/the-top-five-dumbest-business-practices-in-publishing/#sthash.cHEUsR5G.dpuf

The Top Five Dumbest Business Practices in Publishing - See more at: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/the-top-five-dumbest-business-practices-in-publishing/#sthash.cHEUsR5G.dpuf

The Top Five Dumbest Business Practices in Publishing - See more at: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/the-top-five-dumbest-business-practices-in-publishing/#sthash.cHEUsR5G.dpuf

First self-publishing MA offers DIY education

I just stumbled across the link to the following article in the Guardian on The Passive Voice and it got me to thinking. If you were going to spend the money for an MA in self-publishing, wouldn't it make more sense to spend that money on an MFA? Or for that matter as a self-publisher, why not spend it on editing services, cover design, or even advertising.


Excerpted from The Guardian:
The University of Central Lancashire has announced the launch of what it describes as the world's first degree in self-publishing.

The MA will begin in September, and course leader Debbie Williams believes it will help "legitimise" self-publishing. "Things have definitely changed. In the last two years, self-publishing has stopped being a dirty word, and is a legitimate option for authors," she said. "Even the biggest authors are looking at it now."

Read the rest at The Guardian

 Do you believe an MA in self-publishing would be beneficial?

Would the possession of an MA in self-publishing set you apart in the readers eyes from other self-publishers?

Would that legitimize your work in the eyes of organizations such as the (HWA) Horror Writers Association?  or perhaps the (SFWA) Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America? Maybe the (MWA)  Mystery Writers of America?

Perhaps permitting you to join as a full voting member?

As self publishing grows, and as I've mentioned in the past, there are myriad organizations and business' that spring up practically overnight with the express purpose of separating the writer from his money.

Is this just the next evolutionary step in that process?

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this. But please, let's be civil.

Netflix and Google Books Are Blurring the Line Between Past and Present

“The past is a foreign country,” novelist L. P. Hartley wrote. “They do things differ­ently there.” He penned that in 1953, but in the digital era the past is now present and all around us: Millions of out-of-print books and historical videoclips, black-and-white movies, nearly forgotten TV shows and pop songs are all available with a credit card or in many cases for free. It used to be that, for economic and techno­logical reasons, this cultural history was locked away. Libraries and corporate archives kept a small subset of it available, but the rest was in storage, out of reach. The reversal has happened in just the past decade. We are now living in a history glut; the Internet has muddled the line between past and present.

Read the rest at Wired