Accused of over-publicizing your book? who cares?

[Selma Carvalho]

For those who think authors are publicity hounds, this article may help. 

https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/jun/07/book-promotion-publishing-marketing-demand?CMP=share_btn_url

“Things have evolved through the years,” says Hayes, “and now there’s just all of these things that authors are expected to do. They’re expected to have a website, a newsletter, be active on social media, have a plan for how they’re going to talk about their book. And a lot of authors just want to write the book: that’s why they became an author, not to do all the other stuff.”

Most of us Goan authors don't have huge budgets to spend on attending festivals or doing book tours or spending hours on social media building audiences, but at least we Goan forums.

Take care,

selma

[Patrice Riemens]

Hi All,

Looks like the epochal trend (over the pas 50 years) in society as a wholke to do more and more, faster and faster - the acceleration process described by Paul Virilio and Hartmut Rosa (a.o.) on one hand. And on the other the trend in the dominant economic system (read neo-liberal capitalism, & increasingly libertarian capitalism) to outsource absolutely every activity, and retain only the core. In the case of authors (but also academics): produce not only the content, but also the material conditions of the content - and we'll cream off the profits, thank you very much.

Just say no.

Ciao Ciao

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Da: "'Selma Carvalho' via The Goa Book Club" <goa-bo...@googlegroups.com>
A: "The Third Thursday Goa Book Club" <goa-bo...@googlegroups.com>
Inviato: Lunedì, 10 giugno 2024 19:45:13
Oggetto: [GOABOOKCLUB] Accused of over-publicizing your book? who cares?

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[Selma Carvalho]

Very true what you've said, Patrice. This trend to outsource to the author the marketing and publicity aspect creates a very unequal playing field. It will again lead to marginalisation of voices, even post-publication. There will be authors with tremendous private budgets or perhaps even technological know-how who can canvas geographical and online markets, and there will be authors with meagre to no budgets who cannot do likewise. And yet, if you had the means to save your baby would you not save it? Of course, we would. 

Buy-back too is a huge issue, where rich authors buyback their own books to make best-seller lists. It's a very compromised industry and there are no easy answers.

Warm regards,

Selma

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[Patrice Riemens]

Indeed. Also it goes with another, if linked, trend: concentration at the top: ever fewer ... (just fill in, a.o.: authors) get more and more of the pie. And they don't need any longer to do the work, it's done, with glee, for them. That authors operate like big firms buying up their own shares to raise prices/celebrity was unknown to me, eternal naive, but the effect is the same.

We'll end up in Brazil (the film, not the country).

Ciao Ciao

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From: "'Selma Carvalho' via The Goa Book Club" <goa-bo...@googlegroups.com>
To: "'Patrice Riemens' via The Goa Book Club" <goa-bo...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, 11 June, 2024 20:07:58
Subject: Re: [GOABOOKCLUB] Accused of over-publicizing your book? who cares?

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