The real irony here, it turns out, is that it wasn’t the publishers calling the questions:
- 75 percent of responding authors said they have never been asked for feedback from their publisher
- 7 percent said that publishers pay writers well
- 32 percent said that the prestige of having a deal with a traditional publisher was important to them
- 28 percent said communication from their publisher before, during, and after publication was inconsistent, confusing or always poor
- 26 percent said that communication from their publisher was excellent
- 37 percent said they would move publisher if another reputable publisher offered the same advance as their current advance for their next book
We are sure the concerns raised about feedback will be well noted by publishers.
That’s the optimistic comment you’ll find from Publishers Association chief executive Richard Mollet on results of the #AuthorSay survey of traditionally published writers. Those results indicate that a lot of traditionally published authors feel that their publishers — communications specialists, after all — have long shared a kind of lapse in their own communications with their writers.
Exclusive first coverage of the results of the “Do You Love Your Publisher” survey is now available from The Bookseller here in Authors call for better communication with publishers.
Because, as The Bookseller editor Philip Jones notes in his leader piece in today’s (10th April) edition:
Traditional publishers are deluding themselves if they think they hold the whip-hand over authors. The recent high-profile poaches (Kate Mosse, Danielle Steel, Allison Pearson, Trisha Ashley, with more announcements to come during LBF) show how far publishers will now go to get the right talent on their books, and how they are refining their offers to make themselves attractive, whether that is by promising to publish with global muscle or with boutique attention.
But it also reveals how authors are willing to break even long-term publisher relationships for the chance of something new and refreshing, especially if it also comes with more money.
By Porter Anderson
The FutureBook: #FutureChat today: Are publishers getting the #authorsay message?
Read the full post at: TheBookseller.com/futurebook
