Whenever you encounter information about any subject, the first step is to check the source.
Unsurprisingly, a favorable political poll sometimes (often?) originates from a source with a vested interest in or closely aligned with the group most likely to benefit from the good news. There are relatively few unbiased, objective sources of polling research.
For the same reason, the first question you should ask about any information related to book publishing is, “Who is this from?”
About 15-20 years ago, I recall a situation when a publishing group released annual industry data that always showed positive results and solid growth. The group behind it needed to put the best face in front of the public, so …
They made it up—not entirely, but they knew the available data was incomplete, so they extrapolated conclusions to make it look as good as possible. Many segments of the “research industrial complex” in all walks of life do this.
I’ve learned to approach research like a journalist when dealing with information about the publishing industry.
Check the source. Seek multiple sources. Let the information take you where it takes you, and don’t look for information that only supports your preset opinions.
Always ask who conducted the research and what their methodology is. Fight the temptation to look at one biased study to fuel your opinions. In other words, at the same time, have a healthy skepticism about what you learn and an openness to learning something new.
If you see some research that the “Hottest Book Category for Next Year” originates from the National Association of the Hottest Book Category, it requires some skepticism and further research.
Similarly, a research piece on Christian books conducted by a group known for their anti-Christian bias should likely be taken with a grain of salt.
Readers of this agency blog should understand that the opinions expressed come from the perspective of people with a background in traditional publishing and who work exclusively in the traditional publishing world as agents.
I’ve written this before, but the worst advice is the same advice given to everyone:
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- The best route for everyone is to have an agent.
- No one needs an agent.
- The traditional publishing route is the best road to take.
- Self-publishing is the best route to take.
- Every aspiring author needs to have a considerable author marketing platform before you write.
- The platform doesn’t matter; it’s only about the book’s content.
As an agent in the traditional publishing book market, I would disagree with every one of the above statements since they all contain a healthy dose of “it depends” built in.
The point is that authors need to be students of the industry they are working in. It would be foolish to think you can compete (yes, it’s a competition) in a mature, highly saturated industry with no knowledge of how it works.
This doesn’t mean you need to be an expert; but a wise approach would be to take your time, involve seeking multiple sources, and have a willingness to change your mind.
My parrot swallowed my Montblanc,
something that the vet will fix;
that watch is built just like a tank,
so until then, Polly ticks.
Now, had Timex been what had been downed,
life might have become lazy
for I’m sure he would have come around,
the great John Cameron Swayze
to confer great fortune, fame
(Takes a licking, keeps on ticking!),
but those Swiss, with pride in name,
take care in advert picking
and eschew such crass publicity,
but offered to clean it for free.
I think that this is a wise advice. Thank you!
Once again, invaluable advice. A highlight of my writer’s journey is this weekly email. Thank you, all.
Great advice, as usual. But I think I might take some exception to the first point. I cannot imagine a writer, at any stage of their career, who would not benefit from having an agent. (Especially if the agent is anything like the writer of this post).
Thank you Dan. I needed this today!
I love how your worst advice bullet points completely contradict each other, yet you couldn’t have been more spot on.
Dan,
Thanks for this extremely important warning! I’m a doctorally prepared, academic researcher, author, and editor. A few years ago many published academic journal articles quoted a particular research study that stated that there was NO statistical support for a well-known teaching strategy that has long been used worldwide. I had personally published research that conflicted with that statement! So I found and studied the research design this popular article’s authors had used. I discovered that they had limited their search to only articles published within a particular two-year time frame, in the US, with very narrow criteria for how the sample had to have been chosen for each study. Virtually no study could have met all their criteria, so of course they didn’t find any! But their conclusion that there was “no evidence” to support the teaching strategy was blatantly false–it only applied to research that could have met their ridiculously exclusionary criteria. That statement, however, was widely accepted and quoted as truth, especially by those who thought that teaching strategy was old-fashioned and outdated. Hooray for your statement, “The point is that authors need to be students of the industry they are working in”! We DO!
I had to learn about such biases the hard way by accidentally talking about my personal goals in the wrong place. After much research and prayer, I’ve decided that, while both publishing paths are completely legit, and I may write a book someday that would fit self-publishing better, traditional publishing will be best for my personal needs and wants and the books I’m writing right now. But there’s one group I’ve been in that, when I told them this, dogpiled me with all the ways they think trad is bad if not outright evil, and I’ll fail, so I might as well give up and self-publish like them instead. It was… odd, to say the least, but thankfully I knew enough to spot when they said something wrong or twisted the truth to fit their bias, though I didn’t waste energy telling them so since they didn’t want to know. Rather than discourage me from my path, they made me realize I should be wiser about where and with whom I share my goals. Like I said, I fully respect both publishing paths and only want to see writers behave respectfully toward each other no matter which path an individual chooses. You’re absolutely right that it’s all about educating yourself and following whatever path you’ve chosen wisely and fully informed.
I couldn’t help but laugh. You got it right!
Thanks, Dan.
Wonderfully smart advice. It’s pure common sense, and your point about everyone who wants to succeed in a competitive industry needing to study, study, study … you know, this probably applies to whatever we do, including our salvation! More to the point is YouTube “DIY how-to” videos. I’m pretty good at all kinds of home repair, but when I take the time to study what others do, it never fails to make my own job a dozen times easier … and more successful.
So, thanks again. Keep on sharing your experiences and thoughts on everything and anything!