Chuck Wendig: "Dear Publishers"

Author Chuck Wendig has been known to post a rant or two...or three or four...on his blog terribleminds....

In his most recent rant [Note: NSFW language], Dear Publishers, Chuck has a few words -- actually, a lot of words -- for publishers: what they should and should not do. I'll include the major points below, with a few succinct quotes, but you really need to read Chuck's blog post in its entirety, assuming of course that you are in some way connected to the business of publishing.

Chuck writes:

"I think [publishers] do the Story Lord's work in bringing books to to the world.... You are vital. A vital part of the ecosystem. A critical and competitive keystone of the entire book-reading, book-loving, book-smelling, book-humping culture. I love books. You publish books.... Still, as much as I like you, I think it's time we had a conversation. I've noticed some things you do that, frankly, I think you could be doing better...."

• DRM IS FOR ASSBADGERS
  "I get it. You like DRM. You think it's valuable in staving off waves of book-thieving pirates.... [But], for the most part, DRM is implemented poorly."

• I WILL BUY THE PHYSICAL BOOK AND YOU WILL GIVE ME THE E-BOOK
  "No, really, I'm not kidding. You tell me, 'You buy a hardcopy, we'll give you an e-copy,' then I'll take that deal every time."

• PARTNER WITH INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES
  "Indie bookstores want to sell books and spread the book-love around. And you, as publishers, are purveyors of those very books. Partner with them."

• LIBRARIES ARE OUR FRIENDS AND, ALSO, VITAL
  "You know another way that a lot of people learn to love books? Libraries. I mean, how awesome is a library?... Help libraries. Help them. They’re customers. But even beyond that, they’re the drug dealers of the book world."

• CHANGE STARTS FROM WITHIN
  "SFF right now is going through a lot of growing pains in terms of straining its white dude diapers.... A lot of this change happens inside publishing. It starts with hiring people at all strata within the industry from a variety of life experiences and social configurations."

• AUTHORS ARE YOUR PARTNERS, NOT YOUR BANGLADESHI CLIMATE CHANGE REFUGEES
  "I've been happy with my publishers. I know a lot of authors who are happy with theirs, too, and who have signed smart contracts.... [but] You try to grab rights that should never be yours, or offer up Byzantine rules so confusing and labyrinthine it's like a math puzzle for MENSA meth addicts."

• AUTHORS NEED SOME MOTHERFUCKING DATA, STAT
  "...if you keep data from us, it might seem as if you’re trying to hide something. Again, we want to feel like partners, not like employees. What you know, we should also know."

• STOP WITH THE SNEAKY VANITY PUBLISHING STUFF, BECAUSE, EW
  "...signing up with these services often wildly exploits the author."

• SELF-PUBLISHING IS CALLING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE
  "Author-based publishing is here and it’s not going anywhere.... Relationships must evolve. The business models must change.... "

• LET US SEAL THIS FRIENDSHIP IN BLOOD.

I can't emphasize enough: If you are a writer, editor, publisher, self-publisher, please read Chuck Wendig's entire blog post, Dear Publishers. You won't be disappointed. And you might even learn something...or two...or three.

Digital Detective Inspector Chen

Nearly three years ago, on December 1, 2010, I published a blog post on the long-awaited publication of the fifth Detective Inspector Chen novel, The Iron Khan, by author Liz Williams. At that time, the novel was only available in various ebook formats. Morrigan Books, publisher of this fifth DI Chen novel, released the print edition in the first part of 2011.

I had edited all five of Williams's Chen novels for Night Shade Books, but due to circumstances (which the author explained on her Live Journal here and here), the fifth volume was dropped by Night Shade and picked up by Morrigan Books.

Now, finally, all five Detective Inspector Chen novels are available in a variety of ebook formats from Open Road Media -- the novels should be read in order, as the underlying story is revealed that leads up to the proposed sixth and final volume, Morning Star. Here are the five volumes, in order of publication -- and the order in which they should be read: [Note: Links below are to the Amazon Kindle format; other formats can be obtained via iTunes, Google, B&N, and Kobo.]

1. Snake Agent
2. The Demon and the City
3. Precious Dragon
4. The Shadow Pavilion
5. The Iron Khan

Paul Weimer, in his review of The Iron Khan on Goodreads, has summed up what is so special about this series of novels. Paul writes: "As is usual for the Chen books, the narrative not only focuses on Chen, Zhu Irzh and their friends and allies, but new characters, whose goals, desires and needs bloom like a flower quickly coming into full season. Both the titular antagonist, the Iron Khan, other antagonists, and those who oppose their efforts, such as the Japanese warrior Omi, have their narrative threads intersect with our main characters. They have pasts, presents and futures of their own, and never serve to act for the benefit of the main characters. If anything, these characters draw our main characters and their talents into their stories, for ill or will."

All five Detective Inspector Chen novels are also available in matching trade paperbacks from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.