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Eisler vs. HockingI haven’t done a comic in a while, so figured I’d share my two cents on Amanda Hocking’s commercial publishing deal and Barry Eisler’s decision to self-publish. 37 comments to Eisler vs. Hocking |
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Very nice!
That’s brilliant! And one of those things that can be applied to a lot of different topics where consumer reaction is involved.
It’s Eisler, not Eisner. But the cartoon is very amusing.
Crap!!! Editing time…
You nailed it!
Probably because I keep my head in a certain genre window (mostly epic fantasy), but my initial reaction, as a reader, where more along the lines of “Huh, who are Barry Eisler and Amanda Hocking?”
Well yeah, there’s that reaction too
Also, in “where more along the lines”… (I need proofreaders, too). “where” –> “were” –> “was”. What a tangled web we weave.
Me too!
Not to be a proofreading PITA, but it should be “two million dollar contract,” not “contact.” (I do that all the time too…)
Regardless, it’s a great comic, and totally nails it!
Fixed, and thank you.
Apparently my secondary mission this morning was to demonstrate the importance of proofreaders…
Hah, and the particular challenges that come along with being an indie cartoonist.
I don’t really get anyone who is adamantly indie or traditional. That feels like you’re working for a medium rather than making that medium work for you. Frankly, going forward, I think a lot of the most successful authors are likely to employ a blend of both routes.
Or as Taylor Mali said, “the impotence of proofreaders” (possibly one of my favorite poems EVER). *grin*
Oh, the irony. That should’ve been “the impotence of proofreading.” ARG. Also, grr.
“The the impotence of proofreading”, if you’re going for the complete title.
Ed: I agree. The smart cookie does whatever will make money and bring in readers. It’s irrational to assign ideology to publishing formats.
I have not yet read anything Amanda Hocking has written. Has anyone here? All I ever see is people writing about how much money she’s making. No one has said whether they read and enjoyed her work.
Depends on where you look. I picked one of her Amazon listings, and she’s got more than 200 reviews, mostly positive. People are definitely reading her stuff.
I haven’t read her actual work so far, but I have read several blog entries (http://amandahocking.blogspot.com/), and have really enjoyed them all. If her book-writing measures up, it should be great. My library is considering purchasing her books and I hope to read them soon.
I gave Switched a try and gave up before the first chapter was over… Problem is that for me to be able to stand first person narrative, the voice must be really compelling, and here it wasn’t.
::Glances at the draft of Libriomancer::
Uh oh…
No worries, Jim, I’d bet your narrator will meet the “really compelling” test. (Of course, I can’t speak for Anke.) But I don’t have a problem with first person anyway, it’s present tense that drives me nuts. A book written in present tense has to be really, really, really compelling for me to read it.
We’ll see, but I’m fairly confident here.
Love that cartoon…so true!
I bought the first book of her trilogy after Jim linked to her post on e-publishing, and liked it well enough to buy the rest of the trilogy. The attentions of a *good* editor and proofreader would definitely improve it - a few draggy spots, some typos, but it was better than some “traditionally-published” books I’ve read. I didn’t just love it, and I’m probably not going to be her biggest fan or anything, but it was a decent story, decently told. (At least the first book was - I haven’t read the other two yet, because I bought other books at the same time that I wanted to read more. Fantasy isn’t my first love, or even my second. It’s third in my personal hierarchy - ahead of traditional fantasy and alternate history, but behind science fiction and mystery.
Oh, and great comic, too - I’m that reader. I call myself a bibliovore, because I devour books. I need stuff to read. Don’t care how it gets to me, as long as it does.
er… I meant to say _urban_ fantasy is third, ahead of traditional fantasy.
(Sorry, Jim! Doesn’t mean I don’t love your books anyway! But, you know, it would be AWESOME if you turned your talents to urban fantasy… jus’ sayin’… I can totally see Jig transported to another dimension and running the subway tunnels under New York… Or the princesses (again, transported to another dimension) and introducing Washington D.C. to an entirely different form of politics…)
You realize I’m currently working on a new series which includes Smudge transported into modern-day Michigan, yes?
Um… I didn’t know Libromancer was set in modern day Michigan, no. But, now I have a problem… I CAN’T WAIT! It’s a problem I’ve gotten very used to, however, so I guess I’ll find a way to wait. BUT I CAN’T WAIT!!!!
::Grin:: I’m writing as fast as I can!
Thank you! I really do appreciate it! Of course, I was looking forward to your new series anyway - you haven’t yet written a book I didn’t love - but now I’m in edge-of-the-seat mode waiting for it. Which would be uncomfortable, but I don’t notice the discomfort so much as long as there are books to read between now and then. Hence the whole “let’s try this” joy of low-cost e-books to fill in the gaps. I’m willing to take a chance on a new author for $3, not so much for $10 or $20. (Until I got my nook, I shopped the “remainder” tables to try new authors. But, now I have Backlist E-Books and Smashwords available for try-outs.)
That’s just lovely, Jim. I think you have a third career as a cartoonist.
Eep! I can barely keep up with the two careers I’ve got now!
Oh, man, that just totally *rocks.*
My biggest rant is the way that marketers, publishers, and an awful lot of authors seem to have forgotten all about the *readers.* Without readers, we’re nothing! But in all the punditry and predictions and puffery about “the future of publishing,” the readers seem to be the last ones who are asked *their* opinions or wishes, the last ones who are considered. It drives me up the wall.
Jim, do you mind if I post this ‘toon (with proper attribution and linkage of course) as part of my next post at murderati.com? It illustrates precisely what I was planning to write about.
As long as attribution and link are included, that would be fine. Thanks!
Excellent. Thank you!
[...] so the hip new term is “indie author.” I also wrote about how a writer friend emailed me Jim C. Hall’s very funny cartoon to get me to shut up about the whole [...]
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