tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post7839239320130324608..comments2023-09-29T09:18:38.933-04:00Comments on Bent on Books: My, How Things Have Changed: Jenny weighs in on industry changes good and badJenny Benthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12744171500436166262noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-39706373001534151632012-10-29T10:40:50.458-04:002012-10-29T10:40:50.458-04:00This was a great blog very beneficial, and alot of...This was a great blog very beneficial, and alot of information I didn't know. Jenny i'm a Self Published Author/Writer of a new book Called My Life, My Pain No None Heard My Cry. Self Publishing it's great, but with my new books coming I want to go a different route this time. Thanks for the info. I appreciate it. Kandi's How To Help Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13268365394816105815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-12757657858170335412012-10-13T01:04:23.280-04:002012-10-13T01:04:23.280-04:00This is so interesting. Thank you for posting it. ...This is so interesting. Thank you for posting it. You can read in trade mags and writing courses all about this stuff, but you, make it so much more understandable, Jenny!Raley Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12491288350718441261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-51008944109186209502012-05-23T16:54:16.166-04:002012-05-23T16:54:16.166-04:00I am finding your blog to be very helpful. I look...I am finding your blog to be very helpful. I look forward to meeting you in a couple of weeks at the Converse College MFA Residency. --Donna Girouard, author of The Other Side: A Memoir (nearing completion)fulmoonmajikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02914069104676331233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-41948524207193893392012-04-12T05:50:04.490-04:002012-04-12T05:50:04.490-04:00Having just stumbled on your site, I read this pos...Having just stumbled on your site, I read this post and that's it: I am submitting to you soon as I send this. I love your voice: you really should write, Jenny! <br /><br />(I am Jill Carin Adams, by the way, and will be checking your submissions guidelines soon as I post this).jillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469037790247873157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-76550810930976428452012-03-17T11:33:07.642-04:002012-03-17T11:33:07.642-04:00Great post--definitely tweeting. I had no idea abo...Great post--definitely tweeting. I had no idea about the current payout amounts for writers, but I'd heard it had gone down overall.Heather Day Gilberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12353914883176152555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-67775873305050359782012-02-26T16:16:43.574-05:002012-02-26T16:16:43.574-05:00Publishers are not going to give up e-rights anyti...Publishers are not going to give up e-rights anytime soon. Think about it from their perspective: why would they give up such a profitable (or potentially profitable) income stream?Jenny Benthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12744171500436166262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-75822475875733083312012-02-26T15:59:09.331-05:002012-02-26T15:59:09.331-05:00Jenny Thank you for sharing such insights. I'v...Jenny Thank you for sharing such insights. I've been studying the art of writing for the 20 years you've been working and I am glad for the changes you mentioned. The most interesting to me is the fight over the 'other' rights. <br /><br />Is it possible for an author to retain the e-rights to his novel? There is a lot of discussion about how conventional publishers aren't serving the author's interests in the ebook market.MadManhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02323335049035362430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-23732041453925948562012-02-19T14:28:59.306-05:002012-02-19T14:28:59.306-05:00It's interesting to hear what's going on f...It's interesting to hear what's going on from an insider's perspective. I queried my first book series in 2010 with no success, finally self-pubbing in 2011. My books review very well with the YA bloggers, but sales are lackluster (probably due to my crap-tastic marketing program).<br />My question is, do publishers take self published authors seriously? It's hard enough to get bloggers to take a look when you're an indie. I mean, now that I have something of a track record, will my next book series be more likely to get a once-over?Derrolynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14908985558666474872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-1565559417617941882012-02-18T20:12:44.827-05:002012-02-18T20:12:44.827-05:00Thanks for your overview on how the industry has c...Thanks for your overview on how the industry has changed. As someone who is throwing her hat in the authorial ring for the first time, I find the whole self-publishing explosion exciting but also precarious. When I weed through various self-published author sites,I don't see a lot of compelling material. I still think a novelist would do better going through an agent or a publisher who knows the business and can help them put their best foot forward. I guess time will tell which direction I'll take. If only I could stop writing and just market, maybe I'd get somewhere.Diana Stevanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17591685644423301966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-1373617412751900132012-02-17T16:24:55.408-05:002012-02-17T16:24:55.408-05:00books and authors and not to make money. So they ...books and authors and not to make money. So they had the luxury of spending a lot of time nurturing talent. Most agents now have to make a living doing this and so it's a different kind of scenario. <br /><br />I still think there is a lot of loyalty in this business, however, and I think it's inevitable when so much of what we do is based on personal taste and relationships.Jenny Benthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12744171500436166262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-38396729432073149642012-02-16T11:53:51.867-05:002012-02-16T11:53:51.867-05:00Jenny, I love the perspective you bring and your b...Jenny, I love the perspective you bring and your blog. Great stuff. <br /><br />Just a quick question about the role of agents and how that has changed during your career. After reading the letters from the great American writer period of the 30's and 40's, it seems that agents were more interested in finding promising writers and not specific projects and there was more loyalty on both sides during the length of a career. Do you see that it has shifted over the past few decades to agents looking now for individual projects, or do you still keep your eye out for that voice that you like that might not have the right project yet?John Harbourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11062783769692629709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-11955796982049989682012-02-15T21:19:11.370-05:002012-02-15T21:19:11.370-05:00What I love is that I was able to write a slew of ...What I love is that I was able to write a slew of articles back in 2007 and garner over 1,000,000 readers worldwide. When I released my first self-published book, Seven Murders In Sussex, I already had an audience. But I find I still need the staunchy old publisher behind the oak desk for translations and foreign rights. So we move twenty steps forward and a few back. I do miss my good old days at William Morrow when we answered every call and drank mud like coffee in the back rooms. I hope that hasn't changed.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17274029935589743076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-79072943235407819402012-02-15T00:20:22.787-05:002012-02-15T00:20:22.787-05:00I've been writing and getting pubbed for almos...I've been writing and getting pubbed for almost twenty years. I like some changes, others take some adjustment. The pace nowadays is exciting. And, editors do, indeed, edit. The more complicated aspects now include authors learning more about the business end and trying to make good decisions on their own.ryan fieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13361694356025572544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-64370603648157348962012-02-13T20:51:18.309-05:002012-02-13T20:51:18.309-05:00This is a great post. Very interesting! Thank you ...This is a great post. Very interesting! Thank you for sharing your long view on this.Jennifer Griffithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13073947223053099280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-21442257413823046782012-02-11T19:57:48.454-05:002012-02-11T19:57:48.454-05:00Just remember that we get rejected too--all the ti...Just remember that we get rejected too--all the time. Sometimes it's hard to keep your chin up, even. But being surrounded by books and great people is definitely what keeps you going even in the tough times.Jenny Benthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12744171500436166262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-18294342937637195532012-02-11T19:56:42.069-05:002012-02-11T19:56:42.069-05:00I know, right? So many agents refused to take e-q...I know, right? So many agents refused to take e-queries for so long. I was young then, so it was easy for me to embrace that--always seemed like a great idea to me.Jenny Benthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12744171500436166262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-3805204784193808002012-02-11T19:55:36.095-05:002012-02-11T19:55:36.095-05:00Colin, I can't tell you how happy it makes me ...Colin, I can't tell you how happy it makes me not to have so much paper stacked up everywhere. Those horrible blue manuscript boxes, argh. The photocopying costs. The manuscript that would arrive in your office reeking of cigarette smoke. So glad those days are gone.<br /><br />For the most part, I think it's a good thing that it's now much easier to query agents. I can sift through and find the good stuff relatively quickly and it's nice to have a larger pool from which to choose.Jenny Benthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12744171500436166262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-49384439003923129412012-02-11T16:29:18.244-05:002012-02-11T16:29:18.244-05:00Love this post. It's nice to know industry fol...Love this post. It's nice to know industry folks aren't the dream crushing trolls we think they are--when we're bombarded by rejections, that is :)Bethany Crandellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08465408035247412662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-25304201444183034082012-02-11T16:14:07.893-05:002012-02-11T16:14:07.893-05:00I remember the LMP.
I also remember all-paper que...I remember the LMP.<br /><br />I also remember all-paper queries and rejection letters, being told that querying by e-mail was gauche and would never catch on, and that the phrase "multiple submissions" was a swear word.<br /><br />So many changes for the better.Michael G-Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07947421844294471304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-3444583842254829332012-02-11T15:54:53.241-05:002012-02-11T15:54:53.241-05:00Thank you for sharing this information.Thank you for sharing this information.Random Andrewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15056900421889361560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-3080908520644016222012-02-11T14:40:06.639-05:002012-02-11T14:40:06.639-05:00Thank you for sharing this. Great to get an agent&...Thank you for sharing this. Great to get an agent's perspective on the changes in the industry.Kelley Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06373650788799372118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-62215964736594277932012-02-11T14:19:08.176-05:002012-02-11T14:19:08.176-05:00This was a fun post! It was interesting to read ab...This was a fun post! It was interesting to read about all the things that have/haven't changed. And, wow, you've been at this for a while—clearly, you love what you do! :)<br /><br />Random, off-topic thing: going back to our twitter conversation about the blog's new look, I think the change you made to your sidebar is perfect. New readers shouldn't have any trouble noticing the links to your agency/agent profiles.<br /><br />—Kayla Olson (@olsonkayla)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-85291936563624577422012-02-11T14:13:37.106-05:002012-02-11T14:13:37.106-05:00Thanks for this insight, Jenny. I've often tho...Thanks for this insight, Jenny. I've often thought as I've been querying agents for my novel what it must have been like querying 20 years ago. First, everything was done on paper and through the mail. J. K. Rowling talks about having to type out her manuscript and pull together the money to get it copied and mailed out. Today, it's all word processing and email.<br /><br />I wonder if the relative ease with which authors can query agents is a positive thing for an agent? I imagine your slush pile is a lot bigger (and contains a lot more dross). But on the other hand, you have a greater chance of getting really good stuff.<br /><br />And you're right, the possibilities with e-publishing are very exciting.<br /><br />And congratulations on 20 years in the business. It's truly something to be proud of when you can say you've been doing the job you love for so long. I wish you all the best for the next 20! :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-27269301094825426032012-02-11T13:08:49.688-05:002012-02-11T13:08:49.688-05:00It’s funny Ms. Bent that you have made your new po...It’s funny Ms. Bent that you have made your new post today at lunch time. Last night had a dream in which you and I had a business lunch in NYC. I suppose responding to your blog now is the lunch meeting I dreamed of.<br /><br />I admire your acceptance or acknowledgment of self-publishing and the authors who are really working hard to get their stories out. Of course not just you alone but also other agents who have similar views as well. That’s a good thing, perhaps the best thing, that I came to experience so far on my own publishing journey.<br /><br />The worst thing is the fact that some agents and some established authors, look upon unpublished writers with sarcastic skepticism and ridicule, just because they have decided to seek their own publication. They obviously have forgotten that the same unpublished writers are their very own readers who propelled their careers to what they are today.Joseph Baranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10249113236734063820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3570843285923755385.post-66080948679319659382012-02-11T12:56:45.127-05:002012-02-11T12:56:45.127-05:00I'm just a long time aspirer, but I see lots o...I'm just a long time aspirer, but I see lots of good coming from the changes. LIke you said, transparency. But I have to admit, the same pluses can also be minuses. Sometimes I feel like I know too much, that I just want to sit down and write and not worry about who, what, where and when. LOL That's just the lazy in me, though. <br /><br />One thing I love about how things have changed is the freedom to write outside the box. I don't feel hemmed in by industry standards or expectations. :)Bethannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01614416426769587718noreply@blogger.com