[Electric Speed] Don't blame the author | Helpful reminder tool

A note from Jane

What’s the worst thing a publisher can do to an author?

Steal from them? Lie to them? Make changes that damage the book’s integrity?

While those things are obviously bad (and potentially illegal), there’s something equally pernicious, I think, that a publisher can do.

Blame the author for poor sales.

I recently had an email exchange with author Ann Garvin, PhD, about the matter. She’s irked by the testimony coming out of the DOJ vs. PRH antitrust trial, where the publishers have portrayed themselves as gamblers and bumblers. One CEO said taking credit for a book’s success is like taking credit for the weather.

She wrote me, “Sure, it’s hard to predict a bestseller, and when they openly admit they can’t figure out who is going to sell, we can all nod our heads and say, ‘Yeah, I’m bad at poker too.’ Except they say, to the author, Your book didn’t sell.” And imply fault with the author. (Or even directly fault the author.)

What if publishers didn’t shift blame?

Garvin argued this would make a world of difference. Authors could stop wearing themselves out, pushing against an immovable system that the biggest houses in the world can’t move. “If the book doesn’t sell, there can be an honest conversation so that everyone manages expectations and learns. People don’t need to be managed. They need to understand. To feel seen. They may still be angry. And disappointed. That’s valid. But they won’t feel like they have failed in a business where they actually did very well—they wrote a publishable book.”

Garvin once worked as an RN. She continued, “In health care, it’s clear that when practitioners take responsibility and say I’m sorry when mistakes are made, there are less lawsuits. Less long-term anxiety and depression and individuals can move on with their lives—even after grave medical losses.”

Don’t Blame the Author. Let’s start a movement, shall we?

Earlier this summer, my bank of choice, Brex, notified a subset of its customers (including me) that their accounts would be closed by end of August. Why? Brex is pivoting to focus on larger businesses, not small businesses like mine.

Having just made the switch the Brex last year, this was unwelcome news. Even though they back-pedaled on the decision (public criticism was swift), any trust I had in Brex was broken, and the search for a new bank commenced. I chose Bluevine, which was actually Brex’s recommendation when it informed me that I was unwanted. So far, so good.

Many writers find it difficult—if not impossible—to neatly define who their ideal readers may be, and consider how they may find them. The result is writers feeling closed off to how to effectively market their books.

In this online class, Dan Blank will teach you how to understand who the ideal readers are for your writing. It starts with defining your work’s key message, and creating profiles of the type of readers seeking that message. Then you’ll learn research methods to best reach that audience, and discover how this knowledge contributes to your platform growth and marketing efforts.

In the last issue, I asked you to tell me about your go-to emoji. Here’s what you said:

🙄 This little fella works overtime to express my centrist views of whomever is holding down their end of the teeter-totter taking the opposition hostage up where their feet can’t touch the ground. —Kathy Purc
😎 Because I’ve become such a cool Southern California gal (not). I use the nerdy one too, but I use this one more. —Debby Mayer
I use 🧀 👍🏾 all the time because I’m often asked for recommendations and this is my way of signaling that whatever I’m sharing gets my stamp of approval (my company is Mac & Cheese Productions, hence the cheese + the self-explanatory thumbs up). —Saya Hillman
My go-to emoji is this lady 💃 because she is appropriate in so many situations. And if she’s not perfectly appropriate, it’s just funny. I wouldn’t use her for truly serious conversations, however. —Susan Soesbe
🤦‍♀️ I use it ALL the time for so many reasons. —Amanda Le Rougetel
🤩 It evokes a sense of wonder with an expression of “Wow, what you’re doing is great.” I guess I like to recognize people’s achievements! —Mathias Black

My favorite emoji is the old-school ¯\(ツ)/¯ It works well in different situations/contexts, and I’ve always prided myself on my ability to say “I don’t know,” something I learned to do as a high school English teacher. The other usage is “Oh well,” which is another thing I say a lot. —Nancy Cavillones
🙃 Because. —Kimberly Fakih
🙄 Because I’m a sassy, sarcastic person (this got me in trouble a lot as a teenager). Also, because at least one thing happens every day that requires an eye roll. —Michelle Stockard Miller
🤣 I love this emoji because I mostly text with my sister, and her and I are always laughing about something. We both need humor in our lives to decrease stress and anxiety, and the more tired we get, the funnier we think we are. —Sylviane Stoltzman
Sorry to disappoint on the emoji question, but personally I detest them. I don’t know what most of them mean, I find them annoying when they clutter up people’s Instagram posts, and I almost never use them. —Karla Huebner

Next question: Is there a specific tool, app, or system you use for reminders? Hit reply to this message, or share on the Discord server for Electric Speed subscribers.

[Electric Speed] Don't blame the author | Helpful reminder tool

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