The Trouble With E-Publishing…
Thursday, March 27, 2008Posted in: e-book publishers behaving badly?, Epublishers
I had a conversation with Jane last week, where I said that I thought the problem with e-publishing, especially those who publish romance/erotic novels, is that it’s full of screeching women who don’t have the faintest idea about running a business.
She disagreed of course, as any sensible person would, but to be honest, I’m not so sure I’m wrong. Yeah, yeah, I know, I’m being somewhat sexist, but so what? I still think there’s a grain of truth in there.
I know that there are exceptions, but that’s just it, they seem to be exceptions, rather than the rule.
If Tina Engler was to start up in today’s current climate, would she be as successful? Maybe, but I’m not so sure.
In the beginning she too was writing most of the books herself. The editing was terrible, and nowhere near as polished as it is now (well, not counting those Carol Lynne books because they were shockingly bad). I hear that she struggled no end in the beginning, and that was with virtually no competition.
I think that Crissy Bashear, great timing, and no competition, were what helped EC make it big.
In today’s e-pub market, minus Crissy Bashear, I do think Engler would really struggle.
Of course men fail in business too, but seeing as so many of them run most of the world, you’re bound to get failures here and there.
No, I’m serious. I do think that if more romance e-pubs had men at the helm, more e-presses would survive (James Lightsey doesn’t count, I’m still not convinced he was a bloke), and I can’t help but think that you wouldn’t have the same level of shrill, hormonally challenged screaming dingbats, that plague the industry now.
How many times do you get the CEO of a print publisher having a total meltdown in public? Come to think of it, how many of those CEOs are women?
Anyway, agree, disagree? Couldn’t give a crap?