The Business of Writing

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Wed 7 Nov 2007

Is Copyright dead?

Posted by Chris under The Business of Writing
[3] Comments 
I was wasting time on Boing Boing… Yeah, I know, I should be writing, and came across a great talk on creativity and “copyright” No really.
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/187

As a writer, this applies to me less than many other artists, but I really see the point. Once again, it boils down to what is mine and what is not. If someone is making money from my work, I should get a slice, right? Well, listen and decide for yourself… It is a very brave new world, and taking either side to the extreme will kill creativity.
 

Fri 14 Jul 2006

Da Problem with “Da Business”

Posted by Chris under The Business of Writing
[6] Comments 

I was stumbling around a place I never thought I would stub my toes upon, a blog site on television called tvsquad.com (Thanks for the link, Harry) when I found a bit about recent perceived screw ups by the SciFi Channel in their programming. Now, admittedly, I don’t watch much TV, but the discussion struck a cord with me. You see, the blogger, Richard Keller, had spent some time in the Great White North, and found a science fiction network named HypaSpace, that actually aired classic and new Science Fiction series that were… hold on to your hats… entertaining!

Okay, so I’m not likely to quit my job, cut the lines loose and sail to Lake Ontario, just so I can get some quality SF-Fantasy TV, but I think this touches on a subject that is very close to the problem we writers are seeing in the publishing industry. The system is so money driven, that publishers (the big ones anyway) are loosing touch with the fan base. Tell the truth, when you go to a bookstore, do you gravitate directly toward your old stand-by author and look for his 23rd in the never-ending series, or are you tempted by the new release section. I am always tempted by the new releases, personally. I would rather find a new favorite author than continue with an old one. Call me fickle…

So, can American publishing change?

I think it is changing, and I think the vehicle for change is the small press. Small publishing houses are cropping up all over, supporting new authors who don’t have, and don’t want agents (yet), and who can really turn out a quality product that is NEW! This venue has nowhere to go but up. There is such a huge niche for small presses that even the big name authors have been going to them, simply to avoid the problems inherent with the larger houses. Add to this high-tech printing which doesn’t fill a warehouse on every print run, which means less risk for the publisher and more opportunities for more writers, and I think we have a winner.

Kinda makes you want to tell those big names to go back and paddle around their own pool, doesn’t it?