publishing

Yes, my new book did hit a snag at a point where the publisher was ready to talk about the contract with my agent. Then he got overruled by his boss and down went the manuscript. The publisher believed in the book and has now handed it to another publisher and the waiting game is back on.
I am not against self-publishing but I do believe that with the power agents and editors have these days, the authors have lost power. What's worse however is that the literary marketplace is not about producing literature anymore but about making money. Books have become another commodity and if a first-time author does not sell straightaway there will be no follow-up contract with the publisher. William Faulkner who never sold really great during his lifetime, except for that potboiler he penned, would have never gotten a second contract anywhere if he had lived in our day. And that's where the challenge has come in: how can we guarantee quality when the market is only interested in quantity and $$$?!
At the same time I do not want to go the self-publishing route because I have seen what a publisher can do in terms of pr. When my last book came out in Holland, I was booked for radio and television the moment I stepped off the plane. That in itself produced more sales than I could ever have promoted myself and it's the reason I think why I still receive fanmails today. But picture this, even though my memoir sold very well for a debut, the publisher did not want to touch my new book because it was too serious, too literary...and thus not commercial enough. So they did not offer me a contract and that's where publishing has become so much harder. As soon as a book is a risk commercially, they walk away from it. And this is how the market gets inundated with hyped-up trash, while the really interesting books come out with university presses. And who buys from university presses/catalogues besides librarians and academics? This does explain the growing industry of self-publishing and e-books, but call me crazy, call me stupid-- it's still not my thing. Maybe it is because I hope the publishing world will turn around some day or maybe it is because I know that there are still so many decent editors out there with whom I would love to work...or maybe it is because of vanity?! One thing is positive: it's not for the money, Lynn Ruth. Most authors cannot live off their writing and I have never written for money (or fame). I wrote because I had a story that needed to be told. In fact , the book that I hope to sell now in Holland-- I won't take any of its proceeds because there is so much suffering of other (real) people in that book that I will give all of the book's earnings to Amnesty International. So no, the money is the last thing, please!!!!!!!!!!!!