Author Vicky Dreiling: Changes In The Publishing Industry

It’s always a pleasure to welcome the talented author Vicky Dreiling back to Thoughts in Progress. Today she visits with her latest release, HOW TO RAVISH A RAKE, answers publishing questions and offers a giveaway.

First, here’s a brief description of HOW TO RAVISH A RAKE: SCANDALOUS DESIRES . . . Amy Hardwick has one last Season to shake off her wallflower image and make a love match. If she can't, she'll set aside her dreams of romance and return home to a suitor who can provide security-if little else. What she doesn't count on is the inappropriate-and irresistible-attention lavished on her in a darkened library by rake extraordinaire Will "The Devil" Darcett . . 

DEVILISH DELIGHT
When Will is caught in a tryst with the ton's shyest miss, he knows he must offer for her hand. Yet Amy is not the shrinking violet she seems to be. Passion lies beneath her prim exterior and Will is eager to release it. But winning Amy isn't simply a matter of seduction; first, Will must convince her that he's mended his wicked ways.

Thanks to Vicky and the good folks at Forever, I have 3 copies of HOW TO RAVISH A RAKE to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for the giveaway guidelines.

Now Vicky has graciously answers some questions about publishing for me.

Hi, everyone! It’s great to visit Thoughts in Process again. I got two really interesting questions about the publishing industry. Here goes!

How has the publishing industry changed since you submitted your first manuscript?

Back in the dark ages The biggest change occurred several years after I submitted my first manuscript (that got rejected). Communication had changed a great deal after I completed my second novel HOW TO MARRY A DUKE. By 2008, all queries and submissions were done via email. Authors started using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Also, writers needed an agent to submit manuscripts to publishers, although you could and still can bypass that with a contest final that features an agent or editor judge. Now, many publishers are starting new digital ventures, and some like my publisher’s Forever Yours line are now taking both unagented and agented submissions.

Technology + Indie Publishing
Until recently, self-publishing was not a respectable alternative for serious authors. There are undoubtedly numerous factors that contributed to this major change, one of which involves innovation in technology. In marketing, products are categorized as either streamline or disruptive. A streamline product is similar to other products positioned in the market and needs a competitive advantage to survive. In contrast, a disruptive product is completely unique and often is unknown to consumers. Examples of disruptive products include the iPOD, iPAD, and iPhones. In some cases, disruptive products make other tech devices obsolete.  

One more significant element is at work with disruptive products: timing. The market and the consumer have to align all at the right time in order for the disruptive product to gain traction, which leads me to ….

Back to the Future
During the dot com era, electronic publishing appeared to be ripe for adoption, but it did not take off as expected. Interestingly, an e-reader was invented in 1998. How many of you remember the Rocket eBook? The technology existed, but the timing wasn’t right.

King Kindle and Queen Oprah
The timing wasn’t right for an e-reader device until 2007. That disruptive product was the Kindle. A mere five years ago, this first-generation e-reader cost $399. Budget-conscious readers can now purchase a Kindle for as low as $79 (as of this writing). By the way, Oprah’s endorsement of Kindle gave the product a huge competitive boost against Sony, its main rival at the time.

Notably, when Amazon launched the first Kindle, the company was concurrently beta-testing the Kindle Direct publishing program. 

Amazon Goes Physical I can’t predict the future of publishing, but GalleyCat reports that Amazon is planning to open a brick and mortar store in Seattle. The purpose according to Reuters is to showcase Kindle and other high-end gadgets (e.g. tablet computers). One analyst speculated that Amazon is planning this test store to determine if a physical retail store will enhance sales of Kindle devices along with “follow-on consumption of digital content.” 

Do you find that eBooks have helped or harmed the book industry?

Electronic books are an evolution. Many readers tell me anecdotally on Facebook that they are purchasing more books because of the ease of purchase and instant gratification with e-reading devices like Kindle and the Nook. However, they also tell me that they still buy print books. On Facebook, readers share photos with me of their gorgeous keeper shelves. They love reading their favorite books again and again. 

Speaking of print books, UPS recently delivered the first editions of HOW TO RAVISH A RAKE, and I couldn’t wait to turn the pages. I cherish getting to hold my books and seeing them on the shelves of a bookstore. As much as I enjoy my Kindle Fire, I don’t want to see the day when print books are no longer available. 

Vicky, thanks so much for stopping by again and talking about the publishing industry. It is amazing from a reader’s view point how much it has changed. It’s interesting seeing it from a writer’s point of view.

Now a bit of background about Vicky. She is a confirmed historical romance junkie and Anglophile. Frequent business trips to the UK allowed her to indulge her passion for all things Regency England. Bath, Stonehenge, and Spencer House are among her favorite places. She is, however, truly sorry for accidentally setting off a security alarm in Windsor Castle. That unfortunate incident led her British colleagues to nickname her "Trouble." 

When she's not writing, Vicky enjoys reading, films, concerts, and, most of all, long lunches with friends. She holds degrees in English literature and marketing. A native Texan, she shares her home with her daughter and a spoiled mini-lop rabbit who lives in a slightly gnawed cardboard cottage. For more on Vicky and her writing, visit her website at www.VickyDreiling.net.

Here are the giveaway guidelines. To enter this giveaway, send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with the subject line, “Win HOW TO RAVISH A RAKE.” Your message should include your name and mailing address. Sorry, but the contest is open to residents of the U.S. only and no post office box addresses can be accepted. In addition, the publisher advises winners that they will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if they win the same title in two or more contests, they will receive only one copy of the title in the mail. (Winners here have always be great about letting me know if they have already won the book somewhere else so another winner can be selected. However, this announcement is something that has to be passed along from the publisher). And, just so you know, I don’t share the mailing information or use it for any other purpose. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a chance at one of 3 copies of HOW TO RAVISH A RAKE is 8 p.m. (EST) on Monday, April 16.

As a reader, has the changed in the publishing industry made a difference to you? As a writer, have the changes made publishing easier or more difficult for you? Thanks so much for stopping by and for being understanding of my absence from blogdom. Hope to visit everyone soon.