tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post8577204348392742935..comments2023-09-25T02:24:22.087-07:00Comments on Anne R. Allen's Blog: Author Collectives: The "Third Path" to Publication. Is it Right for You?Anne R. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-46987091057533834522014-01-22T10:53:45.987-08:002014-01-22T10:53:45.987-08:00L--Sounds as if you had a mother like mine. She wa...L--Sounds as if you had a mother like mine. She was amazingly generous to everybody. These authors are being generous to each other--and themselves, by forming a company that makes their work the best it can be.Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-76462072643023734612014-01-22T10:52:01.739-08:002014-01-22T10:52:01.739-08:00Me-Time--I felt the same way. These are authors wh...Me-Time--I felt the same way. These are authors who are thinking creatively during a time of upheaval in the business. They deserve to do well.Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-30558275418685590202014-01-22T10:36:54.827-08:002014-01-22T10:36:54.827-08:00Thanks so much. My mom was generous to a fault, an...Thanks so much. My mom was generous to a fault, and she taught me that helping others is the best road to happiness. So if I helped a few writers with this post, I'm carrying on her tradition.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15349838449936061096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-77241093548374337102014-01-07T11:12:27.404-08:002014-01-07T11:12:27.404-08:00Good to see authors not letting themselves be beat...Good to see authors not letting themselves be beaten by the difficult circumstances we all find ourselves in. Good luck to the collective.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16113451206851346963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-9948767482289615642013-12-22T15:13:34.441-08:002013-12-22T15:13:34.441-08:00Jennifer--I'm with you: the more options the b...Jennifer--I'm with you: the more options the better. <br /><br />BritDarby--What a wonderful story of collaboration! I'll check out your books. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-26373564011224818052013-12-22T13:28:55.049-08:002013-12-22T13:28:55.049-08:00This is a terrific concept. The writing team of Br...This is a terrific concept. The writing team of Brit Darby has done something similar for several years now. Two individual authors, previously established with traditional publishers, got back our book rights and went the indie route when releasing our titles as e-books. We did cover design, editing, e-formatting and marketing on our own. An added twist is that we also co-write books as Brit Darby, so we are set up as an LLC for business purposes. It has been a positive experience on every level, as we have similar interests and writing styles, but bring respective strengths that benefit us both individually and as a team.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-83858525284338655022013-12-19T20:06:40.898-08:002013-12-19T20:06:40.898-08:00Wow, I'd never heard of this before! I think i...Wow, I'd never heard of this before! I think it could be a great option... and just the fact there are options makes me happy. Jennifer Hillierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15783975547643539868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-75786826217533400212013-12-19T18:39:24.314-08:002013-12-19T18:39:24.314-08:00ryan--I agree.
Sherrie--It's not ony a "...ryan--I agree.<br /><br />Sherrie--It's not ony a "thing" but a trending thing. Go for it! Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-17899589081175417672013-12-19T18:11:38.578-08:002013-12-19T18:11:38.578-08:00I'm so glad you posted this because I've b...I'm so glad you posted this because I've been seriously thinking about doing this with some friends, but I had no idea it was an actual "thing." This makes me very happy to see. Thanks so much!Sherrie Petersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11670339498152684137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-91366877264830309802013-12-18T09:24:34.497-08:002013-12-18T09:24:34.497-08:00Thanks for posting about it. I agree and I think w...Thanks for posting about it. I agree and I think we'll see more of this. ryan fieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13361694356025572544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-37658640242613340692013-12-17T19:10:51.995-08:002013-12-17T19:10:51.995-08:00Ryan--I'm like you: I prefer working with smal...Ryan--I'm like you: I prefer working with small publishers. But collaborating would make it much less scary to go it "alone". I do think collectives are the future. This post got picked up by the Passive Voice and in the thread there, someone mentioned a collective that's run by Ursula Leguin and friends. If somebody of her stature is doing it, there will be more. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-52105423255875342013-12-17T18:33:27.411-08:002013-12-17T18:33:27.411-08:00What's interesting to me about this is I have ...What's interesting to me about this is I have several author friends I've known for a while and we often do this without even realizing it. We talk about covers, editing, and read each others books for issues that range from continuity to copy editing. And I didn't even realize we were doing something like this on a smaller scale.<br /><br />I've always prefered working with small publishers for the collaboration I get. And when I indie publish something it's 100 times harder to feel secure in releasing a book. <br /><br />But this kind of collaborative effort is very interesting, and one I think will be getting more attention in the future. ryan fieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13361694356025572544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-90048960776912494612013-12-16T16:52:25.850-08:002013-12-16T16:52:25.850-08:00Christine--As the member of a former business coop...Christine--As the member of a former business cooperative, you know exactly what's involved here. You ran an art gallery as a cooperative for several years. You had dedicated people, but I think you all discovered it was harder than it looked. <br /><br />JJ--Thanks for stopping by and answering Historywriter's question. Very smart to keep legal complications out of it as much as possible, especially since you're in different countries. We all really admire what you've accomplished. <br /><br />Maggie--Thanks for telling us about Windtree Press! It sounds as if you learned some valuable lessons. Definitely having each member share the financial responsibility is crucial. Also, you'd have to make sure nobody had any "queen bee" tendencies, or it could feel very constricting. Interesting that your biggest take-away is that it made you a better writer. That's a big plus.Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-79455115687963278042013-12-16T14:45:14.265-08:002013-12-16T14:45:14.265-08:00I really appreciate you sharing your story. Like ...I really appreciate you sharing your story. Like you, when I joined indie publishing in 2011 I wanted a team and started a cooperative with two other authors. Only one of those two is still with us, but five others have now joined. The three things you described which I have found most important are: 1) make sure everyone gets along and is willing to make joint decisions; 2) make sure everyone has a similar commitment to producing quality books on a regular basis; and 3) work out the money in advance so that no one person ends up being the one to pay. <br /><br /><a href="http://windtreepress.com" rel="nofollow">Windtree Press</a> has made this journey much more rich and safe for me and I hope the others as well. I have always believed that like-minded people with the same goals will go farther together than separately. It isn't as easy as being on your own, but I believe it makes me significantly better.Maggie Lynchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01014053903538710467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-64361282915565996792013-12-16T10:10:36.501-08:002013-12-16T10:10:36.501-08:00Thanks so much for a host of interesting observati...Thanks so much for a host of interesting observations, and astute assessments of the relationship. <br />Yes, it IS based on trust, and respect. As Catriona says, that's what drew us to each other - admiration for each other's writing AND critiques. When you find someone who can make you better than you are, grab them with both hands. OK, the marriage analogy has gone far enough! <br />The 5 of us make a good team because we are honest. We tell each other when things aren't quite up to standard and insist we all keep aiming higher. <br />As for legal issues, we didn't want to become a legal entity as we live in 3 different countries and the complexities would be a nightmare. So we work together, contribute equally to costs and efforts but have no official obligations as a collective. And two years on, it's working pretty well.<br />Thank you, Anne, for hosting us today, and provoking such an absorbing discussion.JJ Marshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708049070102426652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-56473524551836586042013-12-16T09:21:26.875-08:002013-12-16T09:21:26.875-08:00This is so interesting. I would think that trust w...This is so interesting. I would think that trust would be the number one issue. Trusting others to do as they say and to tell the truth. Discovering and taking advantage of members strengths is very smart. Creating a small group of people who absolutely have your back is brilliant and I would think very freeing. Thank you for sharing your story. Christine Ahernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18332152375980196208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-19509282975868371932013-12-16T09:14:30.502-08:002013-12-16T09:14:30.502-08:00Catriona--Thanks for stopping by and congrats on y...Catriona--Thanks for stopping by and congrats on your success with Triskele! Your book should make a great guidebook for any group of writers who want to follow in your footsteps.<br /><br />Trekelny--Banding together is a great way to promote books, and blogging partnerships really work. Ruth and I have benefited so much from our collaboration here. And good critique groups can help writers in so many ways.<br /><br />Claude--Thanks. No matter how old somebody is, their passing causes a kind of shock. I do think the collective is a great idea. So far I've only partnered with one person at a time. Having more people involved would lighten the burden, but also multiply the possible headaches. People would have to choose very carefully. <br /><br />Fois--I hope your friend will buy the Triskele book. How great to have a guidebook for future collectives to benefit from the experience of these authors!<br /><br />History--Major congrats on being chosen for the Library reads. It's true that most indies put together their own team, but the collective gives equal responsibility instead of one person hiring the others. That works for some personalities and not others. I'm sure the Triskele book gives pointers on the legal questions. Of course UK and EU laws may be different for partnerships than in the US. If Liza stops in again after she gets to Oz, maybe she can let us know if there were legal hoops to jump through<br /><br />Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-68289280156376900042013-12-16T08:25:55.854-08:002013-12-16T08:25:55.854-08:00Thanks for your post on what is a collective and h...Thanks for your post on what is a collective and how your team went about creating it. It sounds like a good way to make sure that the quality of the work and marketing is tops. It's a bit daunting out there as a self-pub writer. I've made sure that I have a cover designer, editors and seek help on formatting. My novel is in book form and ebook. I work hard for my book while I finish up edits on the proof for the next one. I'm proud that it was chosen by librarians as their book read for 2013. I consider many other writers as part of my team. Collective is an interesting concept. Do you have any legal rules,etc in addition to mission?historywriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07646517639758524668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-47896174801677958092013-12-16T05:11:13.297-08:002013-12-16T05:11:13.297-08:00Before leaving a comment, I sent this link to a cl...Before leaving a comment, I sent this link to a close friend who is in the process of doing what Lisa and Triskele has done. Stellar way to get through the process with strong support. There is always power in numbers. Lisa, good luck to all your efforts :)fOIS In The Cityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06347958777030988677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-16707197893155681202013-12-16T02:33:06.033-08:002013-12-16T02:33:06.033-08:00Anne, so sorry about your loss, this is surely one...Anne, so sorry about your loss, this is surely one of the worst losses to go through in anyone's life!<br /><br />And thanks Liz, for bringing your experience to us, I'm fascinated by the collective idea. I dream of finding partners in publishing and nothing would make me happier than promote other people's books if/when I believe in them, that they are truly quality writing! <br /><br />Of course, I realize that this is a dream very similar to the one young women harbor when they look for their Prince Charming...And that an authors collective would be like a marriage. But it would be so much better than going at it alone - everything would become easier, the editing, the book cover, the book cover blurbs, the twitter campaigns, the Facebook postings etc etc<br /><br />Yes, Anne, if you ever think of creating a collective, count me in!Claude Forthommehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03871790739257823515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-82485447579993431582013-12-16T02:27:57.082-08:002013-12-16T02:27:57.082-08:00Thanks Liz and Anne for such a fabulous post. I pa...Thanks Liz and Anne for such a fabulous post. I particularly like the idea of joint authorship growing out of the mutual editing/critique function, which is one of the best things to happen to me. <br />A fellow author from my superb critique group is so gung-ho about just getting things done, she encouraged me to join her... well, what would you call it? We put our books on the same website (four of us now- the Independent Bookworm), encourage each other a lot, and mutually achieve slow-blogging nirvana by rotating the duties. Joint critique and publish, no- and cover designer, that's a great idea to consider. Just so many aspects of support that an indie-author needs.<br />But the best part, I would say, is proving the agents and trad-pub folks wrong by achieving success. Good on you as they say, Liz! And paper books sometimes too, don't think I missed that part.Wm. L. Hahnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09918981970218130294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-41823710329836576892013-12-16T01:50:55.873-08:002013-12-16T01:50:55.873-08:00Thank you for so many great comments. It's br...Thank you for so many great comments. It's brilliant that so many people are interested in the idea of author collectives.<br />I am another one of the Triskele gang and I know just how lucky I have been to have found this group. But of course, it didn't happen overnight. We spent a long time getting to know each other as writers and critiquers before the idea of a collective even began to cross our minds. And several of us already had some experience of working together on Words with Jam magazine - which also had its origins in the same amazing on-line critique group that gave birth to Triskele.<br />Anne's right - it's a lot like a marriage. You have to work at it every single day. But the rewards are huge.<br />Thanks again for giving us a platform, Anne.<br />Catriona TrothLibraryCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11461629705267459809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-15802549606531129222013-12-15T21:13:44.636-08:002013-12-15T21:13:44.636-08:00Phyllis--I'm still happy being with a small pu...Phyllis--I'm still happy being with a small publisher, but if I ever decide to form a collective, I'll let you know. Thanks!<br /><br />Joanne--The secret is finding other people who want to be 100% professional with their writing. Not that hobbyists don't often do well with self-publishing, but with a collective, everybody needs to commit to serious hard work.<br /><br />Lexa--Thanks. A partnership can be tough--like a marriage. But when people are serious about making it work, I think they can work magic. I think the Triskele authors have done that. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-51583138076935603802013-12-15T20:06:27.305-08:002013-12-15T20:06:27.305-08:00Anne, my sincere sympathy on your loss.
Lisa did...Anne, my sincere sympathy on your loss. <br /><br />Lisa did a great job of explaining something I'd never heard of. Although not connected to the collective discussion, I've often wished I had a partner to write books with because there's safety in numbers, right? :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07735576044552810103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-90187389697798473132013-12-15T18:15:48.403-08:002013-12-15T18:15:48.403-08:00What a wonderful idea! As several of the others ha...What a wonderful idea! As several of the others have commented, finding kindred spirits who can walk the same talk can be challenging. Definitely food for thought!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com