Elaine Coffman - How Things Have Changed in Publishing

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How Things Have Changed in Publishing by Elaine Coffman

Due to the weddings of both my daughters and the arrival of four grandbabies, I took the past six years away from writing. But, I always knew I would return; because like my children, writing is not something I could ever turn my back upon.

Readers have changed, and part of this is due to all the availability of different modes of communication. Gone are the days when I fill the file cabinet with handwritten or typed letters to me, regarding my books, and my replies. Readers don’t mail letters to your publisher. They can find you on the Internet and write authors whenever the mood strikes. The Internet has also made the world a smaller place, for now it is not uncommon for me to hear from readers in South America, Asia, Europe and even Egypt. I also think there is a tendency for some readers to be more vitriolic nowadays, than in the past, and perhaps this is also part of the Information Age we live in. I have also noticed when reading reviews online at Amazon that some are so caustic that they don’t use their real name, and I recall that one can always get ones point across without stabbing others with it. But then, I’m remember that television and movies are filled with that sort of entertainment, so I think of it as a sign of the times, but it wasn’t this way back in 1988 when my first book came out. And yet, the dear readers are still out there, opening their hearts to you and telling you how much your book meant to them, or helped them through trying times. I’ve had many write me distraught over having moved and lost some “of my beloved Mackinnon books,” or my “very favorite book of yours is so dog-eared and the pages falling out that I’ve lost some of them.”

As far as how the books have changed, I’m not a very good authority on that because I don’t read romance novels. I do this because I don’t want to know what others are writing, because I don’t want to be influenced by them. My books are part of me and my life experiences and that is reflected the way I put my words and thoughts down, and I want it to stay that way. That does not mean I don’t read about the trends in the genre and what people are reading, for that helps me to know there are still “hot” settings like Scotland and England, and favorite genres and sub-genres. Otherwise, I’d still be writing westerns like my first few books! I recall when I began writing romance novels there were pirate stories, Civil War stories, westerns, Russian settings, and always the Scottish and English settings. Now, we have leaped into outer space and into ghosts, vampires, or traveling through time!

Some of the biggest changes have come in publishing and the first that comes to mind is the number of publishers when I started, that are no longer around. And the same is true for many of the editors and agents. Publishing has definitely gone electronic. Gone are the FedEx trucks that used to pick up my burdensome manuscript. No longer do I have to back up my book on a floppy disk to send to my editor, or worry that someone will walk into the library and turn on the ceiling fan and send my stack of carefully typed papers flying across the floor. Each precious word now resides in my computer, with a backup on my both hard drives of my PC, my laptop and external hard drive. Another change is the slow-down with autographing tours the publisher planned, so that more publicity is falling on the shoulders of the author. Part of this, I know, has to do with the economy and that has forced many changes in the industry. And speaking of changes, there are now websites that post illegal copies of your book, or post it, leaving out a few pages here and there, and think that isn’t violating your copyright.

And lastly, how have I, the author changed? Well, I’ve gotten older . . . and with age, there comes more wisdom, more understanding and tolerance. I am more relaxed now, regarding my writing schedules, or what is happening in the writing world. I have a good feeling about the books I’ve written in the past and the knowledge that although I was away for several years, my readers did not forget me and/or my books. I know that a good book, no matter when it was written will survive the test to time- that is a nice feeling. I am comfortable in my writer’s skin and in the knowledge that it is impossible to please everyone, but can still charm some, worldwide. And perhaps the biggest change is that I have come to realize that in the beginning I wrote books because I had a story to tell, but also because I wanted to make a name for myself, to become a well-known writer and to hit the big lists. Now, I have returned to writing because it was the pure joy of having an idea for a story and watching it come to life and the feeling of accomplishment. This need to put my words on paper is a great motivator. I love living in the worlds I create. Now, writing has become my legacy, my footprint upon the literary sands of time.

THE RETURN OF BLACK DOUGLAS BY ELAINE COFFMAN – IN STORES APRIL 2011

He’ll Help a Woman in Need No Matter Where She Came From…

Alysandir Mackinnon rules his clan with a fair but iron fist. He has not time for softness or, as he sees it, weakness. But when he encounters a bewitching young beauty who may or may not be a dangerous spy, but surely is in mortal danger, he’s compelled to help…

She’s Always Wondered if She Was Born in the Wrong Time…

Thrown back in time to the tumultuous, dangerous Scottish Highlands of the sixteenth century, Isobella Douglas has a lot to learn about her ancestors, herself, and her place in the world. Especially when she encounters a Highland laird who puts modern men to shame…

Each one has secrets to keep, until they begin to strike a chord in each other’s hearts that’s never been touched before…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Since her first publication in 1988, New York Times Bestselling author Elaine Coffman’s books have been on the NYT, USA Today Top 50, and Ingram’s Romance bestsellers lists, and won four nominations for Best Historical Romance of the Year, Reviewers Choice, Best Western Historical, and The Maggie. Elaine lives in Austin, Texas, where she is working on her next book! For more information, please visit http://www.elainecoffman.com.

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