Interview with Giuseppe Granieri from 40kBooks
We've had a great relationship with 40kBooks since discovering them on Twitter, and we've had a couple of our articles posted on their website. We caught up with the Editorial Director of 40k, Giuseppe Granieri, to ask him a few questions and tap into his digital expertise. Here are his responses:
Q1: For the benefit of the members of iWriteReadRate.com can you tell us a little more about what you do, your team, and your expertise?
A1: Well, we publish ebooks. We are a “native digital” publisher and we focus on short fiction (novelettes and short novels) and strongly focused essays. We publish award-winning authors (Hugo, Nebula, ecc) and talented new writers. Our management comes from two important publishing groups (Mondadori and Feltrinelli) and I’m really proud of our team (from our editors, to our production manager, to our graphic designer). We keep the best from traditional publishing and we try to think digital.
Q2: From your experience, what advice would you give an aspiring author about how they should go about self-editing their work in the first instance?
A2: I, as a writer, can only say that an editor and a proofreader usually add very much value to every text. If you want to self-publish, first hire an editor. Then be sure that your author platform can do its work at his best. You need to reach a lot of potential readers to get read from a very little fraction of them.
Q3: In your opinion, what challenges do unpublished/indie writers face in their dream of becoming published?
A3: A good story helps a lot. Social media helps too. But the strongest part of the work is to build a platform, to reach the readers, to build a network of trust with them. It’s not a matter of tools: tools can enable you, but you need hard work and well-formed digital literacy.
Q4: How do you think the publishing industry will adapt to new and emerging technology over the next five years?
A4: In the digital world five years are a “scenario” lapse of time. It’s impossible to make a forecast: in every moment we can face an innovation that changes the rules of the game. We have, I think, only a path: experiment, fail, learn, experiment. The biggest organizations will find it more difficult to adapt, maybe. But there is no choice: we have to adapt publishing to the digital.
Q5: What are your thoughts around the new community for writers’ unpublished work being launched by iWriteReadRate.com?
A5: Community is the keyword. We call them “social media” because the only way we have to get them working is by the people activities. The literary world will not be an exception. Community, to me, means sharing ideas, maximizing creativity, curating the readership, building relationships.
Q6: What top writing tips can you give the aspiring authors on iWriteReadRate.com?
A6: Only one. Read as much as possible. Your writing will follow.
Q7: If you could change anything about the traditional way that writers get their work published through Agents/Editors/Publishers – what would you change and why?
A7: Our culture is following a pattern: publishing costs trending to zero. The problem is not “to be published” but “how the publisher can help you to reach your readers”. So, if I could do some magic, I would build a world in which any reader have all the information useful for them to find the most appropriate book for them to read.
Q8: In your opinion, can aspiring writers and authors afford not to engage with readers in this age of Social Media? What are your top tips for these interactions?
A8: If you have a great fanship, you can choose to not engage yourself in social media. You can do it, but still it’s not an intelligent choice. Social media, in the digital landscape, is the place where readers live and decide what to read. That is the market. Can you afford to ignore the market?
Q9: Any final thoughts for the members of iWriteReadRate.com?
A9: I wish you all good luck. Enjoy the journey.
Thank you for your time, Giuseppe, we really appreciate your insight and ongoing support. All the best with 40kBooks.com - we like your work!
Not registered with iWriteReadRate? Join our growing community of like-minded people today by registering at: www.iWriteReadRate.com
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Obsessive Self-Editing = part of being a writer
