[David Moldawer] In which we decrypt the publishing industry

Bleeding Ink

Ignorance has a way of aligning itself with grief. Most writers are wholly inept to the intricacies of the publishing industry and to them David Moldawer illuminates like a prophet. He’s a veteran—a decorated soldier whose varied medals dazzle the eyes—and after speaking with him, I was forever changed.

My ignorance was strong when it came to traditional publishing. It’s the kind of stuff that requires an insider’s perspective that has witnessed a book’s journey from wads of crunched paper to a well-worn dust-jacket with the words “National Best Seller” printed under the author’s name.

the depth of my ignorance was chronic, ignorant to its own severity

David and I met at a writer’s meet-up, an impenetrable gaggle of potential clients assuaged him which required a friend-of-a-friend to penetrate and allow for an introduction. David’s a literary-looking guy with a slightly nasal New York accent, thick glasses, scruffy beard, sweater covered button-up and intelligent eyes—and affable, accepting my request for an interview without the slightest hesitation. I am thankful for this—you see, the depth of my ignorance was chronic, ignorant to its own severity. David helped me crawl out from the darkness.

You too will feel that warm glow of enlightenment if you give this episode a serious listen.

SNIPPETS

• Learn all about the ins and outs of book editing
• How David went from playwriting to editing books for the Big Five™
• How to take control of your destiny as an author
• Why a book editor is NOT a copy editor
• How independent authors can benefit from book editors
• How imprints operate and where Amazon fits into that picture
• Why authors are their own worst enemy and how objectivity through outside eyes is key to success
• Moldawer’s First Law: Your area of expertise is your weakest area in life.
• How the worlds of nonfiction and fiction are universes apart
• Why writing a book makes you an expert and advances your career
• Whether the NY Times Bestseller list is a sham or not
• How Amazon chooses which authors to support
• The dangers of relying on Amazon
• The formula to win with Amazon and how it may not be right for you
• Why it’s critical for the modern author to grow an audience
• What cues authors must satisfy to appeal to mass audiences
• Unraveling the commoditization of books
• A delicious contrast of self-publishing vs the traditional model
• What traditional publishers offer

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