Interview with Kristin Lindstrom

Kristin Lindstrom took time from her schedule to some WWK questions posed by Jim Jackson a couple of weeks ago. We think you'll find her take on the changing industry interesting and wish her great success in her new endeavors.

JMJ: The authorial community is abuzz with speculation about your recent decision to change from Lindstrom Literary Management LLC to FlyingPig Media LLC. What’s the real story about your decision?

KL: The publishing industry is in a state of dynamic change. The market was hit hard by the 2008 recession, and certainly I felt it in my business; at the same time some exciting things have been happening. Technologies for ebooks and print-on-demand books have finally matured and reached the point where they are economically feasible. That puts the power of publishing into the hands of individuals. And in turn this creates opportunities for someone like me.

Before I was a literary agent, I worked as a marketing consultant for many years, managing the overall process of pulling together advertisements, brochures, annual reports and the like. Flying Pig Media calls on both my literary agency and marketing/production experience. It feels like a nice fit.

JMJ: Some literary agencies appear to be trying to do traditional agent work and add additional services, including publishing. Why not go that route?

KL: I think it would be easier for a larger agency to add publishing services than it would be for an independent agent like me. That’s because they have more staff whose efforts can be redirected into the new business. For me it came down to deciding how to divide my time; bringing on publishing services required enough of a commitment that it became clear that I’d have to devote myself to it full time.

JMJ: I like the name of your new company, but then again, I spent more than a decade in the Cincinnati area where Flying Pigs are common (e.g. the Flying Pig marathon and Flying Pig bridge tournament). Since you don’t live in Cincy, I’m guessing you chose the name in reference to the once impossible future now being the very realistic present?

KL: We went through a lot of names, all of which were already tagged by somebody else. I actually have a flying pig from Indonesia that the logo is a based on. A friend suggested it and I liked it immediately. When doing research, I came across Flying Pig barbecue places, the Cincinnati marathon, and a Flying Pig bookstore, but no Flying Pig Media (except in Australia). But it also represents the notion that yes, pigs fly and your book can be published in a professional way.

JMJ: At the time of our conversation, your new website is under construction, but your temporary page mentions five areas where you plan to help authors. What kind of author would make a good candidate for your services?

KL: Of course, as a publishing consultant, I’ll be dealing with a wider range of clients than before. But it’s harder to say what makes up an ideal client. I’ve set the business up so that people can pick individual services, or come to me for the whole range. 

Someone interested in concept development may only want to brainstorm a few ideas with someone. Another client may want an in-depth craft/content edit. Still another may need what I call creative management for getting ebooks or print-on-demand books through the design, formatting, and production stages. A client may want a combination of those services plus marketing and promotion.

I’ve always enjoyed dealing with authors who are working writers, people who are not just producing a single book, but who are producing a body of work. But by the same token, someone who has poured his efforts into one book should be able to have the same opportunities for getting that book published in the best manner possible.

JMJ: The literary agent business is primarily commission based. Are you basing your new pricing structure on time and expense or will you offer some services as a fixed fee? (Laughs—and are you offering limited time discounts for authors who mention Writers Who Kill?)

KL: Fixed fees are often a problem on both sides of the equation. A client may feel that he is being overcharged while at the same time the consultant thinks she should have charged more!

I expect to evaluate each project as it comes in to determine how much time it should take. I’ve found that for an edit priced on either word count or by the hour, for example, the end prices are remarkably close.

No limited time discounts yet. But you never know.

JMJ: In the mid to late 1800s my great-great-great grandfather started a publishing company to retain total control (and profits) from his writing. Many people only think of e-books when they consider self-publishing. With 21^st century technology, I suspect more authors will also be getting into independent print publishing as well. Your thoughts?

 KL: Absolutely. The author who wants to publish a book doesn’t have to go to the classic ‘self-publishing’ companies that take a large chunk of the rights and charge for production of the books.

Companies like Lightning Source, a subsidiary of Ingram and CreateSpace of Amazon, offer true print-on-demand services. In the day, when POD was first introduced, the technology simply did not print on demand. The company would wait until a significant number of orders came in and then would go to press. Now, books can be printed in very small quantities and the vendor can still make a profit. Both Lightning Source and CreateSpace can then act as the distributor, ultimately taking their fees depending on the pricing model the writer chooses.

JMJ: Many authors are so confused by the myriad and continuing changes in publishing that they don’t know how to make a decision between traditional and independent publishing. What questions should they ask themselves to help clarify which approach that’s best for them?

KL: It is very confusing for authors trying to decide whether to seek a traditional publisher or take matters into their own hands. 

My personal experience in the last couple of years indicates it’s extremely difficult to get picked up by a mainstream publisher if the author doesn’t have a ‘platform’ that will lead to many sales. Even the singer Jennifer Hudson was rejected by a number of publishers for her weight-loss book and she’s famous in addition to being the spokesperson for Weight Watchers!

Also, timing may be another consideration for a writer. To publish with a traditional publisher, an author must first find an agent, which can take quite a while. Then the book has to be sent around to publishers, which also can take a long time. Then if the book is picked up, its release date will likely be a year and a half to two years from the date of purchase. And once the book is published, it will take 10 months to get the first royalty statement. It’s an extremely long cycle.

By contrast, a writer who decides to publish independently can have an ebook and POD book completed and in the market within a matter of weeks.

Of course, some authors may feel they need the gravitas of the publisher behind them rather than the ‘stigma’ of having self-published. And for marketing support. But opinions on independent publishing are changing daily and it’s a very different game than in the past. And for most authors, publishing houses don’t have sufficient budgets to provide marketing for all their authors

JMJ: Thanks so much for your time today, Kristin. Everyone at Writers Who Kill wish you great success with Flying Pig Media.