Authors Helping Authors

[…] Ce billet a été rédigé naguère par Joël Seguin, éditeur chez Eyrolles. Il vit aujourd’hui près de Minneapolis (USA) […]

Des auteurs, conscients de leur rôle et prêts à entendre et tenir compte des contraintes du monde de l’édition, se rencontrent et échangent à l’initiative de l’éditeur…

We (BK) encourage authors to work with each other, to compare notes and share resources. One manifestation of this is the annual Berrett-Koehler author retreat, an entirely author-organized and run event, which this year takes place September 6 through 9, 2007 at The Edith Macy Conference Center, Briar Cliff Manor, New York.

…pour finalement créer une structure autonome et faire entendre leur voix auprès des lecteurs…

But now the same Berrett-Koehler authors have taken it upon themselves to push the process to a new level, by founding the Berrett-Koehler Authors Cooperative, Inc. To quote from their founding document:
There’s something special about being a Berrett-Koehler author. We are connected to a community of authors through an idea:  to create a world that works for all. Yet, after the first blush of our book fades, many of us face the limitations of our independent voice in the world. We long for a more connected community; a desire to join together for support, learning and collective action that can bring forth that world we want.
The BK Authors Cooperative is that community. This is a unique endeavor in the world of publishing-a group of authors organized to support our individual and collective needs so our vision and voice reaches the world. It will be a place to connect ideas to action, to learn with and from each other, and to share our practical dilemmas and inspiring dreams.

…et innover avec des outils répondant à leur besoins.

The offerings of the BK Authors Cooperative will be further fleshed out at this year’s Author Retreat, but some initial ideas are forums to share marketing and public relations strategies and advice; mentoring and advice on writing, editing, and media training; teleconferences; a robust Internet presence, including a web site, webinars, online salons and bulletin boards, a workspace for collaborative projects and document sharing; and more. The Board of the Cooperative consists of authors Emily Axelrod, Dick Axelrod, Sharon Jordan-Evans, Steward Levine, Myron Rogers, Bill Treasurer, Moshe Yudovsky and our President and Publisher, Steve Piersanti, who insists he had nothing to do with the formation of the Cooperative and is really just along for the ride.

À suivre, rien d’anecdotique dans cette démarche qui redéfinit au passage les contours et priorités du métier d’éditeur…