Learning this made me finally wake up and realize I was playing the wrong game as an author.
Chasing the wrong things. Putting the wrong kind of pressure on myself. Shooting for broken stars.
The lesson?
The simple difference between a status hierarchy and a power hierarchy — and how we’ve been tricked time and time again to accept an increase in status while giving up our power as authors.
I will never sign this devil’s contract again. I hope by the end of this essay, you’ll seriously question making it for yourself, too.
Power vs. Status Hierarchy
First, a status hierarchy is based on who is respected or admired, regardless of formal power.
As opposed to a power hierarchy, which is who has control over resources and decisions.
At first, the instinct may be to think that those who have power are also those who have status.
Oftentimes, this is true. However, in publishing, especially indie publishing, this tends to be the opposite by design.
The devil’s contract? We often give up power over our stories and IP in order to gain status (i.e. a specific publisher picking up our book or giving all of our customer data to a retailer).
It didn’t occur to me until I sat down with a General Partner, who will go unnamed, at one of the biggest venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, that the game has been rigged against us creatives by design.
To paraphrase the quote that shook me to my core: “Finding ways to give them [aka creators on social platforms] status has improved retention more effectively than just giving creatives extra money.”
This is why Meta, owner of the largest and most profitable social networks in the world, gives less than 1% of its revenue to creators. Why give creators revenue, decision-making power, or any semblance of a direct relationship to their audience when you can give them the dopamine of increased follower and view counts instead?
This extends beyond just social platforms.
I hear it every day from storytellers over at Creatorwood, the platform I started that turns books and scripts into movies with AI.
“I hope my movie will help me get noticed by a studio.”
“Do you think my script is good enough for you all to work with me?” [spoiler alert: Creatorwood’s Movie Machine is self-service. We accept all stories on the platform]
And I’ve seen, even from seasoned indie authors, how one’s pursuit of external validation can cause one to fall prey to predatory contracts.
Think an unnamed audiobook publisher scooping up the rights to an incredibly well-selling ebook for barely any money and a paltry royalty rate. I see things like this on a nearly weekly basis.
And sometimes… we just don’t know better.
But other times, it’s something more sinister. The increase in status of getting a gatekeeper or platform’s approval feels so *damn* good that we rationalize why the loss in our power is worth it.
Spoiler alert: it rarely is.
Making Decisions for Power > Status
With that said, this isn’t a call to never publish to retailers or never to work with publishers.
It’s just time to view these players as equals in a business relationship.
The power hierarchies of publishing have used our own psychology as creatives against us. Weaponizing our needs to belong, be validated, and gain status to take from us.
That’s messed up. And I hope this new framing for the publishing industry lets you see the blatant power grabs and analyze future opportunities with a level head about whether they are right for you, right now, and on the right terms.
As many of you know, my passion is flipping this balance of power.
How do we elevate storytellers not just within the status hierarchy but also the power hierarchy of the creative industry?
I’ll be writing soon on the Creatorwood newsletter (which, if you haven’t signed up for, you can get a free book about making movies with AI here), all about how we aim to create a more storyteller-friendly ecosystem for all of entertainment.
And whether Creatorwood succeeds in its grand ambitions or not, it will certainly succeed in forcing everyone, incumbent platforms and gatekeepers alike, to give more power to storytellers like you.
I’m so excited.
And I hope this was a useful way of looking at the publishing industry. I’d love your feedback and thoughts.
And as always, don’t forget…
Storytellers Rule the World,
Michael Evans
The Author Sidekick
A big breath of fresh air, Michael. Too many authors don't understand the value of their IP rights and yes, trade for "validation."