For those of you who didn't see it, I lifted Jill's question from the comments in the post about advertising and product placement in books.

Jill's question:

Caroline-- Do you feel a book is still fully your own once it is published? What about all the rights you sign away with your publishing contract? --What goes on the cover... who its marketed to and how... edits for language and other sundry issues, all to the publisher's satisfaction-- Isn't publishing itself the biggest writer sponsorship of all?

Caroline's answer:
Jill - That's a very interesting point, but I consider publication more as a production and distribution partner, and not a sponsor.
An author has total control over every word in the manuscript. I don't have to agree to any editorial suggestions or to copyeditor suggestions. While it's true the author rarely has control over the cover or the marketing copy attached to the book, the contents of the book are his or hers alone.

Let's continue the discussion. What do you guys think? I can see both points of view. In a way, when a publisher agrees to publish your work, it is like they are sponsoring you. Kind of like in the olden days, when a wealthy older woman might sponsor a young debutante's coming out-- silk slippers, gowns, invites to balls-- all paid for by the rich dame. But it's still the young deb who has to make a name for herself and become the belle of the ball. She does that on her own. And the author does have control over the final product, but I don't know that I see it as total control. My editor might strongly advise me to make a change-- maybe over language, let's say. She might say that it won't get picked up by book clubs, etc if the word is in the book. And maybe I really want to keep the word, but because of her advice, I'll change it. So I still have control over it, but it's not quite the same as me putting the book out on my own, charting my own course, because I'm listening to other people. I think this can be a very very good thing, having to give up a little control in this way. The book is often the better for it, because let's face it, sometimes they, the powers that be, know better than you. And then, sometimes they don't. At the end of the day, you're the one who has to put your name on it. You have to feel good about what you put out there. People aren't going to say, damn, Harper Collins is a crappy publisher if your book sucks. They're gonna say, you suck. You're the one who has to live with it.

xoxo
Jenny