If You Don’t Understand the Publishing Process, Do NOT Publish
Impatience is a
virtue.
Like most flaws
and bad experiences, there are benefits to the negatives. College was the worst
time of my life, but it taught me great strategies in dealing with passive-aggression
and social politics. My hypersensitivity makes me emotional, but have an
extremely high interpersonal intelligence. My fear makes exhausts and limits
me, but it forces me to learn and understand patterns quickly.
Patient authors
are likely to never publish at all. I personally have been writing for 15 years
now and am actively submitting a manuscript to agents for the first time this
year. In my writers groups, the ones who have map out a reasonable allotted set
of months to finish never do. The ones who want to publish, “This year,” are
those who get it done.
Impatience is
the strongest motivator in finishing. It’ll inspire the writers to take risks,
not over think things, and get their work out there. Actually submitting is the
name of the game, and few people are ever going to be certain if their work
really is ready.
So why wait to publish?
The criticisms
of impatient authors are not without merit. Most self-published books have
quality errors due to haste; not just typos, but rushed pacing, no real ending,
non-atmospheric summation, and just sound
like the writer was trying to get something out as fast as humanly possible.
It’s not just the prolific authors who have a fanbase to appease—who often
learn how to write quickly through practice—but many beginning writers
intentionally and arbitrarily decide to write a low wordcount from the jump
because it seems less daunting.
I don’t agree
that the worst thing a writer can do is publish before she’s ready. I believe
it is far, far worse to hang onto something out of fear. Never submit something
you know is half-assed, but
persistence and putting yourself out there are the foundations to success in
any situation. In some cases, it’s better to take a chance and get rejected
than not.
But, that being
said, there are definitely ramifications to publishing far too soon, and the
biggest one is when contracts are actually involved: in other words, the scam.
Some weeks ago,
a woman excitedly posted a Facebook status about her book being picked up.
Immediately, red flags were sprung. Something about the way she said it, “A
publisher has picked up my book for their self-publishing package!”
“Picked up…
self-publishing package”?
That’s not how
self-publishing works.
I went to their
website—a Facebook page, their website was a broken link—and it became
immediately obvious that this was not a good deal. A scam? Maybe not, in that I
believe scams have to be intentionally malicious. It seemed more like a small
start-up of people who probably didn’t want to work with big publishers and
thought they could do it themselves without really understanding how the
process works.
But even if it wasn’t about stealing money, it was not
a good deal by any stretch of the imagination. No ability to buy books online,
cost of books was much greater than market value, authors paid for editing and
brought in their own covers. They were looking for editors on Facebook. The one
book they were promoting’s deadline was being pushed back for “editing
reasons.”
In truth, anyone
who calls themselves a “Hybrid Publisher” is offering a bad deal; the hybrid is
always the worst of both worlds for the writer. The writer pays while losing
creative control, and as of yet, no hybrid publisher has a good enough
reputation to ease writers into getting in bookstores. Unless they can offer
buy-back, they have a proven record of quality control, and they can offer the books at competitive prices, the
self-publisher will have the same amount of difficulty getting her books in on
her own.
I nervously
messaged the author my concerns, not sure I was overstepping my boundaries. She
was grateful for the heads up and, luckily, we parted ways on good terms.
Not long after,
I came across a discussion on Inkitt.com. Two tech-based individuals decided to
change the ways of publishing by creating an algorithm and a contest in order
to maximize writers’ chances of success without having to deal with
“gatekeepers.” There was a great deal of controversy because it involved
putting your book up online, which loses you First English Language Rights,
because they didn’t seem to be having a great deal of success getting their
books out there, and because they just didn’t seem to know how the publishing
process worked period.
But! One of
their writers, Erin Swan, has been picked up by Tor, a publisher of some of the
best speculative fiction writers in North America.
Problem is, publishing is evolving, and it’s possible
that a company that doesn’t work like the others is really being innovative and
might be the best for you. I remember
some years ago being at a writers conference that disparaged self-publishing
which then embraced it the following summer. I don’t particularly recommend
Inkitt for a myriad of reasons, but is it a scam?
Which brings me
to yesterday. A young woman posted an (almost illegible) rant about a
publishing company taking her for a ride. No contact, leaving her in the dark,
making her pay for editing and cover art, trading her editors, and now
threatening to sue her over 200 dollars she owes them.
I’ve previously
worked as a paralegal; my boss, a humanitarian and court-appointed criminal
lawyer, charged the court 180 dollars AN HOUR. When she took on cases that
weren’t being paid for by the government? More like 600. Here we had three
young English majors in charge of a “publishing company” threatening to bring
the author to court despite multiple breaches in contract by subverting
deadlines over 200 dollars.
I’m normally not
the type to get annoyed at the victim, but I was astounded with her naivety.
“It looked like
a contract you would get from a lawyer too!” she insisted when I suggested that
maybe their threats weren’t anything more than idle.
Don’t ever sign
something if you don’t understand it.
The author had
no idea what the job of the publishing house was supposed to be. She had no
idea she would be charged over a thousand dollars when signing, and she had no
idea that wasn’t typical.
Going to their
website, there were red flags everywhere. Typos and spelling errors, a lack of
focus in what they actually did, no online store, poorly crafted covers, only
three books in their portfolio.
Sometimes it’s
hard to know what you’re looking for. If you don’t have a strong understanding
of proper syntax and punctuation, it’s difficult to recognize that someone else
doesn’t either. If you don’t know much about how books reach stores, you don’t
know when you’re being taken for a ride or if it’s pretty standard.
So learn. Do
your research. Understand the difference
between self-publishing, traditional publishing, vanity presses, and scams.
Understand what a small press is expected to do for you. Understand what an
agent is. When interested in a publisher, find out more about it. Look at
their website, Google search them. Be clear on what the expectations are, what
it’s offering, and what you get out of the contract. Research options even if
you know you aren’t interested in them because it will help you protect
yourself in the long run.
If you have a
manuscript, and you’re ready to publish, here’s the things you should consider…
What
does an agent do, and do I need or want one?
Your experience
with each agent will vary, but typically your agent will make suggestions to
your manuscript for quality and marketability. After alterations have been
made, she will then query editors she thinks will be interested. If your book
is picked up, she will then negotiate the terms—her experience in the market
will make her better equipped to recognize good and bad deals—and read through
your contract to protect you.
Publishers who
are inundated with manuscript submissions will work solely through agents to
cut out some of the poor quality. Agents also, typically, have working
relationships with editors and understand their interests as well as have a
foot up due to familiarity.
If you are
self-publishing, there are some agents who will take on your work as an
advisory role and may be able to help with strategy and promotion, though that
is a fairly uncommon choice, especially because there’s not a lot of money for
the agent in that route, so it begs the question of their credibility.
If you are
interested in working with the big publishers and/or as a career writer (in
traditional avenues), working with an agent is just about a requirement and
will protect you in the long run.
If you are
self-publishing or interested in a small or localized printing—such as you have
a memoir that would only interest a small area—you may consider forgoing the
agent.
How much do agents charge?
An agent will
NEVER charge a fee or any upfront costs. Any attempt to do so is a scam.
Sometimes they may charge for reimbursement fees, but that will be spelled out
in a contract. They make a percentage of the author’s sales, usually 15%.
Publishers pay money to the agent, the agent deducts her commission and
forwards it to the writer.
How do I terminate a contract with an agent?
Both parties
should have the right to terminate a contract at any time. Prior to having made
a sale, this can be as simple as sending an email, however some contracts do
state the specific procedures. Some ask for a certain amount of notice or for
it to be a physical letter. Also, it’s important to remember it’s a small world
and not to burn bridges.
In the
publishing industry, a lot of contracts are book-by-book, and that’s a good
thing. Some are you work together until you decide otherwise, some have a time
limit. The only real one to be cautious about is if the agent wants first
rights to the next book, or all proceeding books.
What does a publisher do?
This also
varies, and has changed a great deal over the last decade.
Typically, a
publisher…
-Financially finances the
project, including editing, design, the
author, and some of the marketing. (Yes, the publisher pays you.)
-Has experienced, in-house
professionals who have been vetted through years of work.
-Has one or more editors work
with the author to improve and polish the manuscript.
-Creates a cover design, formats
the interior.
-Offers promotional strategy and
budgeting (this has shrunk in the recent years.)
-Pays printing costs.
-Has connections with
brick-and-mortar bookstores.
-Is able to buy back unsold
books from bookstores.
Some publishers
are ebook only nowadays. Some are start-ups and you’re taking a chance on their
reliability and experience. Some try for a “hybrid” of sorts, which is usually
in the worst interest of the writer.
The important
thing is to understand why you’re
pursuing a publisher in the first place, if they actually offer what you’re
seeking. Don’t let attention blind you just because you feel wanted. Is the
contract what you’re actually after?
Small
press or large press?
It’s not wise to
tell an agent you’ll only accept offers from the Big 5, and many people don’t
really have a choice; they get offers from who they get offers from. However,
it is still portion of the decision making, and even if you’ll gladly go with
whoever you can—or maybe especially—you should still understand the difference,
predominantly…
-Reputation.
-Promotion.
-Experience.
-Budget.
Truth is, some
small presses are nothing more than self-publishers promoting other’s books.
The important thing to realize is that small presses have limitations, but they
might still be valid options if they will do certain things for you. If you
know they produce quality work (by checking out what they’ve made), with good
editors and designers, it may be worth selling your first book through them for
both financial and reputable reasons. Or it might you might decide that having
a print version is most important to you and know to pass on the offer.
The problem with
small presses is telling which options are valid and which ones are scams. With
big publishers, you can check the name and history, know their works offhand,
and easily require standard expectations. When dealing with a small, it’s extra
important to do your homework. There are little things you can do like check
their website for ease of sales, prices of book should be on par with the
market, and real businesses will be filed with the government for tax purposes,
which is viewable online.
Is self-publishing actually
an option?
Self-publishing
is hard. I would argue harder than
the traditional route, but it also depends more on what you like to do and what
you’re good at.
But yes, it’s an
option. People have been successful with self-publishing, and a successful
self-published book can be later picked up by a traditional publisher. However,
if you are considering this route, you must understand why the self-publisher was successful, and what happens if your
book flops.
There are still
stigmas against badly selling indie books. It suggests some naivety and
arrogance, plus you’re showing the results of what your capabilities. Poorly
selling traditional books aren’t a good thing either, but it’s just not the
same kind of black mark.
If you’re
thinking about self-publishing, think long term. What are your goals, and how
are you planning on going about them?
Self-publishing
is not an easier way into traditional publishing. If your endgame is to be
picked up by a trad. publisher, the easiest method is through persistence,
education, and networking via the standard means.
The works that
do best in self-publishing tend to be more commercial.
You will make
more money off each sale, but you will have to sell your book for less. Even if
you sell on par with trads, their costs are lower.
You won’t get
(and don’t want) extra credit for being an indie. Your book still will need to
be at the same level of quality. Writing with poor execution because your story
“is good enough,” just ends up burning readers.
You can, theoretically, do it for free, but
you need to be diversely talented, sociable, and dedicated.
Don’t bank on
being the exception or the Chosen One Penguin is going to happen across and
mentor. Make a game plan.
Don’t just trust what you read on the internet.
That includes
this post. This is just an overview of what I have learned about the process
through years of discussion, workshops, conferences, and reading, but I’m no
expert. Things change, misinformation is past on, misunderstandings and Chinese
Whispers occur. People outright lie on the internet. Post a question about any
binary grammar rule on Facebook and see an acute split of opinions. One half
with be adamantly supporting the wrong answer.
Think about your
sources. Use your best knowledge and instinct. If something seems wrong, ask
more questions. Keep your eyes and ears open. Don’t let anyone bully you just
because you don’t inherently trust them. Be diplomatic, but cautious.
Find
people who have done what you want and learn about their history.
Think about
whose career you’d like to have. Next Stephen King? Read his autobiography, On Writing. Read his interviews. Read
articles about him.
Inspired by the
success of The Martian? Think about
how much he charged, how much he spent, how he promoted, and his history as a
writer.
Be careful about
hand picking and choosing tactics. Too many writers shoot themselves in the
foot by feeling entitled to certain luxuries without regard to context.
Before
you publish, know what it means.
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