Going with a small publisher…an advantage?

Last week, I wrote about the possible disadvantages of a small publisher.  I hope, from my own point of view, that I may have dispelled some myths, as well as give you a couple of suggestions to guide you as you investigate the possibility of working with a small publisher.

So let’s chat about advantages:

They are usually open to new authors, thus easier to break into the market.  This is very true.  Big publishers work with authors who have been previously published or have acquired a literary agent.  Actually, they’re prone to deal strictly with agents.  I was standing in a friend’s office years ago and overheard another editor as they said, “It’s great that you have published x book through y publisher, but get an agent.  Even previously published, I know we won’t deal with anyone who doesn’t have an agent.  Here are a couple of numbers to call…” 

Who hasn’t heard of the dreaded “slush pile”?  I have a number of friends working with agents who have told me how fortunate they were to have their agents “choose” them out of their own slush piles.  It’s true.  Agents find themselves bogged down with the number of queries and manuscripts they receive, just like publishers.  I know I am not the only small publisher who doesn’t have a slush pile, so at least you know that someone (a human, not an auto-responder) is going to let you know they received your query/manuscript and that they will contact you again soon. 

Personalized attention.  Small publishers tend to be more involved with directly promoting each title.  On top of that, small publishers know everything that’s happening with your book, right down to usually having a good one-on-one relationship with people at the printing company.  They’ve likely had a direct hand in making sure the formatting is correct and the cover aligns as it should. 

You know with whom you’re dealing. Small publishers will have just a few editors, if they even have more than one.  Usually the acquisitions editor is the content editor and line editor, so you don’t have to sort out who is doing what with your manuscript. There are no specialised meetings surrounding a stack of manuscripts, artwork, cover design and so forth.  These things all happen with big publishers, and often you’ll find that it’s far too easy – even if your book is accepted for publication – for your work to be lost in the crowd of all the others.  Some will get preferential treatment for special marketing especially, and you may find yourself wondering if you’ll ever get published at all.

Publications move onto a schedule easier and faster.  Small houses usually mean fewer listings to manage each year.  Coupled with the other advantages listed, you get on a better publication schedule.  Quite a number of small publishers can usually work with you and have your book published in a year or less.  They also tend to market for sustainability, because the longer your title is on the market and making sales, the better it is for everyone concerned.  Big publishers often work several years out when making acquisitions.  So much can happen in that period.  Your acquisitions editor may leave.  If that happens, what happens to your work?  It often ends up on another editor’s desk, but down the pile farther than the manuscripts they’re already managing.  Maybe your book works within a particular imprint.  Another publisher may acquire that imprint, and your work isn’t what the new publisher had in mind.  Your contract could be cancelled, or you could be lost somewhere with a rather cursory publication date, a short-run printing, and in just a few months, your book is out of print. 

I’m not saying that it is fruitless to go with a big publisher.  That’s not the case.  Ask Dan Brown, or better yet, ask Dan’s agent.  Ask Rebecca James, whose new books are going to be the hottest thing since Harry Potter; they’re in the midst of a bidding war, in fact, for U.S. rights to publish.

But remember this, too: 

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), just about 172,000 new titles come out each year in the U.S. alone.  Approximately 206,000 are published in the U.K.  Will 2010 be the year for yours?  It depends entirely on your philosophy and your willingness to think outside the box.

Next time:  Guerilla marketing and you.

Going with a small publisher…..a disadvantage?

I wrote a guest blog last week for Cathy Holst at Fiction by CM Holst.  In it, I addressed a number of questions.  One on which I wanted to spend more time referred to the advantages and disadvantages of small publishers.

I want to point out that when I refer to small publishers, I am not referring to self-publishing entities.  I’ll save that for later in the month.  My concern here is with small publishers whose goals are to publish books and market them to the reading public.  I will say that I haven’t finished research on how many of us there are out there that don’t push a personal agenda, but I would venture to say that we are a rather small “club”. 

Let’s deal first with perceived disadvantages in this blog.  Perhaps we can dispel some myths and offer some solutions.

Lack of financial force.  The focus of most writers when they hear this is “advances”.  Small publishers are less likely to have the capacity to offer advances.  In all honesty, if a writer bases their desire for publication on the size of the advance, it becomes clear to people like me that their interest is less in publishing work they believe in and more in upfront financial compensation.  It is a good reminder for people to understand that while an advance is nice, it does come out of your royalties, so even if you get one, you end up paying it back, no matter how long it takes to do so.

Additionally, there is question as to whether book tours and marketing are covered.  This depends entirely on how you view both.  Writers who really believe in their work are also writers who are willing to promote their work, and it doesn’t come with a price tag.  Remember that it doesn’t cost anything at all to talk to people, to call your local paper, to promote your work in your own blogs, to go onto Facebook and start sharing notes and links to your book.  As far as book tours go, I happen to think that regional book signings are fabulous, especially at your local independent booksellers.  The publisher should cover the mechanics of the rest of the marketing.  If they don’t have the capacity to do this and complement the market with your book, they don’t know how to market and sell efficiently and effectively – and it really has very little to do with money.

Lack of distribution.  Until recently, I’d have to agree.  However, thanks to new avenues that have opened because of the digital age, this is just not the case anymore.  If a small publisher doesn’t use every avenue available to them, it’s because they’re not paying attention.  My own distribution lines are such that our books reach worldwide.  All small publishers have access to these opportunities, and the cost is minimal. 

Lack of professionalism.  This professionalism is far-reaching in many respects and, unfortunately, I have seen it in others.  It ranges from the handling of raw manuscripts through the verbiage in contracts to marketing strategies to essential reports to the authors.  There is casual, and then there’s appalling.  Contracts in particular can often be questionable, but in an age where we have the likes of Jonathan Kirsch to advise both publishers and authors on the legal aspects of contracts, there are no excuses.

In a “caveat emptor” sort of way, let me make a few suggestions if you think you might place your manuscript with a small publisher:

1.  Find out as much as you possibly can about any publisher that piques your interest.  Do a little research.  Check their company website.  Note how the website is set up, check for glaring typos and grammatical errors, see if you have matching philosophies and look for comprehensive details regarding submission requirements.

2.  When you send an email query, see how they treat you.  If they thank you for sending it, that’s polite and good business.  It also gives you another opportunity to assess their professionalism.

3.  If at any time they tell you that there will be a cost on your part to publish your book, walk away.  This is not a standard small publisher.  This is a self-publishing company.  (Note:  Sometimes companies don’t tell you this upfront.  It’s as a “by the way”.)

 Next time:  Advantages of small publishers.