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.