Tag: Marketing

A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 4

Don’t sign if the numbers don’t add up.
Definitely don’t sign if you can’t validate their claims!

Part 1 of this series shared three critical issues to ask any publisher before signing with them:

  1. Marketing – how would the publisher get word of my book out to potential readers?
  2. Distribution – how would the publisher get my book into potential readers’ hands?
  3. Career Development – what would the publisher do to help me become a better author?

This post deals with publisher #4 how they failed on all three. Now out of business (at least no web presence), this post is about how splash can’t make up for facts.

During my headaches with publishers 1, 2, and 3, I sent out Empty Sky. Lots of interest, no contracts, until a British publisher offered to take a look.

Hoorah!, right?

Well, yeah, of course.

They asked for the full manuscript, which I emailed. Two weeks later, they wanted to Zoom meet. One person would be in their LA office, the other in their London, UK, office, so the challenge was timing.

Hey, you tell me when you want to talk, I’ll be there!

The call went well, very flattering of my work, an explanation of their plans for the book (they talked video games, movie, radio play, books, serialization,… they really had all media channels covered) plus an advanced marketing campaign which involved me flying to London to appear on a few morning talk shows, and both NYC and LA for the same.

Too good to be true, right?

Definitely!
Continue reading “A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 4”

A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 3 finale

Don’t go with a publisher who keeps you in the dark, feeds you bullshit, and outright lies to you (and lies and lies and lies)! (finale)

Part 1 of this series shared three critical issues to ask any publisher before signing with them:

  1. Marketing – how would the publisher get word of my book out to potential readers?
  2. Distribution – how would the publisher get my book into potential readers’ hands?
  3. Career Development – what would the publisher do to help me become a better author?

This post deals with publisher #3 (whom you met in

Here’s the finale of publisher #3’s bad practices.
Continue reading “A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 3 finale”

A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 3.2

You’re an author, not a mushroom. Don’t go with a publisher who keeps you in the dark, feeds you bullshit, and outright lies to you! (part 2)

Part 1 of this series shared three critical issues to ask any publisher before signing with them:

  1. Marketing – how would the publisher get word of my book out to potential readers?
  2. Distribution – how would the publisher get my book into potential readers’ hands?
  3. Career Development – what would the publisher do to help me become a better author?

This post continues with publisher #3 (whom you met in

Here I share the second part of publisher #3’s bad practices.
Continue reading “A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 3.2”

A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 3.1

You’re an author, not a mushroom. Don’t go with a publisher who keeps you in the dark and feeds you bullshit! (part 1)

Part 1 of this series shared three critical issues to ask any publisher before signing with them:

  1. Marketing – how would the publisher get word of my book out to potential readers?
  2. Distribution – how would the publisher get my book into potential readers’ hands?
  3. Career Development – what would the publisher do to help me become a better author?

This post deals with publisher #3 and I’ll add another item not on the list:

Make sure the publisher doesn’t bullshit you. If they lie, exaggerate, or obfuscate, get out! You and your book deserve better!

Publisher #3 was such a flying fuckup (yes, I’m that pissed about it) that I’ve written about them before in:

Aside from what’s in the above posts, the next three posts in this series give you a play-by-play of my involvement with publisher #3.
Continue reading “A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 3.1”

A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 2

Make sure their in-house stylebook/author’s guide suits your work, human editors beat machine editors, and definitely make sure the editor they assign you is familiar with your genre

(oops! this was suppose to go out last week. my bad. sorry.

Part 1 of this series covered my entry into the world of noveling, and the first quote-publisher-unquote who wanted my premier novel, The Augmented Man. I shared three critical issues to ask any publisher before signing with them:

  1. Marketing – how would the publisher get word of my book out to potential readers?
  2. Distribution – how would the publisher get my book into potential readers’ hands?
  3. Career Development – what would the publisher do to help me become a better author?

This post deals with publisher #2 and critical issue #3 from the list above

Nutshell takeaway: Publishers interested in developing you as an author put their own money into it. You’re an investment. They work with you to develop your craft and help you learn how to improve your craft because they know, in the end, they’ll make more money from an author with developed talent than an author with stalled talent.

 
I became careful investigating publishers due to my experience with publisher #1. Investigating before entering into any kind of agreement with an unknown entity (organization or individual) is called due diligence. I was learning that the publishing landscape changed since my 1980s-based experiences, and due diligence became one of my tools in seeking out publishers.

Before submitting to publisher #2, I asked around in writers groups, message boards, talked with the people I’d be working with, et cetera.

One anomaly occurred: Someone praised the publisher on one board. Their praise was so over-the-top I asked if they worked for the publisher.

No, they didn’t.

But when I looked through the publisher’s staff, there the praiser was. In charge of acquisitions. Meaning they’d have the deciding vote on whether to send my work up the chain.

So I asked via the message board if this individual worked for the publisher.

Well, yes they did, but they got the job slightly after they responded to my initial query.

Okay, such happens. Several 1980s trade-technical authors put me on their letterhead because I was so well recognized in the industry.

Onward and Upward.

Publisher #2 read my The Augmented Man and asked if I had other books ready to go.

Specifically, they asked if The Augmented Man was the first in a series.

“No, it’s not.”

Could I make it into a series?

“The protagonist completes his growth arc at the end of the novel. I’m not sure how to develop him further from there.”

Did I have other books available?

“I have Tales Told ‘Round Celestial Campfires and Empty Sky ready to go and two others ready for editing.”

They sent me a contract for a five book deal.

I was thrilled. I was ecstatic. I was humbled. I was honored.

Now let me tell you how I was damn near screwed.
Continue reading “A Tale of Six Publishers – Part 2”