What are you looking for in a publisher?

[PhillipR]

I am a new member here and wanted to post my meet and greet here for you guys.

We are a new Christian publishing company and I came here to learn what your needs are and what you expect from a prospective publisher. I know the expectations will vary depending upon your comfort level with performing some of the work yourself and staying within a reasonable budget but what are you guys looking for from a publisher?

Question Two: Would you walk away from the publisher if their prices were low thinking 'you get what you pay for'?

 

[SepiaAndDust]

I'd walk away from any publisher who had prices.

Money flows toward the writer. The end.

 

[Astropolis]

Sorry, I have to agree with SepiaAndDust. I've been published by Hodder, Macmillan and the EC's own publications department. Each time they paid me.

 

[Goodbook]

It depends if you want to vanity publish or the publishers actually will pay you to publish cos they believe your story will be popular and sell.

Just different priorities. I know many ppl who've self published, but they are looking for the wider distribution these days. The reason people go to the big publishers as they are the ones that distribute over a wider area, thus more opporutnity for their work to be read. Authors shouldnt have to go selling their books door to door. Thats the publishers job. Also, its nice to be paid for your hard work...it takes a lot of time and energy to write a book. If you got something to say, having no money should not necessarily preclude you from having a voice.

 

[PhillipR]

The first two responses focused on the importance of selling your book to the publisher. Is that all you are looking for? Who will buy your book?

Goodbook, you hit on a couple things in your response. There ARE two very different sides in this: those who work tirelessly to gain a publisher's approval of their manuscript and those who want their book published with or without a publishing company.

We 100% agree with the last line in your response. Everyone deserves having their voice heard. Traditional publishers care nothing for the content of your book. The only motivator for them is making sales. "Can the author's name alone sell thousands of copies quickly?" "Does the author have an established following that will eagerly purchase anything released?" It is all sales driven. Here in the Christian genre we think that is the wrong incentive.

We were wanting to hear what you guys wanted in a publisher, apart from the amount paid. Maybe I should flip the question and say what we are offering to see if it appeals to you. We aren't able to purchase every book from every author for a sum large enough for them to feel it was worth their time and effort. The solution we chose is to let the author take the risk but also reap the reward.

We saw many publishers who take advantage of anxious authors by charging outrageously high fees for services, offer minimal to non-existent support after going to print, deliver an inferior product, or simply walk away with the author's money.

So we decided to fill the need with very low prices without sacrificing quality by reducing our profit. The loss has to happen somewhere so we will take the low profit. No required purchases, you keep the rights to your work, no tricky clauses in the signed agreement, and no mark-ups on the books you purchase. We keep a variable amount off each sale which is around fifty cents. The rest of the money is the author's payment for their investment and their hard work.

We distribute through POD to keep costs down but can switch to offset printing and warehousing should the author prefer that avenue. And submit a digital version in the various formats to the top e-book distributors.

 

[SepiaAndDust]

Who will buy your book?

Me? Simon & Schuster.

You're a vanity outfit. Just say so.

 

[PhillipR]

SepiaandDust, I'm not sure why you have taken such offense to the business model we have chosen. For whatever reason you do not want to see Christian books published if they are not through traditional publishing. We disagree with the 'select few' mentality as mentioned earlier.

As for you telling me who published you, I think in your haste you misunderstood what I was saying. I wasn't asking WHO will publish you. I am quite familiar with who publishes books. I was asking if that is all that mattered to you? Is finding someone to buy your book the most important aspect?

We see spreading the Gospel as most important. Most readers do not care who published the book. Many couldn't even name a publishing company. What does matter is Christ and Him crucified and getting that message out. God has many authors who are willing vessels and want to share the Truths they have been shown. They shouldn't be told their message cannot be published because their name cannot guarantee enough sales.

I am aware that the publishing industry looks down on our business model and any model other than traditional. But I really don't care about the opinion of the industry giants and as little as I am they don't really care about me. I'm not taking business away from them.

 

[SepiaAndDust]

SepiaandDust, I'm not sure why you have taken such offense to the business model we have chosen. For whatever reason you do not want to see Christian books published if they are not through traditional publishing. We disagree with the 'select few' mentality as mentioned earlier.

As for you telling me who published you, I think in your haste you misunderstood what I was saying. I wasn't asking WHO will publish you. I am quite familiar with who publishes books. I was asking if that is all that mattered to you? Is finding someone to buy your book the most important aspect?

Pretty much, yep.

Otherwise, you're vanity publishing. The only audience your clients will reach are their friends and relatives who receive the books as Christmas presents.

Every book is crap until it's gone through the hands of a good editor. Do you offer editing? Is that a part of your "variable amount"?

If your first book is crap, nobody's going to read your second one, no matter how polished and enchanting it might be.

 

[Goodbook]

I think anyone wanting their book to be taken seriously needs the services of a good editor. They may be independent publsihers but books still need editing. Ive seen and read many books as a librarian enought to tell quality writing from crap.

 

[LaSorcia]

It used to be called vanity publishing, but nowadays self-publishing has become quite common. It is a valid way to publish one's works. Most of the printers I've looked at charge so much, it's barely worth it though. Will this company use digital printing?

 

[SepiaAndDust]

It used to be called vanity publishing, but nowadays self-publishing has become quite common. It is a valid way to publish one's works. Most of the printers I've looked at charge so much, it's barely worth it though. Will this company use digital printing?

Yes, self-publishing is valid. But what's being offered isn't self-publishing. It's... what is it, exactly? I have yet to see a list of the services provided in exchange for this "variable amount", just this:

We distribute through POD to keep costs down but can switch to offset printing and warehousing should the author prefer that avenue. And submit a digital version in the various formats to the top e-book distributors.

Everything else is vague.

Other than the printing, there's nothing in there that self-published authors couldn't easily do for themselves. So they're on-demand printers? What kind of name do they have among the top e-book distributors? What do they do?

 

[PhillipR]

SepiaandDust, I just see it differently. The traditional publishing method doesn't make one book better than any other. So the traditional publishing method isn't superior. If it is the one you prefer that is absolutely fine. If another author considers the alternatives that is absolutely fine, too.

As pointed out, editing does make a huge difference. And not just cleaning up the typos and grammar slips. The flow needs to engage the reader and carry them through the book. That isn't accomplished through magic and it isn't accomplished simply because a publishing company bought the rights to your book.

As for the author's reach, technology and the multitude of social networks allows word-of-mouth to spread faster and easier than it ever has before. Books need availability and we can cover that with ease. Books also need exposure. There are low cost tools and methods which anyone can use to begin generating attention.

Goodbook, yes, nothing is more annoying when you are trying to read a book and can't get past the painfully obvious typos. Makes you wonder if the author/publisher even proofed the final product.

LaSorcia, self-publishing has a very strong group of supporters. There are hundreds of tools at the author's disposal to help them through the process to churn out a really nice, polished product. If the author puts the effort into it, that is, otherwise it is 'garbage in, garbage out'.

For printing, we will use POD distribution unless the author specifies a preference. This method lets the distributor digitally print the book as needed. The value in this method is no large initial book order along with warehousing fees. It also prevents the losses which can occur if any of the books get damaged while in storage. This keeps printing costs low without losing quality.

The books the author will buy for themselves will be digitally printed. Offset printing becomes affordable when a large number of books are needed, typically around the 1200+ mark.

 

[Goodbook]

I think traditional publishing houses are more solid in editing and discerning compared to self published efforts, but what emerged from them is a rigid house style and format. But they also knew what would sell, but that also meant they werent willing to take risks from an unknown author.

So you have to weigh up the pros and cons. Nowadays with the merging of publishing conglomerates its harder to break into traditional models. I think POD is the way to go.

 

[PhillipR]

The large publishing houses have seen the shift and they all created imprints to cash in on this change. The old, rigid way you mentioned is not the only way to get your book out there anymore. There are some, like SepiaandDust, who resist this change but for most authors it is welcomed and the ease of 'going to print' is only going to get better. Fierce competition will make sure there are always high quality options so the author doesn't have to sacrifice the clean look and feel of their books.

 

[Goodbook]

I don't like it though because its publishers taking advantage of authors.
Authors have taken the time and effort to write the book, the least the publishers could do is pay them, not ask for them to put up the cost as well.

I've spoken with one publishing company that purports to be christian and they are leaching off authors and not supportive of their writing at all. Basically right off the bat they were talking about costs and didn't even bother to read people's manuscripts or consider their proposals.

 

[HatGuy]

In answer to the original question @PhillipR - what do I look for in a publisher? A partner.

I want someone who is in this with me. I don't want someone who offers a "service", but someone who offers me a partnership.

That's my answer Hope that helps.

 

[Goodbook]

Vanity publishers will wont give an author much or any royalties and will own the isbn and rights to the book. If you truly self publish YOU keep the rights.

Vanity or subsidy publishers also dont really do much extra in the way of distribution and marketing even bookstores and libraries wont stock them as they only deal with known publishers...who pay their authors.




What people ought to look for in a publisher is what kind of books they publish, the quality, whether the books have been succesfully distributed, and if they are honest and easy to communicate with. And who ask for NO money up front.

Otherwise you may as well go self publishing and do marketing and distibution yourself. The publishers responsibility is to get the books out there. (And not just sell to the author) If they dont bother to do it, theres no point.

Otherwise, only wealthy christians can actually afford to publish their testimonies. Considering the outrageous fees charged.