Right now I’m experiencing the woes of publishing, but thankfully, I’ve done a lot of research to this point, and having worked in the book industry, I like to think I understand things a bit better now. The main question that’s been before me is, seek an agent/publisher or self-publish. Honestly, I’m leaning toward self-publishing, but I thought I’d explain the benefits and process for both. In the end, I saw many first time authors working their butts off to get their books out there, without any help from the publisher at all. Probably a smaller sampling due to my single location, but it stuck with me. I’ll try and be fair though, pointing out what each method is about.
An agent is perhaps the best option for adult fiction, and most non-fiction. This is a professional who knows the industry, has the contacts, and has done this countless times before. Getting on with an agent is worth it if you have the product they’re looking for. Disabuse yourself now, publishing is about money; what sells, and to whom. So the agents are picky, and niched toward what they know they can sell. This doesn’t mean that they don’t have open minds, or that first time authors need not apply. Acutally, there are some agents out there looking for first time authors. Check with the latest Writer’s Market, or Children’s Writer’s Market; it will detail who and what each agent or publisher is looking for. The key part of this is simultaneous or exclusive submissions. Top publishers and agents may want the first crack at your book, and won’t share the viewing priveleges with anyone else. On top of that, some agents and publishers may need a few months to process your manuscript sample. Thus you can spend a lot of time waiting to send it to someone else.
The key to getting an agent, or going directly to a publisher is the query letter. There are a large number of books available, so check them out. What matters is the bottom line, is this something that is going to sell. You have to do the leg work and know your market, but also know how yours is not just a clone of something else. The experts say read lots of books, and that can’t hurt, but I think you have to also develop a voice that’s interesting to others. It would help if you knew what the readers expect in certain areas, but just because they expect one thing doesn’t mean a truly original voice isn’t warranted. However, too original means unproved and may run you into trouble in the getting an agent/publisher process. Your entire book, and the reasons why it’s marketable get summed up in the query letter. It’s the key to success.
Specifically, an agent will make the submission process streamlined and tailored. Finding one can be as difficult as querying the publishers directly, except they have access to the major publishers who refuse to take direct queries, (called unsolicited.) They also charge a fee for their services. If you get an agent, you’ve got a pro to help you. If you go directly, you’re doing all the legwork and research yourself. Neither is particularly better, though I’ve heard from one young adult author, Erin Vincent, Grief Girl, that she had good luck going straight to the publishers. Children editors attend conferences, and it was there she met her eventual editor; managing to get published by Random House. Officially of course, they don’t accept non-represented authors, but she managed to get her foot in the door.
By going through a publisher you are looking at an advance, and then around 10% royalties, possibly a little more. That’s the tricksy part because you have to earn the advance back before you get more money. The average life of a new hardcover book is three months on retail shelves. There’s a limited window to get the sales going for your book. However, you do get immediate distribution to retail buyers, and while the publisher may not be able to give you specific marketing time, they do send out your book info to a lot of buyers, and you are published in their catalogs, as well as being submitted for review by major periodicals; Publisher’s Weekly chief among them. There is a machine behind them, and it can launch you ahead of the rest if you’re willing to put in effort as well.
The drawbacks to publishers are pretty well listed above. I should point out that having an editor is essential for either option, and that’s what a publisher really offers you. Someone who knows their stuff. I feel like this is why we are getting a lot of the same fare recently, but most of it is well written and well edited. Personally, I don’t see too many new things, interesting departures, and something to challenge the readers. But again, it’s about what sells, and Gossip Girl does, quite well. What you get with self-publishing is freedom to fly or fall. It means you put out the money, $299 at the least if you have an editor, artist and the know how to format your book, and $599 to $1499 depending on how much of those you’re missing. Royalties are much higher, and as most of Print on Demand publishing is sold online, you can get affiliate sales revenue as well just by selling your own book through Amazon or another online retailer.
So, why am I interested in self-publishing? The Xanatos series is different, it’s a chance in a new direction, and it isn’t exactly what agents and editors are used too. It’s kind of edgy with language and content. Cidne, my editor, calls it hormonally charged. But it’s real, it’s what a real boy would be doing and thinking. So my first concern is the content, and the control that I have over it. Nobody can really tell me no. If this doesn’t work, then that might have been a good thing, but I’m confident based on the feedback I’ve been getting. The cost is annoying, but 35% royalties over time mean a shorter return on investment. Also, a more stable income than the publisher structure. Not to mention I own the copyright. Didn’t mention that earlier, but with most publisher you sell the first run rights to them, and they may even take the reprint rights as well. It’s dependent on your contract. It’s also non-exclusive so if a publisher does become interested, I can still sell my book POD self-published, and contract for different versions with a publisher. Not that they’d play that well most of the time, but one can hope.
Print on Demand, POD, is different than most books you see. Publishers use the offset printing method and that is based on the very first printing press where they arranged the letters by hand. Most books are put onto master plates and then run off a line. POD is more like a high-end laser printer, so the pages are usually a little more glossy, and the text doesn’t have that stamped feel to them. Someone who reads a lot and is savy about the process can tell instantly, but your words are the same in either format. It’s more a snobbery thing to see one process as superior to the other. Actually, what you should be careful of is the binding. Make sure you pick a POD partner who actually produces a good looking cover, with a spine. Because the spine is what the customer sees on the shelf, and the cover is the second highest reason a book is sold. The good news for POD is that a friends recommendation is the top reason why people buy a book. Marketing through things like Facebook can get any author out there, POD or regular publisher. A high quality POD is different, but not necessarily less than a publishers offset book.
I don’t like rejection either, and the time frame that rejection takes is a year or more, and then usually another year before the book gets published. So over two years, if I sell 50 books POD then I’ll have my investment back and every book after is revenue. During which time, I’m proving my book’s worth, which can eventually make a publisher interested. I prefer them to come to me, but that’s the way I am. It would take about 600 books sold to equal the normal amount of an advance, but you have to sell about 1389 books to make your advance back from publishers; in the end it’s one return on invest model vs. another. Either way, don’t expect to be rich quick, or to survive on writing at the start. You’ll need a day job for a little while.
For a lot of authors, publishers are exactly what they need. But I’m a little different, and you may be too. You’ve probably heard, but the Inheritance Trilogy by Paolini started as a self-published book. It’s one way to prove your product out, to show that teens will read massive Tolkien like novels about dragons. Be true to your text, and recognize that an editors eyes are essential. There can’t be simple spelling and grammar errors, and you need to make sure the fat is trimmed and the story is robust. Be true to your voice, and get help to make sure it’s coming through. I’ll write more about that later. But I’m really looking toward self-publishing because I know what I have is good, well put together, and my friend is an excellent editor. If you have questions, please use my contact form to ask them. I’ll even read a first chapter and give you suggestions on whether self-publishing is a good option. I’ll gladly share all that I learned working at Borders. It makes me happy to see new authors succeed because I hope to do the same.
