Tag: publishing

Publishing Primer: Publishers

What does it mean to have a publisher? Are you better off with one or without one?

DeathtoStock_Creative Community9What is a publisher?

This is a more difficult question to answer than you might think!

Later on, we’ll discuss the different types of publishers, but for now, let’s start with the basics:

A publisher is a person/company that issues books/journals/etc. for sale.

Prep your manuscript for publishing.

Other aspects depend on the particular publisher.

Dollar SignWhat are the advantages to having a publisher?

Cost
A reputable publisher should NEVER ask the author for money.
What costs are publishers fronting?
Editing: $500-600
Cover design: $100-600.
Formatting: $100-300

Time
Editing, formatting, design all take time away from writing
The author is free to pursue other interests like writing or marketing
Setting up a book for publishing also takes time

Expanded Distribution/Marketing Options
Publishers can get into places that authors often can’t
EX: book signings at chain stores, special programs, “in stock,” events, etc.
High volume production = better deals from printers or events

iStock_000023280434LargeHelp
Teamwork
More creditability (Sometimes)
Answers to questions

Marketing
Varies GREATLY
Smaller publishers = greater amount of marketing
Your success = their success
Larger publishers = bigger budgets and marketing departments
Some of the costs of marketing will be taken on by the publisher

Next time we’ll discuss some of the disadvantages of publishers.

If you’d like to learn more about the pros and cons of Agents, you can find part ONE here and part TWO here.

Publishing Primer: Agents Part 2

Read Part One: Benefits and Drawbacks of Agents HERE.

iStock_000024086772LargeDo you need an agent?

Whether or not to pursue a literary agent is a personal decision based on what you need and what direction you want to take your book.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

QUESTION #1

What type of publisher do you want?
Small and indie publishers DO NOT require an agent.
Agent + “Big 5” publishers MAY = more positive response

QUESTION #2

How knowledgeable are you of the book industry?
Be willing to RESEARCH
Learn about CONTRACTS or get HELP
Put in the TIME

QUESTION #3

Are you willing to give up 10-15% of your royalties in exchange for the services an agent can provide?
The cost may or may not be worth the help.
There is no right or wrong answer.
Some authors do very well without an agent, and others have become successful thanks in part to the work their agents have done.

Stop back by soon for more discussion on Publishers, Agents, and Publishing in this new Publishing Primer series.

Publishing Primer: Agents

What is a literary agent?Blond Business Woman

A literary agent represents authors and submits to publishers and editors on their behalf

  • They also:
    • Negotiate Contracts
      Promote
      Negotiate contracts outside publishing
      Mediate

What are the benefits of having an agent?

  • Open Doors

    Avoid the slush file
    Pre-vetted status
    Bypass slow steps
    Agent only options

  • šKnowledge

    š“In the know”

    šDepends on how good the agent is and how good their contacts are

    šAccess to specific information

  • Mediation

    Navigate disputes
    Knowledgeable in: publishing contracts, foreign rights, media rights, royalty negotiations
    Disputes are common occurrence
    **Getting a lawyer involved is sometimes necessary

  • Advice

    Guidance for new authors
    Knows the book market and current trends
    Marketing opportunities
    Timing

What are the drawbacks of having an agent? 702f1-girl2bwith2bbooks

  • Money

    Legitimate agents will NEVER ask you for money
    Do get a cut of the royalties
    Domestic sales: 10-15%
    Foreign sales: fixed rate of 20%
    Film/media sales are usually negotiated separately

  • Time

    Querying can be SLOW
    Once you have an agent, querying starts all over again with publishers
    How long?
    A few months to several years
    It may not happen
    There should be a time limit in your contract

  • Control

    Once you sign, publishing options may be more limited
    Submissions are handled directly by your agent
    Additional work you write may automatically come under the agent’s control
    Variations of your book that are produced (film, graphic novel, audio, translation, etc.) may entitle your agent to a cut

Stop back by soon for more discussion on Publishers, Agents, and Publishing in this new Publishing Primer series.

A Ten Year Journey

Crowd at ConcertI think two of the most common questions I get when I do public events are 1) How long does it take to write a book? …and… 2) How did you get you first book published?

Question #1 always makes me chuckle a bit because the answer varies depending on the book. Question #2 is kind of a long story.

So, I thought I’d share the answer two both questions today in regards to my very first book, Escaping Fate.

How long did it take me to write it? Well…I started writing Escaping Fate when I was fifteen, back when I knew next to nothing about writing and thought I was really good at it. I wasn’t. Anyway, a lecture in Mrs. Hume’s history class about Aztecs performing human sacrifices really got me interested and I started researching. Back then, that involved digging out an encyclopedia and scouring the library for resources since my parents weren’t big fans of the internet at the time.

The first version was super short. It fit inside a chunky 6×4 inch paper notebook. Yeah. It was short. Eventually, I started transferring it to my first laptop, which was a brick and weighed a ton, and I started adding to the story. Actually, I removed an entire character and rewrote the story with only the MC, Arrabella, and her grandfather. That took a while. A long while. REWRITE #1.fdd11-escapingfatefront

Some time later, I met my future hubby and found out he was into writing too. Don’ tell him I told you that, though. He likes to keep his writing on the DL even though it’s really good. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my husband. Seriously, it’s good stuff, and if he ever actually lets anyone outside me and his brothers read it, you’ll agree.

Anyway…my hubby and I chatted about writing and when I mentioned nixing poor Tanner from the book, he talked me into putting him back in. After all, every story needs a little romance, right? REWRITE #2.

Years later, after getting married and having two kids and doing some college here and there, I pulled Escaping Fate back out, reread it, decided it was still missing something, or several somethings, and went back to work ironing things out, changing POV and tense, adding in more story elements to keep things interesting, and who knows what else. REWRITE #3. 

40bf3-soulstonefrontcoverv2By the time I was ready to submit it to agents and publishers, I was 25-ish. Yep, it took me ten years to finish this sucker. And guess what happened? Zip. That’s right, not a single agent or publisher was interested in it. I had no publishing credits, no social media presence, nothing at all that would convince an agent or publisher to take me on.

I didn’t give up, though. I decided to publish it on my own. At the time, I had no clue how to market, but I learned how to format for print and ebooks, painting a picture of an Aztec god for the cover art, and put together a pretty good book. Escaping Fate is a book that will always be close to my heart because of the journey it was to share it with readers. Even though it’s not a big seller for me, it got my toe in the door, forced me to learn a lot about writing, publishing, and marketing, and put me on the road to some pretty cool things.

Escaping Fate was published in 2010. Since then I’ve published 15 other books, including a sequel to Escaping Fate that I never planned to write (Soul Stone), have made the USA Today Bestseller list as part of a wildly popular box set, got a pretty good review from Kirkus, and have more than one book in a top 100 category on Amazon. Even if Escaping Fate is never one of my more popular books, it was the first step. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to get yourself moving in the right direction.

Connect with me online:

Facebook: AuthorDelShereeGladden

Twitter: @DelSheree

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Google+: DelSheree Gladden

I don’t do resolutions

Happy New YearI’m not really a New Year’s Resolution kind of person.

I think about things I should probably do better at or start or finish, but I don’t set specific resolutions that I work toward throughout the year. Probably because I know I have the attention span of a gnat and the memory of a three month old puppy.

I write the same way I make resolutions. By the seat of my pants. It works for me. I like having a schedule, but not specific deadlines. I’m good at meeting deadlines. They stress me out, though. I’d rather have a goal than a deadline, which may sound like the same thing.

A goal implies having a plan to meet a certain objective. For me, a deadline is something unmovable that may or may not fit into the general mayhem of every day life. Sometimes, I do set deadlines for myself when something really needs to be done by a certain date, like with finishing Invincible, but most of the time I would rather set goals for when I’d like to have certain things done. If life gets in the way, I can always readjust.

So, what are my goals for 2015? 

As far as writing goes, I do have a few things in mind.

New Books to Write

Wicked Revenge is on the writing slate this year, and will hopefully be finished and ready for publishing sometime this year. It will be the final book in the Someone Wicked series, so that series will be getting wrapped up. Yay!

I’m hoping to have time to start writing Oracle Lost, the third book in the Escaping Fate Series, but if I do finish it, it’ll probably be toward the end of the year, unless I get stuck on something else and jump into this one.

The third, and possibly final book in the Date Shark Series, still doesn’t have a name, but hopefully will by the time I finish it this year. This installment will focus on Vance. He’s been there to help his friends through difficult situations, but now he’ll be the one in need of help. I’ve had requests to write about Sabine, but if I do, it’ll probably be more in the novella category.

Books to Publish

The books above may or may not fall into this category as well. We’ll just have to see. On the schedule for sure, though, will be a couple of new romances and possibly a venture into the New Adult genre.

Torino Dreams will be popping up on ebook shelves this year, though I haven’t nailed down the date yet. This action packed romance may or may not be part of a series. I haven’t decided quite yet.

Memory’s Edge will be a two part series. I don’t have a for sure release date set yet for this one either. I may wait to release it until I have part two written so I don’t leave readers hanging for too long.

My nearly finished project, The Ghost Host, may or may not be on this depending on what I decide to do with it. I’m playing around with the idea of shopping it out to agents. I’m still undecided, though, so I’ll keep you all updated.

Projects that will take a while to finish

The one long distance project I’m working on is still under wraps since I’m still working out the concept and details, but it will be dystopian fiction, either YA or NA. It will deal with what really make us human and what takes us across the line of humanity into monsters. I’m really excited about this one, but it’s going to take me a while to get it just right.

Other than these projects who knows. I’m notorious for starting random new projects at the drop of a hat!

Connect with me online:

Facebook: AuthorDelShereeGladden

Twitter: @DelSheree

Pintrest: DelSheree

Google+: DelSheree Gladden