Happy Friday, my lovelies. <3
Today is a good day!
I’m happy to announce that I have severed ties with the company Red Rose Publishing, and that they are no longer distributing my books. Believe it or not, this was a long time coming. ;o)
I received many emails from fans with questions on why I hadn’t released another novel for the Dragon Queen series.
It probably seems like I spend a huge amount of time beating up on small publishers. And, I do, but only because I want authors to know the difference between a reputable small publisher and an inexperienced one that will drag your career into the abyss. Today, I’d like to focus on the benefits of signing with an independent publisher.
Editing: Self-published authors must secure the services of an experienced editor, and this isn’t cheap. If you choose to sign with a publisher, editing and proofreading services are provided free of charge. Most publishers will go through multiple rounds of editing with an eye toward making your book as marketable as possible. After all, they have a vested interest in making your book a bestseller.
Formatting: If you’re one of those writers who really hates the technical aspects of the business, working with an indie publisher might be a huge benefit for you. You don’t have to worry about converting your manuscript into Kindle and Nook files, or setting it up for paperback, or making sure you give the cover artist the right dimensions. Some authors think formatting is a breeze; others don’t have the time or inclination to mess with it. Yes, you can hire a formatting specialist to do this for you if you still want to self-publish. But, if formatting isn’t your only hold-up, read on…
Distribution: Anyone can get their book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Anyone can make your book available via Baker & Taylor or Ingram. You can do this yourself through CreateSpace. But, if your small publisher is willing to beat the pavement (or make phone calls) to get your book on local bookshelves, this is definitely an advantage. Book stores get calls from self-published authors every day, but when a publisher calls, they’re more apt to listen. Perhaps this isn’t fair, but this is often the case.
Marketing: Let’s face it–all authors must spend some time marketing our books. If you’re self-published or your publisher doesn’t provide any marketing support (like mine), marketing can be a huge time sucker. And, it can get costly as well. If you’ve never published a book, you’ll be shocked (not in a good way) at how much time you’ll spend marketing once your book is released. It seriously cuts into your writing time. But, if your publisher promises to promote your book (and this promise is either contractual or you can verify their claims by checking with other authors), then you have stumbled on pure gold, my friend. Some small presses give their new authors a list of reviewers. Some pay for blog tours. Some will set up book signings and pay for your participation in book fairs. Find out if your publisher will send out press releases or at the very least, maintain social media sites to help showcase your work. Every Tweet helps. Every Facebook post helps. The more your publisher does to market your book, the more time you have to write, and this is a win-win for both you AND your publisher.
One-stop-shop: If you’re an author who works a full-time job, coaches your son’s football team, leads a Boy Scout troop, works at a soup kitchen every weekend, etc, etc… you might not have time to format, market, and shop for a cover artist. Your publisher will still need your input, but the publishing process is much more streamlined. And, when you can trust your publisher to handle the details, there’s a slimmer chance things will fall through the cracks. Many authors choose to work with a small publisher because they simply do not have the time to publish AND write. Having someone else coordinate all the little things necessary to bring your book to life is a definite benefit–and a load off your shoulders.
Upfront Costs: This was my biggest reason for signing with a small publisher on my YA series. Not only was I frightened by formatting and clueless about the industry, I was broke. I didn’t have the money to outsource formatting, or to hire an editor, or to commission a cover artist. The idea of letting someone else bear the brunt of the upfront costs was very appealing.
Legitimacy: When searching for reviewers, I’ve found several sites who refuse to review self-published books. There is a still a stigma to self-publishing. Since anyone can publish, there are lots of poorly produced books out there that drag the rest of us self-publishers down. It isn’t fair, but it’s the way things are. Having a publisher’s name on a book does not guarantee quality, but we aren’t always dealing with reality–we’re dealing with the perception of others. While most readers won’t look to see who published your books, some reviewers will. And it isn’t just reviewers. Like I mentioned before, book shops might be more willing to listen to a publisher’s pitch. Book fairs, trade shows, multi-author signings… a publisher might be able to open some doors that are otherwise closed to self-published authors.
Community: There are some (not all) independent publishers out there who try to foster a close relationship between their authors. This, of course, is a huge advantage to the publisher who knows if their authors are happy and committed to each other, they’ll be more committed to the company and less likely to query elsewhere with future books. This is also a huge advantage to the newbie author who benefits from the guidance and encouragement from other authors who have been in their shoes. They swap tips, advice, pictures of their pets–they form close and enduring friendships. If you’ve spent the past two years locked away in your apartment working on your book, finding an instant author family might be a huge benefit for you.
If you’ve decided to seek out a small press, please search carefully. Every publisher is different. Not all will offer marketing assistance or a sense of community with other authors. Not all small presses will produce a quality product. You still have to do your homework. But, remember there are good small presses out there. Ask other authors. Research. Trust your intuition. And, most importantly, make the best decision for YOU.
Did I forget anything? Do you have anything you’d like to add or experiences you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you… please leave a comment!
Bad publishers. They’re everywhere, waiting to lure unsuspecting newbie authors. We’ve talked about pop-up small presses here… And, read an awesome checklist to help avoid them here… We know how to avoid them and how to tell them apart from their reputable small publisher counterparts. But, what if you already signed with a bad publisher? Or if your publisher started out with good intentions, but got lost somewhere along the way? What now?
First things first. If your publisher is honest and is interested in making things right in order to salvage his reputation and yours, he will negotiate with you. An honest, reputable publisher will NOT want to hold on to an author against their will. Why would a publisher want to work with an angry, or even hostile author? An honest publisher will try to negotiate to keep you, and if that doesn’t work, they will negotiate to release you from your contract. An honest (but incompetent) publisher will let you out of the contract while the scammer publisher will turn vindictive and will do anything to hold on to you.
If you think you might have sold your creative mojo to a Publisher from Hell, here are a few things you can do:
I know every contract is different and every case is not the same. There might be extenuating circumstances that prevent you from doing any of the things I’ve listed above. If this is the case, let me know and I’ll send lots of good thoughts and sympathy your way. After all, no one deserves to be stuck with a publisher from hell. We’re all in this together.
*Disclaimer: This article is NOT a substitute for legal advice. I’m not a lawyer. This article is not necessarily referring to any particular publisher. Most small presses are NOT publishers from hell–there are some really, really good ones out there. If this article offended you in any way, please feel free to leave a comment below, or you can email me at tricia_drammeh@yahoo.com. If you are a publisher from hell and were offended by this article, I would LOVE to hear from you and so would my readers. 
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Thank you, Victoria Barrow, for the promo poster!
I’ve been on a reblogging spree lately, but bear with me. It’s not my fault I keep finding wonderful articles to share with you. Today, I’d like to share this post by Amy Metz of A Blue Million Books: When Bad Publishers Happen to Good Writers
Please leave a comment for Amy. Share this article with a writer you love. Better yet, share it with everyone. It should be required reading for anyone seeking publication.
All querying writers research potential agents.
Oh? You don't? tsk tsk
What a naughty, naughty writer.
Submission guidelines and genre preferences are important, but we should totally research, investigate, and weigh our findings against our own personality and professional goals. By learning as much as we can, writers can focus our search on lit agents who would truly make a great fit.
Teenagers get a bad rap. They really do. Oftentimes, there’s a good reason for this. You see–I know teens. I’m the proud mom of an ex-teen, two current teens, and a preteen. I write books for teens. I used to be a teen. So, yeah. I know teenagers. I know why they get a bad rap. Because sometimes they lie. Sometimes they get into trouble. Sometimes they screw up and make bad decisions and do really bad things. But, sometimes adults do these things too.
So, why do teens get such a bad rap? Why do we assume they’re liars, thieves, bad drivers, and general miscreants? Just because some of them act that way?
Yesterday, one of my children witnessed an exchange between a friend and a police officer. According to my child’s story, this police officer overreacted. (I can’t tell you the story, but I wish I could. I have to have some respect for my children’s privacy.) According to stories I’ve heard from my children–and things I’ve seen with my own eyes–teens are regarded with suspicion. Teens are judged (and misjudged) differently from those in other age groups. If there’s a car accident, it’s automatically assumed the teenage driver is at fault. If a group of teens walk into a convenient store, they’re regarded with suspicion and watched closely by the clerk. Teens aren’t considered reliable witnesses, and in a world where it’s-his-word-against-mine, the word of a teenager means nothing. Who would believe a teen over a teacher? A police officer? Or, a parent? No one.
This seems to be the general attitude in the community where I live. I hope it isn’t this way everywhere, but judging from posts I’ve read on Facebook, comments I’ve read on news forum threads, comments I’ve heard on radio talk shows, and comments I’ve heard from real live people, teens in the United States seem to be regarded with distrust. Many US malls have implemented a policy where teens are not allowed to be there after 6:00PM without a parent or guardian. Police officers are assigned to middle-schools, high-schools, teen dances, and libraries during after-school hours. While I appreciate the extra security, I can’t help but feel these policies are put in place not only to protect our teenagers, but to protect us from them.
These are some of the comments I’ve heard: “Teenagers today have no respect or appreciation for anyone,” or “We’re raising a generation of delinquents,” or “All these teenagers do is play on their cell phones and ignore the world around them.”
Yes, I’ve watched the news–teens and young adults involved in shootings, theft, gang activity, sexting. I know it happens. But, where are the stories about teens who have gone out of their way to help others? Teens who plunge into a freezing cold lake to raise money for the Special Olympics? Teens who work in soup kitchens on Thanksgiving? Teens who are active in church and community organizations? Where are those teens in our news stories? I know they exist–I’ve met them.
Why do we lump all teens under the broad category of “these damned teenagers?”
Do you want to know how to turn an entire generation into unreliable, irresponsible criminals? Treat them like unreliable, irresponsible criminals. If you expect teens to be delinquents, a good percentage of them will work hard to live up to your expectations. Either that, or they’ll use your poor expectations as an excuse for their bad behavior. Show them they aren’t trusted, and they will exhibit untrustworthy behavior. Tell them all teenagers are lazy, ungrateful druggies, and they will assume there isn’t any point in striving for anything better. Expect the worst–and you’ll get it.
Can we as a society do a better job in raising our teenagers? Absolutely. But, in addition to instilling good moral values, disciplining children when necessary, and supervising them a little better, maybe we should raise our own expectations. If we expect this generation of teens to be the rising stars of this century, they’ll live up to it. They’ll cure cancer, stop world hunger, and save the environment.
Expect the best–and you just might get it.
I’m not sure how many of you are aware of this, but there’s a war going on. Waged on the battlefields of Goodreads and Amazon, it’s a war between readers and authors. Well, actually, it isn’t quite that simple. Authors seem to be split–some side with the readers, some side with the authors crying ‘bully,’ and others choose to stay out of it altogether.
You see, there’s a group of authors out there (many who happen to be self-published) who have a very difficult time handling unfavorable reviews. That’s putting it mildly. Let’s be honest–there are authors out there who throw full-blown tempter tantrums when they receive a bad review. They’ve commented on the review, hurling insults and obscenities. They’ve even tracked down the reviewer’s email address or blog and pursued them on Facebook. In an extreme case, a few of the authors got together and started a website aimed toward outing the real identities of these ‘bullies.’ (True story)
Now, these authors will claim the reviewers are the real stalkers. They claim other authors one-star their books in order to knock out the competition. There are accusations of sock-puppetry on both sides. To sum it up, it’s a hot mess.
As authors, what can we do to keep from becoming embroiled in such a battle? What can we do to ensure we won’t end up on an Amazon or Goodreads Authors Behaving Badly List? Well, here are a few tips…
Now that The Fifth Circle has been released, I’m bracing myself for the inevitable bad reviews. I’m pretty sure I know what the negative reviewers will say: the characters are too unlikable, it’s too preachy, the plot doesn’t move quickly enough, it’s depressing. Bad reviews always hurt, but it’s one of the risks you take when publishing a book. I’ve received a bit of criticism on The Claiming Words, but I haven’t taken it personally. I’m afraid I won’t be as emotionally detached when the inevitable unfavorable reviews come rolling in on The Fifth Circle.
It’s not that I like The Fifth Circle more than my first book. I love The Claiming Words and I want everyone else to love it too. But with The Fifth Circle, I really want readers to understand where I’m coming from. Even if people hate the characters, I want them to walk away from the book with a renewed compassion for those suffering from mental illness or abuse. I want people to view the world around them a little differently. I want people to think about the defining moments in their lives. When I wrote the book, I didn’t set out to lecture or to impose my values on anyone else, but I still hope people think about the story after they read the final page.
Isn’t that something all authors hope for? Isn’t that the point of writing a book? All writers hope to make an impression. We want the reader to laugh, or cry, or think. We want someone to read what we’ve written, even if the reader leaves a scathing review in response. As authors, we have to take the good with the bad, even if that means reading a review that rips our book apart. We hope for the best, but brace for the worst.
I don’t do a lot of shameless self-promotion on this blog, or at least I try to keep it to a minimum. But, I self-published a book a couple of days ago, so I feel like I should do a little bit of celebrating. The Fifth Circle is now available on Kindle and will soon be in paperback form as well.
For those looking for light YA fantasy, you’ll have to stick with The Claiming Words (my other books). The Fifth Circle is a huge departure from what I normally write. It explores mental illness, abuse, apathy, and redemption. In many ways, it was difficult to write.
I have many people to thank for helping me on this journey. Particularly Kate Jack and Jacoba Dorothy, my beta readers. I also need to give a big virtual hug to Victoria Barrow for creating the cover. Thank you!
Hi, I'm Tricia Drammeh, a wife and mother of four children who lives in the St. Louis area. My published works include The Claiming Words and The Fifth Circle. I'm currently working on my seventh novel. When I'm not writing, I can be found devouring books, interviewing up-and-coming authors, and drinking vast amounts of coffee.
