Gayle Trent

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WELCOME!

Don't forget to send in your S H A M E L E S S Self-Promotions! Hope
all of you have a happy, productive and successful month.

Take care,
Gayle

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IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

QUESTION OF THE MONTH: WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE TORN BETWEEN TWO
PUBLISHERS?

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

JUST FOR FUN

LINK OF THE MONTH

MARKET SPOTLIGHT

SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTIONS

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QUESTION OF THE MONTH: WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE TORN BETWEEN TWO
PUBLISHERS?

ANSWER:

It's a writer's fantasy. You write a wonderful book and then the
publishers' bidding war begins. Let's face it; that scenario will
remain a fantasy for most of us. Still, some of us might find
ourselves in the position of sending a manuscript to more than one
publisher who will accept multiple submissions. And more than one of
those publishers might make an offer for the book.

There are two ways a writer might handle this so-called dilemma: When
Publisher One makes an offer for the manuscript, the writer might opt
to simply withdraw the manuscript from Publisher Two. On the other
hand, the writer might choose to give Publisher Two the option to
counter offer. The core question is which publisher would you prefer
to work with?

Here are the major types of royalty-paying publishers, their benefits
and drawbacks:

Larger Publishing Company:

Benefits:

Larger Advance
In-House Publicity, Advertising and Marketing Departments
Distribution
Opportunity to be Published in Multiple Formats
Professional Artwork
Professional Editing
Well-Represented in Bookstores and Libraries
Larger Print Runs
Easy Access to Most Retail Outlets (gift shops, museums, grocery
stores, etc.)

Drawbacks:

Mandated Profit Margin/Importance of Numbers (If a certain number of
your books don't sell, the publisher is likely to drop you. I learned
at a recent Sisters-in-Crime event that even if a publisher makes a
multiple-book deal with you, that deal can fall through if the
performance of your first book does not meet expectations. That said,
the large print runs could be either a blessing or a curse.)
Usually Requires Agented Submission
Many Larger Publishers Are More Interested in Previously Published
Authors than First-Time Authors
Publicity and Marketing are Largely Your Responsibility (The
publisher's professionals will help and will give you some guidance,
but ultimately you'll have to do most of the work yourself.)
Large Overhead

Niche Offshoot of a Larger Publisher:

Benefits:

Distribution of Larger Publishing Firm
Book Might Appear in Hard Cover or Trade (Rather than Mass Market)
Paperback
Professional Artwork
Professional Editing
Possibly Larger Advance Compared to Smaller Publishers
Possible Existing Market (For example, Avalon Books is an imprint sold
primarily to libraries. Therefore, the library market is already in
place for these books.)
Larger Print Run than Smaller Publisher

Drawbacks:

Shorter Shelf Life
Higher Price for Hard Cover or Trade Paperback Could Hinder Sales of
Unknown Author

Small Publisher:

Not all small, royalty-paying publishers are created equal. In
evaluating a small publisher, take into consideration the advance—if
there is one, distribution arrangements, reputation, etc. Some "small"
publishers make millions of dollars a year. Writer's Market classifies
small presses as "those that publish, on average, less than 10 books
per year."

Benefits:

Authors Have Greater Chance of Being Published w/Small Versus Large
Publisher
Sometimes Offers Higher Royalty Percentages to Compensate for Little
or No Advance
Shorter Publication Wait
Books Often Receive More Personal Attention and Promotion By Publisher
Sometimes Responds More Quickly Than Larger Publisher
Authors Often Have More Input

Drawbacks:

Usually Doesn't Have the Name Recognition or Selling Power of Larger
Publishers
Smaller Print Runs
Sometimes (particularly in the case of university presses) Read
Manuscripts at Only Certain Times of Year

Please keep in mind these are only guidelines. In addition, all
publishers should be carefully researched prior to being considered
for your manuscript. If anyone would like to start a forum discussion
on small versus large publishers, please feel free to do so.

Hope this helps!

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Please visit my Squidoo lens at
http://www.squidoo.com/writingfreelanceandnovels

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

"Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the
recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole
with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience."

— Henry David Thoreau
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JUST FOR FUN: "Hot" Moms – Sent as an E-card :-)