Thoughts on Writing 36
#AmWriting #IndieAuthor #Writing Community
An unfinished painting I started several years ago and never finished. Liked the left hand ship but not the one on the right. It was supposed to be a scene, not from one of my books, but from the Beat to Quarters, by C. S. Forester... the first published of the Horatio Hornblower stories.
When I last posted under this topic, we had just got to the point of having been offered a publishing contract and were waiting for the process of having our book published to begin. It's at this point that an agent can really help. Besides helping you to get in touch with an acquistion editor to pitch your book to the publisher, the agent can also help negotiate the best deal possible with the publisher. Of course the agent isn't necessarily going to do so simply to be a nice guy (or gal). They have a vested interest in how much you make from the book so they will negotiate for the best deal they can... for the both of you.
Understand that once you have a publishing contract, control of the book generally falls into the hands of the publisher. The publisher is now in charge of things such as the title the book will be published or released under. The publisher decides on the cover art or illustration, whether it is to be a hardback, trade paperback, mass market paperback, or whether the various types will be released in succession. They also decide on cover design, interior design, formatting of the interior and so on. As the author, you typically have little or no say in these matters... but again it all depends on the actual contract you've signed with the publisher. And according to the contract the publisher will assume certain rights regarding the book and leave others to you.
Typically as your book move into publication, it will be edited for a final time. At this point because of the terms of a typical publishing contract, the author (you) are usually obligated to make the changes requested, whether you agree with them or not. One must have a valid and persuasive argruement as to why the change should not be made, something more than "I like it the way it is." One thing to remember on this is that the publisher typically isn't making the changes just because they can, but because they want the book, your book to be the most marketable or saleable it can be. A willingness to cooperate and work with the publisher can help expedite the release of your book.
So far we've been focusing on what many people refer to as traditional publishing. This is the way it's been done for centuries, and it has some advantages. For one, it doesn't cost the author anything, other than what we shall call incidental expenses.... printer ink and paper for manuscripts... postage to send query letters and full or partial manuscripts, etc. And as we mentioned a few installments earlier, some agents charge for their expenses involving photocopying of submitted manuscripts and perhaps long distance phone calls, etc. Most importantly though, most large publishers have a connection to the distribution process which can get your book into the stores and in front of many many potential buyers.
To be more specific we've been talking primarily about publishing with what some people refer to as the Big Four. Over the years, publishers have joined, combined, consolidated, etc. to the point that all major house and imprints are controlled by or associated with just a few companies. To get published via one of these entities means it's imperative that an author follow the established guidelines and procedures. If you don't, they typically don't have the patience to nurse you through the processes.
However, there are many other traditional style publishers out there. Some refer to them as small press or independent publishers. We might also call them regional or local publishers. With them we can often streamlline and to a point, shortcut the process. You may not need to find an agent, but may be able to query the publisher directly. If the publisher is local you might be able to drop by the office to pitch your book or call and speak directly to the person in charge. Still, basic publishing protocols should be observed.
Note, too, that some of these independent publishers limit what they publish. Quite often the want books that relate to the local region. If fiction they may want stories that take place locally or that is by local authors. And while it might be easier to approach an independent publisher, it is my belief that often the level of quality they seek is higher than the typical large scale publisher. the who are a part of the Big Four put our such a volume that the occasional failure probably does very little to their bottom line. Per book published, the small regional publisher invests a much larger percentage of overall assets, so that book that doesn't market well imposes a much bigger loss and strain on the finances.
Next time we'll look at another and seemingly more popular every day option.
An unfinished painting I started several years ago and never finished. Liked the left hand ship but not the one on the right. It was supposed to be a scene, not from one of my books, but from the Beat to Quarters, by C. S. Forester... the first published of the Horatio Hornblower stories.
When I last posted under this topic, we had just got to the point of having been offered a publishing contract and were waiting for the process of having our book published to begin. It's at this point that an agent can really help. Besides helping you to get in touch with an acquistion editor to pitch your book to the publisher, the agent can also help negotiate the best deal possible with the publisher. Of course the agent isn't necessarily going to do so simply to be a nice guy (or gal). They have a vested interest in how much you make from the book so they will negotiate for the best deal they can... for the both of you.
Understand that once you have a publishing contract, control of the book generally falls into the hands of the publisher. The publisher is now in charge of things such as the title the book will be published or released under. The publisher decides on the cover art or illustration, whether it is to be a hardback, trade paperback, mass market paperback, or whether the various types will be released in succession. They also decide on cover design, interior design, formatting of the interior and so on. As the author, you typically have little or no say in these matters... but again it all depends on the actual contract you've signed with the publisher. And according to the contract the publisher will assume certain rights regarding the book and leave others to you.
Typically as your book move into publication, it will be edited for a final time. At this point because of the terms of a typical publishing contract, the author (you) are usually obligated to make the changes requested, whether you agree with them or not. One must have a valid and persuasive argruement as to why the change should not be made, something more than "I like it the way it is." One thing to remember on this is that the publisher typically isn't making the changes just because they can, but because they want the book, your book to be the most marketable or saleable it can be. A willingness to cooperate and work with the publisher can help expedite the release of your book.
So far we've been focusing on what many people refer to as traditional publishing. This is the way it's been done for centuries, and it has some advantages. For one, it doesn't cost the author anything, other than what we shall call incidental expenses.... printer ink and paper for manuscripts... postage to send query letters and full or partial manuscripts, etc. And as we mentioned a few installments earlier, some agents charge for their expenses involving photocopying of submitted manuscripts and perhaps long distance phone calls, etc. Most importantly though, most large publishers have a connection to the distribution process which can get your book into the stores and in front of many many potential buyers.
To be more specific we've been talking primarily about publishing with what some people refer to as the Big Four. Over the years, publishers have joined, combined, consolidated, etc. to the point that all major house and imprints are controlled by or associated with just a few companies. To get published via one of these entities means it's imperative that an author follow the established guidelines and procedures. If you don't, they typically don't have the patience to nurse you through the processes.
However, there are many other traditional style publishers out there. Some refer to them as small press or independent publishers. We might also call them regional or local publishers. With them we can often streamlline and to a point, shortcut the process. You may not need to find an agent, but may be able to query the publisher directly. If the publisher is local you might be able to drop by the office to pitch your book or call and speak directly to the person in charge. Still, basic publishing protocols should be observed.
Note, too, that some of these independent publishers limit what they publish. Quite often the want books that relate to the local region. If fiction they may want stories that take place locally or that is by local authors. And while it might be easier to approach an independent publisher, it is my belief that often the level of quality they seek is higher than the typical large scale publisher. the who are a part of the Big Four put our such a volume that the occasional failure probably does very little to their bottom line. Per book published, the small regional publisher invests a much larger percentage of overall assets, so that book that doesn't market well imposes a much bigger loss and strain on the finances.
Next time we'll look at another and seemingly more popular every day option.