Writerly Wednesday
A few weeks back I blogged about how it’s vital for a writer to promote their own work. That being said, a writer shouldn’t be expected to *sell* their own work.
Confused? Let me explain.
I work for a small publisher. My contract states that I deliver a manuscript to my publisher, and in exchange the publisher gives me 1. A small advance. 2. Contributor’s copies. 3. A percentage of the profits from the book once my share of the profits from my advance has been made back.
On the publisher’s end they provide 1. Editing expertise. 2. Packaging (which for my publisher meant that they commissioned cover art, found someone to read and review the book. 3. A certain ammount of marketing which, in the case of my publisher means that they send out advance copies to reviewers, promote and distribute the book. Larger houses may also have distribution that places your books in brick and mortar stores such as Barnes and Noble, as well as making them available for sale at libraries. They may also do book fairs and set up interviews for you (although this more often falls into the purview of the writer). In short, they provide a platform for which you can launch your own marketing efforts.
If my publisher had asked up front “How many copies of this book will you be buying?” that would have sent up alarm bells.
There is an old scam out there that takes advantage of new, hopeful writers called vanity press. The business model goes thusly: a new, hopeful writer submits a manuscript to what looks like a legitimate publishing house. The story is accepted, and the writer thinks that they’ve made it.
Then the publisher starts to tack on ‘fees.’ There may be a fee for editing, or a ‘set up fee’ for desktop publishing. Then the publisher charges the writer for copies of the book. Then the publisher prints only the number of copies that the writer ordered. And that’s the end of the publisher’s relationship with the author. Unless that author has another book to write.
The bottom line in publishing is that money always flows to the writer. Always, always, always. If the money isn’t flowing to the writer, chances are that the writer is dealing with a scam. If your contract with a publisher requires you to commit to purchasing a certain number of books, if it looks anywhere in the process like the publisher’s sole source of income is from the writers themselves, then you are dealing with a scam. If the editing process seems spotty or the publisher is rushing your book into print, that should seem like a warning.
But don’t take my word for it.