Let's face it, the economy sucks. Publishers have always been a difficult sell. Agents are no different. Now, however, with the bad economy it has become nearly impossible to get published, so I prefer to self-publish ebooks. I farm out the editing and sometimes the cover art, but I do the majority of the formatting myself.
I've been to afraid to send my stuff to a publisher
My first three novels were print media and that was a learning experience. The retail price resulted in an astronomical price to the reader for an unknown author and the publisher did not print the "airport size" of the paperback therein missing a major market for printed media. I now use Epub format and distribute threoughseveral indie pubs.
My only experience has been with Publish America-never again. I will take my time this time and find one who will believe in my writing as much as I do, and will assist me in doing this right!
None, really. I use a printer who publishes on demand...Trafford Publishing.
My experience with publishers has not been good. Mostly, I received rejection notices, if I heard back from them at all. That is why I chose to self-publish. That way, my books are available. I keep hoping that a publishing company will pick up my book, though.
Publishers rarely have your interests at heart. Their bottom line is their own profit margin. I have been fortunate to receive quite a lot of feedback from editors with many of my rejections. You don’t always get this but when you do it is invaluable. The worst thing publishers can do is to keep you on hold with false expectations. I have held manuscripts for a long as eighteen months, engaged in redrafting consultation, before ultimately being rejected. Don’t save yourself for anyone - until the contract is signed. Even then, consider the sequel yours until it is paid for. Some of the big publishers haven’t yet worked out how to handle the e-book revolution. I don’t submit to anyone who expects a writer to sign over all electronic rights in return for a hard copy publication.
Some good, and some that would make you swear. With the advent of indie publishing the situation is changing in favor of the writer.
I deal with producers and directors more than publishers. I've been lucky enough to establish good relationships with the ones I have encountered.... so far.
I have been blessed. My first publisher was Matthew Miller of Authorsden and a wonderful person. He approached me with an offer to be published. I accepted and my first book '5 degrees to separation' was born.
My second publisher is William S. Peters, Sr. of Inner Child Press and I also work with him in other areas of Inner Child Enterprises. It has been a joy and a pleasure to be published by someone who is an Author several times over.
He understands this side of it and is amazing with all of the Authors.
My book 'Passages' was easier for me because William aka Bill made me a part of the process.
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?id=2906
http://www.innerchildpress.com/janet-p-caldwell.php (...)
Bad.
Okay: not terrible. When I got started, they were necessary. But...think of everything you've ever heard about, like, the Music Industrial Complex. I know guys in bands, and how much they complain about the massive majority of profits and control going to some invisible suit somewhere. I counterargue that, at the least--and even granting that you can now slide a song through GarageBand on an iPhone, eliminating the need for the vestigial music industry--anyone not named Billy Joel is doing music as something of a group effort.
As a novelist, I'm exactly the only guy involved.
So, in financial terms, I was always a little perplexed that the book you got for twenty bucks [or whatever, whenever] got me about a dollar and a half; Borders got eight; the publisher got nine fifty; in the wrong place at the wrong time, the sales tax on a given novel was more than I was personally getting from it.
In terms of control, whether it was justified, I really hated being told was was and wasn't good, or appropriate, or in style, or anything but 'we'll take it; here's your ten percent or less'. That I can write anything within legal reason, and throw it up at amazon.com before the eInk is dry, is great. Dangerous; sometimes the publishers weren't exactly wrong about something being a trainwreck of crickets; but great. At least, if I write someone no one likes, I'm now the only one involved; I don't have to guess who made a mistake somewhere.   | | |
Publishers have a completely different perspective than writers, or more correctly, good writers. Good writers are writing with the goal of producing the best article, story, novel, etc. they can. Publishers are publishing with the goal of generating the most revenue. There's nothing wrong with this, but it is bad for the creative process, and keeps a lot of worthy writers from being rewarded for their work. That's because publishers' aims are best achieved with production from writers who are not doing it for creativity's sake, but to earn a buck. Sadly, that means total garbage - stuff like Dan Brown, Stephanie Meyer, Tom Clancy - ends up being the most popular.
So to answer the question directly, my experience with publishers has been difficult. Fortunately, it is not an experience I need to have too often.
Few, I did hardly sent in any excerpts.
never had a bad Experience. I understand that there are a lot of author out there. and i fill lucky to not be self publishing my work. and have old line publishing as my publisher.
Small. I found my publisher fairly painlessly, which from what I've gathered is fortunate. I can tell, however, that my manuscript was not at all read by some publishers I set it to. That kind of hurt - that my first pages were that low-quality to someone...! |
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