Submitting to a publisher

[Whisky7up]

On the suggestion of Publish America, they are not a good publishing company and have a bad reputation. It would not matter though because they would not accept erotica, thank god, for the writers of erotica out there not getting screwed by them too.

I beg to differ. I discovered Publishamerica precisely because a Lit author posted details of his erotic novel, published by that very publisher.
I tried them out with one of my erotic stories. They have edited it and designed the cover, ready for printing copies...however few!!!
Clearly they do accept erotica.
I hear a few people badmouthing them with heresay. As far as I can see they don't promise more than publishing your book.

 

[CharleyH]

You have some fantastic answers to check out here Colly. As far as I know, each publisher may have different guidelines, so checking out what would be good. However, with a book done, and I know you well enough to know how much you do and can write. Have you considered an agent?

My theory is always this:

Start at the top, and work your way down. Then start at the top again. Also, just a hint .... because a big publisher does not on the 'surface' publish erotic books, doesn't mean they don't.

Cheers, and I'd say good luck, but you hardly need it!

 

[sweetnpetite]

You have some fantastic answers to check out here Colly. As far as I know, each publisher may have different guidelines, so checking out what would be good. However, with a book done, and I know you well enough to know how much you do and can write. Have you considered an agent?

My theory is always this:

Start at the top, and work your way down. Then start at the top again. Also, just a hint .... because a big publisher does not on the 'surface' publish erotic books, doesn't mean they don't.

Cheers, and I'd say good luck, but you hardly need it!

That's a good point.

I've read plenty of extremely erotic (and quite graphic) novels that were no where near labled as such. Feel free to sell it on a different 'angle' (such as the sci-fi) [I dont' think I spelled that right, lol]

 

[Seattle Zack]

People are reading it and appreciating it, and that's what I've hoped for.

There's nothing wrong with the traditional publishing market, and Colly is more than good enough to be published there.

So, that twelve dollar check every month is enough for you then? Good for you. I feel like I deserve more. That's why I shy away from these POD schemes. All they do is prey on stupid people's dreams.

 

[Seattle Zack]

[I dont' think I spelled that right, lol]

Hon, you didn't even spell "don't" right,... lol I guess.

 

[Rubyb]

My theory is always this:

Start at the top, and work your way down. Then start at the top again. Also, just a hint .... because a big publisher does not on the 'surface' publish erotic books, doesn't mean they don't.

Cheers, and I'd say good luck, but you hardly need it!

Great advice.

Also ask yourself - where is the money?

It's in merchandising & licensing. That means a book series that could someday be picked up for TV or film.

If you've created a set of characters or a universe that can be used repeatedly, then don't just pitch the book. Pitch the series. Publishers want to help you build a loyal readership that eagerly awaits your next book.

Whatever else you do, keep writing. If the muse hasn't struck you for a sequel to this book, then what else do you have waiting to be published? Can it be turned into a series?

On a side note: best selling author Maggie Shayne offers this advice:

http://www.maggieshayne.com/writers.htm

To your success!

 

[impressive]

So, that twelve dollar check every month is enough for you then? Good for you. I feel like I deserve more. That's why I shy away from these POD schemes. All they do is prey on stupid people's dreams.

Depends on your goal. If it's fame and big bucks, you may be right. Not everyone is motivated by such.

 

[Rubyb]

Depends on your goal. If it's fame and big bucks, you may be right. Not everyone is motivated by such.

Very true. And if you're not in it for the fame and big bucks, but just want to have a number of books to give to a friends and family, then you'll find it's easier and faster to self publish. You might want to use a site like

http://www.lulu.com/ that won't charge you an arm and a leg.

 

[sweetnpetite]

Hon, you didn't even spell "don't" right,... lol I guess.

Does anybody else miss Amicus?

 

[amicus]

Dear Colleen: Some excellent advice has been offered thus far, so you can pick and choose and still have left over options.

The Publishing business is changing, big time, in my opinion. POD, Print on Demand is being used by almost every major publishing company and is without a doubt, the wave of the future.

All Print On Demand really means is that your book is stored in a computer, ready to print when it is ordered. This eliminates the old fashioned '1st printing' of 5000 or any given number of books that are then stored in warehouses or shipped out to bookstores. The Publisher foots the bill for the production, storage and shipping of the books and it is an intensely competitive business.

It is almost impossible to submit a manuscript from a new author to a major, recognized publisher. You need a Literary Agent to even get in the door and I can personally tell you that getting an Agent to even read your work is a year long process at the very least.

I have a book published with PublishAmerica. The manuscript was accepted, edited, cover art was done, I was paid a small advance, signed a contract, recieved an ISBN and the book is now available world wide and is selling.

Aside from the criticism here and elsewhere, PublishAmerica has become one of the largest book publishers in the World. They have published more than 10,000 authors in the last several years and continue to be a major force in the publishing world.

However, my second book, which I submitted to PublishAmerica, would have taken two years to go through the process. I decided not to wait.

So I paid, a reasonable sum to iUniverse, as KarenAM can confirm, did my own editing; they did the cover art, supplied the ISBN and made the book available world wide and they did it in slightly more than a month.

I have no valid reason to criticize either PublishAmerica or iUniverse, both did everything they said they would in a timely and business like manner.

After years and years of sending off query letters to Publishers and Agents and waiting six to 10 weeks for a snail mail answer, usually a rejection, occasionally an offer to read a few chapters, I accumulated a great deal of correspondence that now fills old file drawers that serve little purpose.

You can search PublishAmerica.com or iUniverse.com and learn all you need to know to make a decision.

Whichever way you decide to go, know that it will largely depend upon you, after your book is published, to go out and promote it, advertise it, in any way you can. There are so many new books being published every month that shelf space in brick and mortar bookstores, even the big chains, is severely limited. You will need to schedule book signings, television and radio appearances, newspaper and magazine reviews and all your friends and family members to sell your product.

I thought that some exposure here, on Literotica, would stimulate sales, I have been disappointed with the response from readers here. I also belong to a Poetry site and response there, has also been disappointing. In addition, I have several websites that feature my published works and the return is minimal. So, it will not be an easy task for an unknown author to sell a large amount of product from a small beginning.

Welcome to the club, my Lit friend, and I wish you the best of luck in publishing your work.

regards...amicus...

 

[dreampilot79]

I'm probably a poor one to give advice on getting a major publisher to print a book. I do, however, understand the problems.
Publishers are almost begging for really good saleable manuscripts. The problem is the cost not only of producing the book, but of evaluating the ones that they get. For every good manuscript they get, there are 1000 that stink.
I don't know what an editor makes for a publisher, but I know we're talking big bucks for a company to hire a good one for technical publications, and therefore assume the publisher is laying out big bucks. If a publisher only got 100 manuscripts a week (probably vastly low) and 90 percent of them could be thrown out in only an hour's reading by a qualified editor/evaluator it would still cost them 5 or 6 editors to just go through the pile that came in the mail. That is why agents exist. THEY do the screening. The publishers seldom even LOOK at a manuscript. They don't have time (read that money) to do so. The agents seperate the wheat from the chaff for them.
Assuming that the work gets through the screening process, the publisher is still laying out big bucks. First there is editing, then typeset, then layout all before printing.
In reality, printing is the minor cost of a first printing. Another thing to consider is that when the book is first printed, the more the cheaper per unit. The big cost is in the set up. The cost of printing 1 copy would be astronomical. 10,000 are not that much more expensive to print than 5,000.
I'm not sure where POD is going to go. The more the author does, the cheaper it becomes for the publisher. When we are the editor/typesetter/layout then the cost goes way down. They myth is that printing one copy is cheaper than printing 1000. IF the purchaser becomes the printer and we buy our books on disk and either read them off the computer or print them on paper and then read them, the publisher only has to worry about marketing. Still, I find a real book to be a comfort. I can't imagine curling up on the sofa with a stack of loose pages.

 

[dreampilot79]

After all that spouting.. what I meant to say, and never did. The key to being published is simply to get a good manuscript past the screening process. The cost of that process makes it difficult.

The publishers do little of the screening process and even the agents are burried.

good luck

 

[Whisky7up]

Writers may be interested in this.

http://www.publishamerica.com/weeklybooks.htm

 

[amicus]

Whiskey7up Interesting...thank you....amicus...

 

[Rubyb]

Colleen and all,

A good agent can help you prep your work for a publisher and get you past the screening process.

For your first book, you might want to skip all of that and go to someplace like www.renebooks.com who is very author friendly and offers adult sizzlers.

The downside, is that you are still doing most of the marketing for your own book and there are no up front payments. You get paid based on your sales.

The upside - you not only can claim to be a published author - cause you will be, but you will also get a much higher percentage of the royalties than traditional print publishing.

No matter where you decide to publish and how, just be careful and read their contracts. You want to keep the rights to your work and not give them away. Who knows someday you might write the screenplay.

Amicus, very informative post. Thank you.

Side note stuff:

Assuming that the work gets through the screening process, the publisher is still laying out big bucks. First there is editing, then typeset, then layout all before printing.
In reality, printing is the minor cost of a first printing. Another thing to consider is that when the book is first printed, the more the cheaper per unit. The big cost is in the set up. The cost of printing 1 copy would be astronomical. 10,000 are not that much more expensive to print than 5,000.
I'm not sure where POD is going to go. The more the author does, the cheaper it becomes for the publisher. When we are the editor/typesetter/layout then the cost goes way down. They myth is that printing one copy is cheaper than printing 1000.

Very good points:

With POD - the set up cost is a one time fee. The "typesetting" is all done and stored in a computer. The price of printing one book or 1,000 is the same, cause its a very simple formula:

LSI: About $1.00 per cover, 2 cents per page -- used by publishers
set up fee can run between $150 to $500 per book.

a place like www.lulu.com used by authors going direct.
Note lulu.com acts as the "publisher of record" but they are different
than the two companies Amicus mentioned.
If you don't use ISBN numbers, their set up fee is zero!
The cost is about a $4.00 binding fee and 2 cents per page set per book

With ISBN numbers its about the same set up fee as with LSI, but when you do the math, each book costs at least $3.00 more. Then you have to factor that into the price. Paperbacks may become cost prohibative to buyers when using this type of organization for long term sales.

It's important to note that a publisher makes money when a book is sold and not returned. POD helps minimize overprinting and maximizes return on revenue.

Still, I find a real book to be a comfort. I can't imagine curling up on the sofa with a stack of loose pages.

So, very, very, true! It's hard to curl up with a computer, too.

Thanks, dreampilot, good points all around.

Thanks for the link Whisky7up.

 

[silverwhisper]

on a technical note: they're ISBNs, not ISBN numbers: the abbreviation is international standard book number. it's like calling an ATM an ATM machine.

colleen: network. heavily. just as the job search works best when you draw on contacts rather than relying on HR, network your way to an agent. publishamerica may print a lot of authors, but how many copies are they selling? what's their total volume? it's essentially self-publishing. i somehow don't think that's where you want to be.

ed

 

[sweetnpetite]

on a technical note: they're ISBNs, not ISBN numbers: the abbreviation is international standard book number. it's like calling an ATM an ATM machine.



ed

but we *do* say ATM Machine. Or at least everyone I know does. I think it's considered acceptable (even if it is redundant) to call then ISBN numbers. We always go to the ATM Machine around here...

Amicus... Speak of the devil- and the devil will apear!

 

[silverwhisper]

snp: go right ahead, but then you're putting yourself in the same group of people who pronounce the word noo-kyoo-lur. :> i used to work for those people, so i find it kinda grating.

ed

 

[snooper]

but we *do* say ATM Machine. Or at least everyone I know does. I think it's considered acceptable (even if it is redundant) to call then ISBN numbers. We always go to the ATM Machine around here...

We call them "the hole in the wall".

(ATMs, not ISBNs)

 

[silverwhisper]

i call 'em the god of money. :>

ed