Please welcome mystery writer, William Doonan, and follow him as his navigates through those publishing minefields.
Navigating the Small Press Minefield
As the entire publishing industry implodes, morphing into something still unrecognizable, small presses are blooming. Some are good. Some are really good. Others are shabby rip-offs. Caveat scriptor!
My first mystery novel ‘Grave Passage’ was published by The Glencannon Press, a small publisher that focusses on maritime books. Since my mystery was about an investigator who solves crimes on cruise ships, I thought it would be a good fit. And to some extent it was. The editor was encouraging, and the cover is beautiful. On the other hand, they priced the book at $22.95, which for my money, is too expensive.I self-published the sequel ‘Mediterranean Grave.’ I learned how to design books using InDesign, the industry standard, and worked with Lightning Source, an POD printer to produce and distribute the books. The cover came out nice. The editor (me) was extremely encouraging, and the book retails on Amazon for $9.95.
For my archaeological mystery ‘American Caliphate’ I went with Oak Tree Press, one of the larger independent presses. This was a very different experience. The editor, Sunny Frazier, while encouraging, was also demanding. I worked through several drafts before turning in my final manuscript, and the result was something far better than I could have achieved on my own. $15.95 is a reasonable price. And the cover rocks!So here is what I’ve learned the small press minefield:
- Shop around. This is not a one-size-fits-all industry.
- If a publisher asks you for money up front, run away.
- If the publisher tells you they’ll take care of the marketing for you, either run away or have another drink, because in reality, that doesn’t happen. You’re going to be doing the bulk of your own marketing anyway, so get to work.
- if you want to go it alone and self-publish, make sure you know what you’re doing. Because if you need even the slightest bit of hand-holding, you might be in trouble.
- The small presses that are going to make it, once the dust settles, are those that build communities of writers. Book marketing and promotion is a collaborative effort, one that Oak Tree Press excels at. For my money, that’s the right size for me.
Author Bio
William Doonan is an archaeologist and mystery writer who lives in Sacramento, California. His first two novels recount the adventures of Henry Grave, an octogenarian detective who investigates crimes on cruise ships.
12 million people take a cruise each year.
Most have fun.
Some die.
Henry Grave investigates.
Doonan’s archaeological mystery ‘American Caliphate’ was published in April by Oak Tree Press.
It seems to me that self-publishing is changing too. It can be used to supplement the books you have instead of being the book itself, and that's especially true with the e-book revolution. In any case, whatever you did worked on me. American Caliphate is on my reading list for next week! I paged through and like it already. Good clean writing.
William,
You're right. The cover for "American Caliphate" does rock! So does the book itself.
By the way, I love #3 on your minefield list. How true!
That's great to hear, John. I hope you enjoy the read.
And Patricia, I'm thrilled that you like American Caliphate. And yes, we all do wind up doing the bulk of our publicity!
"American Caliphate" is on my TBR list. And you're right about Sunny as a demanding editor–I had to gut and revamp the opening chapters of my manuscript for OTP, but the end result was worth the remodeling. Publishing is no longer a "one contract fits all" business. Writers can go with an agent or not, sign with a large press or small, or strike out on their own. So many choices! Writers must be as creative with marketing as they are with their words.
So true, Sally. It's a changing business, but that's part of what makes it exciting. Another advantage of working collectively with a small press, is that when we find something that resonates, we can let everyone else know, and we can change gears pretty quickly.
The word "promo" use to scare the daylights out of me, but no more. I can honestly say I enjoy it most of the time. Selling myself is not a naturally easy task, but taking risks allows me to grow in ways I never thought I possible. It's encouraging to hear from all of you and how you work closely with your publishers to market your books. Great post, William.
I like the way you said that, Kathleen. "Selling myself is not a naturally easy task." I feel the same way. None of us can survive in this business without cultivating the bravery to talk about ourselves, our work, or our books. But it is, for many of us, a skill that we work on, not something that comes naturally.
You made five excellent points, William. I hope people pay attention, because those points can make or break an author who's just starting out. One other thing, and that's about the cost of books. Some publishers are pricing the authors' books right out of the running.
Also, I just finished American Caliphate and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great job!
John makes a good point there about self-publishing supplementing your other books. Yes, there are loads of small presses around at the moment. Frankly, I think it's best to stick with who you know. If someone gives you a good deal, great editing and nudges you on a daily basis to market yourself – that's for you.
Glad you stopped by, Marja and Vonnie. Many writers get impatient, which is easy to do. By doing this series on small presses, I'm hoping to save some folks from getting headaches down the road.
Glad you put in about the demanding editor. Editors can make or break a book. Authors who self-publish need to be sure they get the best editing they can afford.
And no, I'm not an editor! I just hate reading books that so obviously need proofing, copy-editing and even content editing. In fact, if I start one, I usually stop reading after a few pages.
Thanks, Marja! I'm glad you enjoyed the book. Yes, pricing is a big issue, and that's one thing that Oak Tree Press is on top of – great reads+fair prices.
Vonnie, I couldn't agree more. The nudging has made me better at what I do.
And I agree, Cheryl. Like you, I've read a lot of books that clearly need a lot of work. And it does feel like a letdown when you get the sense that the author isn't in control.
Thanks for being my guest today, William, and to all of you who stopped by and commented.