What is the Definition of a Legitimate Publisher?

Well, we’ve now been through the cost of writing and where you can look to publish your fiction. We know that there are paid subscription listings available and a few of you may subscribe to other places like Absolute Write or the Freelance Writing Job Bank. As you go through the listings, though, you may ask yourself whether or not the publisher is “worth it.” Here are my top tips to help you create your own set of writing submission criteria for any publisher.

What is the Publisher’s Online Reputation?

If I’m researching a publisher, I like to check out what other writers are saying about them by organically searching for their name or variants thereof. I read through forums, blogs, comments, etc. to see if there are any negative comments about a publisher. If there’s only a few, I may follow up on the author’s blog to see if the comments were credible. Remember, a lot of inexperienced writers may take rejection very poorly–even if the writer was in the “wrong.”

Besides chatter online, I also look for news about their business or how well they promote their writers. Sometimes, I may accept a lower rate per word depending upon how well a publisher might treat me and my work.
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July 9, 2008
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ePublishing 101 – Collected Edition

ePublishing 101 is a tutorial on every aspect of doing business as a PDF publisher, covering topics from planning and production to release and marketing, and everything in between– giving readers the benefit of the extensive experience of Phil Reed of Ronin Arts and Gareth-Michael Skarka of Adamant Entertainment.

Anyone interested in creating and self-publishing their own RPG should probably read this collection of advice from two of the most successful PDF publishers in the industry. The PDF market has grown considerably over the last few years with sites such as DrivethruRPG, e23, YourGamesNow, IndiePressRevolution and RPGNow offering publishers several options to reach potential customers.

ePublishing 101 is available at RPGNow.com

February 22, 2008
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POD People

Beating the Print-on-Demand Stigma

POD People. Seems like they’re everywhere all of a sudden. Thousands of authors are publishing their books via print-on-demand, but only a very small percentage of them find any kind of success. Why? POD People must not only act as author, but also publisher, advertiser, editor, agent and graphic designer.

The sad truth is that many POD People don’t know what to do when they’re starting out and plunge blindfolded into the publishing world. Most POD books fade into obscurity, selling only a few copies and leaving the author disappointed and in many cases, broke.

This failure is due primarily to the negative POD stigma. Many people avoid self- published books and loathe POD books even more. It’s a harsh reality, but there is hope. Bestselling POD author, Jeremy Robinson, reveals how to beat the POD stigma and make your book stand out.

About the Author: Jeremy Robinson is the author of the wildly successful Print-On-Demand novel, The Didymus Contingency, which was a Barnes&Noble.com bestseller, an Amazon.ca bestseller and is now available in several languages from various traditional publishers.

POD People is available at Amazon.com

February 1, 2008
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Marketing 101: What has Changed for Novelists Selling their Books

Straight out of the comments from this previous post about writing unconventional fantasy settings, author Joe Cooke asked:

If we write stories that are outside the bounds of the tried-and-true, how do we get them to market?

Dear readers, that is the million dollar question and one that I have heard many, many times. It’s also the reason why I’ve been extraordinarily hesitant to make leaps and bounds into the foray of (what has been described by some) as “writer’s purgatory.”

How the Market Has Changed

Before I talk about how to bring an unconventional work to market, I’d like to first cover why and how much the market has changed. Simply, three factors have reshaped the industry forever; the internet, the rising costs of publishing, and new forms of electronic media like the eBook readers. No longer do publishing houses have hosts of “readers” who glance through slush piles; several have “closed” submissions to first-time authors and even more prefer “named” authors only. There are a few that still have an open door policy, and agents do still exist.
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January 28, 2008
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Monica Valentinelli > self-publishing

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