Editors Could Change the Rep of Self Publishers

Last week, the Huffington Post published this article about why indie (i.e.: self-published) authors still aren’t taken seriously, despite runaway successes like Christopher Paolini or J.A. Konrath that we hear so much about.  The reality is, many self-published authors end up with a basement full of books they can’t sell (something that, at least, self-publishing ebooks can bring to an end). The number one reason HuffPo lists for this lack of credibility is … bad (or no) editing.

And although I know in my heart there are probably lots of self-published gems out there just waiting to be discovered, I often pass by self-published books entirely due to this massive lack of quality control. And although I’m a “finisher” who often reads through books that I’m not enjoying at all, I often can’t get myself to sit through the grammar errors and inconsistencies in a self-published book, no matter how much the subject matter entices me.  I read unedited work every day for my job — when I’m off, I want to read a book that someone else has already done the hard work on. (And here’s a word to the wise for all writers: you should be doing the hard work so your readers don’t have to.)

If more self-published authors took themselves seriously enough to hire editors, I think they could gradually begin changing self-publishing’s bad reputation, especially as people become more and more frustrated with a few book publishers having all the power. Yes, I know that money is often an issue when self-publishing, and yes, professional editors do cost money. But in addition to lack of feedback and experience, I think another major problem with self-published books, especially with the explosion of self-published ebooks, is that a lot of writers read the “success stories,” think, “That could be me!” and invest in self-publishing as some sort of get-rich-quick scheme. And anyone who thinks writing is a get-rich-anytime scheme is majorly deluded (in fact, anyone who thinks writing is a do anything quick scheme is deluded; I can write a passable novel draft in a month, but it can take me up to two years to revise said draft after that.)

But even after all that, I’m glad that self-publishing is now an option for authors. I’m glad writers have more platforms for reaching readers. I’m glad that Random House and Penguin are no longer the only ones who get to decide what the public reads. And I actually love working with authors who are planning to self-publish — and take themselves seriously enough to work with an editor and through multiple drafts — because most of these writers DO have talent, and they only need a little refinement for that talent to be taken seriously. And if your goal as a self-publisher is to gain readers (not to make a huge monetary return on your time and talent investment or to attain critical acclaim), then you’ll probably feel perfectly satisfied with the results.

Although e-readers are new, electronic publishing is not. In fact, as soon as people were getting online, they were posting their stories. My own humble beginnings were as a fan-fic author who posted online — I self-published. And I remember thinking, at the time, that posting a story on the Internet was just as good as being published because people were reading my work — even people I didn’t know! That’s still thrilling as a writer, and I give kudos to all those who take the time to write and have the courage to share, who want no reward but to have real readers. I’m entertaining serious thoughts about returning to my roots as an electronic self-publisher myself if this year’s worth of submissions doesn’t achieve the desired results.

So, if you also want to self publish something that’s had a rockin’ editing job to boot, you know where to find me.

The Next Big Writer?

I’ve just discovered another website for writers, The Next Big Writer. At first glance, the site seems a lot like WeBook. It’s another online community where members can post any type of writing to get feedback from other writers and readers. It holds frequent contests for (smallish) cash prizes and publication. It boasts that many of its writers have gone on to achieve book contracts, mostly with small presses.

I’m not sure exactly what I think of The Next Big Writer. It charges a fee of about $8 a month for the right to use the private site, claiming that because the site is private, you won’t give away “first rights” to your work as publishers consider you to have done if you publish your work publicly on the Internet (I’d like to do more research to see if publishers really do view self-published Internet work this way). It also works on a credit system. In order to post work, you need credits. You  get credits by reviewing other people’s work–or you can buy credits.

In perusing their books that have been published, I don’t recognize many of the publishers, but they do have the look of self-published work. Some of them have been published by BookSurge, Amazon.com‘s self publishing arm. Part of their publication “prize packages” for some contests includes a publishing package with BookSurge. So essentially, the author is getting a publishing package from a self-publisher for free, but it’s not exactly the same as a publishing contract with Random House.

I’m also a little suspicious of the pay-to-use/work-to-use set up. I think the credit system makes sense so that you don’t have members who take from the community without ever giving anything back. But pairing the credit system with a user fee seems to provide a few too many “gates” to site usage: you have to pay to post your work, but paying isn’t enough to post your work. You need to work to post your work, too. It’s sort of like college, where you pay to work.

I wanted to take a peek at some of the posted work, but I couldn’t without a paid account, so I’m not sure of the quality level (it says writers of ALL levels are welcome, but the typical writing quality can reveal a lot about how serious the users of a certain site are about writing). At any rate, I think I’d explore WeBook for Internet critiques first, if for no other reason than it’s free. But I am a strong believer in the importance of workshopping your writing, and I think that any site like The Next Big Writer is bound to turn out a few writers who come out more proficient than they went in. That speaks to the value of critiques themselves, not necessarily to the value offered in the particular site.

Navigating Publishing Contracts

Over the weekend, I received my contract from QueeredFiction for “The Man in the Mirror.” I was glad that I’d worked in publishing prior to getting published myself so that I actually understood the contract. Signing on the dotted line can be scary, especially for new authors. Unfortunately, a lot of publishers attempt to take advantage of an author’s desire to be published. So here are a few issues to help discern what items in a contract should be red flags — and which shouldn’t be.

1. Requiring an author to pay a fee — for anything. This includes a fee for publishing itself as well as fees for “services” such as editing or marketing of your writing. In addition, think twice before signing a contract that requires you to pay for a copy of your own book, especially if it’s an expensive book. Go ahead and publish this way if you like; in most cases, you will get a published book at the end. Just be aware that you’re working with a self-publisher/vanity publisher and not a traditional publisher, regardless of how they present themselves. They make their money off their authors, and not off sales of their books.
2. Purchasing “All Rights.” Many legitimate publishers will attempt to purchase “all rights” to your piece. This means that you’re essentially handing over ownership and copyright to the publisher. You cannot submit the piece ever again, and people interested in reprinting it will go through the publisher, not you.  While you may get royalties for reprints, the publisher will be pocketing some of the fee as well. Weigh the wisdom of signing away all rights to a piece before you do it; if it’s a major publisher buying your novel and you’re getting a nice advance, it’s probably not a big deal if you can’t use that piece again. If it’s a poem that you’re not getting paid much for, and that has the potential to be published elsewhere, think twice before signing away its rights. Some publishers will offer one-time rights or first rights instead upon request.
3. No monetary advance. While we’d all like to receive money upfront for our writing, publishing is not the world’s most lucrative business. Small presses and other traditional publishers often can’t afford to pay an advance before the book has sold, but many will offer royalties once the book is on the market. Just because a publisher doesn’t offer upfront payment doesn’t mean they’re not legitimate.
4. No monetary compensation whatsoever. This can also be a hard pill to swallow, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the publisher isn’t legitimate. Many small presses publish for the love of the material itself and can’t afford to pay writers. However, you should expect a free copy of the publication containing your work at the very least. Refer to #1 if there’s no monetary compensation and you’re expected to shell out for a copy of the publication.
5. An expectation that you do your own marketing. This may seem, at first glance, like a red flag. After all, shouldn’t the publisher be just as invested in marketing your book as you are? But the publishing industry is changing, and even major publishing houses now rely on authors to meet them at least halfway when it comes to marketing. That’s one reason why there’s such a slew of author blogs on the Internet.

The long and short of it is this: a traditional publisher will have as much invested in your work as you do. They know the published piece reflects upon them, and as such will put forth their own resources (such as editors, designers, etc.) to make the piece the best it can be. They’ll pay all publishing costs, and they should offer you a payment of some sort, even if it’s just free copies of the publication. If the publisher isn’t willing to put any of their own resources into a piece without money from you, you’re self-publishing. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

On Publishing, the Internet, and Self Googling

I recently self-Googled in an attempt to see if any of my Demand Studios articles had been published. I didn’t find any of them yet, but self-Googling proved to be an enlightening experience, as always. Because I have a unique name, and because I’ve had a fairly public job for the last few years, I get over 5 pages of nothin’ but the real me when I self Google. Most of it is expected — interviews I gave while with my previous employer, blog posts I’ve written, and old college websites. But there’s always a bit of the unexpected, too, like finding out I was quoted in a Canadian blog about Catholic education.

I still remember a world without the Internet. As an adolescent, I wrote fan-fiction before I knew that fan-fiction even had a name. The first time I logged on at the age of 15, I was astounded and delighted to learn I wasn’t the only person in the world who wrote stories about characters I loved. I immediately began dreaming of a way to publish my fan-fiction online, thinking that “being online is almost as good as being published.” And for a 15-year-old in a rural area, it was. I wasn’t concerned so much with seeing my name in print or getting paid for my stories as I was with the ability to share them with readers. The Internet allowed me to do that–albeit under a fake name, as I was very ‘net cautious.

It has me thinking about how writing is a constant process of unraveling layers to get closer to the truth. The first layer, and often the hardest, is putting form to the thoughts twisting in your mind or beating in your heart. After that, there’s further unraveling when you share what you’ve written, and then again when you share it under your real name, and yes, again when you share it with the world by saying it on the Internet or putting it in print. The ‘net is currently buzzing about a man who lost his job through indescriminate Twittering, and while I like to pat myself on the back and believe I’m more savvy than that, sometimes even I–the girl who once wouldn’t even share my first name online–forget that there are some secrets I just have to let go of after speaking up about them just once online. It makes me realize that publishing, online or elsewhere, is a constant challenge to be brave enough to stand behind what you’ve said — at least, if you have an uncommon name.

On Self Publishing, part 2: Vanity Presses

So, yesterday I wrote about self publishers and vanity presses without making a distinction between the two. But there is a difference in the types of methods various “self publishers” employ to get you to fork over money to publish your book. Although this is not an official definition, I think of vanity presses as those that are not as upfront about the fact that they’ll be asking you for money.

These days, most self publishers are very upfront about who they are and what they do: you pay the money, they publish the book. They expect you to make most of the decisions about how many books you want to print, the size you want, etc. etc. They’re in the business of providing a service, and they don’t care how good or bad your book is, and they don’t pretend to care. Lulu and AuthorHouse are examples of this type of publisher.

Vanity presses, as I think of them, are generally not so forthright; for one thing, they don’t call themselves vanity presses, but use words like “self publisher,” “boutique publisher” or “subsidiary publisher.” They present themselves as “traditional” publishers at the outset. They’ll usually ask you to submit your manuscript as though they were a traditional publisher, then respond by flattering you with talk about how your manuscript has great potential, how you’re very talented, etc.  Then, after you’ve been sufficiently puffed up, and possibly after you’ve signed a contract, they pull out the fees by offering various services or asking for a “good faith” offering to help subsidize the cost of a potentially “risky” publishing endeavor. By the time things start to feel a little fishy, you’ve already begun envisioning yourself as a published author and possibly told friends and family that your book has been accepted. Many authors back out when the fees are revealed, but many don’t; that’s how vanity presses stay in business. Tate Publishing and American Book Publishing are examples of this type of publisher.

You’ll find a lot of bloggers writing about vanity presses as though they are run by the devil, and yeah, taking advantage of an author’s desire to be published to make a quick buck is pretty crummy. But in this day of easy and quick Internet searches, there’s really no excuse for not researching a publisher before you move forward with them. Such a search will reveal publishers like this often referred to as “scams” because they’re out for your money, not your success. But if what you want is a published book that you can distribute, sell, and put on your shelf, they will deliver. And honestly, that’s more than most authors will ever see from a traditional publishing house.

So, my opinion? Do your research. Decide whether you want to publish your book badly enough to pay for it. Understand that a publisher that asks you to offer up money for the publication of your book is a vanity press, no matter how they present themselves. That doesn’t automatically mean you shouldn’t publish with them, just that you should know who you’re publishing wtih. Whatever decision you make, make sure it’s an informed one.

On self publishing

A friend recently sent me this article from the New York Times about self publishing. For the sake of brevity, I’m not going to make a distinction between self publishers, “vanity presses,” “subsidiary publishers,” etc. When I refer to self publishing, I’m referring to any and all publishing in which the author, not the publisher, foots all or most of the bill.

I provide editorial services to a self-publisher, and working within self publishing has changed my opinion of it quite a bit. Self publishing gets a bad rap because, unfortunately, many authors cut a lot of corners on the way to self-publication, resulting in books that are cumbersome to read or fraught with errors. So I used to think self publishing was for “those people” who had manuscripts that no one wanted to touch — and with good reason.

As an editor, I now see far more titles than I ever did as a mere reader–and there’s some good stuff out there. In this time of declining interest in reading the printed word, I’m astounded by how many people are still writing books. The thought of all these books without potential readers stresses me out–as does the thought of thousands of writers never finding an audience at all.

A friend of mine recently asked, “Why do we call filmmakers and musicians who pay to produce their own work ‘independent,’ but call writers who do the same ‘vanity’ publishers?”

Yes, there are a lot of filmmakers, musicians, and writers self producing work that really isn’t much good to begin with. But there are also a lot of them who are fed up with the politics of traditional publishing or can’t get a foot in the door for all sorts of reasons besides the quality of their actual work. Whereas I used to see self publishing as something one “resorted” to if other types of publishing weren’t an option, now I see it as something writers do when they feel that getting their story out there is important enough to put a price on. And there’s nothing wrong with that.