Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemurion
They don't appear to have a distributor, and so any bookstore placement is going to be local, rather than chain, which really limits your books' exposure.
|
Nope. He's got all our books in Ingram (wow, was that a pain) and several other major distributors, so our books are available nationwide, and depending on the type of book, internationally as well. He's especially got our books in B&N, Borders, Amazon, and all the other major book stores. The only place he doesn't have us is in Walmart, but that's expected since they're a bunch of pricks. So he does have us all over the place and the marketing he does for the books is good. It may not show it on his website, but he does reach out to readers really well and he's got a good distribution chain. Especially since the majority of his income is from selling to readers, and not just from signing authors.
Quote:
|
I'm glad you're happy with them, but they're not as good a solution as even a royalties-only small press.
|
I researched all the big and small presses that were royalty only, and unless you're some huge seller, you're treated like cattle. In fact, even then you're still treated like cattle, just to a lesser degree. I didn't like that, and in fact, it turned me off to going with any of them. Being very hands on with my current publisher, talking to him face to face about ideas and getting feedback, working side by side at signings, shows and conventions, and so much more really sold me on him.
What I did to test him out was to give him one of my "low impact" books (ie, a book that has little or no impact on me as a writer, and thus can be sacrificed as a test to try out a new publisher) and let him go to town on it. I was so blown away with how awesome he did with that one low impact book that I gave him the rest of my stuff!
The low impact novel idea was suggested to me by a friend after diving head first into Amazon's nightmare POD system (I didn't know any better and only did it on the recommendation of some people who I later found out were trying to ruin me out of jealousy) and coming out a wounded bird. And the idea works really well, because even though you have to do a bit of extra writing to make it work, it will allow you to take the research you've done and test out a given publisher to be sure they're a right fit for you. If not, you're not out much. If they are, then you've gained some important insight and knowledge, and the way is now open for you to take the rest of your books to this new publisher knowing everything you need to about them.
And also, don't let this little diatribe seem like I'm saying you're wrong. For each person, the "perfect course of action" is different. For you, traditional publishing houses were the better route to go. For me it was the PTP route. And not just any PTP, but a specific one. At some point I may go the more traditional route, but given how badly they treat you, and how much they'll maul your book once you give it to them (IE, they'll force you to rewrite your story in ways you don't want them to) unless you have sales numbers backing you up and giving you the power to stop that, I likely never will.
I may sound a little idealistic saying that, but I've spent the last 15 years of my life in the Open Source world where everyone is treated like human beings, not cash machines. That MOB (method of business) drives me nuts in ways I can't even articulate. It's one reason I've been so hopping mad at Walmart, primarily because of their attitude that "we don't need you, you need us, so you will either sell to us at the price we ask, or you can go elsewhere" rubbed me nine ways wrong. I'm glad my publisher is handling those negotiations or I might have reached across the table and strangled their negotiator for being a prude. ^_^;; Amazon has been more or less the same. Their attitude is "We're Amazon. Deal with it."
Of course, on the flipside has been the ones who have been really nice to me. B&N has been awesome, and really does a great job of taking care of the authors they deal with, both directly and through a publisher, Astak (aka EZread) has also been awesome, and one of my best experiences in the ebook world, as well as dozens of other stores, both B&M and virtual. So as you can see, the route I'm taking now is the one I'm most comfortable with, and the one that works best for me at this time.
So in short, there is no magic solution that works for every writer. Each needs to find out what works best for them. And I will dare to say that for some self publishing and PTP is actually best. POD and vanity press however is not, nor is it ever. The only exception I can think of is if you're not after a mass market. In a case like that, vanity press *is* the better solution. I know of one lady who sells cookbooks at craft shows all over the US. It has no ISBN, nor is it listed in Ingram or any major distributor. And yet she sells something like 10,000 copies a year. So for her, POD was the best solution.
Anywho, I'll stop talking. I'm already writing a small novel here as it is.
