Choosing a PUBLISHER ~ or Three.
When dealing with novels, as opposed to short stories, is having more than one publisher or imprints, a Good thing? Say you find a publisher that really likes your stuff, should you just send everything to them and not bother with another? Could being associated (in the market's eyes,) with a particular publisher or imprint – cause problems later?
I see the publishing world as kind of like a big Mall.
Among the ebook publishers...
-- You have massive department stores, like Sears, (New Concepts Publishing,) and Dillard’s, (Samhain,) sophisticated boutiques like Victoria’s Secret, (Loose Id,) and Abercrombie & Fitch, (Liquid Silver,) specialty shops like Hot Topic, (Changeling Press,) and Godiva Chocolates, (Sugar and Spice Press,) novelty shops like Fredericks of Hollywood, (Extasy Books,) and the Disney Store, (Mundania Press,) trinket kiosks in the aisles, (all the brand new publishers that are still gathering authors and working on establishing their reader-base,) and you have people wandering around taking surveys, (all those book-themed groups.)
The big NY publishers are their own individual malls, each with their own set of little specialty boutiques, known as imprints.
An author with a brand new manuscript is like a salesman representing a cool new product. Obviously, the type of product (content,) and its quality (whether or not the author can actually write,) governs what type of buyer it will interest, therefore those same qualities come into account when the salesman (our author,) offers it to a particular shop’s manager (a publishing house’s editor.)
A fast-talking salesman CAN talk a manager into buying something that does not suit their boutique, however, that doesn’t mean the BUYERS will ever purchase it.
A fast-talking farmer that has apples in his baskets may actually get a table at Dilliards, but his sales are going to suck. Should our farmer take his apples to Harris Teeter (or any other grocery store,) his negotiations will not only go smoother, he’ll probably make a killing.
Logically speaking, if your product is in the Right shop, the right buyers will find it, love it, and come back looking for more. Put it in the Wrong shop and all it will do is gather dust, at least until the sales hit and you are discovered by someone who stepped in on a whim.
The key point here is The BUYER.
• Some buyers only shop at one place in particular.
• Some buyers visit every shop and buy a little from each.
• Some buyers visit certain shops only on particular occasions.
• Some buyers only visit shops where they know the folks that work there.
• Some buyers keep a tight budget.
• Some buyers blow their entire paycheck every weekend buying here, there, and everywhere.
• Some buyers only window shop, but tell all their friends about what they saw available, so their friends will buy it, and they borrow it from them later.
There’s just no way to get them ALL.
But there IS a way to get the bulk of the buyers specifically looking for what you have to offer – it’s called: put it in the Shop your buyer is most likely to visit. Ahem… The RIGHT Publishing house.
Why should someone have more than one publishing house?
Because most authors write more than one type of book. Just like any other product, books won’t sell if the readers looking for those particular stories don’t go there. Something experimental, or sufficiently different from what has been selling like hot-cakes at that publishing house, may not suit the buyers that normally visit there.
I have Four publishers.
• Loose Id Books – for my super-kinky hardcore Sci-Fi.
• Kensington books – for my sexy (vanilla) Adventure Fantasies.
• Extasy Books – they carry my earliest work.
• Mojo Castle – for my experimental fiction.
HOWEVER! ~ If you are a popular enough Author you can go ANYWHERE because your readers will come find you; especially if you have a website pointing them in the right direction.
The only disadvantage of one publisher over another is: Publisher Reputation
If you are a New author – Reputation MATTERS.
A publishing house with a rep for poor editing can drive away potential buyers. On the other hand, if you are an Established author you can boost that publisher’s reputation, just by being there -- and the publishers know this. If you’re offering a damned good product, you’ll get invitations from every publishing house out there.
Things to take into account when shopping for a Publisher:
• What kind of stuff does this publisher offer? (Will my stuff appeal to their buyers, so that AFTER they buy all the name brands, they’ll buy me too?)
• Do they specialize in one thing over another? (Does my stuff cater to that specialty?)
• Who are the top selling authors for this publishing house? (Can my writing skill compete with theirs?)
• How much traffic does this publisher get? (Does it have a big enough shopper base to ensure frequent sales?)
• Is the contract fair? (When do I get my rights back, in case this Isn’t the right fit?)
The fastest way to answer all your questions about a particular publisher?
-- Visit the Predators & Editors site and look up the publisher you're thinking of doing business with. They have the latest and most up to date info on Publishers and agents. If they're Not trustworthy, P&E will know.
The next best way to check out a publisher?
-- Go to their site. (Every publisher has one, and it's only a Google search away.) Check out that publisher’s top-selling books. Read their Excerpts. Buy one or two and read them. Pay attention to how good the grammar is. Bad Grammar = Poor Editing. Talk to authors published by them. What do they have to say? If something is wrong with the publisher, believe they'll let you know!
DISCLAIMER: As with all advice, take what you can use and throw out the rest. As a multi-published author, I have been taught some fairly rigid rules on what is publishable and what is not. If my rather straight-laced (and occasionally snotty,) advice does not suit your creative style, by all means, IGNORE IT.
