I first published this article in RWI’s Inklings.
I’ve never wanted to be Nora Roberts. All I ever wanted to do was develop characters I love, come up with heart wrenching conflict, tell their stories and then release them to the world. Okay, maybe I’d like to make a little money along the way. But having my name become a household word isn’t on that list. (I’ll admit I put “become a New York Times multi-published best selling author” on my 2007 goals, but that was for grins.)
So after working hard at my craft for lo, these past years, I had an epiphany. It happened when Meg Reid, who I’ve critiqued with since the beginning, sold her first book, From the Shadows, to The Wild Rose Press. *Gasp* An “unapproved” (by Romance Writers of America) publisher? What would people think? That she sold out just to say she’s published? Did she stoop because none of the big houses wanted her story just because it was a little different?
That’s when the light bulb smacked me right up side the head.
In the past few years, I’d written seven manuscripts. The first five were targeted toward one approved publisher, and when they were rejected, the manuscripts were, for all intents and purposes, dead. Under the bed was getting a little crowded. What was I going to do?
Oh, someday, when a really smart editor discovered she loved my voice more than chocolate and strawberries, I’d have quite a backlog of manuscripts to sell. Right? Comforting thought.
Do epiphanies ever give you headaches? Epiph was certainly giving me one. (The epiphany and I were on a first name basis by now.) Several authors who’d sold to “non-approved” publishers came my mind. Names like Jaci Burton, Jackie Kramer, Sharon Ervin, Jackie King, Peggy Fielding, Gloria Harchar and Michele Bardsley. I wondered why—but a better question might have been, why not?
About that time, I remembered Ghost Busters. Janine Melnitz asked, “Do you read much?”
Dr. Egon Spengler answered, “Print is dead.”
Is print dead? No, of course not. But is print the only way? I decided to find out. I sent out a questionnaire to several authors who’d published with print and E-books. Here are the results:
There were many non approved publishers mentioned. Hard-Shell Word Factory, The Wild Rose Press, Ellora’s Cave, Changeling Press, Loose Id, Mundania Press, Whiskey Creek Press, Five Star and AWOC.
My question asking why sell to a “non” instead of an approved publisher, started telling the story. Peggy Fielding (Chik-Lit For Foxy Hens—AWOC) said she sold to AWOC because she knew the publisher, knew him to be absolutely honest, and because he pays royalty by the month rather than just twice a year. He also gives a numerical count of the number of books sold for each month. The short turn-around time being able to reach him by phone or email was a plus. And “AWOC maintains a 10 best seller list that is revised day to day. I love seeing my book on the list day after day, month after month, year after year.”
Jackie Kramer (Warrior’s Heart—Five Star) felt the input on the final product, especially the front cover meant a lot. Also the fact that books are available on the market longer and the publisher is more willing to take a chance on a new author.
Gloria Harchar (Enchanted by Magic—Dorchester) says there are a lot of pros to selling to an unapproved publisher. You can get your name out there in order to start developing a fan base. No pressure of high sell-throughs.
Jaci Burton (Surviving Demon Island—Bantam Dell) said, “I was targeting NY publishers when a writer friend told me about Ellora’s Cave. I read a few of their e-books and fell in love with their erotic romance. I had always written hot love scenes and felt that my writing was a good fit for this publisher, so I wrote a book targeted to them.”
Michele Bardsley (I’m the Vampire, That’s Why—Signet Eclipse) said, “I shopped my stories to an electronic publisher because I wanted publication and I wanted to share my books with readers. . . I had to decide if I wanted to control my own career or if I wanted RWA’s approval. I decided my writing was more important than the blessing of RWA.
When asked if they would advise other writers to sell to a non, there were several answers. “I’m not sure I’d recommend going this way, but it has worked for me.” And “—as long as you research the publisher carefully, make sure they’re financially sound, with an excellent reputation and are going to be in business for awhile.” And, “Yes, if they are paid for their work. No, if they had to pay anything to get published.”
Another question was about the money and how it’s paid. The approved publishers pay advances, while the amounts vary. Non’s rarely pay advances, but it seems most pay royalties monthly while some pay quarterly. Most approveds pay only twice a year.
Finally I asked, “Anything you’d like to say about selling to one?”
Margaret E. Reid (From the Shadows—TWRP), “Dealing with the wonderful women at TWRP has been a pleasure. Not only do they believe in their small house, they are working hard on promotions for all their authors, constantly on the look out for great new submissions, have contests, and I’m grateful to have found them.”
Sharon Ervin, (Chik-Lit for Foxy Hens—AWOC) said, “Absolutely I would sell to a non-approved publisher, again and again, and probably will.” And, “I believe an author pretty well determines her own destiny. Work like the devil and the effort probably will be rewarded. That’s certainly more likely than if one sits moping because she can’t get into an RWA-approved house. I’d advise any author to take what’s offered and enjoy it.”
Peggy added, “Investigate. Don’t let the folks scam you. A writer’s life is tough so be sure the publisher you contact is legitimate.”
Jaci said, “A good publisher may be just starting out and waiting to sell the appropriate time in business and volume of books to qualify for RWA recognition. There’s no reason to wait for RWA approval to submit to them if you like the publisher.”
Gloria said, “Just be sure that you make your manuscript as clean as you possibly can. Have your critique group edit it, or someone else besides yourself look the material over.”
Jackie King (Chik-Lit For Foxy Hens—AWOC) concluded, “Never sign with any publisher simply because they have offered you a contract. Make sure the contract is a good one for the writer. It’s probably best to ask another seasoned, published writer to read the contract for you and give you an honest opinion.”
Michele said, “I enjoy writing for e-publishers. I learned a lot about the publication process, about promotion, and about my own writing. Because I did, I was really prepared for selling to a traditional publisher. I had everything in place—loyal readers, promotional savvy, and the knowledge of my own strengths and weaknesses as a writer. I will forever be grateful to those who believed in my first.
So back to me. With a background in retail, I started thinking of my manuscripts as merchandise I have to sell. Time to get the merchandise out, brush it off and set up a few displays for some new customers. Who knows? Some of them might just love what I’ve got in stock.
