I've said this before and I will say this again. Always research before you sign on with someone. I've heard many tales of people who were sorry they signed with certain publishing companies. I started out research as well.
Originally, I had sent out a few queries to places that didn't require an agent, need to see a market for my book or wouldn't take talking animals (yes, some refuse). I got accepted by three companies right away. I can't tell you how excited I was. I then thought maybe I should be checking things out more and I was correct to do so. I found a lot of these companies had complaints or were listed as scams. Now I will not mention names but I will tell you that one company was said to make money from the authors who had to buy the books at a high price. The others, they were in it for the money and results weren't always good. One apparently didn't pay it's authors their royalties, many had unsatisfied customers and the list went on and on. It was then that I began looking into print-on-demand services and found one I liked. It doesn't matter where you go or who you go through, look them up, research (keywords after their names: scam, complaints, etc.) because signing up with them could be the biggest mistake of your life. The same goes for traditional publishers. It doesn't matter who you go through, look into EVERYTHING! Even if there name doesn't show a scam, doesn't mean they are good. Be careful and do your homework. What kind of things should you look at:
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Being Published Doesn’t Necessarily Help I recall the first time a published author approached us for help. He was a traditionally published author. The publisher had covered the proofreading, editing and distribution for him. The book however wasn’t selling. This wasn’t as a result of the content. It was an enjoyable read. The author had been a professional writer in another industry for years. The fact is the publisher didn’t know what to do when it came to book marketing. There are great publishers but the vast majority have small budgets and aren’t sure where to invest them. I hasten to add this isn’t an attack on publishing houses at all. It is more a commentary on the challenges that book marketing presents. A strategy that worked well a few months ago may prove ineffective in the months ahead. Influencers grow in reach and others recede. It is a full time job to keep on top of the landscape, which is why companies like Publishing Push that specialise are flourishing. Our author in question had to then spend money with us in order to ensure his book was being marketed and there were sales. The downside for the author is that they have to invest their own money while the publisher profits from the sales. Great for the publisher not such a great deal for the author. The other issue for the author here is that if a book doesn’t sell well it will make it very hard to secure another book deal. If they can still secure a second deal the likelihood of it being competitive is very small indeed. On the other side of the coin we have worked with many authors who decided to self-published their first novel. They worked hard and invested in a high quality professionally published book. They hired us to assist with PR and book marketing. Our clients received excellent reviews, achieved strong sales and used this data as social proof to secure a traditional publishing deal through a literary agent. Still upset that you’re self published? There are huge upsides to not following the traditional route. Shared with Permission: http://publishingpush.com/blog/book-marketing/
Traditional publishers are those companies you frequently see on the back cover of the books in stores. They pay you for your writing and not the other way around. Here is a list of some known publishers, what is required to submit your manuscript and the sources for this information. Below this you will find Traditional Publishing Pros and Cons as well as a service video. Please keep in mind that the information provided below was relevant at the date of this post. In no way are we trying to tell you which way to go or that these publishers are bad. This information is here for your use to help you look into which route is best for you.
Harper Collins Canada
- Does not accept unsolicited submissions or query letters. (This means you need an agent) Source: http://www.harpercollins.ca/for-authors/submit-a-manuscript
Hachette Book Group
- Requires a literary agent. Source: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/customer-faqs/
Penguin Random House
- does not accept unsolicited submissions, proposals, manuscripts, illustrations, artwork, or submission queries at this time. This includes submission of work previously published elsewhere. Source: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/faqs/#manuscripts-how-do-i-submit-my-manuscript-or-abstract-to-penguin-random-house-for-publication-2_
Pantera Press
- They are not publishing picture or illustrated books, cookbooks, self-help books, health and well being books, travel books, poetry, play scripts, short stories, compilations, novellas, chapter books or children’s books (by children’s books, we mean books for under 12's. We are actively looking for Young Adult Fiction, for an age group 12 years +) Source: https://www.panterapress.com.au/submit-your-manuscript Note: As far as I can tell, this place works like a traditional publisher. I didn't see anything about costs.
Harlequin
- Accepts certain manuscripts in the romance genre. Source: https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit_
Peach Tree
- Does not publish historical novels (except children’s/young adult), science fiction, fantasy, romance, westerns, horror, poetry, short stories, plays, business, scientific or technical reference, or books intended specifically as textbooks. - Send biographical material about the author (past publishing credentials, education, etc.) Source: http://peachtree-online.com/index.php/resources/submission-guidelines/manuscript-guidelines.html_
Traditional Publishing Pros
Traditional Publishing Cons
Things to Beware of:
Please note that while at the time these were published, they were true. In the future, they may change. The warnings above in no way are meant to discredit the above companies. |
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