Publishing Companies

[Prince Calypso]

AS i'm sure a fair few of the Mer network Community knows i have been working on a few books for a while now.
after spending all day typing up a storm i realized that my story based on the little mermaid is pretty much coming to a close and closer than ever to being finished.
Only one problem, i have no idea what publishing companies to go to
I've sent a few question left and right to a few Google searched companies but they always seem like the kind who want you to give men money first which would be be a problem if i had the kind of money they are asking for just laying around. but i don't XC

so i was wonder if anyone knew of any companies i should check into
any help is greatly greatly appropriated

[roamingmer]

How do you want to publish? A complete novel through a publishing house which also deals with all the marketing? Or through self publishing which relies upon yourself and your network of contacts.

For my thesis I used lulu.com as they have their own marketplace and reviewers section. The buyer pays the publishing fee and printing costs. You only get a small percentage of final price. Pretty much the same as official publications.

If you want a full blown publishing house consider how to summarize your entire storyline in 2 sentances. This should serve as a taster for the novel. Consider including a summary of the chapters as an appendix. Bare in mind that a publishing house might get >400 unsolicited requests a week and the reviewer might spend 10-20seconds on your entire work!

The third alternative is to write short stories for inclusion into a
Magazine - whether fantasy based or perhaps a lifestyle where
The Mermaid acts as a springboard for your Intensions but is not the primary
Message. The advantage of magazines is the Same story can appear in different ways. Once
Written from protagonist; once from victim.

[roamingmer]

I hate autocorrect

Whilst you write for yourself - who is your target audience? How will they get to hear about your work? "I regularly publish work on a blog and have>300 regular unique readers per week" might sound great. The blog is dedicated to the specialization of orchids has a completely different appeal.

In the end publishing is not about writing or content. It is about marketing an idea. A publisher could like your idea; hate your writing style and do major editing but still keep your name. Or They could take it as is and you are lucky.

So mermaid book: written for adults? Very small market (us)
Written for children? Larger market but what is unique? What will child enjoy learn?
Written for sci/fantasy? What is the plot line? Transformation from human? Then what are emotional aspects of everyone concerned? Why should I care for the main characters?

Whilst these answers go beyond your question it is important for all writers and so I post it here

[Prince Calypso]

i want to go with a publishing company
self publisning is for someone who knows how to market themselves and has a lot of contacts to market to. (thats not me at all)

my target audience would have to be young adults to teenagers.
i understand that it isn't going to be easy and that my target diaphragmatic isn't that large
but i'm hoping that my idea would be original enough and unique enough to catch someone's eye and with enough circulation i can get just enough
people talking about the books.
i'm going with Fantasy Adventure
i already have the lot line thought out and the story is written

[Alveric]

In that case I would recommend you try Tor books, they specialize in fantasy ans science fiction. Look up their directions for submission. If I remember right, they want the first three chapters or the first thirty pages and a synopsis, no more than six pages. Look it up to make sure. They take about six months to respond. Most publishers prefer you don't make multiple submissions, so this could take a lot of time. First novels are especially hard to get published. A lot of publishers won't deal with you unless you have an agent. A lot of agents won't take you on unless you've been published. Catch22 anyone?

I'm not so patient. I self-published my first novel with a POD (Print on Demand) publisher which is cheaper than traditional self-publishing (It cost about the same as a mid level neoprine tail). A lot of successful authors broke the logjam by self-publishing their first novel which was good enough to get the attention of a traditional publisher.

The real work begins after the manuscript is finished. :)

Also, I would recommend you show your work to as many people as you can, especially people you can depend on to give you an honest opinion. Also look to sites like DeviantArt.com. Where you can publish on-line for free and get feed back.

Good Luck

[roamingmer]

I would agree with above. Also suggest visiting the local library - they should have a list of publishers there.

[Kanti]

Maybe you can get it electronically published? Maybe start small like get it for an apple library app
or download it to kindle so people only have to pay $1-$5 for it. Then peope will probably be more
likely to buy it just because.
Actual BOOKs are pretty hard to get published because it's an expensive process that requires a lot
of resources and time, so a lot of publishing companies are trained to shoot people down.
Electronic books? Its basically free, all you have to do is download your book onto the book list for
either application. And since everyone has a Kindle nowadays, it's worth a shot!

http://lifehacker.com/5735895/how-to-publish-your-book-on-amazon-kindle
Here's a link I found interesting. It seems like it's FREE to publish your book onto Kindle o_O
If that's true then there's an excellent place to start

Personally, it seems like self-publishing is the best idea. You essentially keep 100% of your profit
because you're the one doing all the work yourself. Not to mention you don't have to sign any contracts
or give half your money away.
I don't know too much on the subject matter, but it seems to be parallel to the music industry.
You can either sign with an agent/producer to get yourself out there, but they take ALL the credit for
your music and work, or you can go about it and get YOURSELF out there with free forms of media
like youtube or vimeo.

[Prince Calypso]

i understand that self publishing would most likely be easier and more profitable but my mama always told me if it's easy, everyone will do it and you'll just be part of the horde.
besides i don't have the resources to self publish like i said.
you need contacts and market skills. i have neither.
i i had the large group of people who i know would read and but the book then yeah but as it stands its just my friends and my family and that's a small amount of people as is.

[Prince Calypso]

But i guess it couldn't hurt to try both avenues
"sigh" i knew it was gonna be hard but... its a bit... soul crushing lol

[Kanti]

Well honestly it's way better than nothing.
Not to mention, like I said, people are way more willing and able to spend $5 on an electronic book
than to spren $15-$20 on a solid book that they've never heard of.
So you can either pay somewhere from $200-$500 to get it published and possibly not sell anything
or you can publish it for free and when you don't sell anything you're not losing anything.
You can take both routes, but I'd wait to publish it until it has some publicity.

Unfortunately books are just very hard to market. It's hard to get interested in a book if it's not immediately
grabbing your attention.
You might benefit from making a vlog or a regular blog so people can see your attitude/talking style and if
they like how you talk about things then the next step is that they're going to like how you write about things.

[roamingmer]

Have a look at the Lulu market place and see what types of books are doing well. With lulu they also provide a link into Amazon and an ISBN number - which is worthwhile.

These days most people search through Amazon for subject matter; and see what recommendations pop up. Half the trick is to get it into Amazon with some good reviews (enough people here) and it will start to flow. Slowly... but it will flow. Generally international authors have a background which allows them to have an early following. JK Rowling was not completely unknown; she had connections, discrete, but there were some.

Self publishing does require more hard work - but does work a lot easier than waiting for a big fish to eat up the novel and make you a star-fish. Look at the sensation of the Shades of Grey... It can also bring a lot of reward, but you have to have a thick set of scales and skin as there is no editor / reviewer in the loop between what you write and what the reviewers might write.

So how to go about self marketing (not your preferred route)?... Some ideas which could work (and not specifically limited to your case)

Information on this forum
Links from people to their facebook pages
Get good reviews on Lulu / Amazon
Be present at some mermaid / constume / fantasy conventions with books to sell (local author...)
Contact your local library to see if there are some book clubs which would be interested in reading and discussing
Get objective friends to review the book before publishing - helps with the thick set of scales
As Nate mentioned, use DeviantArt to preview the story... Or Use Tor books for Science Fantasy short stories
Print off a couple of copies for friends and relatives. [Note: this costs as you have to make an initial investment... consider it a smaller scale version of what the publisher would do for you - unfortunately all your risk]
Talk with local coffee shops and give out a few taster copies and see if they sell.
Think abroad: There are many books out there which did not get picked up by UK / USA publishers, but were picked by foreign companies looking for translatable material - or education classes looking for a short book with easy language to teach English.
Think local landmarks: does the story contain parallel history of local areas which could be interesting for the historical society...


In the end once you have a following, or website where potential publishers can click and see you already have a large audience then the game is a lot easier.

Finally an author's first book often remains unpublished; it is a learning experience. The second and third novels are the ones which break the ground, and authors often resubmit re-worked first novels later in life. Without knowing your content it is hard to predict, and I wish I could be much more enthusiastic. Unfortunately im too realistic... but if you have the passion to keep going, picking away at the mountain, and not giving up, then you will always succeed. It is tough - but it is worthwhile in the end.
:):):):):):)

[Prince Calypso]

Have a look at the Lulu market place and see what types of books are doing well. With lulu they also provide a link into Amazon and an ISBN number - which is worthwhile.

These days most people search through Amazon for subject matter; and see what recommendations pop up. Half the trick is to get it into Amazon with some good reviews (enough people here) and it will start to flow. Slowly... but it will flow. Generally international authors have a background which allows them to have an early following. JK Rowling was not completely unknown; she had connections, discrete, but there were some.

Self publishing does require more hard work - but does work a lot easier than waiting for a big fish to eat up the novel and make you a star-fish. Look at the sensation of the Shades of Grey... It can also bring a lot of reward, but you have to have a thick set of scales and skin as there is no editor / reviewer in the loop between what you write and what the reviewers might write.

So how to go about self marketing (not your preferred route)?... Some ideas which could work (and not specifically limited to your case)

Information on this forum
Links from people to their facebook pages
Get good reviews on Lulu / Amazon
Be present at some mermaid / constume / fantasy conventions with books to sell (local author...)
Contact your local library to see if there are some book clubs which would be interested in reading and discussing
Get objective friends to review the book before publishing - helps with the thick set of scales
As Nate mentioned, use DeviantArt to preview the story... Or Use Tor books for Science Fantasy short stories
Print off a couple of copies for friends and relatives. [Note: this costs as you have to make an initial investment... consider it a smaller scale version of what the publisher would do for you - unfortunately all your risk]
Talk with local coffee shops and give out a few taster copies and see if they sell.
Think abroad: There are many books out there which did not get picked up by UK / USA publishers, but were picked by foreign companies looking for translatable material - or education classes looking for a short book with easy language to teach English.
Think local landmarks: does the story contain parallel history of local areas which could be interesting for the historical society...


In the end once you have a following, or website where potential publishers can click and see you already have a large audience then the game is a lot easier.

Finally an author's first book often remains unpublished; it is a learning experience. The second and third novels are the ones which break the ground, and authors often resubmit re-worked first novels later in life. Without knowing your content it is hard to predict, and I wish I could be much more enthusiastic. Unfortunately im too realistic... but if you have the passion to keep going, picking away at the mountain, and not giving up, then you will always succeed. It is tough - but it is worthwhile in the end.
:):):):):):)
this actually kinda outlines it pretty good for me.
thank you

[Jan Coffey]

Hi Prince--

I cannot tell how SOLID the advice is that you've been getting here! Roamingstudio, Kanti, and Alveric are exactly right. We've been in the business (and it IS a business!) for a long time. Our first novel was published in 1995, and we're still at it. So even though publishing is a tough business to break into...and just as tough to stay in...you CAN make it. You need a little talent, a little luck, and a tail-load of hard work. And yes...definitely thick scales! :)

The publishing industry is hard-pressed right now. People essentially stopped going into bookstores about three years ago. Just look at the fate of Borders/Waldenbooks. Even so, as our friends above have said, there are ways to get your stories out there. And people ARE buying e-books. Look at not just Lulu, but also at CreateSpace.com, which is now owned by Amazon. I think it was Kanti's suggestion that you look at the free e-book How to Publish your Book on Amazon Kindle. That is a very useful 'how-to' when it comes to the mechanics of formatting your e-book, etc.. CreateSpace takes you step-by-step through the process of putting together a Print on Demand book that can also be sold on Amazon. E-books can be marketed and sold through Amazon, etc, but you can also look at Smashwords.com as a resource and as an outlet. (Alveric, did you look there?)

You're right on target with your idea of writing for the young adult market. That is the hottest market right now...and older readers are also reading those books (think of who is reading Twilight, Harry Potter, Hunger Games......). As far as contacts and marketing...you have a great core group right here to start with!

If you have a finished story and think it's ready to go to either an agent or an acquiring editor at a publishing house, find a friend who has some time and will help you edit the book to be as clean of errors as possible. You don't want a prospective buyer to miss a good story just because the presentation got in the way! (-: And all that hard work is doubly necessary if you put it out as an e-book or POD book.

If you decide to go to a publisher (as I said, the industry is pretty tough right now...they want books that they can sell millions of!), start getting connected with writers' organizations in your area. Orange County CA has a tremendous RWA Chapter that provides a network of writers with information on both the writing craft and on the business. I'm sure that the Bakersfield area has their own chapter. And don't be put off by the fact that their mostly romance writers; you'll find them to be supportive and helpful and nurturing for ALL genre writers. Also, if you are looking for an agent, go to AAROnline.org for lists of agents that will not cheat you. The members are REAL agents and they ascribe to a set of ethics that includes being honest and upfront with you about how they will deal with you.

Best of luck, Prince...(and to you, too, Alveric). We love writing and telling stories. It's a tough business and wicked hard work, but the storytelling is pure love.

Jan (our website...soon to be updated...is www.JanCoffey.com)

[Jan Coffey]

That first sentence should have been.... I cannot tell you how solid their advice has been!!! (-:

[Nate Walis]

Listen to all of this sage advice, but most of all keep writing at the same time. It may sound daft, but don't actually neglect the practice of writing while you're chasing after these various avenues of being published. There is nothing more important than honing your own style and becoming more skilled as an actual writer if you really have an interest in the art of telling a story in a manner that other people will want to actively read and then seek out the next thing that you come up with.

[Alveric]

Indeed. Write something every day, even if it's only a paragraph, sentence or just a word. There have been times when all I could do is go over what I had already written and correct my grammer and spelling; anything to stay involved with your work.

[Jan Coffey]

Again, I say, this is great advice. Stephen King says that if he doesn't write everyday, his characters become fake, unreal...just lifeless characters on a page.

Writing is a skill that has to be practiced constantly...like playing the piano. And when it's clicking, there is nothing more gratifying. (Plus it is pretty cool when you see your books in the stores and when you get email and letters from readers who were touched by your stories. Actually, the latter is MORE than cool!)

Have fun with this desire of yours, Prince!

Jan

www.JanCoffey.com

[roamingmer]

The BBC magazine in the uk did an interesting article which illustrates the problem
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19592084
With over 60 new books published daily in just the UK how should you become successful? Their comment is literary prizes but even these are a long shot.

Still good luck and don't be afraid to ask for help

[Merman Dan]

i understand that self publishing would most likely be easier and more profitable but my mama always told me if it's easy, everyone will do it and you'll just be part of the horde.
besides i don't have the resources to self publish like i said. you need contacts and market skills. i have neither.


my target audience would have to be young adults to teenagers.

Do teens even read dead-tree editions, anymore? Have you considered iBooks Author (http://www.apple.com/ibooks-author/)? At least for the iPhone/iPod/iPad crown, you can publish to the iBookstore (https://itunesconnect.apple.com/WebObjects/iTunesConnect.woa/wa/bookSignup). You are also free to sell your book in other formats (PDF, etc), while Apple markets it for you.

For what it's worth, I'm 46 and the last 8 novels I read were all on my iPad.

[Jan Coffey]

Kids who read use e-readers AND paper. As a high school teacher, I see a lot more girls reading fiction for pleasure than boys...and I see a split of approximately 3/4 preferring to read paper. The bookstores are focusing on them just to survive. More and more space is going to the female young adult market.

Still, you make a great point...there is still a HUGE and growing audience of readers using e-readers of every type...and the young are in the vanguard.

As a side note, I read an article yesterday about how the traditional publishers are hunting through the blogs and the ebooks for material to publish on paper.

Bottom line...Prince (and the rest of us) can reach a lot of readers through JUST ebook publishing.

Jan

www.JanCoffey.com

[Prince Calypso]

Omg I haven't checked this thread in forever and I'm like crying cause honestly
i kinda just stopped writing a a while ago cause i just got really depressed and continuously second guessed myself and any and all ideas i had for stories
Reading over all this I'm actually really moved and intend to start writing again once i can
thank you so much everyone