It started, as these things do, on Twitter. A friend called a site I am working with to publish Knight Errant a vanity press. I haughtily explained that there is a difference between a vanity press and a legitimate DIY-publishing service.
He didn’t know that. And he didn’t know a lot of things that he really, really needs to know, as a writer hoping to be published one day. I tried to explain, but Twitter is not the best venue for such a conversation.
I decided, as I will do, to write a blog post.
Okay, first let me say I’m not going to talk about self-publishing right now. I’m talking about traditional publishing, which is, I think, what most writers dream of anyway. I’ll talk about self-publishing another time, maybe when I’m a bit farther on in the process.
Second, let me say that most of what I plan to say is absolutely essential information. I’m talking tell grandma not to give her bank account number to Nigerian princes important. Crucial, if you want a writing career.
Third, no, I’m not a publishing professional. I’m just pulling the information into one place. I’ll quote them liberally, though, and give you a reading list as well. Also, I’ll stick in my own opinion. I’ll try to make sure it’s clearly marked.
Ready? Here we go.
Money flows towards the writer.
If you pay them to publish your book, it’s a vanity press, not a traditional publisher. If you must pay a reading fee to query an agent, he/she is not legit. If the agent says your book is awesome, just pay this editor to go over it and send it back and he’ll rep it–it’s a scam.
Here’s how it works. You write the book, and publishers buy a license (not actually the book itself!) to publish the book. The license says they get to sell it for a while and give you a share of the profits. In between you and the publisher, there is often an agent, trying to get you a better deal. You don’t pay the agent–they get their share from what you get paid. It’s a subtle but important distinction.
I’ll probably repeat that one a lot. Right now, though, let’s move on.
A Definition of Terms, in No Particular Order
Agent: A professional who works with a writer to get you the best deal possible. Agents are not easy to acquire. Because they make no money until you do (see money flows towards the writer), an agent will only take you on if they absolutely love your work and think they can sell it. To be most effective, they need to know publishing, and publishers (what editor likes your sort of book and where they’re working this week), and contracts. Publishers are in business to make money. Your agent is out to help you (and, coincidentally, themselves) hold onto money.
Do you really need one? Short answer, yes. Slightly longer answer: probably. A deeper answer will have to wait.
Advance: this is the money the publisher may give you in advance of any profits. It is an advance against those profits. If your book doesn’t sell through (earn more than the advance) you will not get royalty checks. Ever. And you may have trouble selling your next book. A large advance is not necessarily a good thing for that reason. Your agent knows this.
Royalties: this is the percentage of the book’s earnings you get, after the advance is earned out. This, I think the math goes, is about 6% of the list price of a paperback. Slightly more for hardcover. It seems very small, but there are many reasons for that. Some of them good, some of them not so good, but reasons do exist, and it’s not because publishers are trying to cheat you. (though they may be. See Your agent is out to help you hold onto money.)
Query: This is how you get an agent. Every agent is different, and most of them can be found on the internet telling you how they are different. Follow the damned directions. Write a query, send sample pages and synopses and such as and only as requested, and try to target your query at someone likely to give a damn. How do you write a query? I’m not even going there. I’ll point out some resources in a bit.
Interesting sidenote: If you are trying to sell fiction, you must finish the book before you query. This is not negotiable, guys. Finish the book. Nonfiction is different, but you’ll have to investigate that on your own.
Rejection letter: Thing you’ll get from the agents/editors who are not right for you. Does it hurt? Yes. Is the agent/editor trying to hurt you? Almost certainly not. Do not post the letter on the internet and mock it. Do not post it on the internet and whine about it. Do not reply to the sender with “blow it out your ear” or any other body part. Publishing is a small world. All these people know each other, and probably like each other, considering how they share this big awesome love of books.
Professionalism: what your attitude and behavior should project. Publishers are businesses, and agents are in business, and business-people want to work with people who can work with them. Think about it. Would you want to work with an agent who called you every day to see if you had that new story done yet? How about now? How about now? How about if you come pick her up at the airport because she thought she’d drop in and see how your work was going? What if she always said she was going to call you but never did? Or if she wrote you long rambly emails about her pet duck’s aversion to rain? What if she couldn’t sell your book because the last time she pitched the editor who would love your story, she told him off for not buying that last book?
Genre: a marketing tool. Yes, that’s all it is. You still need to know what yours is. We all hate categorizing our work. Labels suck. Tell your prospective agent what the hell you wrote anyway. Think of it as a symbol, like how words are symbols. Follow that in circles for a while.
Wow, this is getting long already. I guess I’ll be back for another installment or two. Any questions so far? Put them in the comments; I’ll answer here or in another post. If it’s actually something publishing pros never mentioned in any of the blogs or sites I’ve read, I’ll tell you so–and I’ll find someone in the business to ask.
If you want to learn from the pros themselves, try Miss Snark, Colleen Lindsay, and Nathan Bransford. Do not query any of them. If you ask me why, I’ll know you didn’t do your research.
Yes, this material will be on the test.