A Seal of Approval
A fellow author, fed up of
rejection, decided to self-publish (SP). He knew I’d self-published my memoir
in 2009 and was surprised that I’d chosen to go with epublishers, Crooked {Cat}
with my novel. His question was, ‘Why settle for less than 100% royalties and
total control over your book?’
It was precisely because of my
experience of self-publishing that I was determined to find a ‘proper’
publisher for my novel. Although, my memoir was relatively successful, as SP
books go, 100% control also means 100% of the work. I had to research printers,
organise all of the promotion and a million other things that I’d never done
before. And I was fortunate in having a publisher, Richard Netherwood, to
mentor me through the process, helping me avoid the many traps that await the
novice. Most of my sales were through public speaking engagements, which are
time consuming and stressful (something else I’d never done before).
My debut novel, Once Removed,
doesn’t fit easily into current genres. Coupled with the economic crisis, this
made bigger publishers reluctant to take on my book. But there is a growing,
thriving epublishing market out there, often eager to take on new authors and those
with an unusual “voice”.
But do your research before
submitting. Check out their portfolio. Use the “look inside” feature on Amazon
to see the quality of their books. Visit the author blogs, perhaps even contact
an author or two to see what they thought of the publisher. If a publisher wants
money from you, walk away!
Not every SP author realises the
vital importance of professional editing. Some have never even sought feedback
on their manuscript before going to print and it shows. There’s an enormous
amount of amateur dross out there and it taints all SP work. Many reviewers
won’t review SP books because of this. Publishers understand that their
reputation is fundamental and work hard to protect it.
Members of my writers’ group gave
me feedback on early drafts of Once Removed and I’d also had it professionally
appraised. Then Crooked {Cat} Publishing did three further rounds of edits to
polish it even further, ensuring professionalism.
Publishers understand the market
and know which reviewers are best suited to different genres. I was provided
with ten free copies to use in promoting my book along with suggestions and
encouragement. Crooked {Cat} also approached reviewers on my behalf. A request
from a trusted publisher is more likely to be taken up than one by an unknown
author.
Crooked {Cat} provide support
directly and through three Internet writers’ groups. This enables all their
authors to share ideas, review each other’s books and pass recommendations on
to their friends. The whole experience is less overwhelming and much more
exciting.
Because the sales go through the
publisher, filling in tax returns are easier, too. Dealing with US sales has
been complicated and I’ve yet to be paid for some of the books I’ve sold over
there.
Being published means someone is
prepared to risk their time and effort on your work and that is worth a lot to
me as an author but also to readers. You still have to put in the time and
energy to promote your work but you do it with the confidence of that seal of
approval.
