From HuffPost:
Signing a contract with even a brand-name traditional book publisher initially feels like a ticket to Nirvana. You may expect, for example, your new publisher to set you up with a big fat advance, a multi-city promotional tour, your very own personal PR rep and multiple copies of your book on every bookshelf in the nation (and Canada) for as long as you and your book shall live.
But to understand how book publishers really work, study this list of what I call the four great “myths” of traditional book publishing. Then, by all means, proceed to seek out a publisher if that’s your goal but do so with your eyes wide open. Your relationship with your publisher will run much smoother if you recognize its pitfalls as well as its glories.
Myth #1: My book publisher will aggressively promote my book to the widest possible readership
In an ideal world, publishers would like to provide this but in today’s real world they really can’t. The scarcity of their own resources typically prevents it because whatever advertising and PR budget such a publisher has available is likely to be directed toward those books the publisher considers most likely to succeed, such as a book by a celebrity author, a book on a subject that is currently red-hot in the news, or a book by an author whose previous books have sold very, very, very well. Thus your publisher will likely have few resources left over to help with your book’s promotion needs.
Remedy: Plot out an aggressive “promotion action plan” of your own and include it in your book proposal. Such a plan often wins over more publishers than even the book’s core concept!
. . . .
Myth #4: My publisher will provide me with a sizable monetary advance, allowing me to take time off from my regular work so that I can focus exclusively on my book
We’ve all read about mega-million advances to celebrities and politicians and of course that makes us salivate! But after all that largesse is doled out to the famous guys, not much is left over for the 99 percent of us lesser-mortal authors. Besides, as a first-time author, your beloved publisher knows you’ll accept little or no advance in return for the opportunity to merely be published.
Remedy: Be grateful if you get offered any advance at all, since many publishers offer zero. Try to get your new publisher instead to elevate your royalty fees, increase your author discount, or agree to 20 to 50 extra complimentary copies (the typical amount is onlyl 10!)
One obvious remedy of course to all of these myths is to self-publish your book, which has in the past 20 years or so become a painless, even more satisfying process, especially in that the cost of self-publishing has plummeted dramatically. (thanks chiefly to print-on-demand technology). Also, self-publishing allows you to be fully in control so that no frustrating publishing “partner” can sway you from your original plans, including text, cover design and title. It’s all up to you!
Link to the rest at HuffPost
Where do we see the publishers’ marketing? Is it anywhere besides bookstore displays? If they are spending money, where do wee see what they buy?
They take full page ads on the NYT.
(If your name is Patterson, King,or Roberts.)
On occasion,they buy front page advertorials.
“One hand washes the other.”
“Be grateful if you get offered any advance at all, since many publishers offer zero.”
Be grateful, and also make sure you fork out time and money to market the book because the publishers sure won’t. Their resources are going towards new offices! Also make sure to thank the publisher when they take most of the money and keep your rights forever. And don’t be disappointed when you’re dropped like a sack of bricks.
Seriously, these publishers are a joke. Initially I started with indie publishing because of the opportunity. Now I’m opposed to traditional publishing almost entirely on principal.
“Be grateful if you get offered any advance at all, since many publishers offer zero.”
At least they didn’t say that you should be grateful you got past the sludge pile in the first place.
Self publish, do well, and they’ll come begging to your door (and if they do, don’t sell yourself short!) Oh, and keep your rights!
Seems to me like PG and at least half the commenters here could’ve identified those myths — and a dozen or so more, but those are the big ones. Those are, indeed, reasons to look at indie.
We don’t like to show off how smart we are, Martin.
Regarding Point 1: If I have to do the bulk of the marketing for my book(s), I may as well indie pub them.
Regarding Point 2: Honestly, I don’t much care if my book hits bookstore shelves–I won’t be selling to the occasional reader. POD will be more convenient for me and readers if I’m ever able to sell my work. Also, I like that Indie Pub gives me full control over the cover art, whether I work it up myself or hire someone to do it, and I can write better cover copy than I’ve seen on a lot of Trad Pub books.
Regarding Point 3: I don’t really need a “partner” who’ll rip apart my work and thus kill it. I’m not some newbie author who’s written One Great Novel and needs someone to tell me what to do to improve the work. I’ve written for years, complted a number of books, and know what I’m doing with words.
Regarding Point 4: If getting paid for traditionaly publishing my book comes down to being grateful I was offered any sort of advance at all, no thanks. I didn’t simper to employers who paid me an honest wage for an honest day’s work. I’m not going to simper to someone who doen’t place my work at the value it’s worth.
The scarcity of their own resources typically prevents it because whatever advertising and PR budget such a publisher has available is likely to be directed toward those books the publisher considers most likely to succeed,
Funny how MacMillan has the resources to move from an expensive part of NYC to a super-expensive part of NYC, though. One of life’s mysteries, I guess.
With all this work for us authors to do, I continually wonder why the publisher’s taking the lion’s share of the money. Some of them don’t even bother with distribution — what then can’t we do ourselves or with savvy hires?
I made it as far as point #3, the bit about how authors need to listen to the constructive criticism made by editors with years and years of experience, and started laughing so hard that the cat stomped off in a huff.
I gave up at #1. The remedy is to do the job for them? Should authors also start paying trad publishers too?
This reads as a list of why you should self publish.
“This reads as a list of why you should self publish.”
Maybe it was … 😉
OP was told they wanted one thing, gave them what they asked for, but worded in a way that says something else.
Now if only more people could read between the lines.
Worse than that… his company advertises:
¶ your article ideas published
¶ your book idea published and promoted
¶ speaking engagements for you in reputable venues
¶ your name, company and ideas profiled by the media