Small Press Woes?

My views about small press and indie houses have drastically changed over the last seven years. I was trashed the first time out (2006, just returning to the Internet) with two books to the same publisher. They took 26 other authors down with me and closed their doors. The other four publishers (over the years to the present) resulted in lack-luster sales, no concerted promotion/marketing other than a few listings, editorial mishaps and what not. Granted, there are exceptional small presses out there that seem to have all their ducks in a row: Sammy, Elora's, Liquid Silver, Entangled, Night Shade (older days), Soho, Arctic Wolf, Prometheus, and many more.

My experience with the small or "micro" press has generally been about the same.  I'm talking about the very small presses with limited staff, resources, zilch distribution, who use the POD model. I've heard the number of 75 copies from James, our resident Yog, and at first, I didn't believe it until I actually experienced it firsthand. I upped the figure to 150, to be generous, and that figure comes from several friends who have admitted their numbers to me. My one exception has been my SF publisher. We've moved 275 copies, and 14 of those were hardbacks priced at $29.99. That was in the first three months. The rest were e-books.

All of my print sales rankings from all of my publishers reside in the millions. My one self-published book has sold 23 copies (e-books) and it has been out for 14 months. The contract on my last book was not picked up because of poor sales--and this book was my number 1 pick out the the 17 that I've written over the last 26 years.

I can remember the days back in the mid and late '80s when small press made me thousands of dollars. That's because many small presses in those days paid nice advances and had very good distribution--I appeared in every Waldens and B. Dalton book store in the U.S., in addition to making tons of foreign sales, with multiple copies landing in all the libraries. They are still in the libraries to this day. As small as these publishers were, I pulled four major T.V. appearances, over 40 radio shows and God knows how many newspaper and slick magazine reviews and interviews. Today, I call these types of publishers "Mediums." They are not Big Five huge, nor are they tiny, limited-staff operations.

I can truly state that for average sales on an average book, with good editing, attractive cover art and a hot genre, are anywhere from 75 to 150 copies--which has been stated before. There are notable exceptions--breakouts. These publishers, the vast majority of them, offer no advances and have no distribution to get print copies into book stores or libraries and put forth the least amount of promo and marketing. Lots of them provide royalties on net. Some of them are not even listed with Ingrams. I consider many of them to be author mills in disguise--reaping profits from hundreds of authors who might sell double digit numbers during their contract time period. I give you Mundania as a prime example of this type.

If you have to resort to a small or indie press, you start at the top just as you or your agent would with the larger publishers. It's crucial that they have full distribution and offer advances, for me at least. If they perform off-set print runs, it icing on the cake. Check your local library and book store for their presence--make sure those titles are fairly current, too. A publisher can drop a distributor, or the other way around, and you'd find out about it too late in the game.

Email their authors and check sales ranks on the retailer sites, particulary Amazon. Not a real foolproof way to determine sales numbers, but an approximate picture on how their books are moving. Make note of any legit, recognized industry awards--always a good sign. Longevity: I like to see three years or more in business. Staff bios are very important--look for prior experience with verifiable references.

I like to see at least four staff members assigned to the different publishing areas, preferably more. Single operators, mom and pop or family owned houses or author collaborative presses wave red flags at me--accountability being the main issue, related to communication speed, funds dispersal, adequate promotion and marketing efforts, publication scheduling, editorial competence, attitude and tone, book-keeping and other relevant matters.

Are you really going to turn over a book to a questionable small press house, a book that has taken you three, six, nine months or a year to write-edit-polish, to a publisher that offers only royalties (maybe net) on a book that might profit you a few hundred dollars in its lifetime? Book after book after book? Have you sold or signed for a series of books with a publisher without receiving any type of advance or escalating royalty clause? Have you given up subsidiary rights that the publisher cannot exploit?

I know of three authors who've signed huge series deals with small houses, the last one with 18 books to the same publisher, and my gut-ripping thoughts wonder if these poor authors got anything substantial out of the deal. No commitment for your hard work? Why?

If sales and readership numbers mean nothing to you and you view writing and editing as a hobby, then I ask you how you'll feel about this after half a decade or more of this blind dedication and hellish production. Do you think you'll change your mind after that stint and be receptive to getting really paid for your work? I ask you to think about that right now before you even contemplate submitting your books anywhere.

To a point, it's true that a publishable book can appeal to multiple publishers, and if you've received one or two offers, chances are there are more down the line that will snap you up. Caveat: beware that in the last couple years we've seen a glut of people claiming to be publishers that are only interested (first) in building their writing stable. You'll see them via their grandiose mission statements and calls for publication all over the Internet. Their Home page will entice writers--not readers. The quality of the story will be secondary. In all probability, their decision to offer you a contract may be based on your brand name (if you have one), your marketing plan (media reach and platform), and your past (publishing) credit list.

Don't take the first offer unless you are absolutely sure that they are the perfect fit for your book. Research all publishers until hell won't have it--P & E, Absolutewrite, Piers Anthony listings, Ralan's (for re-print, editor/CEO names) and the SFWA Writer Beware site.

Just so this isn't a complete Debbie Downer, my last YA title sold six times and I handed the contracts off to my agent. They were all small press outfits. When the dust settled, we copped a great royalty clause and a high three figure advance--pretty remarkable for one of the little guys. You can do this too, if you find the right one and negotiate the contracts sans an agent. Never be afraid to pow-wow with the purchaser--trust me, you won't chase them off. You'll just make them think harder about how much they want the book. 

Don't Sub Until You See the Whites of Their Eyes

The topic of perseverance came up in my writing group today. And here is my comment/answer to a friend who has been there and back again with me through some hectic and lengthy submission trials.I received some reps for it and was told that I should post it on my blog, just as a record of note. I think this applies whether you have an agent or not, but especially if you are without representation. I have an agent, but I go into full gear if we don't make that all important sale. I'm backup, or what you might call fail-safe mode, just in case everything doesn't go the way we planned. 


Lisa, you and I have shared a gazillion emails and PMs about the most pertinent information on the small and pro indie publishing business extent. I admire your drive in facing that gawd-awful fire when you thought the chips were down and the world was against you. We've spent hours swapping information, deciphering rejections, analyzing markets, negotiating/contemplating R & Rs, comparing advances, talking cover art, trading publisher information, going toe to toe with editors and, yes, ranting and bitching a lot too.

Without an agent, or with an agent that has exhausted all leads, it's possible, even probable that a writer can take the bull by the horns and come out a winner. And girl, I know you searched high and low and in between the cracks until you scored big time with PP. I admire the frickin' hell out of you, and you did it solo. That was about the time I was launching my sub list and we were both fighting tooth and nail for every lead, referral, partial and full request.

When my agent hammered on NYC doors (for months and months) trying to raise the eyebrows of agents and came away bloody, I told her that my submission list was fresh and ready to go. "Take a well-deserved breather," I remember saying. After all, by prearrangement, she agreed that I could come in at the end and serve as backup. Well, that was like Humungus clipping the chain on Mohawk dude in the Road Warrior. There wasn't anything conservative in my submission process. I bull-rushed the markets, but I wasn't unprepared--I had the plan, the list and strategy already in place.

I knew who offered advances and carried full distribution, memorized the mission statements, styles, genre preferences, tone and info on just about every small and indie press out there. I knew many editors and CEOs by their first name, because from almost a decade back, I was their bad penny that kept showing up and getting under foot. I had my submission process down like a science, and with the help of Lisa, my targeting computer was dead on and I knew who to hit and why.

After a little over three months, the dust settled. I ended up with a grand prize contest win, six contract offers and a film option request. I didn't hesitate to bring agent back into the negotiations, where I think we staged the first ever bidding war in small press history. Those editors, I remember, at first sure didn't know what the hell hit them or what was actually happening. In end, the one that gave me the most got the book and me. My agent was instrumental in refining an already favorable contract, but she didn't miss a beat and rewrote half the clauses, upgrading every aspect that she could think of. A big thanks to Sara Camilli!

If any anything Yog has said that can be taken to the bank, rest assured it is "Submit until hell won't have it", a phrase that has stayed with me from the very beginning of my term at AbsoluteWrite. I don't and wont' take no for an answer.

You absolutely must make editors salute your book, stand up and cheer for your masterpiece. You can't melt and fall into a crack because you think your query stinks--you fix it. Same with the synopsis--you have to enter the gates of query hell before you dive into the depths of real submission hell. You must realize that rejections are jewels that can be used to tweak your story when you have a consistent problem that's been flagged. I rewrote my book four times during the submission process, throwing a new, revised edition of my baby out there every time multiple editors clobbered me with the same point.

If you fail and all of your options have been exhausted, pack that book away and revisit it down the road. Give it a new title and rewrite it if it suits you. Strengthen the plot, characters, accelerate the first pages--whatever it takes to breathe new life into it. Then go at it again. Expand your submission list--research the books that are sitting on the shelves of your favorite book store. Remember the "4-6" method--nudge for queries/synopsis/pages and partials at the 4-month mark and 6 months for a full. Unless you have an exclusive. There's always self-publishing if you feel that you've gone through enough bloodletting, ha!

There is an editor out there right now looking for your book. It's your job to find them and make your presentation if you are without representation. If you don't have an agent, then you're going to have to act like one and negotiate the contract. And there won't be any time for blushing and gushing and hurrying up to sign because you think they'll drop you--you'll be business-like and savvy enough to get what you think you really deserve--take Pawn Stars as an example on how to deal with an editor who is a stranger--a tit for tat back and forth. Believe me, you won't scare them off and they'll respect your stance. Negotiate--barter. Tell them why your book is special and what you intend to do about promotion.

But Chris, didn't you trample on five publishers, waste their time and make unreasonable, outrageous requests? No. Those publishers asked that they remain in my consideration loop for future books. One of them did run for the hills when they saw my agent's shadow, but I wouldn't have wanted a deal with that type of house anyway. One of the most unusual perks I came away with was a publisher's promise that they would offer me a contract with an advance for just an idea on my next book. One single-spaced page. Not that I would take them up on such a thing. I'm just impressed with the sincerity and their impression of my work.

Peace out and give 'em hell.

Sex In Young Adult?

An interesting article penned by Darren Shan:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...n-8844103.html

Horror author Darren Shan has claimed that publishers of books for young adults have a no-sex policy, believing it will turn off teenage readers.  The writer behind Cirque du Freak and the Zom-B series has sold 25 million books worldwide, and is renowned for treating his young readers to gory, violent scenes. 

"You can have heads ripped open and sacrifice," he said. "The only time you get in trouble with the publishers is if there's kissing."

This seems to be a pretty broad accusation encompassing the general publishing world and it isn't clear that Shan has ever made submissions featuring YA books that have sex. But he's talking about kissing here, which doesn't even touch on fondling/foreplay or full-on copulation. This is the first I've heard of kissing being excluded from the text and I'm wondering where he's gotten these impressions, unless he's talking about the major Christian Publishers. And even then, I can't understand why kissing would get the no-go from even a Christian publisher or imprint. It's been mentioned in a forum that John Green's books, featuring a male lead has teenage sex, as well as Patrick Rothfuss' work that does have some cross-over elements but features teenage characters that indulge. There is also the implication that male writers of YA that feature sex are far, few and in between and less likely to be published than female scribes. Although it's true there are many less male writers in the YA category, I don't think it's held against when it comes to sex scenes. We're getting into gender biased territory here.


I can't  see what's wrong with sex with consenting 18+ years or above in YA. Not that I've written it. I have flirty nude scenes and some kissing in my YA books and haven't had any editorial condemnation because of it. I have crushes and moments of passion, ending in no more than a thigh or shoulder rub. But I won't take it that far (full-on coupling), even with consenting 18+ teenagers only because I don't want to risk rewriting such scenes--either toning it down or yanking it altogether. I do understand a problem with underage participants indulging in "grownup" sex and this deals with morality issues like contributing to the delinquency of a minor and rape. 
However, I have been flagged for drugs, swearing and liquor use by some editors, and others have let it pass. I think the editors who've let it pass understand that underage drinking, swearing and drug experimentation are all part of life that a young person goes through and to deny that it is bordering on head-in-the-sand thinking and a very naive view. I do get that some publishers wish to keep their YA titles clean and uncomplicated, not wishing any controversy or back-lash from a reading public. Chances are such publisher will state their preferences upfront in their mission statement or guidelines. I think writers can avoid these types of issues by thoroughly reading the missions statements and guidelines before they even think about submitting their YA manuscripts.

Another questions that pops up: Are male writers afraid to write sex scenes, believing that such things should be left to more skilled female authors? I don't think so. I'm quite capable of writing believable sex scenes, backed by passion and romance. I just don't think male writers feel too comfortable with the topic and are more likely to avoid it. Would a young teenage boy be frightened off from a YA book that had sex scenes? It seems to be implied, but again, I don't see a problem with it. If the book has adventure, thriller or horror aspects to it that dominate the plot, where's the danger for a for a teenage boy reader? I think young boys are more prone to actively avoid romance-centered stories, where the romance is a focal point and the storyline is character-oriented. I'm wondering if the newish category of NA (New Adult) might be platform for venturing into a more daring sex-filled storyline, where obviously, most of the MCs are past the 21 year-old mark.

The bottom line is, feel the publisher out by reading a few of their YA titles. Be sure to read the mission statement and guidelines. Better yet, write to the publisher and get a definitive list of what they consider unacceptable or naughty.

PLANET JANITOR, CUSTODIAN OF THE STARS:


http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Janitor-Custodian-Illustrated-ebook/dp/B004IASH8K/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1330380990&sr=1-2



 

Having worked for his father in the reclamation business for ten years, he felt the need to strike out on his own. He found the first love of his life, a Russian-built ore freighter he named, Shenandoah, and set out on the spiral arm to clear the solar system of unwanted space trash. That was until he found mining for minerals and retrieving wayward satellites more profitable. Now, at 40 years old, and having been in business for the past six years, he feels he's reached a milestone in his career. Which means he's got one last great haul left before he hangs up his pilot wings and retires on some moon real estate he has his heart set on. Orion industries sets a bug in his pants that's got him itching for a job that will net him more than he could spend in three lifetimes. But he has no idea how his crew will react to the assignment because all he knows is that their journey is a god-awful long ways out there.

Are You a Marketing Chump?

Never give a sucker an even break or smarten up a marketing chump. Notice I didn't say promotion chump. I said marketing. There is a difference. Marketing has everything to do with what your publisher is supposed to do. Here's some givens, and this list is woefully incomplete:

Publish and distribute ARCs (advance reader copies) to main-list reviewers and library sources.

Create press kits to attract reviews, garner bookstore interest and alert all potential buyers on the publisher's mailing list.

Provide postcards, fliers, banners, bookmarks, press releases, bag stuffers, etc. 

Arrange book signings and provide print copies

Press kits to radio, TV and newspapers with requests for interviews

Trade advertising and product placement at retailers, magazines and online genre venues

Print and online ads to distributors, bookstores, newsletters or social media groups--Twitter, FB...

Publisher website listing

Organize giveaways and contests

Arrange blog tours, interviews and excerpt placements.

Create video trailers (if applicable)

Pitch to trade magazines

Trade show attendance 

Seek notable author endorsements (jacket blurbs)

Now, one thing is patently clear; these tasks, even though part of every publisher's job, are not always carried out to the fullest extent. Every publisher should commit themselves to at least 60% of the above list. Some of the major NYC publishers ring all the bells and blow all the whistles, even purchasing end cap displays. However, dear friend, such treatment is reserved for the authors who have brand names and bring in the bucks via their best-selling titles. It's not true that publishers don't do any marketing any longer; they're just doing less of it--especially for the debut or new author. They'll watch a new-author title for signs of a breakout. That means if the book picks up sales speed, you can bet your butt they'll toss some marketing dollars at it. As far as these marketing tasks, you can expect quite a few of them from a large or mid-sized independent house that has distributions, pays advances and has solid bookstore placement. I liken marketing to a publisher spending money, time and labor on my book. That's the good news--you'll get a good basic marketing package from a biggie.

What's promotion? Promotion is something the author does--mainly, she/he gets kissy faced with all their friends, relatives and family, begging/asking to buy their book. It involves all social media, interacting in and on writing groups, FaceBook, Twitter, Pinterest, blogs, websites, display sites and anywhere else you can shout out your news.  This is basic promotion and just about every author on the planet does some of this. Although, some authors have admitted to doing nothing in this vein but writing the next book. Uh, either those authors have a big six monster behind them, or they're lying through the teeth. You don't write a book and tell me you don't mention it 'round town or give it a push. I don't believe you. If anyone asks you if you've written such and such a title and wants to know where to pick it up, if you tell them--you've done something, my friend. You're guilty of promotion.

It's true that many authors routinely send out free review copies (at their own expense), arrange blog and video tours, buy bookmarks, bag stuffers, arrange giveaways, solicit and attend signings (providing their own copies), and go hell-bent for indie bookstore (consignment) and library placement (donation). Ya, know, that's okay. It's understood. It's the thrill of a first publication or the desire to establish or keep a fan base. We've all been there. Stunningly, I found myself busy for 35 days straight writing to every major book reviewer in the U.S.A and Canada--I think I got personalized press releases out to 1,700 editors/reviewers before I collapsed of exhaustion. I pulled about 55 positive responses. Problem is, my publisher only sent out five review copies then declared bankruptcy a week later.

Here's my point: if you're doing any more than that, or spending money on your campaign, you're a bona fide marketing chump. You've willingly infringed upon your publisher's marketing territory because either you think that your efforts are going to help, you don't believe your publisher will do it, or you suspect (or know) they never intended to do it in the first place. If you cover, or try to cover all of the long list major marketing chores (above), you're a dumb-ass chump. 

It's NOT your job to market like that. Market a little and promote all you want, but don't shoulder the whole G-Damned production! In the first place, if you are orchestrating this whole show, what makes you think you know what you're doing? Do you have all the contacts? Do you personally know who the contacts are? Do you know how to reach them and know what to say? Are you aware that Library Journal is not going to jump up and click their heals because you sent them a press release? Do you know that if you donate a POD book to a library they're likely to reject it, or if you mail it in, they'll trash it? You do know that your publisher's name carries more weight and they are more impartial when it comes to direct solicitations? You are aware that better than 98 percent of advertising is wasted and doesn't show a return?

Small Press--the devil's in the details. Here's where it really gets interesting. For the sake of simplicity, we'll use a small press business model that doesn't include an advance, solid distribution to the trades or any bookstore placement. I've just described about 90 percent of them out there. Very rarely does a small press outfit have all three of those in place. They are out there, but they're swamped like the Boggy Creek Monster in Fouke, Arkansas. More and more each year, we're seeing small press asking for Marketing Plans from authors. This is usually before the contract is signed or just prior to release. Here be monsters, friend. These editors and CEOs know exactly what their asking. Look at the long list up at the top. You know, the things a publisher is obligated to do if they're serious about selling books to the trade. Do you know that it's highly likely that your acceptance and a contract might hinge on this point--your answer about what you intend to do...FOR THEM?

Your answer: "Oh, I expect to promote quite a bit. I don't intend to spend any money on marketing, though. What do YOU INTEND TO DO FOR ME IN A MARKETING SENSE?" That's right, turn it around and see where they stand on the issue. Don't take their word for it. Google some of their titles and see where they pop up. If the titles show primarily on a handful of retail sites and nothing more, chances are they're getting ready to dump the whole shebang in your lap. Case in point: I had one publisher cop me a guest blog on a romance site and that was the end of their two-year commitment to my book. Two other small press publishers did no better in their marketing attempts, with not only me but the whole stable, including their best-sellers. I've had one decent small press publisher fire off the big guns and pull its weight. And that was an exception. 

Do I recommend that you do nothing and start on the next book? Oh, hell no. And I've seen-heard those declarations from some of my peers. I think a good promo push by the author is essential to getting the word out. Who in the name of the seven sisters is going to find your book if you don't send up some flags or blow the horn? You think magic and luck will propel you and your book to stardom? Oh, please don't tell me that a voracious reading public always finds a great book and spreads the word via mucho mouths. There's two exceptions to that way of thinking: either great marking is in place, or you have more friends and relatives than Carter has pills and you've just hit the Amazon best seller list in your genre because you had a purchase flood in the first week. 

Well how do I know which publisher does what? Research. Look up the directory in the Bewares section of AbsoluteWrite.com and read all about it. You'll eventually come to know the difference between a publisher like Entangled and Eternal. You'll find out that the highest selling and ranking e-book publishers appear over and over again in the trade journals, Publishers Market and best seller lists. Names like Samhain, Ellora's Cave, Liquid Silver, Loose I.D. and others. These publishers not only market well but they have established huge fan bases BECAUSE OF THEIR MARKETING EFFORTS.

Remember this: any publisher who wants a detailed, in depth marketing plan from you has got some serious issues going on behind the scenes. Author mills are the spring from which these types of publishers flow. Start at the top of the publishing chain and work your way down. But not down so far that you'll accept any type of contract that identifies you as the principle marketer in charge. 

A  CHARACTER FROM THE SF EPIC PLANET JANITOR; CUSTODIAN OF THE STARS 

http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Janitor-Custodian-Illustrated-ebook/dp/B004IASH8K/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1330380990&sr=1-2



"He's a galoot" was the first thing the mother said upon her son's birth. The father, a large man by any standards, agreed and knew that his son would be very special some day. Galoot's first baby rattle was a piston from an old diesel engine. As the child grew, his interests in anything mechanical opened up a new world for him. After working in the space port ship yards for 20 years, Galoot earned his masters certificate in aerospace engineering and function. When he joined Zaz's crew, Galoot was single, lonely and almost eight-feet tall and 500 pounds. Shunned by those who feared him, rejected by women for his awkward mannerisms, Galoot soon found his home in the company of true friends aboard the Shenandoah. He would also find the love of his life.

Publisher Not Renewing the Contract?

I'm sure you all remember the scene in Logan's Run where the blinkers report to carousel for renewal because they've reached their maximum age limit. It was kind of a privilege to make that transition. Now, imagine that you were exempt from renewal...

So your time for renewal with your publisher has come up and they have decided to pass on extending the contract for an additional two years, or three or what have you. Bummer. Actually it really sucks and there can be only one good good reason for such a decision--you haven't got the sales numbers. In reality, with the way this world works, you could have had a tiff with an editor or the CEO and pissed them off, but that's not typical. What's more likely, is that your book didn't pull it's weight. And there could have been any number of reasons for this problem: bad cover art, ineffective blurb, substandard editing, lack of promotion and marketing, lack of brand-name recognition, few or no retail sales channels and the list goes on. In my situation, I knew exactly where the fault was since all the other bases were covered. So this might turn out to be sort of a rant. 

My publisher did not promote or market this book. The one exception, giving credit to their initial effort, was one guest blog post in a romance reader site two weeks after it hit Amazon. And that was it during its two-year journey in the big bad world of consumerism. It was listed on three other retail sites, when I believe there were at least five or six available and easily attainable. I rather had my suspicions from the onset that this publisher was asleep at the wheel when they breached contract with me before publication, then had two editors ditch the house, leaving me stranded. Oh, the warning bells and scarlet flags! When we finally got back on track, two years and four months had elapsed. And they were in possession of one of the best multiple viewpoint, adventure thrillers I'd ever written in my life. The Wolfen Strain came out of the starting gate at a full gallop, kicking up great clods and pulling ahead of the pack. It sat on the top 10 list of two retail sites, taking number 1 and 2 slots for horror and thriller and stayed on them for months. I shoved hard every day, hitting every display site, ad site, writing group, FB, twitter and blog site I could find, letting the world know there was new werewolf book in town.

All this time, I knew my publisher was doing nothing. All I had to do was Google my title and I could find out exactly where my book was and who was talking it up. Every source I found came from my efforts. Every one of them. Every time I reported some milestone to my publisher about some exposure, article, interview or accomplishment, it was met with a "hey, that's great" and nothing more. They pretty much had me right where they wanted me--I was their perfect patsy--a shoe-in free sales person. So why did they even need to expend any type of effort? In reality, they probably had no promotion, PR or marketing team to begin with. So I'm not that surprised. And neither should you be if this happens to you, and it does happen a lot in the small and indie press world.

So what do you do in a case like this when you know you've been short changed and you have a great book?

KDP and KDP Select is here. There's no reason to let your book die. I know of dozens of authors who've re-published their back-list and realized new life in their titles. I've already done it. You'll need to re-edit just as a precautionary measure, even if you believe you have a fairly clean copy. Change your storyline at this point if you wish to beef it up or make improvements. Hire an editor if you're in doubt about the editorial passes made my your previous publisher. Create a new book cover or hire out for a graphic artist to craft one for you. You won't own the copyright to the last one. Format for Amazon Kindle--Smashwords has a nice program complete with step-by-step instructions, or hire out for this service. Change up your front matter a little, and be sure to add links to any other books you have available. I would suggest changing the title (or tweaking it), although you don't really have to do this.

Download your new (yes, I said new) book on Amazon and on any other retail site you wish. Go print if that's your desire. Promote like hell won't have it. But this time you'll be taking 70 percent and in control of the entire process. Success is the sweetest revenge, and the proof of this is, that in my own experience, my re-published back-list title has now out-sold its first incarnation. Now who would have thunk it? 

 

Welcome to The War Gate, a paranormal romance/thriller with a time-travel twist.

“This was a solidly written tale with a trace of fantasy and complex thought used in defining the concept of leaping from one time gate to the next—excellent job of structuring.”
Terrie G, Bitten by Books, 4 out of 5.

“The War Gate is a captivating book. Mystery, magic and the paranormal blend together in a perfect mix. I would thoroughly recommend this book to fantasy enthusiasts who also like romance.
Orcid, Aurora Reviews, 5 out of 5.

Tag Line: Through a miraculous conception, Avalon Labrador must give birth to herself before she is executed, to solve her husband’s murder and her own wrongful conviction.

When the reincarnated Avy Labrador is kicked out of her stepfather’s house on her 18th birthday, she has no idea that the man who raised her framed her mother to cover his murder so he could acquire a major software empire. Now, years later, with the help of her magician boyfriend, Sebastian, Avy is about to discover that her birth was otherworldly and for a purpose. The ancient Roman God Janus was so appalled by the heinous murder of Tom Labrador by his brother Drake that he opened up a War Gate.

Avy has received half of her mother’s soul light and half of a God’s essence. Her mission is to put the real killer behind bars. The only catch: she must learn to “Gate-Walk”, that’s time traveling to the layman. She soon finds out that she is a drunk driver on the space/time continuum super highway.
Just when she believes she has too much on her plate to contend with, she learns that she’s pegged the wrong man as the killer…her boyfriend is not who he appears to be…and Janus, the so-called God of new beginnings, doorways and gates, just might be the biggest conman and liar she has ever met.
The War Gate has a heavy mystery structure, as well as paranormal/magic and romance elements.

War Gate Author's Note: The antagonist character, Wax Man, is not for the squeamish. I warn you ahead of time that he is the most disgusting, vile creature/human you're ever likely to read about. Not for younger readers under 13.

New Adult? Wuss Up?

It looks like we have a new category thrust upon us. It's acronym is NA, standing for New Adult. It seems to be picking up steam since my peers (and I) have seen requests for it from agents and publishers. It's gained popularity in just the last year or so. But hey, it's really always been with us, if you stop to think about it. It features characters who range in age from 18 on up to...you name the 20s. I've seen it explained as college kids between the ages of 18 and 22, from 18 to 26 and from 18 to 30. I've also seen it meant to represent 21 to 30. The thing is, everybody has a different idea about the age range but it's safe to assume that it features young adults in their 20s who are in college or fresh out, or just young and on the job hunt with the intention of starting their lives. In comparison, YA characters might still be living with mommy and daddy.

What brought this new category to our doorstep? I keep hearing about the influence of 50 Shades, how racy and daring it was. That book also topped the charts and spawned a huge host of imitators. So is it ambulance chasing? Maybe. But like I said, I think it's always been with us in contemporary and genre form from the very beginning. I'm thinking of the young cast of Starship Troopers, albeit a SF military adventure, but the age range fits. Is it a new marketing tactic designed to draw in a younger or newer readership? I think that might be the case. We all know how the literary world operates; one trend can catch fire and then burn out, but the profits are realized for that short burst. I'm reminded of SF romance and how that was hyped and became popular. Yet SF romance didn't quite burn out as much as it settled in, to shoehorn itself in between space opera and hard SF—a very welcome genre, if I do say so myself. Didn't Alien spawn SF horror? Well, I suppose, but we never let SF horror really get off the ground as a genre unto itself.

Is NA just an excuse to allow the inclusion of some unbridled sex scenes, legalized drinking and perhaps some experimental drug use? Now that would depend upon who the publisher was, wouldn't it? A Christian or non-Christian outlook and tone? One thing is fairly certain, the contemporary genre will most likely dominate in the beginning since those have been the most often requested books from what I can see. Will writers be primarily confined to the college life or can we expect to write about any lifestyle facet for this age group? What about genre? Can you imagine NA—NF, or NA, urban fantasy, SF, military, epic fantasy, thriller or horror. Strike that last one. Horror seems to feature lots and lots of persons in their upper teens and early 20s.

I can't help thinking that this extra category is superfluous in many ways. As a tag, it seems to be suggesting that YA fans read up and that it's perfectly fine for adult fans to read a bit down. Sounds like another marketing gimmick, wot? Pretty redundant when you consider YA readers lust after adult books and vice versa. Why so cognizant about age when it's really the story that matters? A great book is going to be read over all age determinations. Just exactly where is it going to go on the books shelves? Under YA, or Children? Or do you think there's room for a new category when retailers are having a hard enough time finding shelf space for anything that will sell? I also thought that college people were having a hard enough time getting their assigned course study reading done, so if they are the new target market in any way, it's going to be a hard push. And, so help me, I'm just one of the many who didn't attend college and I would find it hard to identify with the academic aspect of it. And boy, is this new category wide open for cliches—I can smell the nerds and jocks coming from here.

I can just imagine watching a reader browsing the library and picking up a book that has a small NA logo on it, thinking that it's something new and revolutionary. Then after finishing the book, slamming the cover shut and and whining, “But I've read books like this before! Where's the new beef?”

Take a ride on the dangerous side and meet the Jack Lions. The PG crew has their hands full with these monsters, and it looks like they'll have to throw the kitchen sink at them since they have nothing else to fight them with. 

Captain Zachary Crowe and the crew of Planet Janitor Corporation are adept at handling environmental clean-ups and close system jumps to collect precious ores and space trash. The problem is they have yet to complete an assignment without a mishap to add to their not so stellar record. Scraping the bottom of the barrel, Orion Industries contracts Planet Janitor for a clandestine operation that no one else wants, offering them more money than they could spend in three lifetimes. The mission entails a 12 light-year trip to a newly found habitable planet in the Tau Ceti system. The crew will lose 26 years on Earth due to the cryo jump, but that is the least of their problems. What they find on Tau Ceti will rattle their wits, test their courage, and threaten their very survival.

Jim Melvin's Death Wizard Chronicles

It's my pleasure to depart a little bit from what I normally write about, to introduce Jim Melvin and a recent interview I had with him. He is the author of the heralded six-book epic fantasy series The Death Wizard Chronicles. 
 

Click to open expanded view
 http://www.amazon.com/Forged-Death-Wizard-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B0091KI1XS/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1372563454&sr=1-5&keywords=jim+melvin

Jim Melvin is the author of The Death Wizard Chronicles, a six-book epic fantasy. Books 1-3 (Forged in Death, Chained by Fear and Shadowed by Demons) are now available at a variety of venues via Bell Bridge Books. Book 4 (Torn by War) is in the editing process. All six books of the 700,000-word series are written and should be out by the end of 2014.

Jim's body of work also includes Dream House: A Ghost Story (published by Out of Bounds Press) and Dark Circles (not yet published), the first book of an epic fantasy for middle-schoolers and above. With the exception of Dark Circles, Jim's works contain adult content. Jim was an award-winning journalist for the St. Petersburg Times for twenty-five years. He now works at the Charlotte Observer. Here is a Q/A with the rising author.

Given the immense scope of The Death Wizard Chronicles, what motivated you to keep at it for three years and produce a six-book series?

I wrote my first novel when I was 21 years old, and I shopped it around to various publishers and got no bites. But I wasn’t particularly concerned at the time. It’s usually the second or third novel that hits it big, so I went about the business of writing my second book.

My roiling imagination gave birth to a character named Torg, and he was to be king of a band of desert warriors called Tugars.

Needless to say, I was full of zest and excitement — but not necessarily of maturity. Over the next several years, every time I sat down to write about Torg I’d get a few pages in and then hit a wall. Each time, my excuse was that I was just too busy. I already was married, raising a family, and working a challenging job.

Years turned into decades. It wasn’t until age 45 that I wrote my second novel. And my how things had changed over the course of that time. I was remarried and had five daughters, the youngest three of whom were adopted from Cambodia. But most importantly, at least as far as my writing career was concerned, I finally had developed the worldliness to bring Torg and the Tugars to life at the level of quality they deserved. After almost 25 years of starts and stops, The Death Wizard Chronicles was born for real. I wrote the first page of Book 1 in September 2004. Almost 700,000 words later, I wrote the last word of Book 6 in late 2007. 

The series was soon published, but the first publisher went out of business. Luckily, I later was picked up by Bell Bridge Books, which is publishing the series now, hence the large gap in time from when I finished the series until now.

Your protagonist MC uses death energy to achieve magical powers. Your antagonist uses the Sun's energy. Why the trope reversal and did you consider it risky?

The major theme of my series is the "fear of death" and how it pervades everything we do, both consciously and subconsciously. However, the even deeper theme is that it's not really death we should fear but rather a life filled with ignorance. Therefore, I created a paradox that carries throughout the series -- that the powers of good are fueled by death energy and the powers of evil by the energy of life (the sun). I didn't consider this to be risky, however, because most of what I've described here occurs between the lines. On its surface, The DW Chronicles is a fun, sexy, action-packed read. So if you're into something deeper, it's there for you to explore. But if you prefer to read just for entertainment's sake, you won't be disappointed.


Tolkien was a major influence in my first attempt at an epic fantasy. Are we in the same boat with that inspirational notion?

I have always been in love with Tolkien. I started reading LOTR back in the mid-'70s and have read it, literally, more than 30 times since. For me, it is a Rite of Spring. I adore Tolkien's characters even more than his story. Their depth and richness have charmed me for decades. However, my series is a more on the adult side than Tolkien's, more along the lines of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones or Steven Erikson's Malazan series. And taking this thought further, it's more like Erikson than Martin because it is loaded with monsters and magic. My characters also tend to jive with the conventions of high fantasy, as in the good guys are morally high-minded and vice versa.

I have to know if your wife explored your writing exploits right along with you and how much she contributed to some of your ideas.

My wife is also a book author, though she writes non-fiction. And she's an amazing editor. She'd be the first to admit that she's pretty much clueless when it comes to high fantasy, but that didn't stop her from reading and editing the entire series for me. I adore her for it.

Where in the heck are you going from here? Are you experimenting with any other genres now in which you'd love to make a splash?

I've written Dream House: A Ghost Story, which is my first stab at horror. It turned out to be be loaded with sex as well as horror, and I have mixed feelings about that. I might eventually revise it and tone down the sex. Dream House is certainly nowhere near as good as The DW Chronicles, but it makes for a fun "beach read," especially if you've had a few marqueritas and are feeling feisty. :) 

Book 1 of Dark Circles is my first stab at young adult. And it's actually middle school as opposed to YA. My youngest daughter, who is 13, is a voracious reader, and she loved Dark Circles, but I'm still in the planning stages of how to go about getting it published. 

As for experimenting, I would love to attempt a collaboration with someone (either fantasy or horror), but I've yet to find the right author. Maybe I'm too much of a pain!

Do you have any new series ideas? If so, could you give us a glimpse? 

Well, Dark Circles is new. It's called Dark Circles because the ordinary kids who enter the fantasy land of monsters and magic aren't able to sleep. If they do, evil beings enter their dreams and try to kill them. So when the kids return to the real world, they have dark circles under their eyes from lack of sleep.

Also, there is a physically powerful and emotionally complex dragon in my DW series named Bhayatupa who a lot of my readers have really enjoyed. And there are references in the series to "dragon wars" that occurred 30,000 years before the time frame of The DW Chronicles. So I'm planning a prequel book involving Bhayatupa and the dragon wars, when thousands of dragons ruled the land from the skies.

Otherwise, I do want to write more horror -- the really scary kind. (I love Stephen King too, of course.) I have some ideas, but they're better left under the bed for now.


What is your favorite appeal with epic or road fantasy?

Ha! Believe it or not, "road fantasy" is a new one on me. I actually prefer the title "epic fantasy" over any of the others. As far as my favorite appeal, I don't really have a concrete answer for that other than that epic fantasy is what I most enjoy to read and to write, with horror a relatively distant second. I've always loved the concept of magical beings -- real magic that flows out physically and tangibly, versus more subtle magic such as trickery or illusion. And though it has become kind of unpopular these days, I still do enjoy characters that are one-dimensional, at least in the sense that they have sided either with good or with evil. A few of my characters are mixed and gritty, but I more often follow the Tolkien model in this regard, for better or worse.

Anyway, thanks for having me, Chris. I'm a big fan of yours, as well. 

-- Jim Melvin, www.jim-melvin.com, https://www.facebook.com/TheDeathWizardChronicles

YA and Taboos

I've got a YA fantasy thriller knocking around out there and have pulled in about 12 publisher rejections. Yet, I've also yanked in four offers, but declined them all. I'm just looking for a better deal. I'm fairly new to the YA category (two years) and something just struck me last week after another rejection. This rejection pointed out that my manuscript was unsuitable because it contained pot, underage alcohol consumption, some dated slang and a stereotypical American Indian character. I was only interested in trying to decipher the reason for the pot and alcohol comments (actually had two different editors remark about this). I've got a 16, 18, 19 and 20 year-old cast. Now if these were Christian publishers I could well understand it. They were not, nor did they stipulate that such behavior would not be tolerated anywhere in their YA guidelines or mission statement.

I just couldn't understand it at all. The pot scene involves a blunt being passed around and they all take a couple of swigs of liquor from a flask. The scene is tiny and disappears in a flash, never to be repeated again. Now, as far as reality goes, this type of behavior was part of my teenage years and just about included everyone else around me. I don't think it's gone the way of the dodo today and might even be a bit more prevalent. I was just very surprised because it was highlighted in the rejections. It's seems that all the other Rs, and even the offers, paid no mind to it at all, or I certainly would have heard about it in some fashion. I'm all for more moral turpitude but I'm crafting realistic fiction here with some real teenagers who are not dyed in the wool, church-going WASPs. I could understand plenty of this type of consumption in urban or ghetto fiction--it's part of the whole essence.

So here's my question to you--was I really out of line in exploring these taboos? Are some publishers apt to run with these types of scenes without it bothering them? Is this an editorial preference and variable to the specific publishing house? It seems to me that many publishers will run with it and others are dead set against it.

I guess the way to interpret a publisher's moral stance is to read a few of their books in this category and genre and see what goes. I just haven't had the time to read all those books since I'm watching my wallet lately. I suppose one could read the mission statement of the publisher or even the tone of the book blurbs to get a hint. 

Anyway--short blog post here. You're welcome to chime in on this one and let this old bird know wass up with this type of subject matter. 





In a remote compound in Wyoming a geneticist created the first female human-wolf hybrid and adopted her as his daughter. When Melina Salinger discovers who and what she really is she escapes her father's domain and sets out into the wilderness—any other life would be better than the one that was forced upon her.

Seth Anson, a ranger stationed at the Wheeler Ridge watchtower, is trying to get over a bitter divorce—working in the majestic Shoshone forest is the only way he knows how to get on with his life. Consequently, he is unprepared for the strange and mysterious woman he accidentally shoots and then must nurse back to health. As Seth and Melina form a close bond that leads to something deeper—they have no idea that the geneticist’s other creation—the result of a DNA cloning experiment gone horribly wrong—is bent on finding Melina and committing a monstrous act.

Publishers Who are Gun-Shy of Agents

I just had an experience with a publisher that was a little unsettling. And disappointing. When you consider I lost a sale because of it, it might be termed a worse case scenario in the submission process. Without further ado, I'll post this publisher's email letter to me after I received their contract offer. I just mentioned in the thank you letter that my agent would be delighted to look over the terms and report back to the both of us. Yah-deh-da-deh-dah. You know how it goes. I changed the wording in the publishers reply so that it wouldn't be quite so traceable, but there was still no disclaimer in their email about revealing privy information. And it doesn't really make this publisher out to be a monster.

Hi, Chris;

I'm sorry but this is a little unorthodox for us. We like to deal directly with the writers who query us. Since there is now at this time an agent involved, this changes the dynamics a little.
 
I'm sorry but we have so many submissions at any given time that we like to stick with one contact person, the person who submitted to us. Presently we don't wish to bring an agent into the deal. If an agent queries us in the beginning, we are more than happy to work with them. However, since this was not the case with your submission, it looks more like it will confuse matters on our end.
Because of this we feel that (Publishing House) is probably not a good fit for you at this time.

We wish you and your agent tremendous luck in your future endeavors!

Have a wonderful day.

My Response:

 Well, I'm indeed sad that you feel that way. Truly. Just to clear the air a little, (Agent name) has been my agent for a couple years and aids me in migrating the legal-speak of contract issues. I didn't bring him/her in on the tail end of the deal just to leverage anything. He/She's not the type to go after a publisher with a knife in one hand and a money bag in the other. My relationship with he/she is almost symbiotic in that I'm allowed to solicit and sub to the best of the best small press houses, while he/she takes care of the larger NYC imprints and such. I'm only required to coordinate with he/she and give he/she a heads up if there's interest, and not make any subs that would cross his/her's list--I provide he/she with my own list. I'm also sorry that you missed my listing of him/her in my bio/credit section that I sent along with the first query and/or following submissions.
 
(My Book) sold four times before you expressed interest. My agent and I declined all of them, but we kept (This Publisher Name) on the top shelf. I understand your point about agent first contact, but I'm sure you know as a result of your own publishing experience that many agents are reluctant to submit to small press houses because they're not known to be especially lucrative. It's just a pure business thing. However, some agents don't mind signing such contracts when all avenues have been exhausted and the author could really use/benefit by the association.

I'm not sure that you have an agent since I don't see one in any acknowledgments in your books listed on Amazon. I can't describe to you what it's like having one in only a few sentences--I've had three in the past 26 years. But it might be a good idea if you include your preferences for-or-against agent involvement on your website--in the FAQs or Submission areas. If I glossed over it, that's my fault.

I sincerely hope you believe/understand that agents aren't the enemy and a faction to be avoided. They're much better at diplomacy than us, ofttimes, irrational, impatient and demanding authors.

Respectfully yours,

Chris

What else could I say? How would you have worded it? When this person used passive words in the vein of, "like, looks more like, feel, probably, wish to" and other such phrases, I tend to think that he/she's either very sorry and trying to let me down easy or that he/she's very aware that what's happening here is not quite the right thing to do. Maybe. I tend to think this publisher has never dealt with an agent before and I suspect that this person has never been represented by one. I can think of Jim Baen of Baen Books, who did not suffer agents well and he expressed this displeasure to all in sundry. In fact, his staff alerted me to this when I was very close to a full-read determination. But Jim Baen was a dinosaur, God rest his soul, and I think everyone rode his wave even if he told you how to surf it. Heavy hitters in the pub bizz get that respect.

It could have been that this publisher had no intention of budging from their token advance amount or their royalty allotment. Quite possibly, they'd never had agent contact before. And from all that we writers have been told about the positives of having an agent handle everything, you have to admit that this is bizarre and, I'll use his/her's term, "unorthodox."

I didn't want to burn any bridges. I wanted to inform with a plea of understanding and not come off like some pompous brute who knows-it-all. I hope I managed to do that without offense. But I will say this, if you come across a similar situation, turn mother's picture to the wall and get out. I think this publisher is living in the stone age and really doesn't understand the dynamics of publishing. They are new to the scene, about a year or more into their business, but I don't think that qualifies as a legitimate excuse. At the very worst, they're hiding something. Something stinks on the shoreline and it's best that you walk right on by without investigating or picking it up.

This is one case where having an agent nixed a sale instead of pulling one off. Crikey, wot?

 

 Captain Zachary Crowe and the crew of Planet Janitor Corporation are adept at handling environmental clean-ups and close system jumps to collect precious ores and space trash. The problem is they have yet to complete an assignment without a mishap to add to their not so stellar record. Scraping the bottom of the barrel, Orion Industries contracts Planet Janitor for a clandestine operation that no one else wants, offering them more money than they could spend in three lifetimes. The mission entails a 12 light-year trip to a newly found habitable planet in the Tau Ceti system. The crew will lose 26 years on Earth due to the cryo jump, but that is the least of their problems. What they find on Tau Ceti will rattle their wits, test their courage, and threaten their very survival.