Another question regarding publications

[Kyriakos]

I was wondering, if i am given the chance to have a book published by a very small press, should i just accept? I mean it is a small house, and chances are the book will be available only in a few thousand copies, and scattered around mainly in this city. That said it might sell them, but it may not, and not due to fault of the writing. The small publishing house cannot sustain a greater effort to support the work.

Then again 1 new book > 0 books. Probably if the small house takes it i will have to rethink what goes in it, since there is no point in having the original 150 pages. Maybe 80 pages would be more sensible.

I am waiting for replies from some other, larger houses as well, but if all else fails do you think i should just take what is on offer? (BTW the offer has not yet been made, but i would like to prepare for it).

 

[Silurian]

If you cannot get the book published by a bigger publisher are there any other downsides than they cannot market it as well,
I would assume that if you are published then a larger publisher would be more likely to take your next book.
Also if the book does well, hopefully, could a larger publisher do a second edition?

 

[Kyriakos]

Yes, you are right in that if the book sells reasonably well (and by that i mean at least 1000 out of the 3000 or so in a reasonable amount of time) then a larger publisher might get interested.
Thing is the specific house operates a small business, and i am not sure if its audience will be supportive of this book. Granted it has a very eclectic audience, but that is not always good. I like to write for as many people as possible, without sacrificing the meaning of my work. So that house may not be the best way for me afterall...

Still if they do make an offer i will have to investigate a lot less epidermically how proficient they are, and how their other books sell!

 

[downtown]

Depends on who retains the rights to the book. If you think a text has a larger market, dont sell the exclusive rights to a tiny bookhouse. If your contract allows you to move to a different publisher after paying a reasonable fee, then it's ok.

These are questions that should be directed to lawyers.

 

[BvBPL]

I think a using a small publisher could work if the book can generate its own market. Academic texts used in schools, for example, or works about specific subjects with dedicated followers, like, say, some new age books or something about local history. Failing this, such as with a general interest book, I guess a small print run could gather some interest that may balloon.
That said, if it is a more general interest book, I don’t see why you can’t just have your agent swing it around to a larger publishing house.

 

[Kyriakos]

Because i thought there existed no agents here (no literary agents that is, plenty of the other kind :suicide: ). Turns out some people exist, but they are a novelty in these parts, and i am unsure as to whether book publishers work with them that much.

But i may contact some agent if all else fails. I was expecting my few periodical publications to bring some interest to my works, but up to now no book deal has surfaced from the dark abyss of near-anonymity :/

Edit: And Downtown echoes my main concern: to have a book by a small publisher is not only dangerous (if the book fails due to the lack of publishing effort) but catastrophic if they keep the rights and don't sell them to the bigger publisher.

 

[BvBPL]

The big publishers work with agents. If you have any interest in getting your book into one of the London or New York houses you should find an agent.

Questions about who retains rights if an offer is made on by a larger house are exactly the sort of issues agents deal with. Not only can they advise you on contractual agreements in a proficient manner, but they can also help you negotiate your terms with your publisher as they will know what the going rate is and how rights devolve, etc. Downtown's right that a lawyer can help with that, but a lawyer will be focused on the law whereas an agent will be focused on business and how to make money for you (and him).

If you're still skeptical of agents, I would recommend contacting your peers and seeing what their experience has been. I can tell you that agents are critical here in the States, but, as you say, your experience might be different. Still, it doesn't hurt to contact other authors in your neck of the woods and see what their experience has been.

 

[Kyriakos]

Yes, i have a small circle of other greek people in the industry (authors and publishers) so i can ask them about agents.

 

[downtown]

The question isn't really about using one or not, its about finding one to represent you. If you can get an Agent, obviously use one. If you can't, get a lawyer.

 

[Silurian]

Can you do anything to promote the book yourself if a small publisher can’t.
For example a book signing in the Bookshop you work in.

 

[Kyriakos]

I wish i worked at a bookshop, but i am just a regular in a few. I guess i could ask for such a thing, but really that is the publisher's job, and even small publishers can do that without any problem.

The main fear is that the book may sink due to the very specialized audience of the house, and this will spell more problems. So i guess for the time being i have to focus on getting more work published in decent periodicals.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

A friend of mine has written two novels that I know of (we've lost contact over the past couple of years). The first is the one that I wish had been published, since it was REALLY GOOD (at least I and the other members of the copyediting/proofreading team thought so). It should be - I still love it even after having proofread six separate drafts of it! The second book he wrote is the one that did get published (and the one I'm not very familiar with, since that genre isn't my cup of tea).

My friend went through months of not only writing these books, but also of writing many letters and emails, searching for an agent. He finally did find an agent, and then came further rewriting and the agonizing wait to see if she could find a willing publisher. I'm not sure how the whole thing would have gone if he'd been based in North America at the time (he's Canadian, was living in London, England at the time, and is now back in Canada).

You need two things besides writing ability: Persistence and Patience. Use an agent, even for small press publishers. 'Cause you don't want to sign away your rights, and you do want to be protected if they should go bankrupt before you get your money. You especially don't want them to go bankrupt and you can't get your rights back, on top of it!

You might be interested in reading Isaac Asimov's autobiography (the first two volumes - yes, they're HUGE books). In addition to a lot of stuff about his science fiction, mystery, and science writing, he also talks about the business side of being a writer and some of the pitfalls of dealing with agents and publishers. It's so incredibly easy to get screwed over by not reading a contract carefully, or by settling for less than you could get by using a more experienced negotiator.

Or if you prefer to use a lawyer, find one who has experience with contract law.

 

[BvBPL]

Writer's Market is an unparalleled resource for getting published. You really owe it to yourself to pick up a copy if you don't already have one. It has great info on publishers and agents. It is mostly focused on the English language market, but there's assuredly useful info for any writer. There might be a Greek or Euro version too.