Independent Book Publishers
Publish Your Book With An Independent Publisher
Author: Patrick Schwerdtfeger
There are basically three options for getting your book published. You can try to get your book proposal accepted by one of the industry giants like Penguin or Random House but that’s a tough road. Those companies only work with proven authors or those who already have huge platforms and salivating audiences. Having said that, if you manage to get accepted, you’ll end up with a huge implied endorsement and a ton of indisputable credibility.
On the other end of the spectrum, you could self-publish your own book. The nice thing about this approach is that the only person who has to approve your book is you! If you want to publish your own book, go right ahead. In fact, given the advancements in technology, you can do exactly that and order as little as one book at a time. The downside is that the credibility is far lower than with a major publisher.
These two options seem to be on opposite ends of the continuum and indeed have plenty of differences between them. Luckily, there’s a third category that sits comfortably in the middle. It’s the category of smaller independent publishers and there are thousands of them. They range from very small mom and pop operations to well-established significant publishers. They tend to specialize in one genre or another and often become leaders in their area of expertise.
Soliciting the independent publishers is a great way for a new author to break into the market. Find one that specializes in your particular area and visit their website. They will tell you exactly how they want to be solicited and you’re well advised to follow their guidance. Find out exactly what they’re looking for and then cater your proposal to their specific requirements.
It’s not necessary to have a Literary Agent when soliciting independent publishers. Don’t get me wrong. Having an agent is always a good idea. But you do have some additional options when dealing with the niche players and many will accept proposals directly. Most want you to send it to their Acquisitions Editor but I recommend checking with their website before addressing the envelope.
Getting a book advance is less common when dealing with independent publishers. It’s not impossible but I wouldn’t bank on it. The upside is you’ll have more access to the people reviewing your proposal and that’s half the battle. Don’t pester them. They probably get a few hundred proposals each month. But a polite and well placed phone call rarely hurts and it gives the editor a chance to hear your speaking voice at the same time.
Becoming an author is something you only do once. Once you’ve published your first book, you will forever more be an author. And it can change your life, not to mention your career. Don’t waste your time approaching one of the industry giants when your odds of being accepted are significantly less than 1%. Instead, find an independent publisher that specializes in the subject you’re considering and target your efforts accordingly.
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Oh my gosh!!! you are sooo lucky you got an offer that’s amazing!!!!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiKL9vbc37iCnQlaBAsguzDsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100308151105AAzVYb3
I don’t agree that more and more publishers are not paying advances, unless it’s talking about small publishers ONLY. Large and medium sized publishers are still paying advances and they are still willing to pay a nice-sized advance for a book they think will sell well.
To answer this question: yes and no. Some small presses pay and some don’t. If they do pay then it’s a small advance that can be fewer than $1,000. I’ve heard of some publishers that don’t pay advances at all and instead put that money into promoting your book, which isn’t much promotion to begin with. I don’t know the average amount for a small publisher, but for large publishers the average is $1,000 – $10,000, but it also depends on genre. There’s more promotion and marketing you have to do as an author if you go with a small press. It’s also harder for small presses to get your book in bookstores because they usually lack distribution.
There are some writers who are happy with their small presses.
i don’t know
and if you can’t find any
just send it to a printing place and go to comic con
or you can use the internet
Frankly, that is nearly impossible. Seriously, the only thing you can do is to walk into the individual store and make a pitch to the manager…but they are usually constrained by corporate guidelines. The only exception may be if that particular branch has created a section for local authors (as opposed to local interest)…but most do not even have that.
As for Amazon, that’s a whole different ball game. Lots of independant books are sold there, but I don’t know the process of getting listed. I suggest you contact them.
That is a great question, though it might be a difficult one to answer. It’s all in the definition of what do you call a small press or an independent press.
A small press is usually small in the volume of publishing it delivers to the market, and usually is independent (meaning a press that publishes non-mainstream topics).
An independent press is non-mainstream in their publishing priorities, can be a small press, but there are plenty of large independent presses out there.
Check out the following links to get a better idea of small and/or independent presses:
http://www.nycip.org/
http://www.spdbooks.org/
Good luck with your research!
Run and run fast.
This screams vanity publisher which means there will be a financial investment on your part and no return. Anything that will require you to use any of your own money is a scam. Money is supposed to go to you as the writer, not the other way around.
So, basically you want us to do YOUR research for you with absolutely no information?
First, I hope you are talking about non-fiction. If so, you will need to prepare a detailed outline of your plan as well as several sample chapters, at the very least. It is even better to finish the book ahead of time.
If you are writing fiction, you have to finish the book before you approach publishers. Period. There is no alternative.
Then you will go to your local public library and look at a copy of “Writer’s Market” to find publishers who fit the type of book you are writing. You see, the problem with your question is that you have given us absolutely no indication of what you are writing about. Different publishers specialize in different genres and subjects. Suggestions I made would be worthless to you if the publisher did not print material similar to what you have written.
Stop being lazy and go to the library. It is part of your job as a writing to locate publishers yourself.
I would contact the Prison Library Project. It is run out of Claremont, CA and distributes books to prisons all over the US. All of their books are donated by individuals, publishers, and bookstores and distributed free of charge to inmates who want to better themselves.
I don’t think there is any prison where inmates need to BUY books, since they can get books for free.
Self-published books do poorly on ebay, the publisher’s website, and the author’s own website.
Marketing a pay-to-publish book is damned difficult. Many of the avenues open to traditionally published authors are not available. Chain bookstores won’t host signings or carry copies (although they will order them for customers). Newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio don’t want your press releases and won’t do interviews. The library system won’t accept free copies. Writing- or book-related conventions won’t let you set up a sales or autograph table, don’t want you on their author panels, and forbid you giving away promotional material.
About the only marketing I’ve seen have any effect for self-published authors is active participation at forums and chats dealing with the subject of your book. Find your niche market and determine where online they hang out. Some sites may allow you to discuss your book *if someone asks about it* (but will ban you for bringing it up more than once). Some may allow a link to a point of sale in your profile, or to your blog or web-page which in turn links to a point of sale.
You’ll sell a few more copies than you might have, but overall, like most self-published books, regardless of quality, total sales will probably remain below 100 copies. More often, the number hovers somewhere around 2/3 to 3/4 of your total number of friends and family members. Quite a contrast with the thousands of copies which constitute minimally adequate sales from a conventional publisher.
I’m sorry not to have much hope to offer, but this is a path many have trod before you, with poor results.
Neko Press has cool stuff…Billy Martinez does good work. He has KickAss Girl and WildFlower are really good stories
What is your favorite “Independent” comic book publisher?
Dark Horse? Top Cow? Harris? Image? ONI Publishing? Top Shelf? Fantagraphics? Tell me some I haven’t heard of, if possible. Just curious as to what current books are worth checking out.
Looking for independent book publisher for pitch book idea. no self-publishing companies please.?
thanks in advance.
What percentage of book sales (annually) are from small presses or independent presses?
I’m looking for statistics that can tell me the percentage of the book sales that are from small presses and independent publishers.
how do you get a self published book to big book retailers like Borders and Barnes and Nobel?
I see a lot of these little independent book publishers and they offer to sell your book, but when I’ve look for the books they are selling anywhere else, like even Amazon, they are not there, they are not reaching a large audience.
What are affordable and effective ways for an independent publisher to distribute books?
I am an author and I independently published a book and I am looking for affordable ways to put my book in the hands of targeted audiences. If anyone has insight in this area, please, help a brother out.
Is there something wrong with this book contract?
My literary agent called today to offer me a contract with an independent book publisher. They want me to buy 100 books up front. Is this unheard of?
Do independent book publishers pay writers book advances?
And what is the average money amount?
Not vanity book publishers, but places like Turner Publishing, etc.
Has anyone ever been published by small independent book publishers?
In the USA or UK?
If you don’t mind telling, how much was your book advance?
Did your book get to be sold in major bookstores?
I ask because I got an offer (contract) from one.
I am an independent publisher, how do I go about selling my book to inmates in prison?
And is there a list or something I can buy of federal and state prisons that allow outsourced purchases?
Any independent comic book publishers that I could send a script to?