Thread: Favorite publishing companies

Hey guys,
I just need some help finding some relevant publishing companies.
I've checked most things I can, but the lists I've found haven't been really useful.
I'm looking for a list of high end professionals with great reputations for distribution and marketting.
The style of books I write tend to be aimed around M15+, as there is coarse language, sex scenes, violence.
The genre is a mix of biography mixed with fantasy, think american beauty, or twilight but more sexual and not about vampires.
I know nobody wants to hear about that, but its just necessary to give a quick idea and to filter out some companies.

The reason I ask is, I know how important it is to find the right fit in business, and I don't really have any doubt about getting published, nor have any care for ego, its just I want to find a list of people I can talk to, get to know their processes a little better, what they are about, so I can make some valid applications to some publishing firms that I like and can help on the path to creating a successful end product.

Biographical true events, sexual (but not explicit like a romance novel, it is more like hank moody sexual, or nip tuck etc), and also has a fantasy style (so for example there might be strong references to sexual chemistry between partners, or something very out of the norm will happen *think kickass*).

So just for a hypothetical story line: A man wants to become a teacher, he becomes a security guard to get himself through college, and suddenly he comes across a rape in an alley, and breaks it up. He finds out that the girl has a story to tell, and he is the first and only person she will open up to. Lets say she is a masterful seductress, and teaches him in the ways of women and he is set on a search to find meaning behind it all.

Something like that, add in some descriptive sequences of sensuality to make it dark and sexy, add some humor and voilla.

I'm looking to find some help creating a nice list of some high end publishers that I can talk to about working together on some projects.
I'm stumped at the moment, and I live in spain, so I can't just travel down to the bookstores to ask .
So I wonder if anyone here has the expertise or know how to help me out.

Thanks for your time and consideration,

Poetic

It doesn't work that way. You can't just approach "high-end" publishers without an agent. I see lots of new writers on the site that haven't taken the time to learn about the publishing process, just google how to get published and you'll get lots more help there than posting on a forum. Usually you only get advice from other newbies and it's not worth spit. You'll find out that the publishing aspect is even more difficult than writing a novel, for most writers, unless you "know" somebody in the industry.

There are small publishers that don't require agents and there are also all sorts of self-publishing options.

Here's a link to search for agents. AuthorAdvance | The Writers' Community

And here's a site that has a list of publishers Ralan.com - Home Page and other markets. Also check out their writing links to learn what writers need to know.

Take care,

JohnB

Thanks for the links man,

As for advice from forums, yeah I know how it is, I am on forums quite a bit, but they can be invaluable if the right people give you some links or inside knowledge, or even some quirky angles you haven't thought of.

The thing is I HAVE googled alot on this, and most all of it is complete trash. I don't want to hear another person go on about agents, and go on about how paranoid you have to be, and how you simply are not a good writer, or sales material and you should just quit now.

I don't come into this business without understanding it. I know the business models the CEO's are working with, I know their management teams, and processes. I understand the constant stresses of those who own a book store.
I don't come into this with wide puppy eyes either, hoping to 'be a published author'. I am already a published author.
I made something like 6000 euros on my last book. And as I understand it, most publishers are looking to buy more than 5000 books if they will consider you.

For me this is just great. I am aiming to sell about 20 k or more with my current book, and whilst I could do this by myself, I find it much more appreciable experience wise to work with other people to help me learn and to add some stability.

This is a business decision to match up with some fellow businessmen, not a pipe dream and a pouch full of fairy dust.
I know this product has the ability to sell well over the amount of copies it needs to, the question is, who will help it reach its potential the most.


I'm not looking for a publisher that has no distribution channels, or marketting budgets. I'm not looking for publishers that have few contacts.
I am looking even for possible movie deals and connections, aswell as a stable series and some upfront payment (self publishing etc, only gives you the amount AFTER the sale, which is detrimental to my process when writing as I have to stress more).

The reason I don't buy into this AGENT business either, is because that is the lazy mans way.
I am a business entrepenuer, and quite rightly respectable, knowing some of the finest businessmen in the world. However, nobody I know, knows anything about books and publishing.

I am not out to steal value, I am out to find the best I possibly can.
I am not out to "get published" by some vain quest to be seen and read, I am out to meet the best people I can.
An agent?
Well maybe, but its not something I would jump into initially. I have talked to some pretty influential CEO's, I'm not thinking any agent is actually going to be more clear cut, precise, and informative as I can be.
I don't like the idea of a loose end in my plans, some unknown quotient that scurries around.

Finding a GREAT agent, would be amazing, but the fact is, cost to benifit ratios are unlikely to merit the search and the price. And a great agent like that might not even have the time to hear me out.

I don't need advice,
I just need resources, everything else I can do on my own.
I do understand the limitations of forums, I am not only posting here, but through many branches of my contacts.

And aside from saying I would find no help, your response was helpful
And its appreciated

Cool stuff Jonni
Appreciated



I am open to peoples subjective and personal views on publishers also... What you have heard, rumors, the kind of people that work at each place.
I really just want to filter out as many redflags as possible so I can get a pool of high quality people to test a fit with.

Well, if you want to get commercially published, you almost have to have an agent because most of the bigger outfits won't even look at you without one. Frankly, I'm not sure how anyone can help you since you don't want advice and apparently think you already know all there is to know about publishing - which is usually the first step to failure, but there ya go. If you've got time to waste reinventing the wheel just to watch it go flat...

No offence shadow,
But if this was a race, you would be losing Book Publishers
I just found this, I hope to find some more soon, and will post them if I can.

Its all rather tongue in cheek ofcourse,
Don't take yourself too seriously, loosen up
I only want 'don't get publishers yourself' lines from guys that actually DID IT AND SUCCEEDED. And even then, I want a guy that is strong enough not to be bitter, and even then I want the guy to kind of smile when I say 'well, I'm doing it anyways'.

I've done this too many times to really care about naysaying, its all B$ at the end of the day.


Still totally intrigued as to if anyone ACTUALLY has some knowledge on this, on this forum. (rolls lucky dice)(cooome on! Sixes!)

Despite common perception, we are all limited to forums such as these to get our extra inches of information. Don't be too surprised if people you don't expect walk through (not saying me... but rather, I know this is the case from other forums where I have met some pretty big names *not in books obviously... sigh...*)

(rolls dice again, anxiously awaiting results)

Okay, so in other words you don't want anything except what? Access to some bigwigs that will wilt at your golden words and beg to publish you?

Good luck with that.

shadowwalker,

It's best not to feed the trolls.

Originally Posted by Terry D

shadowwalker,

It's best not to feed the trolls.

Ah yes. Point taken.

Originally Posted by shadowwalker

Ah yes. Point taken.

Man, its not a troll...
*facepalms*
Its just most people, in forums always have this high and mighty attitude to someone who hasn't posted there alot.

I give information, and then it is taken as arrogance (for whatever reason).

I'm not after big wigs, to swallow golden words, and you know very well the reasons why not (if you weren't just looking for some forum bravado on an intruder).
Big wigs: I don't believe in big wigs, we are all just people
Golden words: I believe that intentions are golden when they are more than just words, but actions.

Its all about what you are willing to DO, not what you are willing to say.
Maybe I hurt your pride... I don't know.
I don't know writing forum people that well.
Though I would tend to assume that is perposterous.
Instead I'll just assume, you misread me, and are eager to be reactive instead of constructive.

It doesn't take much sense to consider a persons points, translate them in your own head (considering they are new) and then to respond with something hopefully helpful to them.
This is something I do in the forums I often frequent, so I happen to actually KNOW what you are doing, and exactly what you are NOT doing.
And even moreso, that these kind of responses are very rarely all that makes up a person.

If you chose to show me only the hand... Then fine.
But I hardly think its fair, and I have enough pride to say it, and not *tremble* at the wisdom of yet another person on a forum.

I mean, come on, do you seriously expect anyone to BUY that...

Don't worry man, just go to a better thread, forget about this one, I'll probably just be doing my stuff soon anyways, or wandering through a few little interesting posts here and there.


And shadow... Don't worry about antagonism man, its no big deal. Some of my best friends HATED me when they first met me. But for different reasons ofcourse.
You gotta not back down...
In anything really...



So don't get me wrong man
Just relax

Originally Posted by ThePoetic

I am a business entrepenuer, and quite rightly respectable, knowing some of the finest businessmen in the world. However, nobody I know, knows anything about books and publishing.

Including you. I tried to help and provided what you asked for--a list of publishers. Excuse me for stepping on your ego.

JohnB

I'd like to see your post corrected just a bit - commercial publishers do not think ebooks are 'beneath them'. Indeed, commercial publishers are embracing this format. So I think there are times when you confuse epublishing with self-publishing, and thus some statements are a bit off.

E-publishing is merely a format, like print and audio.