Valid Publishing Company? - Writers Forum

Dan101 · 03-11-2007, 02:45 PM

Hi everyone

Having recently finished my first book, after over 2 years of working on it, Im ready to send it to publishing companies. Now, this being my first book, I have no experience in sniffing out the best possible companies to start out with. I had been sifting through some possible publishers, and came across this one in particular:

http://www2.xlibris.com/requestkit/i...FRZOUAod_EDMAA

Now, Im asking those with a more trained eye than my own. Does this seem like a valid publishing company? Or, to those that have actually heard of this company, is it a good publishing company to start out with? I had looked over the website and thought that perhaps this could be the company I might want to send my manuscript to first.

Also, do any of you know any other great publishing companies for blooming authors to send manuscripts to?

A heartfelt thanks to any and all help I recieve!

Banzai · 03-11-2007, 03:18 PM

Looks like a vanity publisher, to me. Not that it's a bad thing, but if you're looking for a more traditional type of publishing house, then you might find yourself surprised.

Dan101 · 03-11-2007, 03:26 PM

Yea, I am looking for a more traditional type of publishing house. Im looking for a publishing company that I can send my manuscript to, and they will look over it and give me a verdict on whether or not they would like to publish me. That is how it works right?

Do you happen to know of any publishing companies that might be of some help for me?

Thanks for the help Banzai!

Banzai · 03-11-2007, 03:36 PM

Where do you live? What country?

Mike C · 03-11-2007, 03:38 PM

In that case, if you have a choice between Exlibris and setting your hair on fire and beating the flames out with a hammer, choose the latter.

Look at http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/ for the reputable guys.

Banzai · 03-11-2007, 03:42 PM

I love the way that on Exlibris' website they explicitly say they aren't a vanity publisher, amid an explanation of everything they do, which is precisely a vanity pubisher.

TinyMachines · 03-11-2007, 06:01 PM

have you sent out any sections of you book to get them published in magazines? I have heard from everyone I know that has had their books accepted by the writing community say that this can be important. I'd say get yourself a writer's market and study up on all the publishing companies. Don't make a hasty decision. Treat it like you are choosing them, not them choosing you.
If you have worked for 2 years on your book, a month or two of finding the correct publishing outlet shouldn't seem that long. In the meantime you could send copies of selected pieces of the book out to magazines and try to get some literary criticism before the books ever published. That way, when the book is published, some people will have heard of it and be planning on reading it.

Edit:
Also, If this is your first book, I would seriously consider self-publishing. If you get pieces of your book published in magazines, your book will still be read. (not as much, but still a decent amount.) The best part about it is that the publishing company won't want to tinker with your work. If you are really stuck on certain things in your book, it would probably be the best route. Once you have had a book published people will give you more free reign over your work. Then you can go to a reputable company and keep your integrity.

Mike C · 03-11-2007, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TinyMachines

Also, If this is your first book, I would seriously consider self-publishing.

Unless you have the intellect of a dead mongoose and the writing ability of a chimp in boxing gloves, please don't listen to this moronic advice.

Dan101 · 03-11-2007, 10:03 PM

lol Thankyou all for your input! Its all very much appreciated!

I actually went to Borders today because I specifically remembered there being a "getting published" section (or somthing along those lines). I found a WritersMarket book on how to get a work of Fiction published, and how to approach publishing companies. I read through certain chapters of it, and found it to be really helpful (I am probably going to purchase it in a couple of weeks). In the back, they list many different reliable publishing companies for Fictional pieces. I looked through the many companies and wrote down several that caught my eye. I narrowed it down to a few, the top of the list is Daw Books Inc. I am thinking about sending them a querie and some preview chapters and see what happens.

If anyone else knows of any other good publishing companies, feel free to post them here!

Thanks guys!!!

TinyMachines · 03-12-2007, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

Unless you have the intellect of a dead mongoose and the writing ability of a chimp in boxing gloves, please don't listen to this moronic advice.

Or maybe, if you don't want your work tampered with.

Mike C · 03-12-2007, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TinyMachines

Or maybe, if you don't want your work tampered with.

"Tampered with"? You mean publishers might (gasp) edit for readability? You bet your backside. They want any book they publish to be the best it can be. That's why they employ editors.

If your artistic integrity means you daren't allow anyone to correct your pissy punctuation or suggest revisions, then by all means head for self publishing. Obscurity awaits: the average number of self-published books sold per author is 30.

Back to the OP, when you have your writers market, I would suggest you forget about publishers completely and focus on querying agents.

Dan101 · 03-12-2007, 01:52 AM

Querying agents rather than publishers?

Could you tell me the difference between the two please? Thanks

Banzai · 03-12-2007, 02:53 AM

Agents will approach publishers on your behalf, and represent you in the contractual agreements. Publishers will listen to agents more readily that individual authors because agents build up reputations. Agents also give publishers hell if they break the contract, and will help get the best contract for you in the first place. It's kind of like having a lawyer in court, as opposed to representing yourself.

Mike C · 03-12-2007, 03:30 AM

Correct. Also most big publishing houses will not look at unsolicited manuscripts. They use agents as a quality control system, so only the cream reach them. As well as getting you an 'in' with the major houses, a good agent will negotiate a better deal than you could yourself, and also take care of selling foreign translation rights, movie rights, etc.

As an example I'd offer Jon Clinch, whose debut novel 'Finn' sold for a large (five figure) advance. Film rights are already under negotiation. Random house took the relatively unusual step for a first novel of printing 200,000 copies on the first run, and it's selling briskly in hardback as it's Random's lead novel for 2007 - this means it gets the full weight of their marketing dept behind it. His publishers have sent him on a huge book-signing tour. His agent is Jeff Kleinman at Folio Literary Management (possibly the hottest agency in the US right now)- http://www.foliolit.com

Compare and contrast with (a) trying to broker your own deal with a small press, where advances range from $5k - $0, and usually fail to earn out the advance due to poor distribution and marketing, or (b) self publishing, zero marketing, zero sales.

Of course, Jon got the dream deal, but if he'd done as the moron suggested and gone straight for self-publishing... he'd still be working 9-5, trying to palm copies of the book off on to sympathetic friends and family.

Deals like that don't come along every day, but who knows? The next one may be yours.

Take a look at some of the reviews:

USA Today Calls Finn "A Triumph of Imagination and Graceful Writing -- Says it's a " brave and ambitious debut novel."

Newsweek Gives Finn A Major And Glowing Review -- Says, "Clinch's Pap is...the mad, lost, and dangerous center of a world we'd hate to live in --or do we still live there?--and crave to revisit as soon as we close the book."

Washington Post Book World Conjures Twain's "Pen Warmed Up in Hell" -- Says, "Clinch reimagines Finn in a strikingly original way, replacing Huck's voice with his own magisterial vision -- one that's nothing short of revelatory."

Bookslut Goes Head Over Heels -- Says, "Jon Clinch's first novel has done it: sucked me under like I was a rag doll thrown into the wake of a Mississippi steamboat."

Men's Health Meets Finn -- And their March issue says it's "the best debut so far of 2007."

Playboy Doesn't Flinch at Finn -- Says, "the life of this sadistic, alcoholic river rat is presented in this debut without whitewash (except when our antihero needs it to cover bloodstains)."

Finn is a Book Sense Pick for March -- That's right: The members of the American Booksellers Association have chosen Finn for their prestigious Book Sense list.

Discuss Finn Online at BN.com -- In March, the American Classics discussion group at Barnes and Noble's web site will be discussing Finn alongside The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I'll be joining in daily.

Finn Goes GQ -- The February issue of GQ says, " Clinch has wrought something new, an honest-to-god novel that more than earns its place on the shelf."

You won't get that if you self-publish.

Mike C · 03-12-2007, 03:36 AM

One final thing, Dan101, I'd suggest you join a group like Backspace - http://www.bksp.org - which has a very high ratio of published writers, and many who are at the querying stage like yourself. Membership is smaller, but ability is far higher. It costs to subscribe, but they have a free introductory period and the level of help you'll get with all aspects of writing/publishing is phenomenal. Some of the members are best-sellers, across every genre. (and no, I'm not affiliated, or on commission!)