Small presses

How small are you talking about? I have published with small, medium and large (at least by publishing standards). Regardless of where you publish, make sure the publisher has national and international distribution (if they say they are on Amazon and available with Baker & Taylor, that's not the same thing).

I published with a small press. Very new company. The books sent to me weren't in good condition and didn't have typesetting. I hold no ill will towards the publisher because I know she did not TRY to publish my book in such poor condition, but never publishing with them again. First impressions, and all.

Small presses don't usually offer an advance, as far as I know/have seen.

I guess it depends on how small. Mine puts out about 40 books a year. Is that small? But it's owned by a much larger publisher and has great distribution, sales and marketing.

Hi Laurie,

Your posting sparked a big red flag for me. What is the difference between being on a national publisher list and just being available thru Baker & Taylor, Amazon and I am on Barnes & Noble (or is that the same as being on Baker & Taylor?)

My book is being published by a small press Polygon Publishing by Patricia Benson.

After reading the publisher website, it seems that you are asking the wrong question. Getting your book published by a small press through a commerical publisher is a legitimate publishing credit. Polygon Publishing isn't a commerical or "traditional" publisher.

From The Polygon Publishing site

In the Partnership Program, we help authors get published if their book is not accepted for traditional publishing. The author retains all rights but is responsible to pay for a portion of the production costs.

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Search the Beware forum to see if there is any info on this vanity publisher. If there isn't perhaps it's a good idea to start your own thread, and ask if other writers have experience with Polygon.

Just to throw in my own small press question:

An agent recently told me that it would be hard to interest one of the big houses in my ms and suggested that it might be better received at a small press.

I've been wondering, though, if being published at a smaller press might hurt my chances getting an agent for my next work (which is much more commercial and would be easier to place) when complete.

I know it may be a silly question, but I've read that agents will look at previous sales if you have been published and, I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly and unfairly) that the sales would be smaller going through a small press.

It utterly depends. A specialist or academic press can be both small and prestiguous.

Here's the thing about small presses--the definition varies depending on who is talking. Kathleen, if you have an agent mentioning small presses, I'm sure she's thinking of different publishers than the poster who is thinking of going with a micropress. The big houses would consider publishers such as Globe Pequot, Workman, Chronicle, and the like as small publishers, although they aren't small at all to most people.

There's no stigma in being published with a small press as long as that press has a means of getting the books to readers. Being listed on Amazon, BN.com, and with Baker & Taylor doesn't mean anything--I could list a book on those sites if I wanted to. The key is having a sales force actually pounding the pavement to get your book into stores. Reputable publishers have distribution.

Lauri B said:

\The big houses would consider publishers such as Globe Pequot, Workman, Chronicle, and the like as small publishers, although they aren't small at all to most people.

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Thanks. That was the definition I was going with.

I knew they would still have sales channels, but I've only ever looked into the larger houses so I don't know much at all about going with a smaller one.

Lauri B said:

The big houses would consider publishers such as Globe Pequot, Workman, Chronicle, and the like as small publishers, although they aren't small at all to most people.

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Then my publisher must be *really* small since it's owned by Workman.

Kathleen42 said:

...I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly and unfairly) that the sales would be smaller going through a small press.

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I don't think this is necessarily true. In my field, which, being knitting, is very specialized, Workman and Storey (my publisher, owned by Workman) have most of the top selling titles right now. It may be different with a non-fiction work that has general appeal however.

Sometimes it's an advantage to be with a smaller publisher. Storey, for example, keeps it's backlist in print, as long as the book is selling, which means that my first little knitting book, published in 2005, is still staying consistently in the top 10 knitting books and now has 133,000 copies in print. Larger presses may not support their backlist the same way, so how long they keep a book in print (and at what level of sales) is an important consideration for writer and agent over the long run.

university presses

veinglory said:

It utterly depends. A specialist or academic press can be both small and prestiguous.

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My book (a Cajun-Creole music memoir) is just out, from a southern university press. I couldn't be happier. They have been a joy to work with, at every step of the way. Close editing, responsive, access to well known people in my field to be advance reviewers ("outside readers" as they call it in academic presses, to basically vet the book beforehand.) Savvy about marketing to "the trade" and not just academic markets. The physical production was beautiful too--that was the final surprise. Even my very seasoned NY agent commented on it.

Yes, I do have an agent. And naturally she did try the big publishers first. In another publishing climate, I might well have found a place on a trade publisher's midlist. But I'm very happy it ended up this way.

In one of those guidebooks about how to choose a publisher, I remember reading that you might be happiest at a university press if (along with care taken in the publishing process) you like the idea of an experience that will make you feel valued, that your work has some enduring value (vs. being a money maker.) And you'll know that your book will remain in print for quite a while.

University presses have good distribution, typically have local sales reps (mine has been a real advocate). They are nonprofits, of course, so they also have smaller print runs, smaller marketing budgets, and smaller advances. If making a killing is your goal, it's probably not a good choice!

But I'd say it's a very good option to consider, if your book lends itself to a university press. If you write nonfictdion with a regional focus, or a specialty area in which the press has an interest, you might fit. Also, some U presses do publish fiction.

My thoughts, anyway.

Good luck!

Sales can be small for a specialist book even with a large press. My book is with one of the top three non-fiction science publishers, but I expect sales to top out around 1000 copies. It really is a big game of "it depends"--although a small press will typically mean smaller sales, a good match or book to publisher can more than make up for it.