Is Publisher's Marketplace worth 20 bucks a month?

balog9509 · Dec 12, 2011

Hi,
I just introduced myself on the new members forum and I wanted to ask a question and get a start on those 50 posts.

Is Publisher's Marketplace worth the subscription price or oriented more toward the professionals than an aspiring author?

Thanks and I apologize if this question has been asked too often in the past.

IDGS · Dec 12, 2011

For future reference, if you're in doubt about a question, there's always the search!

I personally have never used PM except online, the free bits that is. Apparently it's quite useful to some, and quite useless to others. The website is very very handy, however.

Quickbread · Dec 12, 2011

I've been trying to land an agent for two years, on and off. Recently, I sucked up and decided to pay the $20/mo. for PM. Holy crap, is it ever a goldmine for researching agents. Even with all the info out there and all the great sites, including this one, PM has the most extensive database with detailed sales records and great search capabilities. If that's where you're at in your career, I'd say yes. Otherwise, probably not unless you're in or breaking into the publishing biz.

balog9509 · Dec 12, 2011

IDGS, I assure you that I used search and the first ten posts that came up did not help. I merely wanted to avoid wasting time after writing straight through for the last 22 hours. (Darn! I need a nap.) I am not a nit wit.

Thanks Quickbread. That is exactly what I wanted to know. As to where I am in my writing career, after 34 months of writing about 12+ hours a day every day, I have finally finished eighteen 80,000 word sci fi novels in three series, and I have never needed a break so badly in my life.

I am finally taking the time to start querying now that the hard part is done and I look forward to the future.

The titles are:

The Return: Book 1 - A New Beginning
2 - The Road to the Future
3 - Walking the Razor's Edge
4 - The Battle Joined
5 - The Road to Ruin
6 - Doomgiver

The Return: The Odyssey Mission Logs 1-9

Doomsday! Book 1 - Under a White Sky
Book 2 - Under a Brown Sky
Book 3 - Under a Blue Sky
Book 4 - Under a Martian Sky (WIP)

Hopefully, the query process goes well. Thanks again!

DeadlyAccurate · Dec 13, 2011

I only subscribe when I have an offer of representation then unsubscribe when I'm done. I use it to get more details on the offering agent(s).

Also, 18 books is an amazing accomplishment. You definitely deserve a break. But a word of caution. If book 1 of a series doesn't sell or pick up representation, what happens to books 2-6(9)? Can they be queried as standalone novels? Agents don't like to see queries for entire series from unpublished authors. They only want a query on one book, which must stand alone (though you can say it has series potential).

Good luck.

lbender · Dec 13, 2011

balog9509 said:
IDGS, I assure you that I used search and the first ten posts that came up did not help. I merely wanted to avoid wasting time after writing straight through for the last 22 hours. (Darn! I need a nap.) I am not a nit wit.

Be nice. IDGS is just trying to help. Many newcomers are unfamiliar with the features here. Nobody's calling you names or implying anything.

Anyway, welcome and good luck.

Perks · Dec 13, 2011

I find it to be worth the price. And you can write off the expense when you file your taxes, so you get, in theory, a little back on it.

CACTUSWENDY · Dec 13, 2011

I have heard through out the years here that many sub to it for a couple of months at a time. Maybe once a year. Plan to use that time well and make the most of it. Best wishes.

Wayne K · Dec 13, 2011

For a person who can afford it, I'd say it's well worth the money. For peope who can't, there is a lot of free information on the internet. You'll pay in time rather than money.

balog9509 · Dec 13, 2011

DeadlyAccurate said:
I only subscribe when I have an offer of representation then unsubscribe when I'm done. I use it to get more details on the offering agent(s).

Also, 18 books is an amazing accomplishment. You definitely deserve a break. But a word of caution. If book 1 of a series doesn't sell or pick up representation, what happens to books 2-6(9)? Can they be queried as standalone novels? Agents don't like to see queries for entire series from unpublished authors. They only want a query on one book, which must stand alone (though you can say it has series potential).

Good luck.

I'm querying the first book of each series and making sure they know they are series right in the subject line of the e-mails. All three series can stand alone with minor rewriting.

Is Publisher's Marketplace worth 20 bucks a month?

balog9509

IDGS

@LeaveItToIan

Quickbread

balog9509

DeadlyAccurate

Absolutely Fazed

lbender

Perks

delicate #!&@*#! flower

CACTUSWENDY

An old, sappy, and happy one.

Wayne K

balog9509