Small press wants to see my manuscript...Help!

[Lavinia]

Hi. I've sent my novel to numerous publishers from the very well known to the obscure. Just received a bite from one of the small presses.

I just looked at their website. My extreme joy has turned to question. This is obviously a new press with a lot of ambition. They have just a few books to their name, which are at large chains like Barnes and Noble and Amazon. I guess my question is this; I am sure this small press doesn't have enough money to really market my book. Does that matter? I mean, don't most writers have to market their own books anyway?

Everyone has to start somewhere. I want to believe that I am getting in on the ground floor of something good. The website is OK but not great.

I have been asked to send my whole manuscript to them. I sent the first three chapters about four months ago and just received the letter today. I was elated when I received it. Now, I don't know what to think. I don't think I'm making much sense...

Anyone ever "been there?"

Lavinia

[moondance]

Don't count your chickens before they are hatched. I would cross this bridge once you have a firm offer on the table. How many rejections have you received?

My first pb was with a fairly small press. It had practically no marketing at all, but the publisher had a good reputation and the book did OK. Most children's books aren't marketed at all anyway - if you think a bigger publisher is likely to spend more on it you may well be mistaken. Big publishers have to decide which books to push, and if yours isn't one of them it may well sink without trace. A small press with ambition may be more resourceful and have more enthusiasm for marketing.

Have you sent your novel to any agents?

PS Congratulations on the request for full, by the way :)

[UrsulaV]

A very small--micro--press publishes my webcomic collections, and are about to publish my first novel. They're a wee, wee little press--a print run's 250 books kinda wee.

They did a fabulous job, every step of the way, they're ferociously dedicated, and some of the nicest guys around. (They bought me flowers when the comic didn't win the award it was up for, they cheered when I sold a book to a much bigger mainstream publisher--they're great guys.)

The money's not gonna make either party rich--I actually get quite a good percentage, but a big chunk of such small sales is still fairly small money. The exposure is minimal--Amazon and conventions kinda minimal. The marketing is about like you'd expect.

But I have no regrets at all about working with them. I have a small but established fan base as an artist, and this press was exactly the right size for that audience. It was a perfect fit, and it gave me an answer for the frequent where-is-the-dead-tree-version question that comes up. But--and this is key--there was already an audience there. We knew exactly where they are, and exactly how to reach them. We weren't trying to build up a new audience from the ground up.

Now, your situation is obviously different, but what you need to ask is what you want this book to do. Do you want it published, period? Small press is great. Do you want it in every bookstore from coast to coast? Eh, not so good. Do you want it to build a large audience? Not good. Do you want to put "author" on your business cards? Great. Do you want someone who will take loving and tender care of your books? You may have an excellent shot, depending on the press. Do you want a bestseller? Almost certainly ain't gonna happen. Do you want to have something for people who already love your work? Fabulous.

Figure out your goals, and then figure if a small press can give them to you.

[veinglory]

When you say available at B&N and Amazon do you mean the website only, and at what cover price? If their books aren't shelved in chain stores that means sales will be much lower. Small houses will tend to respond quicker so it can make sense to submit in "waves" with the bigger, better plcaes getting first refusal.

[Jimmer]

There's quite a big difference between requesting a full and accepting it. I wouldn't worry about whether this outfit will best represent your interests just yet.

Come to think of it, if you aren't sure they're right for your novel why did you submit it to them in the first place?

[Soccer Mom]

Take a deep breath. Have you checked them out in Bewares section? If not, I would check the threads there and if isn't one, start a thread with the name of the publisher asking for info. Have you contaced the authors for their listed books to see if they are pleased? This can really help you decide. Have the big ones actually refused you yet? If not, I would wait for that.

I would proceed slowly, but not rule at a press just because they are small. It's a case by case basis.

[Lavinia]

Thanks for all the responses and ideas. That really helps. I sent the manuscript, or parts of it to probably about 15 publishers. I have not tried an agent for this particular book. Of the fifteen publishers, I was rejected by all but received positive comments on three of them. So I feel like I'm on the right track.

As for my goals, honestly I have never gotten this far in the book biz. so haven't had to clarify my goals. I would say that for this first book, I would like to; 1) see it in print; 2) sell enough to make a little money and 3) market it here in the pacific northwest and see what happens.

And if I were to have a goal #4 I would say that I would hope that this experience would teach me a lot about the publishing business, rights, marketing and so forth. I do personally know a publicist who helped another local author get to #2 on the best sellers list for children's books. He is willing to look at representing me as well, if I decide to go that route. When I asked him about how he did it with the other author, he said it was very simple. He started local with the author talking in classroom and at schools. Then he went to another town nearby and did the same. Eventually he was in Spokane and Seattle and talking a gymnasium full of kids. He was also doing book signings at bookstores in those cities. When he approached Barnes and Noble, they apparently let local people do this even when they don't have a big publisher behind them. This book was self-published. Well, when hundreds of kids showed up at B&N, word got to the press and then to a large publishing house. They made a deal and he went on a bus/motorhome tour of cities across the united states a few summers ago. The rest, as they say, is history. I trust the publicist. He is creative and "out of the box." There were lots of gimicks along the way that he created for this. I can't imagine what that would look like for my book, but I know he'd come up with something, if he agreed to represent me.

Jimmer- I looked at their information in the 2006 Writer's Market under small presses. I didn't however, research them on the internet until now.

I don't know the answers to all of the questions you all posed. My plan today is to go back through the manuscript. I want to edit at least half of it today- there isn't much more to be done as it was done before I sent out querys. But I want to be sure. Also, I want to research this publisher more thoroughly, taking the questions you posed and getting answers to them.

Thank you so much!

Lavinia

[Lavinia]

I think I've been had. See my post under *Bewares*.

Lavinia

[Dollywagon]

Don't count your chickens before they are hatched. I would cross this bridge once you have a firm offer on the table. How many rejections have you received?

My first pb was with a fairly small press. It had practically no marketing at all, but the publisher had a good reputation and the book did OK. Most children's books aren't marketed at all anyway - if you think a bigger publisher is likely to spend more on it you may well be mistaken. Big publishers have to decide which books to push, and if yours isn't one of them it may well sink without trace. A small press with ambition may be more resourceful and have more enthusiasm for marketing.

Have you sent your novel to any agents?

PS Congratulations on the request for full, by the way :)

I didn't know you'd had other pb's published, Moondance? Congratulations!

I was just about to congratulate you, Lavina and just saw your last post. I'll go take a peek!

[aghast]

didnt you do research before you qeury them? anyway worry about all that when you get a contract but if you are not sure about small press maybe you need to hold off and just target big ones or agents

[Cassidy]

Hey,
Just read your post on the other thread... I am sorry. That must be really disappointing. Glad you saw the red flags and did your research... and that you aren't letting it discourage you. Keep on writing and revising and sending stuff out... it'll happen!
Cassidy