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Henery Press

Unimportant

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It's logo is sooooo cute!

However, their website is mostly just a placeholder -- they haven't yet published any books or signed any authors. No info about the owner/staff, and the website appears to be registered through a proxy. It appears the owner and/or acquiring editor may be Kendel Flaum, a mystery writer who also sells book cover art.

I can't tell if this is an author with no industry experience who's opening up a press and who will be self publishing through that press, or if this is an established author (repped by Curtis Brown) who has been shoulder tapped to be acquiring editor for a new press. Given the dearth of info about Henery, I'm guessing the former.
 

HeneryPress

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Hi Cassie,

Unimportant certainly knows how to research! Henery Press is brand new just this January 2012. We publish ebooks and trade paperbacks in the Mystery and Romance genres. Our first titles will be available in May -- so look for author profiles along with book info sometime in April.

Personally, I've been doing editing and cover design for several years now. While it's been fun, I'm excited to transition into the role of publisher. As such, I've finished my projects and no longer freelance. I've left the cover art design on my personal web for now so folks can see my design esthetic.

Quick note, this is a traditional small press -- so no fees to the author, we pay royalties (40% net on ebooks, 15% net on trade paperback). We handle more than just file conversion, we provide a strong editorial eye and engaging cover artwork. We help the author conceptualize and build their brand, which may entail redesigning their website (or starting one) with their brand as focus, then carrying it through to social networking and promotions.
We also manage sales of each title -- the next book sells the last. It's important to continually monitor each title while putting out the next so we can get them into the reader's hands.


I'm happy to answer questions, either here or through the Henery Press web contact email. And thanks, Unimportant, for the compliment on the logo -- I just love that little chicken!

Cheers,

Kendel
Henery Press
www.henerypress.com
 

Unimportant

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Kia ora, Kendel, and welcome to AW!

Can you tell us more about who the "we" is with Henery, and a bit about your editing background? Also, which distributor(s) is Henery working with?
 

Cassie Knight

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Hi Kendel!

I love to hear about new publishers, especially romance publishers. Along with Unimportant's question, would you mind telling us what net means to you and do you release digital and trade simultaneously or....?

And I agree, the chicken/logo is adorable.

Thanks!
 

HeneryPress

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Thanks for the interest! The "we" in Henery Press is me and my small staff of three. They help with day-to-day business operations while I’m the one working directly with the authors -- which includes acquisitions and editing.

My editing background is all fiction: mysteries, romance, romantic suspense, and some thrillers (with strong romantic elements). I've been editing for the last six years and I've been privileged to work with some outstanding writers. I'm quite a tough critter; I'm won't let a flat scene go unnoticed or let a weak sentence sneak by. But I don't believe honesty needs to be brutal -- it's all in the words I choose.

Henery Press mainly publishes ebooks, though we publish each title in print form (simultaneously). I want to stress our focus is on ebooks with distribution through the main venues: Amazon, Barnes, iBookstore, Sony, and Kobo. Print distribution is through Amazon and Barnes, and available in the Ingram catalog.

Here's the "net" description straight from our contract: Net sales are defined as the total dollar amount actually received by the Publisher from the wholesale or retail sale of the Work minus the total dollar amount of any returns of the Work.

Like everything else in your writing journey, this is all about what works for you. Whether you sign with an agent, the big six, a small press, or go it alone, find what fits your style, your goals, and your personality.

Hope this helps!

Kendel
 

Cassie Knight

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Thanks Kendel. Appreciate you coming back to respond. The fact I'm with Samhain Publishing and Lyrical Press means I'm a fan of digital publishing; however, with a full length book, I can't help but want a hard copy book too. I know, odd in these days but there it is. My friends and I discussed that it's because we are 'old' school, meaning we started our journeys back in the 90s when that was the goal, NY, advances and a printed book. I'm good with two of the three but that third... :-D

Good luck!
 

BarbaraSheridan

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Thanks for the interest! The "we" in Henery Press is me and my small staff of three. They help with day-to-day business operations while I’m the one working directly with the authors -- which includes acquisitions and editing.

My editing background is all fiction: mysteries, romance, romantic suspense, and some thrillers (with strong romantic elements). I've been editing for the last six years and I've been privileged to work with some outstanding writers.

Will you be updating the "About Us" page with a few more specifics, the names of your staff and perhaps a name or two of who you've edited?
 

HeneryPress

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Hello again! Let me try to answer some of these questions.

Our staff won’t be listed on the Henery Press web (names or contact) as there’s no need for anyone to contact them directly.

As for my editing clients, most published authors don’t necessarily want the world to know they used an editor (even though most do) and I respect their privacy. And I certainly don’t want to create a conflict of interest and associate my previous editing in freelance to my current editing in publishing.

At the end of every book description, we’ll include links to the most popular retail sites for purchasing (both trade paperback and digital ebook versions) – each link will direct to the buying page for that book, not the retailer’s home page. As a small business, I want to keep our focus on acquiring, producing, and promoting strong, entertaining books, not fussing with a retail arm (order processing, fulfillment, customer service, etc.).

Our marketing and promotion efforts will follow current social networking models: Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest. We’ll send out ARCs to review sites, assist with blog tours, and utilize other unique promotional opportunities such as programs and conventions (I’ll be at Malice Domestic this year, so let me know if you’ll be there, too!).

I’m a member of SinC and RWA – I’ve been involved in several chapters, writer’s groups, and local meetings. I’ve been active in these groups, met lots of folks and, not to toot my own horn (but clearly I’m going to), I’m well-respected. Some of my best submissions so far have been from referrals, and I’m quite happy about that!

Bottom line: I’m good at what I do. I’m confident, excited, honest, fair, and determined. I plan to work hard and sell lots of books. If you’re not convinced, I respect that. Bookmark Henery Press and see what we’ve got going on over the next 6 to 8 months. And if you like what you see, then by all means, we’d love to see what you’ve got.

Thanks for the questions, and the interest!

Cheers,
Kendel
 

Theo81

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Hello again! Let me try to answer some of these questions.

Our staff won’t be listed on the Henery Press web (names or contact) as there’s no need for anyone to contact them directly.

I strongly recommend you list the names of at least some of your staff. It's important for a start-up press to demonstrate they have the relevant industry experience to know what they are doing, as oppose to being one of the kazillion small presses whose enthusiasm outweighed their ability. Note the past tense there.


As for my editing clients, most published authors don’t necessarily want the world to know they used an editor (even though most do) and I respect their privacy. And I certainly don’t want to create a conflict of interest and associate my previous editing in freelance to my current editing in publishing.

"Most"? Who are these "most"? Most of the books I read mention the editor in the acknowledgements, usually after the words "wonderful" and "my". The ones which don't lack acknowledgement sections. Any writer worth anything knows the importance of a professional edit. Can you ask them for a quote?

I'm also not sure how your previous freelance editing experience could be a conflict of interest with your new company - if you continued to offer editing services and offered them via your publishing house, or sent flyers along with your form rejections then maybe.



At the end of every book description, we’ll include links to the most popular retail sites for purchasing (both trade paperback and digital ebook versions) – each link will direct to the buying page for that book, not the retailer’s home page. As a small business, I want to keep our focus on acquiring, producing, and promoting strong, entertaining books, not fussing with a retail arm (order processing, fulfillment, customer service, etc.).

So, will you be selling books directly through your website or not? If you're not, you should.

Our marketing and promotion efforts will follow current social networking models: Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest. We’ll send out ARCs to review sites, assist with blog tours, and utilize other unique promotional opportunities such as programs and conventions (I’ll be at Malice Domestic this year, so let me know if you’ll be there, too!).


I’m a member of SinC and RWA – I’ve been involved in several chapters, writer’s groups, and local meetings. I’ve been active in these groups, met lots of folks and, not to toot my own horn (but clearly I’m going to), I’m well-respected. Some of my best submissions so far have been from referrals, and I’m quite happy about that!

All good stuff.

Bottom line: I’m good at what I do. I’m confident, excited, honest, fair, and determined. I plan to work hard and sell lots of books. If you’re not convinced, I respect that. Bookmark Henery Press and see what we’ve got going on over the next 6 to 8 months. And if you like what you see, then by all means, we’d love to see what you’ve got.

Thanks for the questions, and the interest!

Cheers,
Kendel

I'd like to add a thank you for coming by here and participating in this thread. I really like your website and I'll be watching with interest how you go.
 

Stacia Kane

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As for my editing clients, most published authors don’t necessarily want the world to know they used an editor (even though most do) and I respect their privacy.


Most?

Most commercially published authors are edited by their acquiring editors; that's common knowledge, so I assume you don't mean that type of editor. I assume you mean that "most" published authors hire an editor before they submit their work. That's totally untrue. Most do not. I don't know any who do, frankly.

That doesn't mean none at all do, but I certainly don't think you could come anywhere near calling the number who do "most."


ETA to clarify: Of course self-published authors often do, and many should, but I don't think they tend to want to keep their use of a professional editor secret, which is why I read the statement the way I did.
 
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LillyPu

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Our staff won’t be listed on the Henery Press web (names or contact) as there’s no need for anyone to contact them directly.


If they're mail-sorters, or clerical, I agree they don't need to be listed on your 'about us' or 'staff' page. But if they're involved in marketing or editing, then I'd like to know their qualifications.

As for my editing clients, most published authors don’t necessarily want the world to know they used an editor (even though most do) and I respect their privacy. And I certainly don’t want to create a conflict of interest and associate my previous editing in freelance to my current editing in publishing.
Checking the acknowledgements page of a published novel is where I get my information about who edited the book, so I'll know who to address my query to when I submit my manuscript to that publisher. I've never known an author to not thank their editors 'there'. Unless there's no editor at all, which is the case for some small presses. I'd think even the self-published would want to show they sought professional editing for their manuscript. And if freelance is where your editing experience lies, why not flaunt your successes? I don't think you can get away with not backing up your professional editing experience. It should be something to brag about, not keep hidden. Not that that's what you're doing.

I'm also lovin' your logo!

All the best to you. :)
 

kaitie

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I'd agree that even if they didn't want contact information listed, a short paragraph with names, backgrounds, and experience would be warranted.

Most people who do their research properly consider not having that information available to be a red flag. Personally I wouldn't submit unless I knew the person I was submitting to was a professional.
 

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Anyone got any updates or further experience with them?
 

ohthatmomagain

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They gave me a rejection ;) Meaning that they don't take anyone and everyone who subs them.
 

lwalker

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Hey y'all -- I almost never venture out of my little corner of AW, but I wanted to update this thread. I have a mystery contracted with Henery Press to release this winter, and I could not be happier with my experience to date.

The staff there is knowledgeable and helpful, and I've gotten more marketing support and advice than some of my author friends who are with much older, bigger houses. Henery is new, but Kendel has a solid background in building a successful company and a sharp editorial eye, and the cover art is top-notch. All of those were things I was looking for when I decided to sub to small presses (my background is in journalism, and I researched for weeks before choosing who to sub to), and I could not be happier with the home I've found for my mystery.

Their list is small and they are choosy, but they're publishing quality stuff. I'm not at all saying that as a means of tooting my own horn -- so far this year they've had a golden heart finalist, won a daphne, and had another daphne finalist. And those were just the top three. Most of the rest of the authors have won respected writing awards of some flavor, as well.

For those AWers who are interested in submitting, I'd say the same thing everyone seems to: read. Get a couple of Henery Press books and see if your project (they consider novellas, too) fits with the tone of what they're publishing. Funny mysteries with smart heroines are a good bet for that. :)

Good luck with your writing, whatever publishing route you decide. :)
 

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Congrats, LWalker! Thanks for the info -- I just submitted to them. *fingers crossed*
 

ChelseaWriter

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Giving a little *bump* - wondering if anyone else has had any experience with Henery? Or what response times you've had, either for rejections or acceptance?
 
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K. Victoria Chase

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From Publishers Marketplace:


"Gretchen Archer's DOUBLE WHAMMY, a mystery caper featuring a disgraced Alabama cop in bad need of a paycheck, who lands a job on an elite security at the fabulous Bellissimo Casino in Biloxi - and must unravel a compromised video casino game, avoid her ex- who took out a restraining order against her, and figure out why the casino would hire an investigator who is the dead ringer for the big boss's wife, to Kendel Flaum at Henery Press, by Stephany Evans at FinePrint Literary Management."