Aperture Press

crawlerxp · Nov 2, 2011

I know I haven't visited here very much since I joined (School keeps me busy), but a friend of mine just published a collection of poems through Aperture Press (www.aperturepress.net). I hadn't heard of them before, so I tried looking around online for some information, but there doesn't really seem to be any. I'm not sure if it's because they're new, but I'm curious if anyone has any experience with them. Apparently, he saw an article in the paper about a local woman who published a book through them, sent them a letter himself asking if they would look at his work, and then sent samples when they requested them. To me, it seemed strange. Everything I've read has basically said that unsolicited contact like that doesn't really get you anywhere. Long story short: No agent, sent in his work, published by some place I've never heard of, no info online except their website, and the last person to trust when you're buying a car is the salesman. Any information would be great; this is the best forum I've ever seen for anything and everything related to writing and publishing. Thanks in advance,

Crawler

CaoPaux · Nov 2, 2011

"We provide full-service publishing for authors and budgets of all sizes."

Vanity, straight up.

crawlerxp · Nov 2, 2011

See, now, that's the vibe I got; I was hoping I was wrong. I'm kind of torn now. He just had his big event for the launch. I don't want to tell him and rain on his parade, but I feel like he ought to know...

Any advice? Thanks a lot for your help, by the way. I appreciate you taking the time.

jennontheisland · Nov 2, 2011

Well, there really isn't much of a market for collections of poems, so self pubbing is probably the only option. Vanity though... tends to be a bit more expensive.

It's nice that your friend has a book, gets to do a launch, and it's for the best that it's not a work that could have actually made money (rather than cost money). Let your friend know that should he/she ever decide to publish longer works, ones with commercial markets that earn royalties and even advances, researching a publisher is a good idea, and there are places where one can do that. Like here.

This one's done and gone anyway. It's the next one you need to catch.

veinglory · Nov 3, 2011

he kind of has to know it is vanity if he paid to have the book produced?

jennontheisland · Nov 3, 2011

veinglory said:
he kind of has to know it is vanity if he paid to have the book produced?

When you consider the number of people who think everyone must pay to be published at least the first time around, no, that may not clue him in.

crawlerxp · Nov 4, 2011

Yeah, he's done no research on publishing at all. He just saw an article in the paper about this girl getting her novel published, and got in touch with the people who published her. I doubt he even knows what a vanity publisher is, let alone that it's abnormal to have to pay. Thanks for your help, though. I'll see if I can bring it up in casual conversation sometime, that he ought to consider looking for an agent or something if he plans to keep putting out books.

JL_Benet · Nov 4, 2011

crawlerxp said:
I'll see if I can bring it up in casual conversation sometime, that he ought to consider looking for an agent or something if he plans to keep putting out books.

I don't know of any agents that really represent poets. He's most likely going to have to do his own due diligence when looking for publishers.

Aperture Press

crawlerxp

CaoPaux

Mostly Harmless

crawlerxp

jennontheisland

the world is at my command

veinglory

volitare nequeo

jennontheisland

the world is at my command

crawlerxp

JL_Benet

writer/teacher