I came across these guys for my historical fiction novel. Anyone deal with them?
http://fireshippress.com
http://fireshippress.com
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Our books are published as Print on Demand trade paperbacks and will be available to the title lists of major book distributors in the United States and Canada, so any customer, at any store, can order it. Fireship also provides Print on Demand in the UK and Australia.
Book titles will appear in Books in Print and will be available through Ingram, and Baker & Taylor -- the two largest book distributors in the United States. Books will be available in Europe via both Gardner's Books and Bertram Books, the two largest book distributors in Europe. Books will also be available in Canada via Chapters/Indigo, the largest book distributor in Canada.
Although most of the responsibility for the marketing of the book will fall to the authors themselves, it is our intent to do as much as possible to assist in the promotion of our authors' books. We can provide some printed advertising materials for the author's use, including flyers and books marks, and authors may purchase copies of their titles at 45% off the cover price. We encourage authors to acquire either Facebook fan pages, or personal Facebook pages so that they can interact with readers on Fireship's Facebook page.
So, no bookstore placement.
http://www.gardners.com/gardners/default.aspxGardners Books is Britain's leading book, DVD, Blu-ray and Music CD wholesaler.
They liked my first 3 chapters and asked to see the full MS with the help of a line edit. What is that? I would have thought they might have done that?
4. Fireship Press does not provide an editing service within the company other than final copy editing to ensure that quality is maintained at publishing. We can, however, assist authors seeking to improve their manuscripts by providing recommendations for reputable editors.
Our books are published as Print on Demand trade paperbacks and will be available to the title lists of major book distributors in the United States and Canada, so any customer, at any store, can order it. Fireship also provides Print on Demand in the UK and Australia.
Book titles will appear in Books in Print and will be available through Ingram, and Baker & Taylor -- the two largest book distributors in the United States. Books will be available in Europe via both Gardner's Books and Bertram Books, the two largest book distributors in Europe. Books will also be available in Canada via Chapters/Indigo, the largest book distributor in Canada.
Hello again, chaps! I wanted to share my experience with Fireship.
The published my first novel in 2009. The site looked very different back then. Since then both the press and the site have come a long way.
In 2011 the founding editor died. He was a former college professor. He had a heart of gold (which ended up giving him a heart attack) and very little business savvy.
The new editor has taken the press to a higher level. Ultimately, it is what it is. It's a small niche press with limited marketing budget. They are not going to land you in bookstores. But then again, shelf placement is overrated.
If a book store orders 3 copies of your books and sticks them on the top shelf somewhere, the chances of you getting noticed are not that great.
There is a lot of waste with big publishers. They print way too many copies, most of which end up going back to the warehouse.
I think that for a small press, a POD/ebook hybrid is the way to go.
You build your readership step by step.
Again, I reiterate, it is what it is. I must say, they truly have come a long way. What the site used to be in 2009, and what it is today, it's day and night.
They are not going to land you in bookstores. But then again, shelf placement is overrated. If a book store orders 3 copies of your books and sticks them on the top shelf somewhere, the chances of you getting noticed are not that great.
Oh dear, I feel that there's going to be a Mommy War brewing, between stay-at-home mommies and career-oriented mommies, and what is best for the baby. There seems to be a lot of conflicting data being fed, rumors flying from both sides. And it's not surprising, given that the market is changing. Shelf placement may have been very important 30 years ago, when there weren't so many authors, and so many channels on TV. Just look at how many bookstores are going out of business. All I know is what I see with my own eyes. Now is not a good time to be a writer. I walk into a bookstore, and shoppers are literally in the single digits, and most of them are by the Starbucks stand anyway. So many books, so few shoppers. How in the WORLD does a book get noticed? Big publishers want a sure thing. I have several friends who got rejected by big publishers just because they "had no track record with first-time authors".
No one said this.So you don't think any small press is worth the trouble?
Well, if one is choosing between "self-publishing" and "a publisher that doesn't edit their books and has no distribution" -- I'd have to ask what the publisher is doing to earn their percentage. Do they have outstanding marketing and connections on the e-book side? That's the only other thing I can think of to add value. I haven't seen their covers -- what is their cover art like? That's another potential value add.You think it's better to go straight to self-publishing?
Define most. Are these presses that you've personally investigated, or just a rumor you've heard? In the case of the former, I'd be interested in knowing which presses -- there are a lot of differences between small presses, and I'd be interested to see if it was a broad sampling of many kinds, or a narrow one of a few similar presses.I mean, if you look at most small presses, they follow a similar model.
Very true -- depending greatly on the press. Do you have stats on how many of their books have been reviews by "semi-reputable" or better reviewers (and how that is defined for the numbers that you give)?but having your book with a small press increases your chances of getting reviewed by a semi-reputable reviewer, as many of them won't even tough a self-published book.
Because of him I got on the cover of a magazine in the UK. I also got featured in the Neo-Victorian Studies Journal.
No one here is saying that no small publisher is worth the trouble, or that a small publisher can't add value to your work. (I won't repeat what they ARE saying, since it't right up there in their posts )Small presses open doors that otherwise would've been closed.
Oh dear, I feel that there's going to be a Mommy War brewing, between stay-at-home mommies and career-oriented mommies, and what is best for the baby.
There seems to be a lot of conflicting data being fed, rumors flying from both sides.
And it's not surprising, given that the market is changing. Shelf placement may have been very important 30 years ago, when there weren't so many authors, and so many channels on TV.
Just look at how many bookstores are going out of business. All I know is what I see with my own eyes.
Now is not a good time to be a writer.
I walk into a bookstore, and shoppers are literally in the single digits, and most of them are by the Starbucks stand anyway. So many books, so few shoppers.
How in the WORLD does a book get noticed? Big publishers want a sure thing.
I have several friends who got rejected by big publishers just because they "had no track record with first-time authors".
So you don't think any small press is worth the trouble?
You think it's better to go straight to self-publishing?
I mean, if you look at most small presses, they follow a similar model.
And you've never heard of horror stories about authors being dropped by big houses because they didn't sell through?
I am not slamming big houses.
They have a business to run. I'm sure that having even 2 copies of the book on the top shelf increase your chances of getting noticed, but having your book with a small press increases your chances of getting reviewed by a semi-reputable reviewer, as many of them won't even tough [sic] a self-published book.
Old Hack, as far as the site is concerned, in 2009 it was a total mess.
And yes, having a professional looking site is a major element of the publisher's image.
The new editor did a great job attracting new editorial and markering talent.
It started off as a one-person operation. It's a miracle it survived after the death of the founding editor. Honestly, you are demanding too much from a small press.
I am thankful to the founding editor. Because of him I got on the cover of a magazine in the UK. I also got featured in the Neo-Victorian Studies Journal. Small presses open doors that otherwise would've been closed. It depends on what your goals are. I am not looking to make a living by writing books. I have a day job. I've been able to build modest by appreciative readership. It's very possible that some people have different goals.
Big publishers want a sure thing. I have several friends who got rejected by big publishers just because they "had no track record with first-time authors".
This is absolute nonsense. Where do you think first time authors come from? Publishers want books they think readers will buy. End of story.
As to how to promote you books, there's an entire subforum on book promotion.
First time authors often copy the latest fad (vampires, the Tudors, P&P rip-offs)