A Line on Some Good Book Packagers?

triceretops · Feb 24, 2012

I've already visted the American Book Producers Association website and pulled about four candidates that included fiction. I added Paper Lantern. I'm afraid I don't have a copy of Publisher's Market, or a subscription online.

Can anyone recommend a few more book packagers that produce fiction, in series or not? I'm having a tough time finding them in the Google universe.

Thank you in advance for any help.

Tri :flag:

Debbie V · Feb 27, 2012

http://chandlermariecraig.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/guide-in-links-book-packaging-and-work-for-hire/

Looks like great info there. I've already subbed a sample to Paper Lantern. Thanks for giving me the idea to head back to look for more. I found the link on Harold Underdown's site. I knew he had something about packagers. He also has a link to an interview with one - Lionel Bender. Google him for the company name.

thothguard51 · Feb 27, 2012

I have a question,

I assume mostly self pubbed writers would use packagers and I have to wonder why? Is the cost worth the return in self publishing?

Not trying to start a range war here, but I am just trying to figure this out for future references should I need something like this...

triceretops · Feb 27, 2012

Debbie, thanks for that lead.

tho, I don't think self-pubbed writers pick book packagers anymore than trade-published writers. Writing for book packagers is not self-publication, but writing more on spec for houses that need/want specific titles in their line-up or singularly.

Tri

thothguard51 · Feb 27, 2012

OK, I was thinking of something else...

Debbie V · Mar 5, 2012

Writing for packagers is a great way to get industry experience in your genre. In some cases, you get the by line and can show sales. In others, the by line goes to whomever initiated the project or the packager or publisher. Many long series are packaged.

chan · Mar 8, 2012

Hey, thanks for linking to my site! It's been a longtime since I've been on AW, but I used to be a regular!

Bookpackagers pay writers an advance, sometimes against royalties to write a book that has generally already been purchased by a publisher. I've done 4 this year and have really loved the experience.

triceretops · Mar 8, 2012

chan said:
Hey, thanks for linking to my site! It's been a longtime since I've been on AW, but I used to be a regular!

Bookpackagers pay writers an advance, sometimes against royalties to write a book that has generally already been purchased by a publisher. I've done 4 this year and have really loved the experience.

Chan, can I ask who you've written for? Finding the packagers, for me, was fairly easy. And I wrote to them with a polite query asking if they had any openings. I included my short bio and publishing credits in the body of the email. My creds are fairly impressive, including non-fiction books and articles, which takes in a lot of the subject matter of these packagers.

I'm just having trouble getting responses from them. It might be too early, since my subs only went out a few weeks ago. What would make it much more convenient would be packagers who list open calls for sample writing. And I just can't find these. Not yet anyway...

Tri

chan · Mar 8, 2012

Tri, I've only worked for MG and YA (and one adult) fiction bookpackagers. I've worked a lot with Working Partners and then another packager that is weird about disclosing that sort of thing but you can email me offline.

It's really hit or miss with hearing back from those guys. I was pretty persistent (yet polite). I think it's all about timing. October/September is a busy "concept" time. So during that time generally packagers seem to be looking for writers. From what I've heard to talking to some packagers recently, a lot of them also had a dead month up through mid-Feb and will start doing Spring development concepts now.

Basically, they probably won't email you back until they have a concept that they think is a good fit...or a concept they are working on at all for that matter! I know virtually nothing about non-fiction packagers though.

triceretops · Mar 8, 2012

Thanks, chan. Yes, I'll PM you. As a matter of fact, my proposals were for YA, and I did leave a sample with one who requested it. I just notice a lot of non-fiction elementary, mid and YA in the listings. These types are probably How-tos, science and educational formats for young readers. Lots of picture books too.

Tri

DennisB · Mar 23, 2012

Everything I've seen so far has been juvenile and YA. Is that the case?

triceretops · Mar 23, 2012

I think I see non-fiction more than anything else. I've been searching for YA, but I lost my link.

Tri

Debbie V · Mar 26, 2012

DennisB said:
Everything I've seen so far has been juvenile and YA. Is that the case?

Most packaged books are part of series, and series are very common for these markets. Much is also non-fiction.

I'm sure there is adult work there. Consider organizations and museums that print books. Many of those could use packagers. I'm just guessing though.

A Line on Some Good Book Packagers?

triceretops

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

triceretops

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others

chan

Hello!

triceretops

chan

Hello!

triceretops

DennisB

triceretops

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others