Don't know what to do.... e-book issue...

Fiona

The Banishing, Released March 2011
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
401
Reaction score
31
Location
U.K
Website
fionasfiction.wordpress.com
I wrote a supernatural horror novel, about 75,000 words. I sent it to various publishing agencies, and I have heard back from two recently -
the first is an agency that publishes BOTH paperback and e-book.
Then I also heard back from a senior in an agency who said he was impressed with my work, and is considering my book for e-book publication so my book has been "shortlisted."

What I want to know is...

1. How hard is it to get published usually (down the e-book route) in comparison to traditional publishing?

2. If my book gets released as an e-book, would I ever be able to release it later on as paperback (via sites like Lulu) if I wanted to?

3. Are royalties normally fair?

4. From what I have seen, there are a lot of great books available as e-books online... but is there prejudice out there? I don't know much about e-book publishing, but my friend told me to "hold out" for a traditional publishing deal because it would be something to be "more proud" of. This last commend offended me, in truth, because I know there ARE great books out there online, and I also did feel proud that an agency liked my work...

5. Has anyone here released several books this way, and what has their experience been like?

I guess I just want to learn as much as possible in case I get an offer from one of these agencies....
 

Jersey Chick

Up all night to get Loki
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
12,320
Reaction score
4,278
Location
in the state of carefully controlled chaos
Website
www.kimberlynee.com
I wrote a supernatural horror novel, about 75,000 words. I sent it to various publishing agencies, and I have heard back from two recently -
the first is an agency that publishes BOTH paperback and e-book.
Then I also heard back from a senior in an agency who said he was impressed with my work, and is considering my book for e-book publication so my book has been "shortlisted."

What I want to know is...

1. How hard is it to get published usually (down the e-book route) in comparison to traditional publishing?
It depends on the publisher. The well-respected epubs (Samhain, Loose Id, Ellora's Cave) can be as difficult as NY print pubs. Others have higher acceptance rate. Don't be fooled into thinking that epublishing is "easier" to break into simply because it's epublishing. :)

2. If my book gets released as an e-book, would I ever be able to release it later on as paperback (via sites like Lulu) if I wanted to?
Depends on what rights you sign away in the contract. If you give the publisher (and I'll confess to being a little confused, I don't know the term "publishing agency" - it's either a publisher, or an agent.) rights to print and e-format, then no. You can't, at least not until the contract expires.[/quote]

3. Are royalties normally fair?
The standard rate for ebook is (I think) anywhere from 30 -40%, depending on the publisher (again, this should be spelled out in the contract.) You want to look for royalty on the retail price of the book, (I can never remember if that's net or not).

4. From what I have seen, there are a lot of great books available as e-books online... but is there prejudice out there?
It depends. There can be bias against ebooks (the myth that ebook automatically equals lower quality), but that depends on the publisher as well. There are epubs that are as well regarded as NY print houses (again - Samhain, Loose Id, Ellora's Cave.)

I don't know much about e-book publishing, but my friend told me to "hold out" for a traditional publishing deal because it would be something to be "more proud" of.
Your friend doesn't necessarily know what s/he is talking about. Once more, it all goes back to the publisher.

This last commend offended me, in truth, because I know there ARE great books out there online, and I also did feel proud that an agency liked my work...
Again, I'm confused about agency vs publisher. Would you mind sharing the name of this company?

5. Has anyone here released several books this way, and what has their experience been like?
I've got two books with Samhain, three with The Wild Rose Press, and two with Aspen Mountain/Aurora Regency Historicals. All three are epubs and all three have been positive. All books have been thoroughly edited (I'm in the middle of revisions for two of these books right now - which means I barely have time to breathe.) But I have also dealt with an epub that I wouldn't recommend (this was years ago, before I found AW) as well. That experience was less than pleasant and I'm glad it's far behind me.

I guess I just want to learn as much as possible in case I get an offer from one of these agencies....
Remember, you can always search the Bewares & Background Checks subforum to see if any prospective publisher is listed there, and what anyone has to say about them. :)

Hope this helps! :D
 
Last edited:

efkelley

ow
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Messages
1,493
Reaction score
86
Location
Atlanta, GA
It depends on the publisher. The well-respected epubs (Samhain, Loose Id, Ellora's Cave) can be as difficult as NY print pubs. Others have higher acceptance rate. Don't be fooled into thinking that epublishing is "easier" to break into simply because it's epublishing. :)

This exactly. The only reason epublishing has a larger acceptance rate is because an ebook is less of a gamble for the publishing house. But, note I say 'less of an investment'. They still spend money on covers, editing, and marketing.
 

quickreaver

Neo-beatnik, drab but hip
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 13, 2009
Messages
164
Reaction score
9
Location
The Buckeye State
This exactly. The only reason epublishing has a larger acceptance rate is because an ebook is less of a gamble for the publishing house. But, note I say 'less of an investment'. They still spend money on covers, editing, and marketing.

As a cover artist for several e-publishers, what I CAN say is I make my money on quantity, not exactly quality (though I do a good job, if I say so myself!) This means e-publishers don't pay their artists as well as traditional publishers. It also indicates that if you're a prolific writer and get lots of stories out there in the e-book realm, and do a fair amount of marketing yourself, you can make decent bank...remember, it's all royalties, no advances. If you're looking to hit that 'blockbuster best seller' jackpot, you're probably not going to do that in e-publishing. Not yet, anyway.

I think it really depends upon your personal business style...on how you want to spend your time. Research the publishers and find the one(s) that suit your personality. And continue to be the best writer you can! Yes, e-publishing has an evolving reputation right now. And there seems to be more chaff than wheat, but that doesn't mean you can't have a great book and great success digitally! Best of luck...
 

Fiona

The Banishing, Released March 2011
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
401
Reaction score
31
Location
U.K
Website
fionasfiction.wordpress.com
Thank you everybody for your advice and responses.

I am totally new to the world of e-books so I just wanted to learn more.

One of the companies I am waiting to hear from is Damnation Books... Has anyone here worked with them? Their communication with me has been good and positive, and they seem a good team.

There was another company who requested my entire novel, who publish paperback, but I haven't heard back yet. I wonder what to do if I get an offer from one - should I wait to hear back from the others or just make a snap decision?
 
Last edited:

nkkingston

Bemused Girl
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
1,116
Reaction score
67
Location
UK
Website
www.solelyfictional.org
The Damnation Books thread on BRBC is still closed after things got very heated there. Their sister press's thread, Eternal Press, was also closed for a while but appears to have reopened now. It's worth reading through. At the time, they charged Kill Fees which weren't mentioned in the contract, which most people consider a deal breaker, and authors were complaining about very poor sales. As in single digit sales. Personally, I'd avoid them.

From your use of phrases like 'publishing agency' I'd suggest you study the business of publishing a little more. It'll make it easier for you to judge good and bad publishers and what the best options are for you. BRBC has a good starter thread, though it's geared towards commercial print publisher.

Romance is the genre where the big money is for ebooks. Some romance and erotica authors pull down a living wage through ebooks alone, and some have been picked up by print presses. Though by 'some' I mean maybe 0.01% of authors, if that. Personally, I've made a few hundred dollars so far, with a popular press in a popular genre. The best way to make money in epublishing is to write more books; people buy one, like it, and buy the rest. That's why I'm working on book two!

Good epublishers have high royalty rates, gross on sales from their own site and net on sales through other retailers (where net is limited to the cut the retailers take). They usually hover around the 30-40% mark. They will provide you with thorough editing, professional covers, and solid promotion. You are much more likely to sell books through them then you are through your own efforts (if I'd self-published Tease I doubt I'd have seen $20 yet).

Bad epublishers provide none of these things, and you are likely to see less money than if you'd self-published. They also tend to have things like kill fees to prevent you getting out of the contract and taking your book to someone better.

Best ways to tell: buy a book from their site. Check out the cover, the editing, the price. Check out the publisher on BRBC. Even consider emailing some of their current authors to see how they're getting along.

Horror seems still to gravitate to niche print presses. Ask in the Horror forum for recommendations or post an excerpt in SYW and see if anyone there can think of a perfect fit. Of course, you'll also get feedback, which may sting if you're not braced for it. Alternately, have a look through the horror section at some local bookshops and see who the publishers are with them.

If you're aiming for a decent sized advance (four figures or more), though, your best bet is to query agents that take horror, and if they accept it they'll try and sell it to one of the big publishers in return for a 15% cut of the advance. Again, BRBC is the place to check out if agents are legit or not. Really, it's the place to go for every publisher or agent you're considering submitting to. You haven't mentioned who your other acceptance is with, but it's worth seeing if you can find them in this list.
 

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
17,865
Reaction score
4,640
Location
dunking doughnuts at Dunkin' Donuts
What do you guys think about the publit thing on barnes and noble? From what I can tell anyone can publish...
While e-pub, B&N's PubIt is a self-publishing venture. You need to be ready to do everything you'd get from a commercial publisher that would release your work on hard copy or e-format: you need to be the primary editor, art director, marketer, publicity manager, and accountant and if you can't do those, you need to be able to pay for those services from somebody else. Self-publishing is a lot of additional hard work you need to be able to put in if you expect your book to sell. Many people here have made it work, but you need to ask yourself if you're willing and able to do it yourself.
 

veinglory

volitare nequeo
Self-Ban
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
28,750
Reaction score
2,933
Location
right here
Website
www.veinglory.com
Bottom line, pick the best press. I would suggest wiritng down your goals. If that is having a certain format, a certain sales level etc. Make sure you know what each press will do in terms of sales, profits and presentation. Remember that there is option #3, neither.
 
Last edited:

nkkingston

Bemused Girl
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
1,116
Reaction score
67
Location
UK
Website
www.solelyfictional.org
::blushes:: thank you. I learnt it al at AW, of course :) Never underestimate the usefullness of having a good explore of these forums!

(I write horror as well as erotica, and sometimes the two combined, which helps)
 

breecita

Stealthy Lurker
Registered
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
12
Reaction score
1
Location
Alabama
Website
www.moirarogers.com
Bottom line, pick the best press. I would suggest wiritng down your goals. If that is having a certain format, a certain sales level etc. Make sure you know what each press will do in terms of sales, profits and presentation. Remember that there is option #3, neither.

This is the best advice, in my opinion. Before you know your goals, you can't make an informed decision. Some things (hitting bestseller lists, mass market releases, wide bookstore distribution) are still all but impossible in epublishing, and if any of those are really important to you, you'll end up unhappy.

Within epublishing, there are also goals. Some epublishers are more professional than others. Some are very good within certain niches. Some may be laid-back and casual instead of running like a bottom-line business. I prefer the latter, but I know people who prefer the former, and it's good to know that before you get started.

Knowing what you want from cover art, distribution, editing, royalties, etc is all very important.