General publishing question

dascmom · May 15, 2013

I wasn't quite sure where to post this; the major publishing thread seems to be about specific publishers more than about general publishing questions.

So, I wondered if authors are expected to have 100% loyalty to the publisher that they have used (I have 2 books published and one in process by a single publisher) or if it is considered OK in the field in general to query a different publisher in order to have a different experience. Do publishers know if you have queried a different publisher (assuming the book is rejected- I know they will realize that you have gone elsewhere when your book comes out)? Do publishers become angry at authors who use or try to use different publishers? I have had a positive experience with my current publishers, but I am wondering if I should be looking at other options in terms of pay, editing process, and other considerations. If anyone can help me with this, I'd appreciate it.

Thank you!

Jess Haines · May 15, 2013

It's expected that you will query widely in the beginning.

If you are contracted, read the language of the contract--there may be a clause in there for "right of first refusal" from the publisher. That gives them the option to read your next ms (usually in the same genre, but read the language of the contract carefully to be sure) for X number of days/months and to give you an offer before you can shop it around to other publishers.

Does that help?

Torgo · May 15, 2013

dascmom said:
I wasn't quite sure where to post this; the major publishing thread seems to be about specific publishers more than about general publishing questions.

So, I wondered if authors are expected to have 100% loyalty to the publisher that they have used (I have 2 books published and one in process by a single publisher) or if it is considered OK in the field in general to query a different publisher in order to have a different experience. Do publishers know if you have queried a different publisher (assuming the book is rejected- I know they will realize that you have gone elsewhere when your book comes out)? Do publishers become angry at authors who use or try to use different publishers? I have had a positive experience with my current publishers, but I am wondering if I should be looking at other options in terms of pay, editing process, and other considerations. If anyone can help me with this, I'd appreciate it.

Thank you!

It's perfectly normal to have two publishers - in fact, I think in my business, children's books, it's often desirable (though I will do my best to preserve exclusivity if I can, I won't ever say it's a career misstep to have two.) The way you go about it may or may not ruffle feathers. Your legal obligations to your current publisher are defined by your contract; your moral obligations are governed by social rules, and will differ by context.

Jamesaritchie · May 15, 2013

It's all about your contract.

Anne Lyle · May 16, 2013

Assuming your current contract has no "first refusal" clauses...

dascmom said:
So, I wondered if authors are expected to have 100% loyalty to the publisher that they have used (I have 2 books published and one in process by a single publisher) or if it is considered OK in the field in general to query a different publisher in order to have a different experience.

They might well be disappointed, but it's far from unknown.

The fact that you're talking about querying publishers implies you don't have an agent. An agent might want to submit a new ms widely, especially if they thought they could get a much better deal out of it.

dascmom said:
Do publishers know if you have queried a different publisher (assuming the book is rejected- I know they will realize that you have gone elsewhere when your book comes out)?

I guess it depends on how much the editors at different houses talk to one another, and whether they would choose to mention it.

dascmom said:
Do publishers become angry at authors who use or try to use different publishers? I have had a positive experience with my current publishers, but I am wondering if I should be looking at other options in terms of pay, editing process, and other considerations.

Publishers are people, so I expect some would be angry. But if they're going to react like that, would you want to continue to do business with them? It's a fact of life that authors drop their publishers - but also that they get dropped by them too. It's a two-way street!

dascmom · May 16, 2013

Thanks for the answers. I have thought it over, and I'm going to stick with the same publisher for my next book. I have no complaints with them, so I'm going to stay put at this point. "If it ain't broke...then don't fix it" will be my philosophy for a bit longer.

folkchick · May 17, 2013

A person should be able to shop future projects without the fear of feelings getting hurt, otherwise how would an author move ahead in their career?

What about this though: The publisher has first rights of refusal AND owns all rights to derivative works. If the publisher refuses the sequel, yet technically owns it, doesn't that make it impossible for the author to shop the manuscript around? Also, back to the emotional aspect, I have seen where an author gets taunted on Facebook by their former publisher because the author passed on an extensive R&R. Guess the moral is to read that contract and make decisions based on future works as well as the current one.

Marian Perera · May 17, 2013

I expect a publisher to be professional whether the author remains with them or gets a better deal elsewhere. If the publisher reacts with anger, the author is definitely better off elsewhere.

Michael Davis · May 17, 2013

Many of the authors I know have multiple stories across several publishers and its considered fine without inference for upsetting any of them. Justification can be you've written in a genre one pub doesn't relate to, or doesn't like a storyline. My publisher knows of these other arrangement and has no problem with it. I personally submit all my stories through the same pub because they've been good to me and accept my cross genre stories (I straddle several categories in each story).

James D. Macdonald · May 17, 2013

I'd recommend publishing with several houses. It keeps any one of them from feeling complacent.

Becky Black · May 20, 2013

All of my novels so far have been with the same publisher and I'm happy to keep submitting to them. I get along well with my editor, the editing is thorough, the covers are good etc. But I wrote a short story recently and since that was too short and not erotic enough for anything my novels publisher puts out then it would have been a waste of their time and mine to submit it to them. So I researched more suitable ones, submitted and sold it. I've got a couple of other ideas for short things that again are of a lower heat level than my novels, and if this new publisher proves to be good to work with I'll likely submit to them again.

General publishing question

dascmom

Jess Haines

Boldly going nowhere in particular.

Torgo

Formerly Phantom of Krankor.

Jamesaritchie

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

dascmom

folkchick

Not a new kid

Marian Perera

starting over

Michael Davis

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Becky Black

Writing my way off the B Ark