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Burning Willow Press, LLC

BCAlexander

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Hello folks! I've checked around and couldn't not find a thread on them, so opening one up. I'm building a list of potential small presses to submit to while my first book is with betas and when I'm not writing a second one. Anyway, I'm here to ask if anyone has had any experience with this small press? Or who has a better eye at examining a publisher's website than I can take a peek at it? I'm aware they are not taking submissions right now, but since things are in beta reader hands, I'm not submitting right now. If anything, this opens the potential for someone to get an idea on them in the future.

https://www.burningwillowpressllc.com/

A red flag for me is that the owners have no publishing experience listed prior to this endeavor of theirs and the editors list is sporadic with experience.

It seems their sales are mostly online. I can't find a source anywhere saying they are in bookstores.

They do have the wonderfully vague "competitive royalty rates" I've been seeing a lot in my searches.

They are very active on their social media promoting their books. Don't see them on NetGalley. The vice-president is noted to go to conventions to promote in this interview with him, though he notes more for networking than profit which makes me wonder on their ability to sell books at them. I may be reading too much into that.

http://www.mkgibson.com/interviews/...give-me-20-20-hard-questions-for-hard-writers

What do you all think? I'm still very new to small presses and glad I'm educating myself now.
 
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aliceshortcake

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Gillhoughly

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Let's have a look:

I found the T-shirt sales more easily than the page selling books.

Randomly selected title #1: so-so cover, released in 2015. Three whole reviews, sales ranking at 11 million. I would guess NO sales at all for this year.

RST #2: Released in 2016, 5 reviews, 6 million sales rank. Reviews have the vibe of enabling friends trying to help the writer by buying a copy but without having read the book.

RST #3: Released in 2016, 5-five star reviews, 2-million sales rank. I read a page or so. Nothing wrong with the writing, but found the scene both repellent and boring. Hope that's what the writer intended.

RST #4: Released last January. No reviews. 4-million sales rank. Read 6 pages, nothing happens. Can see why the sales might be a bit sluggish.

All the books are on Kindle Unlimited--which is a rip off for writers. No sales, no pages read, no money for the writer. The books are exclusively on Amazon, no other sales venue than that, not B&N, Books-A-Million, Smashwords, etc. The books are in one store with millions of others, and it looks like the writers have to do all the pimping themselves.

The bios of the two people in charge have personal info I don't care about and nothing on their professional credentials.

The acquisitions staff has one person who worked for a newspaper, end of publishing credentials.

The editorial staff fares better on education levels, but I'm not seeing actual work experience with a commercial publisher.

Oh, yeah, they ALL like to read!

Some like to WRITE! Imagine that.

Didn't notice if they sold anything to a commercial publisher, the kind that pays an advance, has distribution, can get books into stores and reviewed. Maybe they're being modest.

Didn't bother looking at the graphics dept too closely, they all like what they do. Some of the covers are okay, about what one might cobble together for an indie book, a few were hot messes. Maybe the writer has input on things.



You can do better.

Here is the rule for a writer: start shopping to the BIGGEST PUBLISHING DOG ON THE BLOCK. Never start at the bottom. By the time you work your way down to a microscopic press like this, you might well have sold your book and be on your way.

I tried a small press back in the day. They accepted my book!!!

They went belly up with bankruptcy a week later.

Mad as hell, I subbed to an unreachable publisher, the biggest I could find. Danged if they didn't offer me a 6-book contract. With an advance.

Keep moving with those beta readers, polish, and bury all the competition with your writing. But avoid this place. Big dogs only. Woof!
 
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C Alberts

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It seems their sales are mostly online. I can't find a source anywhere saying they are in bookstores.

I highly doubt they are in bookstores, except perhaps if authors have provided copies to a local bookstore on consignment. They have no info (that I can find) on their website about direct ordering for bookstores or proper distribution. They do have books available through Ingram (a major wholesaler) but they do not provide standard terms and returnability which means stores will not order them for their shelves (maybe for a pre-paid special order for a customer who requests them, at best).

Also, their paperback prices are very high for genre fiction in particular. One appears to be priced at $25. Not good, even if it is 500+ pages. Trade paperbacks almost never cost that much, even for serious nonfiction.

Also, I saw a glaring typo on their website - shelf spelled like 'shelff'. Eeek.

I agree with Gillhoughly - aim higher, start at the top.
 

BCAlexander

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I appreciate the insight, everyone. I think they were one of the first I saw which was why I sat watching them for a while and I guess they charmed me a bit. I definitely will start higher.

On an interesting note, I was just in Barnes and Nobles looking at publishers and was surprised to find one of their books. Unfortunately for them, it was horribly pixelated. I couldn't even make out their logo, much less the title. Charm broken.
 

Round Two

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I appreciate the insight, everyone. I think they were one of the first I saw which was why I sat watching them for a while and I guess they charmed me a bit. I definitely will start higher.

On an interesting note, I was just in Barnes and Nobles looking at publishers and was surprised to find one of their books. Unfortunately for them, it was horribly pixelated. I couldn't even make out their logo, much less the title. Charm broken.

As far as the book at Barnes & Noble -- are you in the author's hometown?
 

BCAlexander

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Nope. The gentleman is from London, but lives in New Jersey according to the BWP website. Perhaps someone ordered it and decided not to pick it up for whatever reason. Perhaps B&N was forced to put it on shelves since they can't return it?

Edited: I forgot to put that I live in Florida so the author lives nowhere near me in that aspect.
 
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