Inkwell Publishing

[J.S. Blue]

What can you tell me about InkWell Publishing?

Legit? How old is the company?

I'm getting mixed messages on them...of course I'm taking some of the advise with a grain of salt.

Thanks in advance,
Joe

 

[DaveKuzminski]

Inkwell is legitimate. It recently came about when three successful agencies pooled their talents to form a single, larger agency.

 

[James D. Macdonald]

A little more information, please?

===================


Inkwell Publishing of Poughkeepsie?

They're a production house. Typesetting, proofreading, and printing -- that kind of thing.

Give 'em text, pay 'em money, collect howevermany cartons of books.

Inkwell Publishing of Dobbins, CA?

Micro-regional, or (since all their books are by the same folks, who seem to be living together, run the press, and have day jobs) some guys who are self-publishing.

Inkwell Publishing of the Phillipines?

A printer.

I'm sure there are more ....

 

[DaveKuzminski]

Argh, I hate it when I miss seeing a word. Thought that was asking about Inkwell Literary Agency. I don't have anything on Inkwell Publishing.

 

[J.S. Blue]

O.K.,

I'm going back and checking my "solicitation" It's a publisher from amonst other places, Austrailia.
Waiting for more info from my "co-author".

 

[James D. Macdonald]

Okay, cool, willing to wait. But I just gotta ask: Why are you considering a publisher you don't know anything about? Unless you've read a couple of their books, looked at what kind of thing they do, the quality of the book, the editing, the production ... why?

And how did you come to hear of them in the first place?

 

[J.S. Blue]

Thanks...I was directed to this publisher by my "co-author" HB Marcus, and now when I'm asking for specifics, I'm getting the old "change the subject" routine.
Originally, it was told to me as "this publisher contacted me, and they want to give us a good deal". Now I'm not sure what's up.

I'll give you more specifics if I can get any straight answers. Sorry for wasting your time.

Joe

 

[Richard]

Thanks...I was directed to this publisher by my "co-author" HB Marcus, and now when I'm asking for specifics, I'm getting the old "change the subject" routine.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

 

[J.S. Blue]

Richard,

Is that a busy signal, or the sound of a satelite sending wayward messages from deep space?

Doesn't matter now, seems the book is lost in deep space, and going nowhere fast. As I said, sorry to waste your time.

I know, I mentioned the "H" word......

James,

To clarify, the offer was presented to HB supposedly, while we were working on this thing. The book is in a state of suspended animation at this point, and when I asked for more info on the pub, I got a lot of "Hey, look over here at this shiny object, it ought to distract you 'til you forget you asked that question".

I guess I'm not the self employed genius visionary I used to be......

 

[James D. Macdonald]

Is the book finished? Who has the rights to it?

Assuming the book's finished, my best advice is for you to go into a real live bookstore, find books on the shelf that are similiar, look at the publishers, write to those publishers for their guidelines, and (if you have the right to do so), submit to those publishers according to their guidelines. (If they say "no unsolicited," all that means is "query first.")

Inkwell Publishing of Australia -- nearest I can find is a book on dairy farming in New South Wales, pubbed around ten years ago. I don't know how much good they'll do you. (I've also found some guys who published a deck of tarot cards a while back. Common name, but none of them look really big.)

I tell you true: If a publisher can't get books into stores, you aren't interested.

 

[astonwest]

Is that a busy signal, or the sound of a satelite sending wayward messages from deep space?

I interpreted it as the "back up" signal...but that's just me.

 

[Deleted member 42]

Originally, it was told to me as "this publisher contacted me, and they want to give us a good deal". Now I'm not sure what's up.

If you have a track record in a particular genre/niche, a publisher might come to you and offer you "a good deal," meaning maybe more money up front, sometimes a modified royalty agreement, or bonus for particular rights, or PR or something . . .

But generally, publishers don't come to you and offer a real good deal, even if a book is on auction--and that's not likely for unknowns.

So I'd be suspicious just because of that data point. Macdonald is absolutely right; go to a typical bookstore, and look for books of the same sort. Who publishes them?

If you can't find a publisher's books in a bookstore, your book won't be in bookstores either.

 

[Galoot]

Wait, wait. HB's considering a different publisher?

 

[J.S. Blue]

Well thanks folks.....all this makes good sense.

HB considering a different publisher? That doesn't make sense, unless you consider the fact that I would NEVA EVA work with PA in any way shape or form- period. He knows this.

Joe