Muskrat Press

juniper · Oct 13, 2014

I've recently come across a local small publisher called Muskrat Press.

Website here: http://muskratpress.com/home

They seem very small - 3 books published, none to be released soon that I can tell - and little info on who's running the business.

Their description under the About tab is this:

"We started the press because we love novelists. We've met loads of them who aren't gaining traction with literary agents, much less with the traditional publishers. Literary agents are the first barrier to entry for novelists who dream of a traditional publishing contract. Unfortunately, agents are so swamped with query letters that many, if not most, of them don't have time to respond anymore. What are talented novelists to do when they can't get their manuscripts read?"

I don't know who the "we" referenced are. Is it the 3 authors who have their books listed with them? Are they also the publishers?

Under the FAQ tab I found this:

"Do you have previous publishing experience?

Sure do. And from New York City, no less. Between us, we've been affiliated with words in one capacity or another for over twenty years."

I like small publishers - and I like supporting local writers - but I have a few friends who were burned by another local small press a few years ago. I'm wondering about this one.

ETA: Not saying writers might be burned by this particular press.

Osulagh · Oct 13, 2014

Not the worse one I've come across, but they sure don't help themselves.

First, it's might be because I have no wish to investigate them, but when they say:

Do you have previous publishing experience?
Sure do. And from New York City, no less. Between us, we've been affiliated with words in one capacity or another for over twenty years.

Which tells us nothing. Nothing about who's working at the press, their exact experience, or what they've done. Quite literally, "20 years in publishing in New York" can mean they have twenty people on staff who have worked one year each in a New York book store. This means nothing if they don't provide exact facts.

Also:

We've met loads of them who aren't gaining traction with literary agents, much less with the traditional publishers. Literary agents are the first barrier to entry for novelists who dream of a traditional publishing contract. Unfortunately, agents are so swamped with query letters that many, if not most, of them don't have time to respond anymore.

Agents that get too many queries can't respond to them? Hmm... It's almost like they're busy.

Come on, why are you really not accepting submissions right now?
Honestly, it's because we're a small operation. That's all. We've got our eye on the future, and are pow-wowing about our next steps.

So, let's refresh: Agents who are too busy to take in books = BAD. Muskrat Press is too busy to take in books = because they're a small press.

Oh, and I love the next lines:

We ascribe to the following sage writing analogy, which pertains as much to life as to writing: You don't need to know everything, only as far as the headlights illuminate.

Which means: Don't think further into "because we're a small operation" or anything we say like a correctly-thinking individual, just believe our exact words. Do they really think we're that stupid? Why not tell us the exact? They're too busy? They're not serious enough to dive into publishing and just wish to dabble in it?

So, as far as I can see, they don't name names or show faces, and they lie to our faces in hypocritical ways. IMHO, they're bordering scam territory.

I wouldn't touch them, covers and site look decent enough though.

Becca C. · Oct 13, 2014

I think with this:

We ascribe to the following sage writing analogy, which pertains as much to life as to writing: You don't need to know everything, only as far as the headlights illuminate.

They're just talking about that quote about writing that says writing a book is like driving at night: you can only see what your headlights illuminate, but you can drive the whole way like that. Paraphrasing, of course, and I forget who originally said it. Stephen King, maybe?

BenPanced · Oct 13, 2014

What are talented novelists to do when they can't get their manuscripts read?

Keep trying because somebody out there will see it.

frimble3 · Oct 13, 2014

Becca C. said:
I think with this:

They're just talking about that quote about writing that says writing a book is like driving at night: you can only see what your headlights illuminate, but you can drive the whole way like that. Paraphrasing, of course, and I forget who originally said it. Stephen King, maybe?

I know that quote as well, and I don't know which is worse: if they're referring to potential authors, who should just trust them to get it right, a step at a time, or if they're referring to themselves, implying that they're learning as they go along- that now they're doing 'Acquisitions', and don't need to know the rest of the process, and that they'll then turn to 'Editing', and will learn what they need to know when they get there.

And: "Affiliated with words"? What does that even mean? I open mail for my employers. Sometimes I have to read the contents to find out where they belong. Sometimes I proofread stuff for my boss. Does that count as 'affiliated with words'? 'Cause if it does, I have 25 years of experience, and I wouldn't trust me to publish a book, not even my own.

If they had anything useful to tell authors, like names or experience, why are they playing coy?

aliceshortcake · Oct 14, 2014

Muskrat appears to have started out as a self-publishing venture by Jeannie Burt, author of When Patty Went Away. The Muskrat website is registered to her:

Domain Name: MUSKRATPRESS.COM
Registry Domain ID: 1679506334_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.enom.com
Registrar URL: www.enom.com
Updated Date: 2013-08-27 09:49:40Z
Creation Date: 2011-09-28 23:20:00Z
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2015-09-28 23:20:00Z
Registrar: ENOM, INC.
Registrar IANA ID: 48
Registrar Abuse Contact Email: [email protected]
Registrar Abuse Contact Phone: +1.4252744500
Reseller: NAMECHEAP.COM
Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited
Registry Registrant ID:
Registrant Name: JEANNIE BURT
Registrant Organization: JEANNIE BURT
https://mawords.com/muskratpress.com

Muskrat Press

juniper

Always curious.

Osulagh

Independent fluffy puppy.

Becca C.

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

frimble3

Heckuva good sport

aliceshortcake

Wilde about Oscar

CaoPaux

Mostly Harmless