It's a fairly new publisher (opened in April 2014).
Here's the link to their website: http://silverrosepublishing.com/index.html
Here's the link to their website: http://silverrosepublishing.com/index.html
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Silver Rose Publishing
- Thread starter J.B.Kantt
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Uh-oh. "Making Author's Dreams Come True" right on the main page.
At least it's only one author. You don't suppose they meant "Making Authors' Dreams Come True," do you? If it's just one, I wonder which of the five current authors it is.
ETA: I wonder if they have something against commas. A few pages I looked at had no commas whatsoever—and some were badly needed.
At least it's only one author. You don't suppose they meant "Making Authors' Dreams Come True," do you? If it's just one, I wonder which of the five current authors it is.
ETA: I wonder if they have something against commas. A few pages I looked at had no commas whatsoever—and some were badly needed.
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They have grammatical errors on their site.
Nowhere do they say what genre they publish (although their current books appear to be romance or erotica).
There's no mention of what kind of royalties they offer.
They hint that marketing may be left to the author to perform via social media.
Their site isn't the most professional-looking thing that I've seen.
I'd wait a few years and see if they improve before submitting anything to them.
Nowhere do they say what genre they publish (although their current books appear to be romance or erotica).
There's no mention of what kind of royalties they offer.
They hint that marketing may be left to the author to perform via social media.
Their site isn't the most professional-looking thing that I've seen.
I'd wait a few years and see if they improve before submitting anything to them.
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If they proofread their own website at all, they did a poor job of it.
I shudder to imagine someone being taught by them.
No, just... no.
If ever they ask that, they don't know enough about the business to be operating in it. Avoid.
I shudder to imagine someone being taught by them.
No, just... no.
If ever they ask that, they don't know enough about the business to be operating in it. Avoid.
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Offer
Thank you for all the replies!
I actually queried Silver Rose Publishing before posting in this forum. Today, they offered to work with me on my book.
Even though their website isn't perfect, I've done additional research on their current authors, and I'm excited to work with them.
I'll let you all know how it goes.
Thank you for all the replies!
I actually queried Silver Rose Publishing before posting in this forum. Today, they offered to work with me on my book.
Even though their website isn't perfect, I've done additional research on their current authors, and I'm excited to work with them.
I'll let you all know how it goes.
I hope it all goes well for you, JB. But, unless you have a lot of expertise in the area, please do get someone(s) to help you look over their contract before you sign anything.
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According to their website, they "are now accepting submissions for romance/etotica/paranormal."
Etotica? I wonder if they mean "erotica"? Or is "etotica" a new genre that I haven't heard of.
Etotica? I wonder if they mean "erotica"? Or is "etotica" a new genre that I haven't heard of.
Yawn. Usually I don't respond to outfits like this (Filigree's Rule), but that was ridiculous. If they can't proofread their own copy, why would any author trust them to do a good job?
I will have someone look their contract over. Thank you, Unimportant
Make sure that whoever looks over it for you is experienced in checking out publishing contracts.
There have been instances where lawyers who were checking out contracts from really dodgy vanity publishers gave them the ok, because there was nothing illegal in them--but that didn't make them good contracts.
Based on what I've seen of this publisher I would not sign with them.
The website is registered to Ellena Jennings of Swadlincote (http://who.is/whois/silverrosepublishing.com/), who has to be the Derbyshire-based Silver Rose author E I Jennings; the company started out as a self-publishing venture.
I suspect this means that they don't provide any real editing. That's certainly the impression I get from the clunky prose and punctuation abuse with which E I Jennings' own books are riddled.
Retainers? Do they mean advances? J.B., are you really sure you want to publish with these people?
I suspect this means that they don't provide any real editing. That's certainly the impression I get from the clunky prose and punctuation abuse with which E I Jennings' own books are riddled.
Retainers? Do they mean advances? J.B., are you really sure you want to publish with these people?
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You all have brought up some really important points that are weighing heavily on my decision. I am definitely going to think about it before I sign anything. Thank you all again.
Based on your blog post, I know you're over the moon about this yes (and a "yes" from another new publisher, I gather). But can I put on my old person hat for a second?
When I was in middle school, I entered a poetry contest and got an offer to publish my poem. I was insanely happy. I felt exactly what you're describing. Turned out, the publisher was saying yes to anyone who would send a piece of paper with words on it their way. I felt crushed. My "accomplishment" wasn't what I thought it was.
It was about ten more years before I got a real sale -- one for a short story. A legitimate check from a magazine that I could actually go to the store and buy a copy of. It was just as awesome a feeling as I got for that contest, only this time, the feeling stayed.
I know ten years sounds like forever. I hope the wait for you is much shorter. But I don't think this yes is the groundbreaking moment it feels like. Anyone can call themselves a publisher. Anyone can send you a nice, official-sounding letter, and plop your stuff on Lulu or CreateSpace. And if that really is all this publisher is doing, you're not going to feel that excitement for very long. In fact, you may very well start to wonder if you could've done a better job on your own.
Also, something else to consider, I'm not sure how young you actually are, but you may or may not be legally allowed to sign the contract on your own.
As I said, old person advice I know. But hey, I know how to use the internet. That counts for something, right?
I'm always wary of publishing companies started by people who haven't worked in trade publishing. It's one thing to self-publish - quite another to deal with other people's work, particularly if they are that careless with their own website. I also frowned at the "participation in the company" and "teaching publisher" bits. What are they actually going to do that a self-publisher couldn't do for themselves - other than have a "real" publisher's name on the book?
Another older person speaking: validation is wonderful. As writers, many of us struggle in isolation and self-doubt about our work. It's an addictive feeling to have another person's approval.
But consider the quality and utility of that approval, before basing future decisions on it. In any such business interaction, ask yourself if this person or company is a capable judge for your work. Do they have their own reasons for building you up, that might not be to your ultimate benefit? What do they get out of it? What do you get out of it?
This really is like a dance: you don't have to tango with everyone who asks. Sending a mms is not your unbreakable promise that you'll accept the first or any offer. I've dropped several publishers from my go-to list in between sending queries and getting answers, because I found new info about them.
But consider the quality and utility of that approval, before basing future decisions on it. In any such business interaction, ask yourself if this person or company is a capable judge for your work. Do they have their own reasons for building you up, that might not be to your ultimate benefit? What do they get out of it? What do you get out of it?
This really is like a dance: you don't have to tango with everyone who asks. Sending a mms is not your unbreakable promise that you'll accept the first or any offer. I've dropped several publishers from my go-to list in between sending queries and getting answers, because I found new info about them.
There are lots of things that can go wrong when a book is published and if the publisher is inexperienced, some of those things are almost guaranteed to go wrong.
We can tell from Silver's website that the editing and design is likely to be poor. That's going to put readers off if they ever find your book. Chances are that few people will see it, though, because Silver is unlikely to have proper distribution for its print editions (if it produces these--I can't remember), so your book won't get into bookshops; and it's unlikely to have a good presence online, either, as it doesn't seem to have much marketing leverage, or many followers or fans.
So it's possible--probable, perhaps--that your book will be poorly produced, won't find its way to your potential readers, and won't sell. In that case, what's the point of signing with this publisher? If you want to see it for sale but this is the only offer you've had, you might well be better off self publishing it. That way you can tweak and refine things to better reach and please your potential readers, and you'll earn more money per sale, too.
There is one other big reason for avoiding new, inexperienced publishers.
When these publishers fail--and many do--they fail because they've not behaved in a professional, business-like manner, and because they don't know enough about how publishing works to make a go of their business. They tend to continue that lack of professional behaviour through to the closure of their businesses, and rather than winding it up properly they just cut off communications and disappear.
This means that they don't revert rights back to their authors. And if they close but still hold the rights to your book, you will be unable to offer it elsewhere or self-publish it. It will be lost to you, probably forever.
And that's the big risk that writers take when they sign with these self-publishers-turned-trade-publishers, or with publishers run by people with no experience in publishing.
I don't think it's a risk worth taking. You might feel differently.
We can tell from Silver's website that the editing and design is likely to be poor. That's going to put readers off if they ever find your book. Chances are that few people will see it, though, because Silver is unlikely to have proper distribution for its print editions (if it produces these--I can't remember), so your book won't get into bookshops; and it's unlikely to have a good presence online, either, as it doesn't seem to have much marketing leverage, or many followers or fans.
So it's possible--probable, perhaps--that your book will be poorly produced, won't find its way to your potential readers, and won't sell. In that case, what's the point of signing with this publisher? If you want to see it for sale but this is the only offer you've had, you might well be better off self publishing it. That way you can tweak and refine things to better reach and please your potential readers, and you'll earn more money per sale, too.
There is one other big reason for avoiding new, inexperienced publishers.
When these publishers fail--and many do--they fail because they've not behaved in a professional, business-like manner, and because they don't know enough about how publishing works to make a go of their business. They tend to continue that lack of professional behaviour through to the closure of their businesses, and rather than winding it up properly they just cut off communications and disappear.
This means that they don't revert rights back to their authors. And if they close but still hold the rights to your book, you will be unable to offer it elsewhere or self-publish it. It will be lost to you, probably forever.
And that's the big risk that writers take when they sign with these self-publishers-turned-trade-publishers, or with publishers run by people with no experience in publishing.
I don't think it's a risk worth taking. You might feel differently.
There have been a few alterations to the wording of Silver Rose's website since the company was mentioned on AW - I'm relieved to see that they've removed an odd reference to their authors acting as 'mentors' to other authors - but there are still problems:
I'd want to know exactly what they mean by contracts running 'year to year'. And by 'participation in the company' I think they mean 'participation in marketing your book', which isn't quite the same thing.
Lucky (single) author! But what the hell is a 'teaching publisher'? It isn't a publisher's job to teach authors the basics of their craft. And do commercially published authors think of themselves as 'part of' Bloomsbury, Penguin etc? A publisher shouldn't be a family of which the author is a part, it should be a business dedicated to selling books. But Silver Rose probably thinks of commercial publishers as soulless corporations dedicated to crushing an author's individuality:
A Google search brought up a couple of what appear to be discarded pages of the Silver Rose website that didn't get deleted. What little has survived is intriguing:
Presumably it went on to say that the writer would be assigned an editor. Why is there no mention of editing on the existing website? The fact that they 'offer' to teach the author about grammar, tense etc. suggests to me that this may be an optional extra the author has to pay for.
Ellena Jennings is also the founder of Midnight Book Tours and Indie Brits:
http://midnighttours.blogspot.co.uk/p/welcome.html
http://indiebrits.blogspot.co.uk/
I'd want to know exactly what they mean by contracts running 'year to year'. And by 'participation in the company' I think they mean 'participation in marketing your book', which isn't quite the same thing.
Lucky (single) author! But what the hell is a 'teaching publisher'? It isn't a publisher's job to teach authors the basics of their craft. And do commercially published authors think of themselves as 'part of' Bloomsbury, Penguin etc? A publisher shouldn't be a family of which the author is a part, it should be a business dedicated to selling books. But Silver Rose probably thinks of commercial publishers as soulless corporations dedicated to crushing an author's individuality:
A Google search brought up a couple of what appear to be discarded pages of the Silver Rose website that didn't get deleted. What little has survived is intriguing:
Presumably it went on to say that the writer would be assigned an editor. Why is there no mention of editing on the existing website? The fact that they 'offer' to teach the author about grammar, tense etc. suggests to me that this may be an optional extra the author has to pay for.
Ellena Jennings is also the founder of Midnight Book Tours and Indie Brits:
http://midnighttours.blogspot.co.uk/p/welcome.html
http://indiebrits.blogspot.co.uk/
I copied the text you quoted and put it into Google, and found this page.
When I go to it I get a page with a few headers showing, in a large red font, but no body copy. When I highlight the page that body copy is revealed:
As James Macdonald wisely says, "A manuscript that is publishable by one press is publishable by many". So, while an acceptance letter is very exciting indeed, it should immediately raise in the author's mind the question of "Gosh, could I do even better with this book?" Particularly if the acceptance letter comes from a press that isn't the perfect fit for the author.
I'm sure Silver Rose is the perfect fit for some authors....but in my cynical opinion, those authors are likely to be limited to The Person Who Owns The Press.
I'm sure Silver Rose is the perfect fit for some authors....but in my cynical opinion, those authors are likely to be limited to The Person Who Owns The Press.
