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Curiosity Quills Press

Scythe-Of-Winter

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If you are picked up as a client then it will be too late. Making certain you and a potential agent have a similar vision for submissions is something you go over before you're a client. (Perhaps you are thinking if they make and offer and you have "the talk" as being the same as "picked up as a client". But if this is a big deal to you, don't wait until after you sign to talk about it.)




Not so much stiff-necked as you sound like you expect an agent to make guarantees. Yes, agents that only and consistently sell to small presses may not be a good fit for you. Yes, if you want to start at the top and work down you need to find an agent who has the contacts to do so.

But landing a contract with the Big 5, getting into a bidding war, getting adequate marketing - these are all "mights", not guarantees. Even if you have a really solid agent. A well-established agent with a good reputation has a better shot at getting you that Big 5 contract, and good marketing and bookstore placement, etc. But there is always an element of "might" in these things.

Really? Wouldn't we, you know, discuss where the book is going to be offered before its on the market? Besides, it's not like this agent will just submit without my consent - I'd have to sign with them first and I'd chat with them about where it would be sent before I signed with them. Or am I wrong?

Also so as for the big press, of course there's never a certainty and it's always a maybe. I'm confident that it has potential, though. I've got some interest from big, big agencies, including a very, very near miss with Curtis Brown. I dunno what'll happen, but I'd sure as hell rather not focus first on ultra small presses including the "clean reads" press (considering my YA book has an on-screen body count of over 50, I'd hardly say it's clean!). But otherwise I'd rather aim high than never even try. And I can always write another book....
 

KTC

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I see both your books are ranked in the millions on Amazon. I know Amazon rank doesn't tell the whole story, do you sell most of your books in other formats/stores?



Yep. Barnes, Kobo, Nook, etc. And paperbacks through bookstores show as Ingram's. And libraries...

They both Spike up and down on Amazon. Burn was #1 in the Bully cat. in Canada last week... Though not sure that represents an awful lot of sales. They're both doing better than my first three.
 
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pinkbowvintage

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KTC, do you happen to have any insight into the marketing/promotion process? Did your book get reviewers?
 

Scythe-Of-Winter

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I think I can say this now: the agent in question was Valerie Noble from Donaghy Literary, and she did reject my MSS. I can't say how relieved I was.
I did a bit more research and digging into Curiosity Quills, Aestra Press and the like, and it's pretty set it stone that I'll be staying well clear of them and their likeness. It's just not what I'm after, and even if this novel doesn't work out I'm confident in my abilities to write another one and get an agent.

I've sold short stories to SFWA-approved markets, so I'll be following the same pattern with novels. (At least that's the plan).
 

The Suspense Author

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I went through the first 4 pages and then jumped to the back. Can anyone just tell me if submitting to this press is a good idea?
 

Filigree

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Sigh. No. Yes. Maybe. That depends on the kinds of risks you want to take, and whether you think the press is worth them. Seriously, read the entire thread. Then look in a couple of other places online. I know we've mentioned how to do that, in other threads where you've participated. This is a 12 page thread with around 300 entries. It's not that much to read, if you've written an entire book.
 

pinkbowvintage

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It depends on what you're looking for in terms of publishing, I'd say. I still haven't heard back from them on my full even though I'm agented now.
 

DrFaerieGodmother

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Full disclosure: I'm pubbed with them.

That being said, they are very professional. The author community is fabulous. The editing ranges from exceptional to okay.

If you're looking to pub with small presses, this one has at least made it past the evil two year hump when most would have folded. Compared to other small presses, they're really good. As for if you should submit, I have a strong thought on that:

Never submit to a publisher unless you've read at least two of their books from separate authors. If you don't see your book hanging out with those books and making friends, then don't submit. If it seems like stuff that you enjoy and that your book is similar to, then submit.

Good luck one way or another, and you can PM me if you have other questions about the press.
 

The Suspense Author

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If someone has time to read 2 books from each publisher they're interested in I would like to borrow their time bending machine.
 

Filigree

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It's called 'skimming'. I give books up to three chapters to impress me. Since I read fast, that's usually less than twenty minutes' investment. Most bad publishers show their awfulness within a few pages at most. The more critical reading I do, the more it helps me recognize problem areas in my own work. When I find numerous great books from a publisher, it's serendipity.
 

Filigree

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My agent sums it up like this: what has this publisher done lately? Within the last year or two? I'm about to break my rule and send a short story to a publisher that hasn't put out a single book yet. But their background impresses me, and I can afford to lose this story in publisher limbo if I gamble wrong. I will admit that publisher isn't QCP. They are not right for me, just yet. They might be, in the future.

I understand your impatience. But you have to learn that publishing is a long game. No one can hold your hand and give you perfect shortcuts perfectly tailored to your needs. We can give you our shortcuts and sneaky tricks, that maybe worked for us. It's up to you to find the paths and publishers that work for you. If you can't handle the regular submissions workload, you might want to reconsider publishing. Because it's often just as much work on the other side of the contract, even with a good publisher.

If you really have been reading Absolutewrite for a while, you should know this by now.
 

Marian Perera

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If someone has time to read 2 books from each publisher they're interested in I would like to borrow their time bending machine.

It takes time to do research, whether you're buying a house, searching for a job or looking into a publisher. Either make the time, or be prepared for potential surprises and disappointment down the line.
 

mccardey

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It takes time to do research, whether you're buying a house, searching for a job or looking into a publisher. Either make the time, or be prepared for potential surprises and disappointment down the line.

This - plus any excuse to read!
 

pinkbowvintage

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If you're pressed for time, go to the book's page on Amazon and see if you can read sample pages to get a good sense of the style, pacing, etc. Read their Goodreads reviews. Look at the kinds of covers they put out. Look at their sales records. You can usually get a good sense of a publisher's books without reading/buying their books. Though if you do, that's a total plus!
 

Jeneral

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If you're pressed for time, go to the book's page on Amazon and see if you can read sample pages to get a good sense of the style, pacing, etc. Read their Goodreads reviews. Look at the kinds of covers they put out. Look at their sales records. You can usually get a good sense of a publisher's books without reading/buying their books. Though if you do, that's a total plus!

This. I've downloaded samples of books onto my Kindle, and it's usually enough that you can get an idea of quality. Then if it's something I'm interested in I buy the whole book. Easy enough.
 

The Suspense Author

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Writers are quick to call other writers impatient or accuse them of not wanting to do research. I just don't have time to read multiple books. I spend pretty much all my free time researching publishers.
 

mccardey

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Writers are quick to call other writers impatient or accuse them of not wanting to do research. I just don't have time to read multiple books. I spend pretty much all my free time researching publishers.

Reading books is something writers tend to be thingy about. Because books. And writers.

But if you really don't have time to read (!) do as pinkbowvintage suggested. Sample pages from Amazon, and get a feel that way. Really - if you want to be a writer and you're actively trying to get published, but you don't have time to read, you're doing something wrong.
 

JJ Litke

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Writers are quick to call other writers impatient or accuse them of not wanting to do research. I just don't have time to read multiple books. I spend pretty much all my free time researching publishers.

Well of course you don't have time to read books, you didn't even have time to read the thread.

These writers have experience, and they're trying to share it with you. And checking out what publishers are publishing IS a basic part of researching them.
 

pinkbowvintage

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Reading is so, so, so important if you want to be a writer, and a good one at that! It's how we learn to be better, and what's going on around us, and what's happening in publishing. It inspires us.

Read in your genre. Read outside of your genre. READ.
 

Luzoni

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My agent subbed my second novel to QC. I'd never heard of them so I looked them up and...the first page was disturbing as an earlier poster said. It does appear from more recent posts that they aren't as sketchy as the first page makes it appear but...

I've had some concerns about my agent for a while, worried she is amateurish or something. She sold my first book after around two years, which was a tough sell I think because it was in this too adulty YA place, but she's been so slow and lackadaisical with this second novel. She's subbing to big places too like Thomas Dunne and such but she has told me she thinks this may go to a smaller publisher like the first one has (small but prestigious, if ungodly slow) so I'm worried she's like already written this second novel off and am concerned she's may not be pitching it as well as she could? This one is an SF adventure that's much safer and more conventional than my first but I wouldn't think we would already be doing something like CQ. But then again maybe she legit thinks it's a great fit. *sigh* I don't know. *beats head against desk*

Was there an overall verdict that CQ is good for SFF? I'm getting the impression they're still somewhat sketchy in sales at least of some genres?
 

KarenLK

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Not recommended. This small "hybrid" press offers a yearly escape clause, though the amount of the kill fee is not specified in their boilerplate contracts; expect to pay a prohibitively high kill fee if you choose to leave due to poor sales. For example, a fee that costs 10 times as much as the total royalties earned by the author.

More info on kill fees: http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2009/08/victoria-strauss-kill-fees-and-why.html
 

JayliaDarkness

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I want to start off with a full disclosure: I am published with them.

I suggested one of my critique partners submit to them and she directed me to this thread. I noticed another person to comment is also published with CQP, and I agree with much of what they said.

I have made some great friendships with other authors published through CQP. They have also been great to work with on various anthologies that I have compiled. I do agree with the previous comment that the editing ranges. I have had some great editing experiences and some that were okay, but from what I understand about publishing houses, that's typical.

I could go on and on, so feel free to PM me if you have any questions.