1)Will an editor be assigned to me? This would be important to ask especially of a small publisher that might not have a large staff. Personally speaking, I was not assigned an editor for my first novel, and had to arrange that for myself at my own expense. Find out if your publisher has editors on staff to assist the production of your book.
2)Do you have a marketing budget for new authors? Regardless of the size of the publisher, there is only so much marketing money to go around. With larger houses, you may find there is uneven distribution which favors bestsellers and strong bets. Smaller publishers often put the onus on the author to self-promote. It would behoove you to ask, if only to gauge what you can get from the publisher in terms of advertising and promotional benefits.
3)Where are your books distributed? Are the books distributed through large vendors like Ingrams and Baker and Taylor? Does the publisher have a relationship with chain and independent bookstores? Can the books be found on Amazon.com, BN.com, and the major book sites? More importantly, can one buy books directly from the publisher via its website? You may laugh, but my first publisher decided not to rebuild its site after being hit with a virus, preferring to let Amazon.com do the selling. This was a sure sign of bad things to come, and eventually they did fold.
4)What is the procedure for ordering books for a signing/conference? Will a bookstore have difficulty ordering books for a store event or related conference? Some publishers do encounter problems with stores, particularly if the publisher uses Print On Demand services, which not all stores recognize. If you are responsible for ordering your own books directly, and this is common with small publishers, find out what you would need to do and what author discount you get.
5)Do you have a presence at book festivals/conferences? Does the romance publisher you want to sign with have a presence at Romantic Times and RWA conferences? Does the sci-fi fantasy publisher you like attend regular conventions? Does the publisher attend Book Expo America? Granted, a publisher may not be able to afford every expo on the calendar, but it is good to know how much self-promotion the company does on its own in order to build its brand.
6)Will you assist me in exploiting my subsidiary rights? Check your contract to see which subsidiary rights remain yours. With smaller publishers, you may still retain film/TV, audio book, and foreign language rights to your work, while larger publishers may hold onto everything. If you do maintain some rights, ask your publisher if they assist authors in finding outlets to exploit those rights, or if they at least can point you in the right direction.
If you find a publisher is not willing to divulge answers to every question asked, do not necessarily take it as rebuff. Some publishers may not be able to reveal such information, and a reputable publisher will do his/her best to offer as much information as allowed to help you with a final decision. Be judicious when preparing to accept a contract, and know that the relationship you have with your publisher can shape the future of your writing career
Source by ezinearticles.com
2)Do you have a marketing budget for new authors? Regardless of the size of the publisher, there is only so much marketing money to go around. With larger houses, you may find there is uneven distribution which favors bestsellers and strong bets. Smaller publishers often put the onus on the author to self-promote. It would behoove you to ask, if only to gauge what you can get from the publisher in terms of advertising and promotional benefits.
3)Where are your books distributed? Are the books distributed through large vendors like Ingrams and Baker and Taylor? Does the publisher have a relationship with chain and independent bookstores? Can the books be found on Amazon.com, BN.com, and the major book sites? More importantly, can one buy books directly from the publisher via its website? You may laugh, but my first publisher decided not to rebuild its site after being hit with a virus, preferring to let Amazon.com do the selling. This was a sure sign of bad things to come, and eventually they did fold.
4)What is the procedure for ordering books for a signing/conference? Will a bookstore have difficulty ordering books for a store event or related conference? Some publishers do encounter problems with stores, particularly if the publisher uses Print On Demand services, which not all stores recognize. If you are responsible for ordering your own books directly, and this is common with small publishers, find out what you would need to do and what author discount you get.
5)Do you have a presence at book festivals/conferences? Does the romance publisher you want to sign with have a presence at Romantic Times and RWA conferences? Does the sci-fi fantasy publisher you like attend regular conventions? Does the publisher attend Book Expo America? Granted, a publisher may not be able to afford every expo on the calendar, but it is good to know how much self-promotion the company does on its own in order to build its brand.
6)Will you assist me in exploiting my subsidiary rights? Check your contract to see which subsidiary rights remain yours. With smaller publishers, you may still retain film/TV, audio book, and foreign language rights to your work, while larger publishers may hold onto everything. If you do maintain some rights, ask your publisher if they assist authors in finding outlets to exploit those rights, or if they at least can point you in the right direction.
If you find a publisher is not willing to divulge answers to every question asked, do not necessarily take it as rebuff. Some publishers may not be able to reveal such information, and a reputable publisher will do his/her best to offer as much information as allowed to help you with a final decision. Be judicious when preparing to accept a contract, and know that the relationship you have with your publisher can shape the future of your writing career
Source by ezinearticles.com
1 comments:
nice info tips very usefull
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