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Back to the Forum 2006 Archives Since I have made it as clear as I possibly can that I do not have the resources to publish other people's books I do not get as many queries as I once did. Still, I do get a few. This is one I received recently from Mr. Or Ms. X. I am not sure of the gender, but it is irrelevant.
I understand they you no longer are in the polishing business, but perhaps you could help me locate a reliable publisher. I have written one book "Name of Book and sub title." The distribution date was Jan of this year and it was from a print on demand publisher. Being new I did not understand the business and was not aware of the pit falls of that type of publishing. I have a second book ready for print, which is a sequel to the first and do not know which direction to go. Change or stay with the same company. The first book is receiving excellent reviews on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Borders. If you have a company in mind that I might contact please let me know. Thank you for your time Mr. X I usually try to be as helpful as I can to people who ask for input, but this was a tough one. I really had nothing to offer this person. If she or he is getting excellent reviews and selling some books, she may be doing better than I am. The real question is, with all those excellent reviews, is the book selling? That is not clear. Here is what I finally replied.
Dear X: Thank you for your recent query. Good Luck: William E. Steinman, Editor, Wesoomi Publishing
Perhaps this feedback seems a bit harsh, but it is as factual as I could make it. The real truth is, I consider the publishing industry and almost everyone associated with it to be less honest than the used car industry. I will except a few people and groups from this blanket indictment. One of the exceptions is Midwest Book Review. Unfortunately, Midwest Book Review is not a publisher or an agent. Jim Cox is what he says he is, an honest reviewer who tends to favor small publishers. I have been recommending "Writer's Market" to would be authors since I started Wesoomi Publishing. I have also, I believe, made it clear that getting a book published is akin to wining the Power Ball Lottery. It sometimes happens, but the odds are very long. Now, about the book "Writer's market," it is as advertised. It is a list of most North American publishers, but that's all it is. A cursory reading of some of the listings will confirm that these publishers will not even look at material from new writers. In order to get these people to look at your stuff, you must be represented by an agent. Now, here is the bad news. Writer's Market also has a list of about 50 agents who claim they are actively seeking new writers. I have recently be sending queries to these agents and agencies. So far, I have queried 20 of these outfits in an attempt to get them to represent me to the big boys. Guess what? I am gradually concluding it's all a bunch of bull. Out of 20 queries, I have received 15 "no thank you" replies ranging from polite to absolutely rude. The others have not replied at all at this writing. I would make an effort to understand if these people would actually look at my work and say it is unsuitable. The fact that they have refused to even look at it tells the true story. Here is the bottom line. These agents are generally less rude than the publishers, but, regardless of what they say, they do not want new work. They have their stable of pet writers and will not even consider someone they have not heard of. I will continue to query agents, until the list runs out, but I suspect the results will not vary. If I actually get a positive response, I will make sure I tell you about it as soon as I am sure it is positive and not just a different way of playing the same game. So, how do you get noticed by the big guys? I have read enough industry literature to get the message. If you really want to get in the game, you have to suck up! You must waste your time attending writers conferences and those sort of things instead of writing. You have to make nice, nice. You have to go and schmooze with these dreadful people. Good luck! For me, I am still trying to figure another way. I may never sell my
books, but I will keep writing and I will not sell out my principles. I will
not suck up! |