Yes Is Not A Requirement

When I first started submitting books and shorts to publishers I would do two things: one, I’d check them out on my favorite site Editors and Predators to determine if the publisher was legit, and two, I’d make sure my book fit with the publisher’s guidelines. If they wanted me then I wanted them, no questions asked. On my part, anyway. Over the years I’ve had mostly good experiences.

I’ve realized along the way that just because a publisher wants your book doesn’t mean you have to say yes after you understand all of their requirements. Two encounters have been good examples of this. A publisher wanted one of my YA books. I did extensive rewrites. Some I agreed with, others I didn’t, but I did them all because I wanted it published. THEN I discover my book would be on hold, which at the time would have been a wait of two years. If the publisher would have been, say, Random House, I would have waited. But this publisher, although respectable, was a small to medium one. I took out the rewrites I didn’t agree with and sent my book elsewhere and just signed it.

Another example comes from one of my mystery books. The publisher was very excited but wanted so many rewrites to me it would have been a completely different book. (The publisher was mainly romance expanding into other genres and…no surprise…wanted more romance.) Again, if Random House I would have done it, but since not a huge publisher I sent my book somewhere else. The small plot catches were appreciated and I did fix those. (I always consider every bit of feedback I get…just because I didn’t agree with all of it doesn’t mean some wasn’t valid.)

NOTE: Both of these publishers were very nice and said they would understand if I decided to place my book elsewhere.

So anyway, all of that to say that in this day and age there are lots of publishers, especially small to medium sized one. You don’t have to say yes if something doesn’t feel right to you. And you can ask questions. For example, before I signed my most recent contract I asked for a description of the editing process. I got a wonderful response back which told me I would be involved every step of the way, which is exactly what I want.

This leads me to answer a question a reader asked. If I am so happy with Wild Child/Freya’s Bower why would I look elsewhere? Why go through all the stress of somewhere new?

That’s a good question. I do love this publishing house. Everyone is professional and nice. They know their stuff. They communicate. They are helpful. I’ve made modest sales. But I want to see what else is out there. I love to write for its own sake, but I’d like to make more money. What I’ve learned is the publishing biz is subjective and quirky, thus bumping into just the right person could be all it takes to send a book soaring. I do what I can marketing-wise, but I don’t have the income to go hog wild.

I don’t know if a new small to medium company will be better for me, but what I figure is that they know different people in the business, have different readers, or different marketing techniques. Any one of those could expose my books to just the right person.

And that could make 2012 a very good year.

A Good Airing Out

My grandmother used to say this every spring; she’d take out all of her rugs and beat them over the clothes line, a year’s worth of dirt, dust, and skin cells soon wafted over the countryside. She would also scrub everything within an inch of its life, the proverbial spring cleaning.

I don’t do it in the spring. Actually, I don’t do it at all, not like she did. And spring never seemed the right time. I’d much rather be tidying my garden. I clean in the winter right after the holiday stuff is put away. I also sort my closets, eliminating what doesn’t work for me anymore.

For example, my dancing clothes. When Gary and I first started dancing I thought I’d be dressing in ball gowns with lots of glitter. Still do the glitter, but we are way too jumpy and dippy for me to wear long dresses, so out they went.

I clean in other areas too. For writing, I go through my records and make sure all my manuscripts are out. I send reminder notes to publishers or agents if they haven’t responded within their stated time frame. Along with my usual tasks this year I’ve realized that perhaps some publishers and agents just don’t work for me.

At this point in my writing career I know I can write; I wouldn’t have published as much as I have nor would I have agents asking to read manuscripts if I couldn’t. However…I think because my stories often don’t fit within a prescribed genre big publishers and agents don’t want that kind of risk in today’s market. I say that without pride or regret, as my dad would say, just an observation.

So I’ve decided to focus on boutique publishers; these are small to medium houses that focus on something out of the mainstream. I sent my Malaysian story, Chimera, to a publisher who only takes books with protagonists of color. I sent my after death story, Albatross, to a “new age” publisher. And so on. There are places that do unusual. They may not be big, but perhaps like Goldilocks and little bear’s bed, they will be just right for me.

Happy New Year.