Small Press vs Vanity Operation

In a previous post, I implied that getting a book published by New Babel Books wasn’t that big of a deal, provoking one reader to comment:

…I do find you a bit arrogant on other issues, such
as small presses. Frankly, I think you didn’t need to be snide about
New Babel Books. And no, I’m not associated with them in any way, shape
or form.

I have nothing against small
presses. I’ve been published by small presses (McFarland, Five Star,
etc.) and so have my friends and members of my family. 

I do have a something against vanity presses that pretend to be
something they aren’t to hoodwink aspiring writers out of their cash.

I also am very leery of so-called "small presses" created by an
author to publish his own work…at least until his work is far
outnumbered on the company’s list by books written by other authors.
Until then, it’s not a small press but a vanity operation…though
not in the sense that they are charging other authors to get into
print. It’s a vanity press in that it primarily exists to self-publish
one author.

For instance, Jim Michael Hansen self-publishes his LAWS mysteries
under the moniker Dark Sky Publishing. Those are the only books Dark Sky publishes. If tomorrow he publishes a book
by Jane Doe, I don’t think that makes Dark Sky a small press. In my
mind, he becomes a small press when the business clearly shifts from
being primarily geared towards selling his own work to editing, publishing, and distributing the work
of other writers (and paying them royalties).

On the other hand, Uglytown is an example of a local, small press that was started to serve the needs of
its author/founders and grew to become a legitimate and respected imprint
(which, sadly, is no longer in business).

Hard Case Crime began by publishing the work of its author/founders Charles Ardai and Max Phillips and
has grown to become a highly-acclaimed, respected, and exciting small press with
authors like Lawrence Block, Stephen King, and Ed McBain among their large list of titles.

New Babel Books was apparently established by author Frank Fradella to
publish his own books. Four of the six titles listed on the site
are his own.  The company’s FAQ reads:

 

New Babel Books exists because there are authors out there who have
extraordinary projects that don’t fit easily into the pigeonholes of
today’s industry. That makes it harder for them to find publisher.
Consequently, it makes it harder for you, the reader, to find truly
ground-breaking work. New Babel Books serves to bring the two of you
together.

Meaning, it seems, that Frank couldn’t sell his  projects to any traditional publishers so he published them himself. Now he’s publishing books by two others (what’s not clear to me from the site is whether his books are P.O.D or not… I suspect that they are). The company’s mission statement reads, in part:

We shall deliver only those offerings which have endured the rigors of
our editorial process and promise to deliver an entertaining,
arresting, and unforgettable reading experience.

Not surprisingly, his four books, which make up the bulk of his "list," managed to make it through his own rigorous process…and will probably continue to do so. 

None of that means that New Babel Books won’t become a legitimate small press, but I wouldn’t call them one now.

44 thoughts on “Small Press vs Vanity Operation”

  1. It amazes me, but every conversation I have with a non-writer about my book involves them saying “You should self publish! Then you’ll have a book in your hands!”
    And I try to explain, no, that’s not what I’m doing this for, this is my career. Ugh. I guess it works out for some, like the Eragorn kid or whatever, but it’s not in my plans, my contingency plans, or my back-up plans.

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  2. Quiet Storm Publishing is another example…only of how it all goes wrong. Clint Gaige started Quiet Storm to self-publish his own books in “print on demand” format and then tried to expand into publishing books by others and it all went down in flames.
    The internet is littered with examples of wanna-be authors who did the exact same thing. They were dazzled by the possibilities of print-on-demand technology and deluded themselves into believing that they were published authors and that they were publishers, too! It seems like no one has learned. New Babel sounds like the same thing only with better cover art.

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  3. I have wondered why it is country music stars start their own label and put out themselves and other acts and are considered legitimate, but this isn’t the case with publishers. Could it be?
    It’s tricky. If someone with enormous clout, like Michael Connelly, started a publishing company tomorrow and also published his own stuff, would it work? Who knows. Publishing is infinitely trickier.
    I am not opposed to print on demand, done right. In fact, it’s disappointing that people try to get books 5-6 years old and can’t because they’re out of print. I had two people mention examples to me recently, where they tried to order the books but were told they could no longer buy them.
    I’d like to see a convincing argument for why publishers can’t use POD to fulfill orders like those and keep backlists alive, as long as the author is in favour.

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  4. If an artist who has proven they have talent self-publishes their own product (book, CD, whatever) it might have commercial viability. After all, we’ve read Michael Connelly before, and listened to Clint Black’s music. We know what we’re getting, no matter who publishes it.
    But if Joe Bob “publishes” his novel, or burns copies of his own CD, we have no way of knowing whether or not it’s any good. It hasn’t been through any kind of third-party vetting system. In fact, we have a pretty good expectation that it’s NOT any good, because he probably tried to get it published through the conventional channel and failed.
    Not all self-published product is lousy. Occasionally there are exceptions. But those exceptions come so very rarely that it stigmatizes all of the product. It might not be “fair,” but it’s a smart consumer decision not to buy. If the artist really is any good, a traditional commercial publisher will pick them up and you can enjoy their work then.

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  5. Sandra Ruttan is an interesting case in point, Lee. She’s “published” by this
    company:
    Tico Publishing
    http://home.earthlink.net/~ticopublishing/index.html
    Among their scammery:
    On their submissions page, they make a point of specifying that “We do not work with agented authors.” Gee…. I wonder why not??
    http://home.earthlink.net/~ticopublishing/id1.html
    “I’m sorry, Mr. Clancy, but we can’t publish your book. You have an agent.”
    You don’t even have to query them — you just send the manuscript.
    If you click on the link for their “Bookstore” you don’t actually see any of their books.
    http://home.earthlink.net/~ticopublishing/id20.html
    What you get are links to Amazon for books by people like Clive Cussler and Piers Anthony, which they helpfully point out are “Other books we thought you’d like.” The real point, of course, is to imply a
    connection to those authors.
    They have a “contest” ($5 entry fee) where the winner gets their book published! (Just like a vanity press.)
    http://home.earthlink.net/~ticopublishing/id2.html
    You can also pay them to review your book.
    http://home.earthlink.net/~ticopublishing/id16.html
    (Something which they imply is endorsed by the National Book Critics Circle by putting their logo at the top of the page. bviously, it’s a scam and not endorsed by anyone.)
    What a f’in joke.
    The folks at Absolute Write also nail them pretty good for charging all kinds of reading, editing, and book-doctoring fees:
    http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20055

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  6. You know you’re dealing with a reputable publisher when you find an offer like THIS on their site:
    Do you need, or would you like, to have your book reviewed? Not having much luck getting them on your own? We understand.
    So do the “big” reviewers, like Kirkus and ForeWord. They’ve both added “commissioned reviews” yet with them, you will be paying from $299-$349 and have to wait 8-12 weeks to get your review! OUCH!
    TICO Publishing is now offering a full review service. There are two “levels” to choose from:
    Our review service is simple
    Level 1: For $29.95, we’ll deliver a 200-500 word full-length review to you within 7 days – 14 days (depending on the length of the manuscript and backlog of submitted work).
    Level 2: For only $39.95, we include everything from Level 1, EXCEPT as an ADDED feature, not only will we review your work, but it will be professionally edited and come back to you in a PDF laced with comments and suggestions.
    See the two Paypal boxes below to choose which service you would like.
    Our reviews will always be impartial, fair, honest evaluations of your work.
    Your review will also be added to our website and link to where someone could buy it (if available). We’ll also add it to Amazon.com reviews if your book is available on Amazon.com.
    Get your work noticed! Reviews are the bestsellers of books!
    You will have full reprint rights to use the review (or blurbs from it) in your book, on your website, on Amazon.com, or any other place you have your book for sale.
    NOTE: Your commissioned review automatically enters you into our bi-annual contest (unless requested otherwise by the author.)
    http://home.earthlink.net/~ticopublishing/id16.html
    Are there really people out there stupid enough to fall for shit like this????

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  7. I agree that there is a lot of scammery – love that word – in publishing, what with all the printers posing as publishers, these days, and charging often outrageous fees. So many people are so desparate that they will do anything to see their name in print.
    It doesn’t help when the so-called industry bible, Writer’s Digest, where many new people turn to for advice, seems to be something of a participant in the quackery.
    I am aware of a business originally set up to print the work of one person and which now has quite the stable of writers – Bold Stroke Books – http://www.boldstrokesbooks. com – and they use a real printer; too bad that the majority of their books are based on copyright violations and trademark infringements.
    They put out uber fiction books based on the transplanted Xena and Gabrielle characters from Xena Warrior Princess, although one author has stolen her stuff from Star Trek Voyager as her characters are based on Captain Janeway and Seven of Nine.

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  8. “I’d like to see a convincing argument for why publishers can’t use POD to fulfill orders like those and keep backlists alive, as long as the author is in favour.”
    They do. It’s a bad thing for the author, because as long as the book is “in print,” the rights don’t revert.

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  9. “The whole thing seems to be a rather suspicious activity for a publisher to be engaged in. But maybe I’m missing something.”
    David,
    What you’re missing is that they aren’t publishers…they are a scam…and not a very sophisticated one at that.
    I’m shocked by how brazen they are in their efforts to take advantage of desperate and gullible aspiring writers. Their review “service,” their “contests,” and their unwillingness to work with “agented” writers are particularly egregious examples that they are far from being legitimate publishers.
    It’s laughable.
    Lee

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  10. Go get’em, Lee. I just read this on the Tico Publishing site:
    http://home.earthlink.net/~ticopublishing/id15.html
    “We act as both publisher and literary agent. The ultimate goal is to get as much exposure as possible to your book. Sometimes this means we choose a Print-On-Demand option, but nothing ever costs you anything. We still format, illustrate, create a cover, finance, and market your book…”
    They are your agent AND publisher AND reviewer??? Lucky you!!!

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  11. Yeah, but it looks like they snagged some Hollywood people for the gig. Of course no on eis named Sobel as in Nat Sobel and that has to be deliberate. The fearless leader “Gur” appears to be Meinersesque according to his bio. What a coincidence.

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  12. Wow.
    This is interesing.
    People posting long, accusatory posts without signing their name to them.
    I can honestly state that I have never paid Tico, other than a $5 contest entry, once. And while at the time I thought nothing would come of it, it was cheaper than printing off my manuscript or paying to post it. I didn’t expect to win best fiction, but the engraved glass plaque I recieved cost a lot more than that. I have paid nothing for editing, nothing for my cover, nothing for the interview they did with me…
    Nada. In fact, they’re already started sending out ARCs and are printing material for me for B’con.
    “You don’t even have to query them — you just send the manuscript.” That is also true of numerous other publishers I could list – Dundurn, ECW, Ronsdale – even Orion in the UK, and they publish Ian Rankin. You have a better shot with an agent, but you can still submit your manuscript.
    So, whatever people have stated, it’s completely false with regards to me and my contract. I had my contract checked over by people in the business before I negotiated it and signed it.
    Are there really people so stupid? Well, I’m getting published, and I didn’t pay anything for it. But I’ve been called names by someone who’s too chicken to state their identity.
    There are a lot of places that offer editing services out there, a lot of places that don’t list their prices. One thing about some of the sites that ID scams is that not all things are regarded equally. I know P&E gave Tico a bad rap, and I know why, because I asked. They didn’t like the terms for selling movie rights because they felt the publisher’s percentage was too high.
    Yet P&E recommends another publisher that I happen to know takes 100% of royalties from sale of movie rights. I know this because I know someone under contract with that publisher.
    The bottom line is, you need to do your homework. And that means doing more due diligence than hanging out on sites that point fingers at potential scammers all day. They may be right much of the time, but they may not.
    I have everything in writing to back up what I’ve said here. My name is signed to it, my email’s there, anyone can come talk to me.
    Perhaps people who want to sling mud can muster up the balls to do likewise?
    I’m not going to defend Tico’s website, or their pay-for-review policy. I think some of what they’re doing is generating a lot of suspicion, and I understand where that’s coming from within the writing community.
    But believe me – if Tico screwed me over, I’d be the first to go on the record about it. Anyone who doubts that hasn’t read my blog and doesn’t know me. They haven’t. Their other business stuff has nothing to do with me, so I try to stay away from it, and I should also point out paid reviews weren’t being offered when I signed my deal, just editorial service.

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  13. Yeah, but Sandra, indignation aside, you have to admit that associating with a publisher that preys on the aspiring in such a brazen fashion is not, perhaps, the best place to find yourself. So they haven’t rooked you; that’s great. But their other business stuff has all the world to do with you. Your tacit defense of them speaks of their legitimacy. You’re right: Plenty of publishers accept unagented fiction — Soho, Akashic, Soft Skull, just to name a few — but you know what they don’t also do? Provide an editing service for a fee. Or act as an agent. There are also plenty of services out there that will edit your book for a fee. But they aren’t also the publishers. (Well, actually, a lot of them are…they are called vanity presses.) The paid review is another animal all together. Can you tell me another publisher where you can pay them to review your book?
    Look, I’m sure your books are great, but your role here of defending them simply because they published your book isn’t helping to disabuse the perception that they aren’t much more than a vanity outlet. They didn’t charge you, but they’ve charged plenty more, and that makes them far from legit.

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  14. Sandra,
    I’m sure you didn’t pay a dime to be published, but by associating yourself with a company that acts as “publisher and literary agent,” charges for editorial services, won’t work with “agented writers,” and offers to sell reviews, you’re hardly helping your professional profile.
    You write: “Their other business stuff has nothing to do with me”
    Of course it does, because by allowing them to publish your work, you are tacitly endorsing them and their practices.
    Like it or not, Sandra, you are judged by the company you keep…and, in this case, the company isn’t one that reflects well on you or the publishing industry.
    “I should also point out paid reviews weren’t being offered when I signed my deal, just editorial service.”
    And that didn’t raise a big alarm with you? A publisher employs editors who edit your books for free. That is what editors do. At real, legitimate publishing companies. The ones that don’t sell reviews, sell editing services, and also act as your literary agent. (That’s my favorite bit, by the way, that they will be both your publisher and literary agent!)
    You write: “The bottom line is, you need to do your homework. And that means doing more due diligence than hanging out on sites that point fingers at potential scammers all day. They may be right much of the time, but they may not.”
    Okay. You say that you did your homework — which was what, exactly? All I see when I read the Tico site is one warning sign after another. You don’t need to visit any other blogs or websites to come to a fair conclusion about them, just read what they say about themselves and the “services” they offer. You don’t even have to read between-the-lines. They almost make PublishAmerica seem reputable by comparison.
    I can’t see one thing about company that would be attractive to an author…except that they might print your manuscript in book form.
    What attracted you to them? Was it their great reputation? Their wide distribution? Their classy-looking books? The financial and critical success of their authors?
    Lee

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  15. Bear in mind Lee that sites can change over time. Not everything on that site was there when I signed on.
    If you want to know some names of people in the business that I had look over the contract, you can email me. I’m not dragging them into the debate in the public arena, out of respect for them.
    How I ended up with this deal is a long story. In part, an agent was interested in representing one series I was working on, but wanted me to sell the other series to a small publisher. I used firstwriter to find small publishers and did some bulk submissions. To be honest, I forgot about Tico until I got my assessment back, a few weeks before I found out I won the contest.
    At that point, the evaluation was on the contract. I discussed concerns with the publisher, and with people I trusted before signing on.
    The agent who’d advised me to sell to a small publisher was with the largest literary agency in Canada, at least at that point. She then left and went solo, and I’m not signed with her – another long story.
    So… would this have been my first choice for my publishing debut? It wasn’t exactly how I envisioned it. I’ve had manuscripts lost in the ‘departing agent’ shuffle before. It’s life. And I’ve subsequently fielded more complaints and questions about Tico’s website than any author should have to do on behalf of their publisher.
    In trying to refrain from making comment on their other practices, well, bear in mind I have a contract with them. It isn’t exactly good form to go around making negative statements. It isn’t going to endear me to other publishers, is it?
    This is where I am now. I do have to defend my name, in so much as I didn’t pay a press to publish me. And no writer is obligated to pay those fees to be published – at least, they certainly weren’t at the time I submitted. I don’t frequent their website, so I wasn’t aware of the paid-for reviews until David posted about in on his blog. The website gives off a bad impression. This is something I raised issues with the publisher about recently, but what can I really say? If I go at my publisher and keep putting pressure on them change their website and business model I’m going to get a reputation for being difficult… aren’t I?
    Frankly, after one publisher tried to get me to pay 10,000 pounds to be published, I considered forthrightness not entirely objectionable. Better than sites that look professional, until you see the contract and find out they’re sheisters. I’ve never had Tico do a bait and switch on me, and when I negotiated my contract, everything was addressed to my satisfaction.
    At this stage, all I can do is assess them on how they treat me and how they manage their business. I can cross my fingers and hope they’ll make some adjustments that will improve their image. A lot of people tell me they’re watching, to see what happens with my book. It’s become an enormous burden, and this isn’t what I expected to have happen this year.
    I can’t help wondering if people will be itching to slam my book, just so they can take a shot at a publisher they don’t like. I now find myself in a very frustrating position, because the credibility of the publisher could have a serious affect on me, and I did nothing wrong. Certainly, to the point at which I signed on, the only concern my contacts raised was that they didn’t like the website showing the submission status of people who’d sent in work, which has nothing to do with any of this. That criticism came from somebody in New York in the business.
    As for paid reviews… I’ll be posting on my blog about this in the morning. Stopping short (I hope) of saying anything that will get me in serious trouble, yet saying just enough to make a few points.
    This isn’t the only publisher that has a contest with an entry fee. It’s how things are being combined that’s the problem – in particular, the front page of the site asserts what they aren’t.
    It should assert what they are. I get that, but again, the site and the business has changed since I signed on, and there isn’t a lot I can do about it.
    If people really want to see it changed or the accusations proven, they should write emails, and not to me. That’s all I can suggest, and even that could be enough to get my head severed tomorrow by an angry publisher.
    Hello rock and hard place. I can’t (nor do I personally have any reason to) get out of my contract, so what would you have me do? My name was brought into that “anonymous” post. Tico’s been attacked plenty online and I’ve let it be. But when my name is brought into it, I’m just supposed to let all those inferences against me go? I’m seriously asking, because I’m balancing trying to be professional about this, having my own concerns, and at the same time, having no respect for people who make slanderous inferences about me behind the safety of anonymity. If someone’s really concerned for me, why bring it up here? Why not come to me with their concerns? Why should I have to hear about it from a friend who reads this and emails me to suggest I check it out?

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  16. Sandra,
    Judging by your account, you got screwed. But you’re making a bad situation far worse for yourself by appearing to defend the people who screwed you.
    “If I go at my publisher and keep putting pressure on them change their website and business model I’m going to get a reputation for being difficult… aren’t I?”
    Perhaps if we were talking about Ballantine or William Morrow. But we’re not.
    Do you think Tico is going to spread the word that you’re difficult? Who are they going to spread it to? Their good buddies at Random House? Penguin-Putnam? Get real.
    It’s not like Tico’s so-called editors hob-nob with anyone who is *really* in the publishing business. Tico isn’t taken seriously as a publisher on any level by anyone. Can you find one reputable, professional organization (like the MWA, SFWA, Authors Guild, etc) that recognizes them as legitimate publishers?
    “In trying to refrain from making comment on their other practices, well, bear in mind I have a contract with them. It isn’t exactly good form to go around making negative statements. It isn’t going to endear me to other publishers, is it?”
    Perhaps that would be true if Tico was regarded as a legitimate publisher and held in any kind of high regard…which they are not. I would wager that 99.9% of real publishers, editors and agents don’t even know that Tico exists.
    A much better argument for you not to rail against Tico’s practices would be a desire not to publicize your association the company. That’s a rationale that I could understand and heartily endorse.
    If I was in your position, I would tell people that I am as shocked by Tico’s business practices as they are, that none of those practices were evident to me when they accepted my book and if they were I wouldn’t have signed my contract.
    In my opinion, you are actually compounding your misfortune, and doing yourself more harm, by further aligning yourself with Tico. You should be distancing yourself from them as much as possible.
    “I now find myself in a very frustrating position, because the credibility of the publisher could have a serious affect on me, and I did nothing wrong.”
    Yes, it could have a serious affect on you. But you are making it far worse by appearing to defend a publisher whose publishing practices are ethically indefensible.
    Lee

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  17. I appreciate the positions and assumptions that are being made about TICO Publishing, based on the “services” we offer, both here and the aforementioned thread on another website. I assure you, had we been aware that by offering such services, we would be lumped in with “scammers” and “vanity presses”, we would never have offered them in the first place. TICO has never accepted, nor will it accept, any money to publish a book we’ve contracted.
    While I appreciate Sandra’s defending of TICO, I’m sorry that it was necessary at all. I also understand that perception is reality. While we don’t agree that offering those services was wrong, we do now see how it could lead people to the wrong impression about our organization. As of today, we are no longer offering review or editorial services.
    I know we’re not viewed as a legitimate publisher by this site. All we can do is try to produce a quality book and do our best to insure its success within our resources. Yes, we are a small publisher. Do we “hob nob” with anyone who is anyone? No. Are we “recognized” by anyone? Who knows. Probably not yet. Our goal is certainly to get to that point.
    Microsoft was started by Bill Gates in his mother’s garage from a loan he got…… everyone has to start somewhere.

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  18. Oh, and I have to address another comment..
    “What you get are links to Amazon for books by people like Clive Cussler and Piers Anthony, which they helpfully point out are “Other books we thought you’d like.” The real point, of course, is to imply a connection to those authors.”
    The reason we have those books in our bookstore is either 1) they are magazines we thought might interest writers or 2) they are people who have read and blurbed a book for us. We thought, in trying to create content for our site, that it would be nice to place their books in the bookstore in an effort to repay the kindness that they extended to us by taking their time in reading and providing us with a blurb.
    We are NOT implying that we published these books. In fact, we do have a link that says OUR CATALOG and that is where our published books are placed.

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  19. “TICO has never accepted, nor will it accept, any money to publish a book we’ve contracted. ”
    But you have taken authors’ money for “editorial services” and for “reviews” correct? And then, just coincidentally, you published those books. And sold some copies to the authors and their family and friends?
    I’ll be honest. I don’t see much of a difference between this and PublishAmerica and their ilk.

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  20. Mr. Tijerina,
    I appreciate you coming here to discuss Tico and am glad to learn you will no longer be charging for editorial services or selling reviews. Thoses are steps in the right direction. But I do have some questions for you.
    1) Why won’t you deal with “agented” authors?
    2) What do you mean when you say on your site that you act as both “publisher and literary agent” for the authors you publish? Isn’t that a clear conflict-of-interest? What is the benefit of this arrangement for authors?
    3) You mention on your site that you have “experience taking products and services and marketing them to successful ends.” What experience do you have as a literary agent?
    What experience do you have as a publisher?
    4) On your home page, you write: “We believe in assisting our clients with achieving their dreams of publishing.” That sounds a lot like a vanity press come-on to me…but you say you aren’t a pay-to-be-published company. So, are the writers who send you their books authors or clients?
    Lee

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  21. I also am very leery of so-called “small presses” created by an author to publish his own work…at least until his work is far outnumbered on the company’s list by books written by other authors.
    Until then, it’s not a small press but a vanity operation…though not in the sense that they are charging other authors to get into print. It’s a vanity press in that it primarily exists to self-publish one author. For instance, Jim Michael Hansen self-publishes his LAWS mysteries under the moniker Dark Sky Publishing.
    Lee: I don’t understand why you would be “leery” of small presses created by an author since they have nothing to do with you and do not solicit MSs from others. You seem to be calling Dark Sky a “vanity press.” Actually, it is a legitimate company that in fact publishes books. Those books, by the way, are actually sold and distributed in the same manner as the books of the NY publishers.
    If your real concern is that books published by an author-owned press cannot possibly be good or succeed or actually land on the shelves of Borders, B&N, BAMM and other booksellers, as well as libraries, all I can say is that Dark Sky has thousands of examples to the contrary.
    Most people don’t appreciate that the chains as well as the indies actually have the ability and interest to judge books on their merits irrespective of the size of the publisher. Dark Sky books for example are carried on the shelves of many of the chain stores, albeit not in every state, including Borders and B&N. BAMM, for example, recently sent Dark Sky a notification that its second title, Shadow Laws (October 15, 2006), will be purchased for placement on store shelves.
    Although some people still hold on to the old midset that NY is the only game in town, those of us actually active in the publishing business know otherwise. Today, a small press can success as well as big one if the underlying product (i.e. the book) is good enough. And that will continue to be more and more the case as the technology gets easier.
    Following the launch of Dark Sky, I have personally been approachd by well respected literary agents who directly feed the biggies, but I have declined every time. I have no intention to ever publish my books except under the Dark Sky label. In my opinion it’s a darn good company and I intend to stick with it. That’s because it’s not a “vanity press,” it’s a real publisher that manufactures books that end up on the shelves of bookstores.

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  22. As has been told, we did have review and editorial services available (which have now stopped).
    Only 1 author out of the 20 total reviews that we did, did we sign a contract with. We have several other authors that have paid for this service and we intend to fulfill those obligations, but we are not accepting anymore.
    The editorial services have not resulted in any contracts. A small percentage of the reviews also had the editorial package (as the editorial package INCLUDED the review) but I do not have an accurate number for what percentage of the 20 people that purchased the review service also have paid for an editorial service. We have signed 14 books to date. Only 1 resulting from a payment for a review and/or editorial package.
    The contest is self supporting and not income producing.
    So to address your comment, “..And then, just coincidentally, you published those books. And sold some copies to the authors and their family and friends?” The answer is NO. The ONE author that paid us for a review and subsequently we offered a contract to and was accepted has yet to have her book published (yet it’s due out this month). Also, if an author wants to buy some of his/her own books, we sell them to the author at OUR COST (given to us by the printer).
    If we plan to make money by investing money into paying a professional illustrator (Pneumatrix was illustrated and the cover was designed by a former Disney Animator of 30+ years. I guess I thought that was pretty good credentials to qualify as a “professional”) and paying a graphic designer to do the interior, then paying the distributor to distribute the books into circulation, then that person, who’s book we are publishing, better have ALOT of friends and family members buying their book for us to EVER see a return on the investment.
    The two contest winners for Best Overall Title were offered contracts. One accepted. The other didn’t.
    As for who is buying the books, I couldn’t say as they are sold through our wholesale distributor, Ingram. All I know is quantity of books, not who is buying them.
    I’m being up front and have acknowledged how these services lend the impression that people seem to be getting and have taken care of those items to dispel future “impressions”.
    Now all we do is accept submissions, find the ones we like, offer contracts and publish books. All at no cost EVER to the author nor has there EVER BEEN a cost to the author. We offer contracts only to a SMALL percentage of the submissions we receive.
    I don’t know anything about how PublishAmerica does business so I can’t comment on that.

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  23. Mr Goldberg
    I will attempt to answer your questions to the best of my ability:
    1) Why won’t you deal with “agented” authors?
    Frankly, it’s because we can’t afford to pay advances or signing bonuses. Agents always want those things for their clients (which I understand and wish I could provide) but at this point, I can’t afford it. If an agented author approaches me, submits their manuscript and wants us to publish their book, I don’t have a problem with it but I prefer not to deal with agents. If the agent/author relationship is one in which the author can publish through us and the agent and author can work out their own financial agreements themselves, I have no problem with it. In summation, I don’t work with agents because we know we won’t be able to satisfy their needs (or we are assuming so, maybe in error). However, I have also removed that statemen from our website and will gladly entertain publishing manuscripts by agented authors as long as they realize the facts I stated above.
    2) What do you mean when you say on your site that you act as both “publisher and literary agent” for the authors you publish? Isn’t that a clear conflict-of-interest? What is the benefit of this arrangement for authors?
    This was naivete and inexperience on my part. When I said “literary agent” I meant that I would act in the capacity to try and market not only their book, but also sell any TV, movie, foreign rights, etc. for them. The author would get a percentage of any of this income, should it occur. I did not mean that I would solicit their book to other publishing firms.
    3) You mention on your site that you have “experience taking products and services and marketing them to successful ends.” What experience do you have as a literary agent? What experience do you have as a publisher?
    I don’t have any experience as a literary agent nor do I have any as a publisher (except for the three book currently in publication and the fourth that is in proof right now). That is why I hire people that do to actually complete the cover design, interior formatting, etc. I was in sales and marketing for 10+ years and was very successful. I provide the financial investment and, ultimately, as an avid reader, make the final decision on whether I want to invest my money into that particular book.
    4) On your home page, you write: “We believe in assisting our clients with achieving their dreams of publishing.” That sounds a lot like a vanity press come-on to me…but you say you aren’t a pay-to-be-published company. So, are the writers who send you their books authors or clients?
    The writers who send me their books are authors. I agree that using the terminology “clients” was erroneous and only contributed to the impression that people got of TICO Publishing.

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  24. “In my opinion it’s a darn good company and I intend to stick with it. That’s because it’s not a “vanity press,” it’s a real publisher that manufactures books that end up on the shelves of bookstores.”
    Yes and you pay every penny of the whole operation to get them there. The money goes out from you and may come back, but usually it does so in the red when all is said and done.

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  25. “I meant that I would act in the capacity to try and market not only their book, but also sell any TV, movie, foreign rights, etc. for them.”
    This is highly unusual for a “real” publisher to act as agent and publisher for his writers which this sentence indicates you are doing. It just doesn’t happen.
    You clearly don’t have a clue about this business. It looks worse than a vanity press and damn near a Publuishamerica knockoff. Royalties on the net and author only sales would top it off nicely.

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  26. One more thing. After looking at Jim Hansen’s Amazon number he’s right where every vanity press product usually is: 1.2 million and sinking like a stone out of the gate. This is the norm.

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  27. Our vision was to start a publishing company that sought out new talent.
    There are a lot of authors who have the skill and ability of the John Grisham’s and Nora Robert’s of the publishing business, but they don’t have agents or connections and struggle to find publishers willing to take a chance on them. In fact, John Grisham originally self-published and was selling his books out of the trunk of his car. That’s how hard it is for a new writer to get noticed.
    We wanted to be different. We wanted to give the new voices of tomorrow a chance.
    Our intention was to start a publishing company that could find the new talent and get their books in print. We also wanted to provide assistance to new writers, needing feedback.
    We never required authors to pay for publication.
    Some of the other services we offered have led to misperceptions about Tico’s philosophy, and thrown our reputation into question.
    As a result, we’ve cancelled those other services. Our exclusive focus will be on receiving submissions from aspiring authors and finding the best new voices to put into print.
    All publishing companies were small at some point in time. We’re just the new guy on the block.

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  28. Mr. York, Let’s not confuse your opinion with fact. I am aware of a number of publishers who are use different methods for developing and marketing books. Just because you do not agree with someone’s methods doesn’t mean they are not a real publisher.
    But after reading your numerous comments here and on another thread on self-publishing, it seemed that you hold yourself out as an expert on publishing. So I decided to look you up and found no evidence that you have any insider experience with the publishing industry. But I did find that you have been banned from at least one site for slander and libel and that both of your books are self-published.
    So it would appear that while you enjoy attacking vanity presses on blogs such as this, you are content to use them to get published. Kind of hypocritical, don’t you think?

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  29. Mr. Tijerina,
    Being new and being small does not exempt you from learning and following the ethical standards of your industry before you start doing business. That’s just common sense.
    That said, I applaud your efforts to make things right at Tico and to repair the negative image of the company that presently exists. It’s refreshing and encouraging.
    I’d like to recommend that you do some serious research into what constitutes ethical business practices in publishing so that you don’t make any more embarrassing miss-steps. As part of that research, I suggest that you contact the Authors Guild in NY for assistance and for a copy of their model author contract.
    You wrote: “When I said “literary agent” I meant that I would act in the capacity to try and market not only their book, but also sell any TV, movie, foreign rights, etc. for them. The author would get a percentage of any of this income, should it occur.”
    FYI – That is also what a literary agent does. The business of negotiating TV, movie, merchandizing, and foreign rights for books is a very specialized field that requires a lot of knowledge and experience in the publishing and the entertainment industries.
    I have two literary agents — one for publishing and one for TV & Film — and they work very closely together on my behalf. And, like most agents, they are scrupulous about avoiding any conflicts-of-interest — neither one of them are aligned with any publisher, studio, or network that I am working with now or might work with in the future.
    One more thing. The author doesn’t get a percentage of the income from TV, movie, and foreign rights sales…the AGENT does. He works for a 10-15% commission. The AUTHOR gets the rest. And my agent usually negotiates a publishing contract that reserves most of those rights for ME, not the publisher…which is another reason why I wouldn’t want my agent and my publisher to be one and the same.
    Lee

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  30. I had no idea that an author doesn’t get money from TV, movie, or foreign rights. I could have sworn an author would get about 1-2% as well as the money included from selling of the rights. I mean if the actors can get a percentage of the profits, surely the writer can get it. At least get some credit for creating the universe.

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  31. Mr Goldberg
    Thank you for your kind words. We are sincere in changing any misconceptions that exist in regards to the motives of TICO Publishing.
    “Ignorance of the law is no excuse”, as they say. I cannot change the past, only the present. Please know that there were never any intentions of “scamming” anyone or anything like that.
    I know talk is cheap, but, hopefully, it’s noticed that I’ve backed my talk up with action.

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  32. Any “publisher” that only publishes the books of the owner is a vanity operation. If the sole purpose of creating a company is to “publish” your own books, how can it be anything other than that?
    I don’t say this disparagingly. The fact that it’s a vanity setup doesn’t necessarily mean the books are bad. But it also doesn’t change the fundamental nature of the operation.

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  33. “But after reading your numerous comments here and on another thread on self-publishing, it seemed that you hold yourself out as an expert on publishing.”
    Not in the least, but if not it would be your burden Kevin to point out where I am misinformed based on my “numerous comments” on publishing. I notice you haven’t, instead choosing the tried and true vanity press defense of personal attacks on the messenger. The last refuge of a scoundrel who has lost the argument.
    “So I decided to look you up and found no evidence that you have any insider experience with the publishing industry.”
    Well, you aren’t privy to my query list are you? Or my partial and full request per query ratio?
    “But I did find that you have been banned from at least one site for slander and libel”
    Really? Where would this be found? Who called it slander (delivered in person online?) and Libel? Besides you?
    “and that both of your books are self-published.”
    This is true and from 2000 and 2002. This is 2006 almost seven.
    “So it would appear that while you enjoy attacking vanity presses on blogs such as this, you are content to use them to get published. Kind of hypocritical, don’t you think?”
    No it isn’t. It only shows you aren’t capable of holding two thoughts at the same time, typical of the pretzel logic of a vanity press supporter which you obviously are. PA author too perhaps? Beacuse your post comes straight from their page.
    A wiser man learns from his experiences and changes course. This concept apparently isn’t part of your learning curve.
    PS. When you accuse a writer of “slander and libel” online, this is defamatory. I hope you’re prepared to defend these accusations.

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  34. Diana,
    “I had no idea that an author doesn’t get money from TV, movie, or foreign rights.”
    Of course the author gets money from those sales…but a publisher will try to retain those rights for themselves if they can get away with it. That’s why you want a good agent…particularly one who isn’t also your publisher…to negotiate your contract.
    I hold all the movie and tv rights on my books (with the exception of tie-ins, of course). In many cases, my publishers are able have the right seek foreign and mass market paperback sales, but I get a healthy percentage of those revenues. In other cases, I retain those rights as well and my agent shops them.

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  35. Thanks, Lee. I’m going to print out what you said so I won’t forget. I’m also going to try to get separate agents. And I mean try, because I don’t want to get overconfident. I’m not going to put in hard work for pennies or nothing at all.

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  36. For the record John Grisham never self-published anything. His first novel came out from a small press, but it was not self-pubbed. When it didn’t sell well at all (A Time to Kill) he bought the remaindered books at salvage prices and sold them himself. Then The Firm took off on its own.
    It was a better book.
    But he never self-pubbed.
    Regards,
    Scott

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  37. I take the opportunity at any event or meeting I am at, any class I teach, any workshop I run, or even any bus ride I take to remind aspiring authors that if it sounds too good to be true – it probably is. Yet, when your dream of finally getting published is being dangled in front of you, it’s hard to remember all these warnings. I didn’t learn the publisher lesson, but I learned the agent lesson (twice actually – I guess I have a hard head). The only way to become a successful published author is to write a lot, learn a lot, take classes, submit constantly and be patient. I waited ten years but it was worth every minute to be published by a reputable house and I am now distributed in eight countries. I also have a reputable agent. And even after ten years, my publisher is not perfect, nor is our relationship – but I cannot imagine how hard it would be if I had gotten snagged into one of these scams.

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  38. It’s hard from where I sit to resist the sense that we have in the above discussions a real tempest in a teapot. Like Sandra Rutan, I have a contract with TICO, unlike her, I hope to live long enough to see it come to fruition. A sort of added irony in my story is that my first novel found PublishAmerica through an “agent.” I knew nothing of them, and little enough about him, but his own work was published by a nationally known house, and his response was heartening after nearly ten years of trying to find an agent. Never mind the sad tale of the outcome. He was not a happy camper when I terminated our contract after the book came out (showing that happened less than a year after signing the contract with PA.) The book is now on line as an e-book (once I recovered the rights), and may be out again in print from the company that took it on as an out-of-print e-book. If TICO ever gets my book into print, it can’t help but be better than what happened with the first one. Tijerina has been respectful and quickly provided the assessment of one of his readers on my second submission to him (a relative rave, but which he ultimately rejected). So…I guess the point I’d like to make is that no matter how much every one of us would love to land a publisher among the big conglomerates or the prestigious university presses, one size doesn’t fit all. I’m too old to fool around with vain hopes now (78) and am happy to have the hope of seeing another story in print. A few good reviews from people whose knowledge and opinions I respect liked the first book. I hope for more on the second. I have two more that might or might not be viable for someone. Another published one can’t hurt, I think, so why don’t some of you pundits lighten up, and try to be contructive?
    My high school English teacher was a phenomenon–brilliant, open-minded, erudite. His first words to us, which he also wrote on the board, were: All crticism should be in plus values. Good advice.

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