An Author and a Publisher Take a Risk Together

The publishing industry is changing, and as my Brigitta of the White Forest novel manuscript was being shopped around, there was an air of caution and uncertainty in the traditional publishing realm. I felt like I was getting nowhere with unreachable people whose distribution models were out-dated, and wasteful (financially and environmentally).

After a while, I decided to take things into my own hands. I wanted a relationship with someone who was as excited about my book as I was and wanted to publish it now and in a more progressive manner.

So I contacted Tod McCoy at en theos press and asked him if we could talk about the possibility of his publishing my novel. En theos press is a boutique press that has primarily published poetry. Tod had published a few of my poetry books and also published a few anthologies I had edited. He had expressed an interest in publishing other material, and hadn’t decided what, so it was good timing for us both. His interest in sci-fi and fantasy adventure was also a huge plus for me.

The book will be released the first week of June. It took us one year and we both learned a lot.

Below is an interview I conducted with Tod recently.

En theos press was originally started in order to publish small runs of poetry. What inspired you to do that?

In the late 90s in Seattle, I was spending a lot of time in the poetry community, taking classes, attending readings, writing poetry, and getting to know a lot of poets. It seemed to me that there were only a handful of really good small presses that published local poetry. I knew some talented poets who I thought needed to have books so that their fans (including me) could buy them at poetry readings. I had the skills and resources to put the books together. Thus, the press was born.

What was your publishing background before you launched your press?

Earlier in my career I worked as a journalist and then there was a period of time I worked as a script editor for Rain City Projects, an organization that supports playwrights in Seattle and published the plays of local playwrights.

I don’t know if you’d call it publishing, but I have done a lot of website content development and I was a technical publications editor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

After that I worked for the e-book company Publishing Online. It was a small, start-up company, so we all wore many hats. I handled the website, had some editing duties, and worked on certain aspects of production. I think the company started before its time. E-books hadn’t caught on yet.

So, you’re a writer as well?

I have an educational background in journalism and English lit. I’m a big fan of poetry. I also write plays and screenplays and short stories and have a sci-fi novel in progress. I’ve always been drawn to theatre, playwrighting – but I also love to write fiction. And screenwriting. Lol.

Why the change from en theos publishing poetry to fiction?

It's not so much a change, as it is an expansion. While the poetry side of the publishing house is on hiatus for now, it will resurface. But in terms of publishing, I’ve always known I was going to branch off into fiction. It was simply a question of timing and the right project coming along.

Why did you choose science fiction and fantasy as your first line of fiction?

I have had a love affair with science fiction since I was a kid. I was always drawn to the fantastical elements of a story. It's been a dream to write it; it seems natural to publish it as well.

What are your goals for en theos press?

The goal is to put talented writers into print! With luck (and perseverance), the press will grow and in a few years the stable will be full of great writers.

What do you look for in the authors you work with?

Good storytelling, above all. And there is no story without solid, well-rounded characters who keep the reader interested. Focus on developing your characters and the story will follow.

Carla Mooney is the author of several books for young readers, a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. As long as she can remember, she has been in love with reading and writing. She is thrilled to see Owen and Phineas come alive in Owen and the Dragon and hopes readers will enjoy their adventure as much as she has. Carla lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband, Tom, and three children. When not reading and writing, Carla volunteers as the Pittsburgh Chapter Director for Flashes of Hope, a nonprofit organization that photographs children with cancer and other life-threatening conditions.

I had the fortunate opportunity to be a stop on Carla Mooney’s virtual book tour and learn more about her inspiration for Owen and the Dragon.

Please visit Lori Calabrese Writes! to read the interview and be sure to check out more of the Indie-Debut 2010 stops on Carla's virtual book tour. . .

Mice Don’t Taste Like Chicken
Danika Dinsmore’s The White Forest
Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes
The Invisible Sister

Good news for authors with books from small and indie publishers whose work might not be available in eForm.  Barnes & Noble has created PubIt!, a digital publishing and distribution platform. 

Hightlights:

• Competitive royalties
• Easy to use.  Just upload your file.
• The book will be available to users of Kindle, nook, iPad, PC, Mac, iPhone, Blackberry, etc.
• The work will be protected by B&N's digital rights management tech.

The program is set to debut this summer, though they are taking early applications.  For more information, please see the press release here.

Our discussion of What Works for You In Marketing was a hit. Valuable information was exchanged through numerous channels. The chat is still available and please take the time to review all coments and add in yours.

Without further ado, we are pleased to announce the winner of Reading Magic ~ Why Reading Aloud ot Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox is Elysabeth Eldering.

Congratulations Elysabeth...please forward Donna your snail mail address at: dmcdine@optonline.net.

Suzanne Lieurance interviews Danika about her debut novel Brigitta of the White Forest, her journey from screenwriter to novelist and the launch of her Imaginary Worlds Tour.

LISTEN HERE

As authors, whether first timers or seasoned, what have you found to be the most effective tool in your marketing plan?

Since my debut book, The Golden Pathway (http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com/), is not yet published I am in the midst of developing my marketing kit which includes an informational flyer on The Golden Pathway, bio, PDF files (for my hard copy kit) and links (for my virtual kit) of past interviews, and Indie-Debut 2010 Book Catalogue.

I have also hired Pump Up Your Book Promotion (http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/) for my virtual book tour. With the expert guidance of my Tour Coordinator, Cheryl Malandrinos and the resources through Pump Up Your Book Promotion I am sure my virtual book tour will be a huge success. I’ve chosen their Gold Package and with the attention to focusing on 30 niche bloggers who draw interest for my books genre, media releases to create maximum publicity, a dedicated personalized tour page, and book trailer running is sure to be an exhilarating experience.

Publication and Virtual Book Tour date to be announced in the coming months.

ADDED BONUS…leave a comment and your email address regarding this subject and be automatically entered to win a FREE copy of Reading Magic ~ Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox. Winner announced Wed, May 19th.

Please join in the discussion as to what has worked for you, what hasn’t and why. I look forward to hearing from you.

You might be a caffeine addict if you’ve ever carried your coffee cup into the shower with you in the morning! Okay, I’ve never gone that far, but I do go to sleep just to wake up and smell the coffee. I’ve never been one to pass up caffeine, so I’m pleased to be a guest on Dellani’s Tea Time, today!

The online radio program hosted by Dellani Oakes takes place at 4:00 pm (Eastern Time) on Red River Radio/ BlogTalkRadio.  You’re welcome to call in and I’d be happy to chat or answer any questions you might have.

I’m honored to be a guest alongside Jennifer Cervantes, author of “Tortilla Sun” which I just finished and LOVED! I’ll be sharing the review with you tomorrow on my blog as part of her official blog tour. I look forward to learning more about Jennifer’s inspiration for “Tortilla Sun” and sharing my own story behind “The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade.”

To set a reminder for the show or to listen in, visit:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rrradio/2010/05/10/dellanis-tea-time

Don’t miss it!

Listen to Red River Radio

***UPDATE***
I'm steamin' that technical problems kept me from doing the show today. But Dellani has been more than gracious to schedule me for a later date. I'll be sure to let ya' know when!

What's it mean?  SPAN (Small Publishers Association of North America) is working to create a certification program for indie publishers.  The article, courtesy of this month's SPAN newsletter, is reprinted below with link to further information.

In the January 2010 issue of the SPAN Connection print newsletter, I announced SPAN's plans to create a certification program for publishers. (Read certification article here.) With a working designation of Professional Independent Publisher or PIP, the certification will be awarded to publishers who meet certain criteria with their publishing.
As mentioned in the article, the goal is to give excellent independent publishers the PIP designation and have the certification improve the access for PIP publishers to reviewers, distribution, and other industry services.The goal is daunting. I decided the time is right because the need is great. I believe, in time, the PIP Program will make a huge difference in increasing independent publishers' potential for success.

This is great news for writers!  One difficulty with small or indie presses is that many of them haven't been around very long.  They have no reputation, they have no track record, they might still be learning the ropes and some, let's face it, might not be on the level.  With the PIP program, writers can be sure the indie presses to whom they're submitting meet a certain level of industry standard and are worthy of the investment of their manuscripts. 

The program guidelines have not been established but Indie Debut will be following this story closely.  More information will be posted as it becomes available.

To celebrate the May 2010 release of Owen and the Dragon with Soto Publishing Company, I decided to sit down with Pedro Soto of Soto Publishing and ask a few questions about his press.

How long has Soto Publishing Company been in operation?

We incorporated in late 2008, and published our first book, a picture book, in early 2009. Though still quite young, we’re quickly gaining name recognition.


Why did you decide to go into publishing?

I had an opportunity (medical leave of absence) to reflect on where my career was taking me. It was not as fulfilling as I originally hoped. I’ve always loved reading and often considered writing a book. As a scientist I was always thrilled when my research papers (manuscripts) were published in scientific journals for others to read and build upon. Over the years, I gained valuable experience working with design software, particularly Adobe’s. I was an avid photographer and often used Photoshop, illustrator...and InDesign – technical tools that would prove useful in my publishing endeavor. And as a father of two wonderful kids, I found it particularly appealing to publish children’s books. I knew from the get go that I wanted to publish in the traditional sense, largely due to the stigma that has been bestowed on self-publishing and the perception of quality for Print-on-Demand (POD) titles, although the latter has changed considerably in a positive direction. I also knew I wanted to provide talented, yet unknown, writers an opportunity to be published. I would invest in the writer and they would entrust the fruits of their talent to me. So far, It’s been a very rewarding experience and one that I hope will never end.


What types of books do you publish?

Children and young adult books: picture books, chapter books and novels (all genres, mostly fiction).


What are some of the challenges and advantages of running a small press?

Excellent question.
• Advantages: flexibility – quick to adjust to industry trends; intimacy with the authors; better quality control.
• Challenges: Small staff – multi-tasking and time management issues; name recognition (gaining a foothold on the market); budget limitations (thank God for cooperative marketing)


Where can Soto's books be purchased?

Both print (p-books) and electronic copies (e-books) are/will be available for purchase directly from Soto Publishing’s website (http://www.sotopublishingcompany.com/). P-books are available for purchase pretty much anywhere there’s a bookstore (brick-and-mortar or online). If it’s not available, it just a matter of requesting a copy at the register or service desk. The retailer can have it delivered to its store for pickup or to your home address, usually within three days. E-books, beginning end of May/early June, will be available for download from most online-retailers, including Amazon, B&N, BAM...Apple iBookstore.


Is Soto Publishing accepting submissions and what exactly are you looking for?

Due to an overwhelming number of high quality submissions, we’re currently not accepting new manuscripts. Nonetheless, we continue to receive unsolicited manuscripts, which we archive for future consideration. We’re looking towards offering more young adult novels, including chapter books for early to middle grade readers.