What Do Traditional Publishers Do?

With traditional publishing, writers submit their work for consideration to a publisher (or an agent), who in turn either rejects or purchases rights to the manuscript and publishes the book.

However, the definition and characteristics go deeper than that. Writers need to know all the aspects of traditional publishing, and just what, exactly, traditional publishers do.

Traditional Publishers:

• Accept queries/manuscripts from either writers or agents.

• Accept or reject submitted queries/manuscripts, selecting only the most marketable for publication.

• Offer writers a legally binding contract that covers rights and royalties. The publisher purchases rights from the author in exchange for publishing the book.

• Offer authors a percentage of sales (royalties) based on either the net or retail price of the book and with or without an advance on those sales.

• Work with authors to make editorial changes using either staff or freelance/outside editors.

• Format the interior and the exterior of book. (Author illustrations are rarely used, although small presses are more open to the idea.)

• Form a marketing plan. Titles with large sales potential receive the most attention and marketing dollar.

• Send books to outside printers for physical copies.

• Send books to wholesalers, distributors, book clubs, retail outlets, libraries, etc.

• Send authors royalty checks based on sales. (Less the initial advance, if any.)

Traditional publishers, whether large or small, have numerous resources available to market a book successfully. They possess knowledge, experience, capital, and the necessary connections. Since these presses are investing their time and money, they are selective. Every project is a gamble and can be affected by factors such as the market, the economy, timing, and promotions. Their goal is to make good on their investment. After all, it is a business.

Any questions?

Care to share your publishing and promoting knowledge? I am looking for guest posts on any subject surrounding the book industry! Full guidelines are HERE.

Royalty-Free Music for Book Trailers

Book trailers and videos are fun and easy to make. They can be simple or complex. They can contain still images and moving pictures. And often they feature music.

Like images, music is copyrighted. No matter how well a song fits your book, you can’t use it for your trailer without permission. In addition to being sued for copyright infringement, you get the double-whammy because you are using it for commercial gain.

Fortunately, there are numerous sites that sell royalty-free music and sound effects. You can sample their database to find the perfect fit for your trailer. Often the music is available in increments of 30 seconds so you can purchase just the length you need. And the prices range from $9.95 to $59.95.

For royalty-free music, check out the following online companies:

Music Bakery
Neo Sounds
Music Loops
Royalty Free Music
Shock Wave
Premium Beat

There are dozens of sites out there. Let me know if you know of any other good ones!

Publishing Industry News and the Tesla Car

Google and Amazon ask that their revenue shares with publishers be shielded as the lawsuit with Apple nears its conclusion. Read full article at Paid Content.

The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, announced that Poetry is now available through a digital subscription. Get details at Publishing Executive.

Quirk Books is "Looking for Love" with $10,000 unpublished love story fiction contest. Get the scoop at Book Business.

The Jim Henson Company Partners With Penguin Young Readers Group To Launch "The Dark Crystal" Author Quest. Visit Book Business for details. (I loved The Dark Crystal!)

And this is for Stephen Tremp:

We were up in Raleigh recently and came across a genuine Tesla! The woman said she loved it. You should’ve seen the display panel on the inside. And under the hood is all trunk space. (Battery in the back.) Very neat car, but not practical when you hit Eastern Carolina, as we have NO charging stations.

Taking Time by Ellie Garratt and Scary Storm Photos

Taking Time and Other Science Fiction Stories
By Ellie Garratt

Science fiction stories of time and space...

The future of humanity must be decided in Next Phase. Winning the Planetary Lottery is not as lucky as it first seems in Schrodinger's Gamble. An apocalypse and its aftermath threaten to tear one couple apart in Daiker's Children. In Life As I Know It a reclusive man finds both his heart and home invaded during an alien harvest. In Taking Time a demon seeking shelter on a distant planet finds himself facing a very different kind of demon, after answering a frontier settlement's plea for help.

Stories range from flash fiction to novelette in length.

Publication date: 15th July 2013

About The Author
A life-long addiction to reading science fiction and horror, meant writing was the logical outlet for Ellie Garratt’s passions. She is a reader, writer, blogger, Trekkie, and would happily die to be an extra in The Walking Dead. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and online. Passing Time: Nine Short Tales of the Strange and Macabre was published in March 2013 and contains nine previously published stories. Her first nine-part science fiction serial will start in September 2013.
Website  Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads

Thank you Jo and Tina for giving me the Sisterhood Award.

And I leave you with some images from the very freaky storm that blew through our area Thursday night. (Fortunately I got home from my seminar in Wilmington before it hit.)