Marketing - to Publishers Subsidy Press

11 October 2011, Marketing - to Publishers Subsidy Press

Introduction: I realized that I need to introduce this blog a little.  I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.  The working title was Daemon, and this was my 21st novel.  Over the last year, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing.  In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes.  You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published.  I'll keep you informed along the way.  At this moment, I'm showing you the marketing material I put together for a novel.

Today's Blog:  A subsidy press is basically self-publishing.  This is the source of all the indie (independent authors).  These press used to be called a vanity press, but that name has become politically incorrect.  Whenever you accept all the risk for publication, you are using a vanity press.  I'll go ahead and call it a subsidy press.  That is the basic point about this type of press--you are accepting all the risk.  The press charges you a fee to publish your novel.  They offer many services from editing to marketing to training in how to sell your book because they have no risk.  Usually, you pay from $1000 to $2000 to have your book published.  You may or may not get copy for that price.  Many of the modern presses will also electronically release your book.

Everything else is up to you.  No matter what you pay for, the marketing, sales, press releases, editing, novel quality are up to you.  You will pay more for anything extra.

Now, a subsidy press isn't all bad.  If you are an aspiring author and you have written at least 1M words, I suggest you get at least one of your least marketable (but well written books) published this way.  The reason is that this will give you the experience of publishing and give you a book to put on your publishing resume'.  If you go this way--have the novel edited professionally, and make sure you have at least a few prepublication readers.
The obvious problem with a subsidy press is that there is very little quality control or selection of the manuscripts that are published.  Since it is fee for service, the author takes all the risk.  There are diamonds in indie novels, but there are many books that should never have been published.  In fact, too much of a good thing can harm an aspiring writer.

I'll tell you why tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples:   http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites:  http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.