Tag Archives: Echelon Press

A Book is a Book is a Book is a Damn Book!

Posted on May 27, 2010 | 11 comments

I just had a very frustrating moment and I want to share it with all of you out there. I have no idea where this post will go, but I am venting at this point. Let’s start with authors.

Authors:

Why on earth do you all insist on breaking books down into these little itty bitty teeny tiny classifications? When you write a long story and get it published it is a BOOK! Right? Makes sense.

Why on earth do you refuse to accept that it doesn’t matter what format it is published in?

So some New York Times Best Selling author says eBook aren’t really books. Well, tell it to their publishers who I GUARANTEE are selling their books as eBooks now. Why? Because it is a BOOK! If that author doesn’t acknowledge their eBook as a “real” book then they damn sure better be refusing to take those NOT “real” royalties. But I’ll bet they are. There are so many people in this industry who keep insisting on putting everything into neat littel boxes. Well the world has to many damn boxes. Get out, see the world, live a little.

Who reads paperback books? READERS.

Who reads hardback books? READERS.

Who reads eBooks? READERS.

Who listens to/reads audio books? READERS!

Are you seeing a pattern here? Come on people, this isn’t about what is right or wrong, or good or bad. It is about choices. It’s about BOOKS!

Readers:

Who decides what you read and in what format? You do. Exactly. Isn’t it fabulous that you have choices? Sitting in the tub and want a paperback? You got it. That’s a choice. Laying by the pool and more comfortable with a hardback? Woohoo! You’ve got a choice! Traveling to Europe for three weeks and your suitcases are already over the weight limit and you haven’t packed any of the ten books you planned on taking? By golly, you boot up that Nook and download to your heart’s content for under a pound (12.1 ounces). Whhoooweee and hot damn. CHOICES!

Is someone pressuring you to pick one format over another? You give me a name and I’ll take care of them for you. I know people…oh wait, scratch that last part. You are the READER and this is all about you. You stand up and make your choice and if you want to pick a different format tomorrow, then I say EMBRACE YOUR FREEDOM TO CHOOSE.

Authors:

What is my least favorite question to hear from an author? *Okay, this is a note to my authors who recently asked this, I adore you, but pay attention.

I know how to promote a print book, but how do I promote an eBook?

Anyone know the answer? Anyone? You, in the blue sweater? No? Come on people, work with me. Okay, the answer is…wait for it…

: Click Cover to BUY BOOK

The same way you would promote every other format of the book. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel. You have all the tools you need right at your fingertips. You market and promote your BOOK as a BOOK. It’s pretty simple really.

I am pretty sure that readers want the simple facts. They don’t want to be beaten over the head with your book, they just want to know what it is about and where they can get it. That is when they get to CHOOSE. Will every reader want to read your book? Heck no. So what. Do you want to read every book out there? Of course not, you silly goose!

Just give them the facts and let them know that you and your BOOK is there for them.

The publishing industry is a multi-faceted empire that offers such diversity and wonder. It shouldn’t be traumatic or stressful for anyone, not reader, not authors. BOOKS have two basic functions. Either to entertain or to educate. So let’s not make it so difficult. Let’s just READ!

11 Comments

Posted in Blatherings, Marketing

Tagged alexis hart, author, authors, books, dark shines my love, ebooks, Echelon Press, freedom, karen syed, paperbacks, publishing, readers, reading, trends, writers, Writing

A Word to the Wise

Posted on May 26, 2010 | 4 comments

Okay, for those of you who have recently had some kind of interaction with me or one of my staff at Echelon Press, please read this in the spirit it is intended. How is it intended? It is a gripe, not a rant. I am not angry, I am just frustrated. I don’t dislike you, but I did experience moments of annoyance with regard to you if you did what I am about to discuss.

Free editorial service. Yup, there I said it. When you submit your work to a publisher it it supposed to be the very best that it can be.

It should not need to be reformatted to fit our guidelines.
It should not need to be spell checked by our editors.
It should not need to be grammar checked by our editors.
It should not need to be rewritten to resolve major issues.
It should not need to be rewritten to resolve minor issues.
It should not need to be rainbowed (some of my auuthors call that the great was, were, that hunt)

Seriously. This is how MOST of the manuscripts we are getting have to be addressed. I understand and will accept some flaws, you are after all human. But let’s be serious folks. It is NOT an unwritten rule that you must send a fully edited manuscript to a publisher for consideration. It is written all over the place. 90% of our submissions need to be 50% overhauled.

Now, the free part. My editors are very considerate. I have always had a policy that if your work is rejected, you know exactly why. This means notes, suggestions, advice. You can take it or leave it. But I feel that it only serves to help the author better his craft. It is a courtesy.

Well, it seems that Echelon has gotten a reputation for being really easy! We have had an influx of authors who submit to us, I should say submit work that needs serious work, with the notion that we will edit it. Okay, we will HELP.

But those same authors are getting all kinds of input and help with revision suggestions, notes on grammatical and spelling errors, stuff like that BEFORE they have a contract. Okay, that stops here! Right now. From this point on, Echelon will only give editorial comments and the like on contracted materials. Why?

In the last month, we have had about a dozen submissions where a pending offer was made, the editor began working with the author, time was spent, MONEY was spent, and then when it came time to actually sign and mail the contract, the author decided to go with another publisher or in the case of five different authors, they decided to self-publish.

For pete’s sake people, you can’t make this decision BEFORE you submit and get a gander at our contract which is not for public viewing? You wanna self-publish, good for you. And I don’t mean that in a snarky way. If you are willing to make that commitment and follow through, then I applaud you. Sincerely. But do I have to pay the price?

I am, after all, a publisher, not a FREE editorial service. I have to pay my editors and when you get their work and then don’t sign the damn contract, I still have to pay them, or they quit. Are you following what I’m saying?

For those of you who fit this bill, I’m really not mad, but I am disappointed because we do put a lot of work into what we do, and when it is for nothing, that means you have taken the time we could have been devoting to someone who really did want to be published by us.

Be courteous. Is that too much to ask?

4 Comments

Posted in Blatherings, Business

Tagged authors, Echelon Press, editing, money, publishing, self-publish, submissions, writers, Writing

Why I do this!

Posted on April 27, 2010 | 1 comment

There are days when I can’t help but wonder why I do this. Don’t get me wrong, but I love publishing. I love everything about books. I have for as long as I have actual memories. As a child I didn’t care about toys or clothes, I craved books. Still do, in any form I can get them in.

But then there are days like today. I am trying to learn how to format our titles for ePub, you know, the new “standard” eBook format. This is no easy task. There are so many details that I have to watch for and then after an hour or three of tweaking, I load it up to view it and there is one stinking line that just isn’t right. But I can’t just leave it because this is a business and I have to give the best possible product, so I spend another 45 minutes making that one stinking line right.

Anyways, then there are the phone calls from authors who want me to do something for them. Then there are the stores calling to ask if they can get a bigger discount because they are trying to stay in business and things are tough…uh, yeah…running a business myself. 🙂

So just when I am about to call it a day and crawl into a big hole of self-pity. I get this e-mail…sorry for breaking privacy rules here, but you have to see it…

Hi Karen,

The books arrived and there was much screaming going on as Katie and her sister helped to surprise Kier. Unfortunately Brynna is sick but she wanted to be screaming. Thought you might enjoy a few pics.

The colors look fine to me. Everyone agrees with your push for the bold title color. YOU ROCK!

Mara

This is the mom of one of my Quake authors, Kieryn Nicolas–who just happens to be 15 years old. I met Kieryn at a writers conference and I have to tell you this kid is something else. The photos are the reaction, Kieryn’s and her support system’s. Kieryn received her first batch of books today, the nearly 300 copies they have pre-sold over the last month. These folks are on fire!

Their enthusiasm and zest for this business is inspiring and it reminds me why I do this. They are not the only authors who work hard and sell lots of books, but I am reminded that Kieryn is just 15 years old, still in school, living her life as a teenager, and still managing to begin her career as an author.

I hope that every author out there who has forgotten or has doubts about why they got into this business will look at this post and these photos and remember the thrill of that first book and how tremendous it feels to be a part of something that offers so much to so many.

And to all you readers out there, we love what we do and we do it for you.

You can order RAIN by Kieryn Nicolas at Kindle or you can e-mail Kieryn kieryn.nicolas@gmail.com and order autographed copies. I happen to know she has some about.