March is the 14th anniversary of Small Press Month.
The organizers of the Small Press Month events state:
Held annually in March, Small Press Month raises awareness about the need for broader venues of literary expression.
That particular statement did make me curious. I’d actually like to see a little data to back it up. How much of a small publisher’s catalog does consist of strikingly different material? On average, do they have a higher percentage of notably original work than larger publishers?
I’ve written for both small presses (Midnight Ink might qualify as midsized) and large publishers. I wrote traditional mysteries/cozies for both. Small presses do publish genre fiction, obviously, just like the bigger publishers.
I tend to read more about the differences between small and large publishers…which surprises me. I think small publishers and larger ones actually have a great deal in common. My personal experiences at both the big and small publishers were basically the same. These are just my own observations…obviously, others will have different opinions based on their own experiences.
Copyediting/editing?—Excellent for both publishers.
Contract?—The contracts were both of equal length and complexity (it wasn’t as if the contract at the smaller press was simpler or less-convoluted.)
Amount of personal contact? I’ve had more contact with my editor at the larger press, but that could be due to the personalities of the individual editors involved. The editors are absolutely slammed with work at both publishing houses—regardless of the size of the publisher. This means there really isn’t much time for chatting.
Willingness to work with debut writer? My contract with Penguin occurred soon after I’d signed my contract with Midnight Ink. Both were happy to work with a new writer.
Their passion over the job and my book: The same.
My input on cover art? The same. (Although that’s an area where I’d rather the art department and marketing folks take charge…not my forte.)
Marketing plan? Mmm….probably the same. Obviously on a much bigger scale with the bigger publisher.
The biggest differences between the two? The amount of the advance (larger at the big publisher…which might not be fair for me to say, considering that I did negotiate my contract with the smaller publisher and my agent would have, clearly, done better) and the distribution and placement in bookstores (obviously much better with the larger publisher). But—the distribution aspect is changing, since the popularity of eReading is increasing daily.
The biggest argument in favor of a small publisher, I think, is the ability of an unagented writer to obtain a publishing contract. For me, it was harder to find an agent than it was a publisher. When Midnight Ink contacted me about buying Pretty is as Pretty Dies, they didn’t mind a bit that I didn’t have an agent at the time. They offered to give me a week to look for one…and when I still came up empty-handed, they worked directly with me to negotiate a contract. And Midnight Ink is a larger independent press.
I love the idea of giving readers variety and choices in their books. But I’m not convinced that most small publishers have a ‘broader venue of literary expression’ than the big boys. And my efforts to find data on the subject fell flat.
What do you think? If you’ve also been with a big pub and a small pub, did your experience differ from mine? Which did you prefer and which would you recommend to writers? At the bookstore, do you notice a huge difference in the catalogs of big and small presses?
Elizabeth – Really helpful information! And you’ve asked an interesting question. I don’t have a lot of experience with big publishers like Simon & Schuster, etc.. but I can say that my dealings with smaller publishers have been very positive, even when I’ve been rejected. I’ve gotten personal assistance and input, helpful people (instead of “form letters”) and so on. Small publishers may not have the huge marketing budgets that the “big boys” do, but I like them.
Yes, it’s nice that there are still publishers who will look at new and unagented authors. I think, based on my own experiences that the issue of distribution is the biggest consideration. Great books that readers can’t find unless they do some serious leg (or computer) work really limit growth.
Terry
Terry’s Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
Thank you for sharing this information! It’s a comparison I have been wondering about for a while–getting a jumpstart on researching publishers for my WIP, and this post will be a great help in refining my submission process.
I wondered about this, thanks for the information.
At this point, big or small doesn’t matter to me just pick me up:)
“Small Press Month raises awareness about the need for broader venues of literary expression.”
I took this to mean that they’re trying to get the word out that small presses do exist, that people don’t have to depend solely on the big-name publishers. That the small presses are other venues for publishing one’s book.
I wouldn’t say broader views since many small presses tend to be niche publishers.
What’s key is the ability to land a small publisher without an agent. My mentor and friend p.m. terrell told me years ago to find a small publisher first and gain some success. It frustrates me to hear writers with no experience, no previous books, and no platform just so gung-ho to get an agent – they are missing a huge opportunity.
This is great to know. I’d been concerned about distribution but not especially now with ebooks gaining such popularity. I’d also been concerned about editing quality at a small press. I think that’s so important and I was afraid it might be lacking. It’s good to know it isn’t. Thank you.
This is really interesting information. Thanks for the comparison.
And I took advantage of that arguing point!
I’m with a small publisher (Rhemalda Publishing), and I’ve enjoyed every single second of the journey. They’ve been so wonderful, in fact, that it’s hard for me to want to go somewhere else! I currently have 2 books signed with them, and may do more. No matter how I publish, I know it will be exciting and a lot of work. Thanks for this post!
Oh, also, I did a huge series about small publishers that you or anyone here might find helpful and interesting.
http://theinnocentflower.blogspot.com/search/label/Small%20Publisher%20Series
I love my small press (BelleBooks) – yes, my advance was small, but I was able to get that out of the way quickly and start receiving royalties, which are industry standard for my trade paperback but BB seems to offer higher royalties on my ebooks sales than some bigger pubs ebook royalties.
My editor is personable and always available – and I don’t take advantage of that. Deb Smith is GOLD and if she ever leaves BB, I’ll cry.
They took a chance on me and I’ll always be grateful for that. I was one of the first “lit fiction” books they took on – it was a risk for them, but they took it. And I think they are happy with me, too.
Yes, the budget is smaller, but there are trade-offs that I find accommodating to what I fits me.
Like L. Diane said – the ability to query a small press without an agent is “key” if you don’t want to go the agent route, or have tried and failed, or somewhere in between.
Nicely written article with good information – I’ve come here from Writer Unboxed Facebook groups (Thanks Valerie).
Krissy–Good luck with it! It’s quite a process, but there are so many different options out there–which is a good thing!
Diane–It frustrates me, too, because that’s not the only route to publication. And you’ve put it well–yes, I think *many* small presses *are* niche publishers. Maybe that’s why the “broader” part of the small press statement was puzzling to me.
Clarissa–Thanks for coming by!
Alex–And it worked out really well for you!
Margot–You’re right–I usually did get personal rejections from smaller presses and usually form letters from the bigger ones. Of course, I wasn’t actually supposed to be even *submitting* to the big ones without an agent! Oh, how we break the rules. :)
Michelle–Thanks for the link! Interesting discussion. I’ve heard good things about Rhemalda and it’s good to hear that you’ve had such a nice experience there. :)
Terry–I think distribution in stores is still a big deal. I’m curious to see how that’s going to change, with ebooks.
Tamika–That’s exactly the point I was at when “Pretty” was bought! Ha! I had rejection-fatigue in a big way.
Kathryn–You’re bringing up a good point about advances. With smaller advances, you can earn through much quicker and start collecting royalties.
A small press is also a great place to learn the ropes. I learned a lot about the production process when I was at Midnight Ink…and felt better that I knew more of what to expect when I was with Penguin.
Thanks for the heads-up on the Writer Unboxed FB post. :)
I don’t have personal experience, but I have a friend who went with a fairly large, but regional publisher and she has had so much trouble with them. If she could go back and re-do it she would never have signed with them – and she’d probably bop them over the head. She did it without an agent.
Helen–Ooh. Not a good thing! Definitely depends on the publisher. And then, of course, I talk to authors at the *same* publisher who had radically different experiences…because one had a particular editor and the other had a different editor.
Tracy–You’re right–it could definitely be taken that way. And, outside of writers, I wonder how much awareness there is of small presses? Wonder how many average readers are aware of them?
Carol–I’ve seen no differences at all as far as the editing. Both went through the manuscript very carefully. :)
I think there is definitely a lot of overlap, but there probably is a fair bit of content big presses won’t touch. I suspect the smaller ones will do all that the big will, but the BIG have certain things they shy away from. Erotica comes to mind, or the I think fantasy and sci-fi get published at larger presses, but not nearly as easily (probably because they tend to be longer, require a certain kind of expertise… I think to do them top notch would require more time and energy than the money they make, where smaller presses are content to leave them less edited because they sell well and the market wants them. And i think some stories have regional appeal and may have an easier time with a regional press. It’s a good reminder though, how much in common they have.
Thank you for this discussion. It’s so interesting to read your post and everyone’s responses. There’s something about small presses that is so appealing, and for aspiring authors, your argument makes a lot of sense. Thanks!
Hart–Well…I think they *do* put out erotica, but I think it’s published by a much-smaller imprint of the big publishers. I think Penguin has the Berkley Heat line, which does put out contemporary erotica. I absolutely agree about the regional presses…and, of course, the university presses which provide a real service to books that would likely not be accepted by large publishers.
Linda–Sometimes I worry that authors will just continue looking for an agent and not pursue the idea of approaching a small or midsized press directly. There’s a lot of opportunity there to build readers, a resume, and a real writing career by working with a small publisher. :)