Getting Published--A Refresher Course. Pt. 1

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Every publishing company has its own way of doing things, and we are no different.

At Savas Beatie, we have always been careful about how we select manuscripts for publication, and as I have written, we are blessed with stacks of publishable manuscripts. Back in 2008 when I began this blog we were receiving  about one query a day. As of this writing, that number has jumped to about four.

But dusting the chaff from the grain is not always easy. Out of that trio of submissions, one will be fiction (it says clearly on our website that we do NOT publish fiction), one will be in area we do not publish ("Sharks Can be Sexy, too"), and the third and fourth will be something in our area of expertise and interest. But two a day is fourteen a week, or sixty or so a month and  . . .you can do the math. That means, generally speaking, for every twenty or so potentially manuscripts we get in, we will publish . . .  one. (The real number is lower, because many books are ideas we develop ourselves and seek authors to help us with.)

The process of acceptance is of interest to most authors, and rightly so. Sometimes authors inadvertently make the decision for us, without realizing it.

Of course, the genre, topic, research depth, and writing skills are important. But what most authors do not realize is that for many presses, acquisition editors (at Savas Beatie, I wear that hat) sometimes employ a process akin to alchemy. Call it a gut feeling, call it reading tea leaves, call it learning the hard way, but over the years I have come to understand that if the genre is what we publish and the topic is right, research can be improved and writing can be cleaned up. But unlike fixing commas, rewriting clunky sentence structure, or digging into an overlooked archive, authors--like leopards--don't change their spots. They are who they are. They have their idea on how the process works, and how hard they will work once their manuscript is published. For large houses, this is not as important, but for smaller independent presses who rub shoulders with their authors and work closely with them, personalities, outlook, character, and work ethic matter and affect everyone's bottom line.

Consequently, I have turned down many publishable manuscripts because of how authors present themselves. Unbeknownst to most writers, many of the hoops and mazes established to weed out manuscripts are also designed to weed out  . . . authors.

Here is one concrete example. Our website has clear and specific submission guidelines. They are there for a reason: they work well for us. They are also there for another reason: authors who can't follow simple directions won't follow simple suggestions or directions later--after we have invested significant time and money in their manuscript. Thus, when an author (or agent) calls and tries to pitch something on the phone, sends in a complete unsolicited manuscript, or does not follow our step-by-step guideline for submission, it tells us as much about them as it does about their work. And experience demonstrates that authors who will not follow requirements up front--or who buck against them--won't down the road, either.

Just the other day an author called and ARGUED with one of our staff about having to provide the information we requested. "Why can't I just email you my manuscript?" he asked. "You can take a look and that will be there." 

I once told an author that for most writers, obtaining a traditional publishing contract is like running around outside in Kansas trying to get struck by lightning. I'm kidding: it is easier to get struck by lightening (at least in Kansas.

So writers take heed: if you have a manuscript and you want to submit it to a publishing house, determine specific submissions requirements (they vary house to house) and follow them exactly. Editors are evaluating the procedure as well the substance.

Parts 2-4 to follow.

--tps

Winston Groom's Shiloh--Have you Read It?

Hello all,

Sorry for my absence. After my dive trip to Central America I had hand surgery and am just getting back into it. (And, several posts have disappeared. Weird.)

So . . . all of you know I love the Shiloh Campaign and that we published one of the outstanding books on the battle in Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862, by Cunningham and Smith.

I received Groom's latest from his publisher's marketing department and promised I would read and comment on it. I have finished it. I enjoyed it. I am curious how many of you have read it, and what you think of it? It is very different than Cunningham, but then it was intended to be.

-- tps

Hello all

I will be gone from June 1 through June 9 in Belize (Central America) diving with my son and 25 others from Fisheye Scuba in Folsom, California. We are staying out on a small island at a place called Banana Cove, and I won't have cell or email service--the first time I will not be checking in daily to my office since 1999 when I hit the Dominican Republic.

I have longed to hit the Yucatan  Peninsula since I was a kid. On the second to last day we fly to the mainland to hit a pair of Mayan sites and then raft back down a jungle river through caves, etc. Should be a good time, and a trip I am very much looking forward to. As those of you who know me can attest, I don't take vacations. It is time.

So back on once I return. Have a safe early June. And remember--Maps of Antietam hits our warehouse right when get back . . .

-- tps

Diving the arch in the Blue Hole. We will not be doing this, as it is very dangerous and is called the Diver's Cemetery. I would do it if my son was not there, but he is not experienced enough--yet.

This is the Blue Hole from the air. It is deep, and often home to Hammerhead sharks.

This is probably better suited for Sarah's blog, but I want to share what I am thinking these days (in a relatively short post) about working with authors a second time--especially in this environment.

As we all know, the economy is not healthy, the entire Borders chain is history, the majority of independent bookstores have closed their doors, and those that are left have limited shelf space, questionable balance sheets, and little appreciation for how to actually SELL a book.

Into this environment steps two SB authors. Mollie and "Robert." Mollie is real. Robert is a fictional name, and his story below is a composite of events and times spread over two or three of our titles, but the main point remains accurate.

Each of these folks has published a book with me, and each has pitched a second project onto my desk.

MOLLIE: She learned how to master social media, maintains a vibrant blog with an equally vibrant email database, schedules one event after another from county fairs to service clubs to you name it (and has for years--YEARS), checks Amazon and every time it says "only 10 copies left" sends out a blast to her base, constantly asks for feedback. She sets Google alerts, writes articles for magazines, newsletters, etc. She never goes anywhere without a copy of her book, and she never fails to mention it when she meets someone who converses with her. Her book is still in hardcover in its fourth (and maybe fifth) printing. Total returns year over year as a percentage: about nine percent. Industry average: about 35%.

ROBERT: His first book was well received critically speaking, won a prestigious history award, and is just now selling through its first printing after years in print. And it is a DAMN fine study. In fact, I have never heard a negative word about any of it.

So what's the difference? Yes, the topics are different, but the real constant is promotion. Robert does not maintain a blog, and won't despite request after request. He did a slim handful of signings when the book came out--and quit. He is not writing for magazines, newspapers, or historical society newsletters. He does not pen anything for other blogs (many of which would love content). He does not maintain an Amazon author page. He does not jump into bookstores to see if his book is present (and then sign any copies), and if they are not there, ask the manager to stock it.

Both have pitched another book project. One is a no-brainer for a publisher. I KNOW in advance what support I will get from the author. The other? Well, that's also a no-brainer.

Authors, if you choose to go the independent trade publishing route, support your years of research and writing by helping spread the word about YOUR book.

-- tps

How Important is the Publisher's Style Sheet?

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As strange as this might sound,  it is not uncommon for some authors to complain about having to scrub their manuscripts according to a house style sheet in preparation for publication. (No, I am not joking.) These are often the same authors who also complain when an editor has spent untold hours trying to format previously inscrutable footnotes and makes mistakes doing so.

Then the phone rings: "Ted! On page 16, your editor inserted the wrong  . . . "

Submitting a manuscript that matches a house style sheet is important on many levels. First, it means that in most cases, editors will have to do less work fixing relatively simple issues like passive voice, run-on sentences, rank presentation, and so forth. The less time spent on these things means she can spend more time on developmental and substantive details.

Second, less minute detail work means there is a lower likelihood of an editor making a mistake trying to interpret or alter an author's work. Given the nature of our publications, citation format is critically important. No one knows his sources better than the author, so getting your footnotes in line with the house style sheet means makes it easier all the way around for everyone.

Imagine, for a moment, the room for error when an editor has to dig into hundreds of notes to change your "creative" citation of the Official Records . . . . OR, part I, Vol. 21, pages 232-233  . . . to match the preferred house style of OR 21, pt. 1, 232-233. Or "One O'clock" to "1:00 p.m.", etc. At first blush this might seem a small issue. I can assure you that, compounded over hundreds of pages and citations, it most certainly is not. As an author, do you really want an editor taking a spade to your work, or would you rather do it yourself to make sure it is done (and interpreted) correctly?

And those were simple examples. Cites to Internet articles, essays in anthologies, multi-volume works, and so forth, arrive here in a multitude of permutations, and many times within the same document are cited very differently. Trying to figure out the identity of the editor, the author, the volume number, etc., is simply a waste of time, money, and often leads to other problems.

Finally, another dirty little secret: an author's willingness to cooperate and help polish his own manuscript is indicative of his ability and willingness to cooperate later when a publisher decides where to dedicate precious marketing dollars.

So my advice is simple: The next time you get a style sheet, FOLLOW IT.

--tps

The Maps of Antietam--Coming Soon!

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From "Ted's Daily Memo" (front right, home page of our website):

Just reviewed an advance finished copy of The Maps of Antietam by Brad Gottfried, our latest in the Savas Beatie Military Atlas series. It is stunning. Books hit our warehouse the last week of May. If you want a first edition, order fast. I don't think we printed enough of this one. --tps

Specs: 125 full-page original full color maps opposite full-page text description, extensive end notes, orders of battle, bibliography, index. Foreword by Dr. Thomas Clemens, 7 x 10, cloth, dust jacket, acid-free 70# art-matte coated paper, sewn binding. 344 pages. $39.95

Click here for the main Maps of Antietam web page, and read an excerpt (left column) and see a map.

I love all these atlas books, but God do I LOVE this one.

--tps

DOJ Decides e-Book Price Fixing is a Top Priority

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The Justice Department is pouncing on statements by Apple like “aikido move” and “trounce Amazon” to prove its case that Apple was the hub of a illegal conspiracy to fix the price of e-books.

While the statements sounds serious, the government’s overall explanation of Apple’s role in the conspiracy is far from convincing.  Read more HERE.

Another article, slightly different perspective is "Why e-books cost so much." The average person has no idea about how LITTLE the cost of printing is when it comes to pricing a book. It is probably 15%, give or take, of the cost of a title. Everything else is acquisition, editing, design, indexing (in some cases), marketing, wages, overhead, etc. Read more HERE. The comments, for the most part, are pathetically ignorant.

Curious as to your thoughts.

-- tps