Comments on: Question Suggestions Anyone? http://shaungroves.com/2007/04/question-suggestions-anyone/ Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:20:20 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: J.R. Briggs http://shaungroves.com/2007/04/question-suggestions-anyone/#comment-16523 J.R. Briggs Wed, 04 Apr 2007 23:06:32 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/2007/04/question-suggestions-anyone/#comment-16523 <p>Shaun - </p> <p> I think you are asking the right questions already. But here are a few I would add. </p> <p> I would ask them: </p> <p> (1) Book sales aside, what does ‘success’ look like in this author/publisher relationship? </p> <p> (2) What are the expectations that you have of me as an author? </p> <p> (3) Can I have dinner in your dining room with your family? (This may sound like a strange one, but I’ve found that if I haven’t met some of the families behind the publisher I don’t really know them in the first place. One author told me that she won’t sign with a publishing house until she has the night in the home of someone on the editorial or marketing team - or the president of the publishing company...kind of interesting). [If you want more information/context on this one, just email me]. </p> <p> (4) We all know that this is a business...but describe to me what the ministry side looks like for this publishing company? </p> <p> (5) AFTER the book has been published, what sort of relationship do we have? (Many an author have been courted quite seriously before publication and then they never hear from the publisher once the book hits the shelves). </p> <p> I would ask yourself: </p> <p> (1) What does ‘success’ look like for me? </p> <p> (2) What are my expectations that I have of the publishing company? Have I clearly expressed that to them? </p> <p> (3) Which do I value more if I had to choose one: relationships with the staff or the professionalism of the company? </p> <p> I’ve had to ask all of these before...and I am in the process of asking these same questions with another potential (future) publishing company currently. </p> <p> Hope this helps. </p> <p> J.R. </p> Shaun -

I think you are asking the right questions already. But here are a few I would add.

I would ask them:

(1) Book sales aside, what does ‘success’ look like in this author/publisher relationship?

(2) What are the expectations that you have of me as an author?

(3) Can I have dinner in your dining room with your family? (This may sound like a strange one, but I’ve found that if I haven’t met some of the families behind the publisher I don’t really know them in the first place. One author told me that she won’t sign with a publishing house until she has the night in the home of someone on the editorial or marketing team – or the president of the publishing company…kind of interesting). [If you want more information/context on this one, just email me].

(4) We all know that this is a business…but describe to me what the ministry side looks like for this publishing company?

(5) AFTER the book has been published, what sort of relationship do we have? (Many an author have been courted quite seriously before publication and then they never hear from the publisher once the book hits the shelves).

I would ask yourself:

(1) What does ‘success’ look like for me?

(2) What are my expectations that I have of the publishing company? Have I clearly expressed that to them?

(3) Which do I value more if I had to choose one: relationships with the staff or the professionalism of the company?

I’ve had to ask all of these before…and I am in the process of asking these same questions with another potential (future) publishing company currently.

Hope this helps.

J.R.

]]> By: euphrony http://shaungroves.com/2007/04/question-suggestions-anyone/#comment-16522 euphrony Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:52:45 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/2007/04/question-suggestions-anyone/#comment-16522 <p>Probably a few you’ve already mulled over, but how much ownership of the work do I have as author (i.e. control for pricing, offers, distribution, how much you yourself can use the work in other areas in which you work, etc.) and the editing control that Beth mentioned.  You have to know what they want from your book, so you will know where they want to change it, soften it for appeal.  I’ve written several technical papers, and some journals take ownership of the paper while others leave it with the author.  Big difference, in that when I own the paper I can freely use it in other papers, whereas with journal ownership I am limited in how much of my own work I can use/reuse. </p> Probably a few you’ve already mulled over, but how much ownership of the work do I have as author (i.e. control for pricing, offers, distribution, how much you yourself can use the work in other areas in which you work, etc.) and the editing control that Beth mentioned.  You have to know what they want from your book, so you will know where they want to change it, soften it for appeal.  I’ve written several technical papers, and some journals take ownership of the paper while others leave it with the author.  Big difference, in that when I own the paper I can freely use it in other papers, whereas with journal ownership I am limited in how much of my own work I can use/reuse.

]]> By: Grovesfan http://shaungroves.com/2007/04/question-suggestions-anyone/#comment-16521 Grovesfan Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:34:18 +0000 http://shaungroves.com/2007/04/question-suggestions-anyone/#comment-16521 <p>Maybe this is an obvious one, but for me, I’d want to know what it is they expect to accomplish by publishing my work; what message to they want to convey and want me to convey; who are they targeting; what kind of freedom do I have in editing, etc.? </p> <p> Beth </p> Maybe this is an obvious one, but for me, I’d want to know what it is they expect to accomplish by publishing my work; what message to they want to convey and want me to convey; who are they targeting; what kind of freedom do I have in editing, etc.?

Beth

]]>