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Author Topic: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?  (Read 2354 times)
StevenSavile
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #15 on: January 12, 2010, 03:46:55 PM »
Heh I didn't think you were - I was just pointing out that the 60s homage was exactly what we were after, and given how much of a pain in the backside it was formatting wise I can't imagine BMB will do it again Smiley
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among736
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #16 on: January 12, 2010, 07:10:08 PM »
Quote from: sidpcobain on January 12, 2010, 05:16:41 AM
Publish.

Amen to that, Sid.

And welcome, Cutter!!

Andy
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skippycarl
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #17 on: January 12, 2010, 07:40:14 PM »
Publish one of my manuscripts!

oh, and do it in paperback!  I love trade sized paperbacks.

Bill
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Rob Dunbar
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #18 on: January 15, 2010, 08:35:26 AM »
Thank you. You guys are invaluable. I'm printing this entire thread ... possibly memorizing it later. As I stand poised on this particular precipice myself, it's like a crash course.

Wait. I'm not liking the imagery. Let me rephrase. No. Better yet, I talk about it here.

http://frohock.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/an-interview-with-robert-dunbar/
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njhorror
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #19 on: January 15, 2010, 11:24:24 AM »
Quote
What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?


The dishes, the laundry, cook a few meals, clean up around this dump, because lawd knows . . .
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Rob Dunbar
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #20 on: January 18, 2010, 11:28:32 AM »
Be right over. (But I don't do windows.)
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Antmusic
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #21 on: January 21, 2010, 10:33:59 AM »
TWO QUESTIONS:
1) How many books a year do you want from your "dream" press?

4?

25?

Or does that matter as long as they release good books?

2) Would you be upset if a company LOWERED their originally announced limitation amount at a much later date?

Explanation:  A company announces the new Lisa W. Cantrell (random name) book will have a limitation of 500 copies during the pre-order time period.  A year later they say, OOPS, the limitation will be 100 copies (due to economic and other reasons).

Why would this possibly be bad? Because you might not be able to pre-order in time to get a copy if you were waiting until the book came out.  Or they might have to raise the price for those who haven't pre-ordered already because of printing costs..

Of course, if you pre-ordered already it might just raise the value of your investment.

I haven't really seen this happen, but I'm sure it COULD.
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among736
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #22 on: January 21, 2010, 10:41:55 AM »
I think a book a month would be nice.  Not sure how doable that is for most small presses though.

As for limitations.....I don't think I'd be upset as a reader if the limitation went down.  Like you said, it probably makes the book a little more valuable if there are less copies available.  I think the bigger problem is when a publisher *increases* the print run well after the fact, unless it's via a second printing (but even that gets hairy when you're talking about signed limiteds).

All that being said, I'd be curious to hear how a decreased limitation impacts the author.  Are they paid regardless, or does a decrease in print run affect the amount they make?  I'm assuming the latter, but that's just a guess.

Andy
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njhorror
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #23 on: January 21, 2010, 01:23:35 PM »
Quote
I think a book a month would be nice.  Not sure how doable that is for most small presses though.



my sentiments exactly.


I believe that it would be very difficult to accomplish, though.
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HOKE1958
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #24 on: January 21, 2010, 02:05:30 PM »
"better proofreading"

Bingo !  Azn
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Antmusic
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #25 on: January 21, 2010, 03:24:40 PM »
Quote from: HOKE1958 on January 21, 2010, 02:05:30 PM
"better proofreading"
Bingo !  Azn

I read an ultra expensive (to me at least) short story collection recently that had what seemed like at least one error per story.... not huge errors, and they were ones that spell check wouldn't catch.

Things like:

"Trail" instead of "Trial" (or "Pubic" vs "Public" ... better than "Pubelick")

Double word things... where two words were being decided between by the writer, and oops, they forgot to remove one ("His hand fist came crashing down upon the table")

Missing quotes (He looked around. "Nice Weather, Carl he said.)

Missing words (I hate these, they make me trip while reading... like a crack in sidewalk, ha ha... and if you didn't trip there, it doesn't bother you as much as me)...  Sometimes it is obvious, othertimes it makes you stop and say, "waitaminutewhatdidIjustread?"


Quote from: among736 on January 21, 2010, 10:41:55 AM
I think a book a month would be nice.  Not sure how doable that is for most small presses though.

That would be pretty nice.  Like you though, I have no idea how doable that would be.  Of course, if they print a batch of 12 different books... and then hold onto them... only releasing one at a time and not telling us that the others are in stock...  Wink
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JDAR
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #26 on: January 30, 2010, 07:17:57 AM »
After avoiding the Horror Mall for two years, I finally ordered two books from Sideshow Press the other day.

SECRETS/JF Gonzalez was in stock, while SIDESHOW EXHIBITS (novellas by Gord Rollo, Gene O'Neill and Michael McBride) may be released 2/22/10.  I rec'd an email from HM showing both books as being ordered.  No info on when they would be sent.

Even using media mail, SECRETS should have arrived by now.  I assume that they are holding the one book for a month until the second book is released.   Angry  Then I go to the HM and I notice that SECRETS is no longer available.  I assume that my order got in on time.

Why do I have to assume?  Why isn't Sideshow providing their customers with this info?

So I try to find an email addy to contact Sideshow - there is none.  The only email addy available is to the HM.

One of the reasons I enjoy buying from the small indy press is the ability to correspond with the owners.  Not only to ask questions, but to also let them know how much I admire their books.   I feel that I'm provided a more personalized customer service at Amazon than I've seen so far at the HM. 

Jan   Undecided
« Last Edit: January 30, 2010, 07:22:21 AM by JDAR » Logged
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MarkSieber
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #27 on: January 30, 2010, 07:27:31 AM »
Sideshow puts out some interesting stuff, but man, those covers are a big turnoff. I know we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but it would be humiliating to been seen carrying one of the books around. Case in point:

http://www.sideshowpresspublications.com/images/companion-cover.gif

I hate to say it, but I've never had a problem ordering from Amazon. Sometimes it takes a while for my items to ship, but I'm informed of that when I choose the free shipping option. Most of the time the stuff comes in pretty quickly. I heard that Amazon had a very successful year in 2009 and their service is undeniably one of the reasons for it.
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JDAR
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #28 on: January 30, 2010, 07:53:44 AM »
Even SECRETS has an odd looking cover.  (sorry Tom)

Other than their first chapbook, I've enjoyed the written portion of their books.   Wink

I love ordering from Amazon.  I've had them send a book (free S/H) by UPS - which probably cost more than my order.  I've got a DVD box set ordered that is due next week.  Got a great surprise yesterday when I discovered the cost was reduced by $4.50 - and automatically they applied it to my order.

Perhaps I'm spoiled by them.  Amazon always provides an est shipping date when you order . . . . and usually it is sent before that dare.   Grin

 Undecided
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MarkSieber
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Re: What would your perfect Small Press publisher do?
« Reply #29 on: January 30, 2010, 07:55:19 AM »
Odd is one word to describe the cover to Secrets. I think I'd pick another.

Sorry too, Tom, if you're reading this. I know you're a good guy, but I've heard a lot of people say how much they hate the covers to Sideshow Books.
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