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- Column - From the Trenches - |
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April 24, 2000 Does Size Really Matter? The Big Rise of the Small Press: Part One By Susan McBride Author of And Then She Was Gone There is no denying that the future is now, at least with regard to the growth of small publishers and their rise in stature in the business. In our brave new millennium, it appears the mergers and takeovers in the New York publishing scene have made it tougher than ever for undiscovered talent to find a home. Even established writers with track records that many would be thrilled to call their own are getting the cold shoulder from the arms that had once welcomed them. What’s a mid-list author to do? According to R. John Hayes, a book reviewer for Canadian and northern U.S. newspapers, the trend is definitely toward the small press market. There is, he says, a "movement toward smaller and more personal publishers for the new, fringe and lower-end mid-list books. The bigger houses with their huge overheads (in addition to their larger resources) can’t afford to publish anybody but the relatively big sellers and the stars, such as Cornwell, Grafton, Grisham, Paretsky, Parker, etc." Hayes states that this shift - which has occurred most prominently in the past four years - not only means that "there are more and more specialized titles available, some rather outré ones that wouldn’t have been published in years past," but there is more pressure put on small press authors "to shoulder a lot of the publicity cost and time expense in promoting their own books." Positive for readers, he says, as their choices widen, but tougher on the writers. He sees the need for improvement in the market penetration of the "mom and pop" publishers, as the majority of book buyers still purchase "in convenience stores, supermarkets, gift shops, gas stations and other assorted places where the books are between the chocolate bars and the Slurpee machine." A publisher that is certainly doing its best to level the playing field is Perseverance Press/John Daniel & Co., which published BABY MINE by Janet LaPierre and ROYAL FLUSH by Shelley Singer in 1999. One of their new releases for 2000, GUNS AND ROSES by Taffy Cannon, recently ranked in the 700s on Barnes & Noble’s on-line system. A lofty accomplishment for a new mystery not released by a major house. Perseverance Press editor and publisher Meredith Phillips admits that, after six months and three books, "we’re still feeling our way. All three books have enjoyed good reviews and sales, and we hope to build on their success and expand our list." Phillips has a complicated history with the press, having been its editor and publisher from 1984 through 1990, getting out nine books from first-time authors in that period, which left her with a bad case of burnout. Putting the press on hiatus, she did freelance editing for the next few years, working on mystery novels for some of the bigger houses including Taffy Cannon’s former publisher, Fawcett. Then, in 1998, John Daniel & Co., known for its niche in literary fiction and nonfiction, decided to start a mystery line. They formed a partnership with Perseverance Press, which seemed, Phillips says, "a natural fit. John and I are old friends, and I’d freelanced for them for years." Phillips stresses that "quality is very important to us, and we’re extremely proud of both the process and the product." What works for Perseverance Press and its authors is paying "careful and loving attention to every detail of production and promotion." The emphasis on quality and detail is one of the aspects of dealing with a small press that Taffy Cannon has found most appealing and calls her relationship with Perseverance "one of the most pleasurable I have ever had with a publisher. I love knowing they’re willing to listen to my ideas for how to market and publicize my book." And, she adds, GUNS AND ROSES itself "is beautiful with great cover art and a really classy look and feel." Even the title page is special, as Cannon explains: "The production designer’s hobby is Colonial printing, and so he copied the title page from a publication of the College of William and Mary dating to the 1700s." Cannon feels that, "In a way, I was lucky to have been dropped by a major publisher long enough ago that I could have this relationship in place by now. Every day seems to bring more bad news in the increasingly nasty series of cuts happening in publishing. Now that small presses are hot, everybody’s clamoring to climb aboard, and I think a lot of these places are overwhelmed by demand. That, of course, is the down side." In 2001, Perseverance will expand their list to three books annually, among them BLIND SIDE by Penny Warner, KEEPERS by Janet LaPierre, and THE TUMBLEWEED MURDERS by Rebecca Rothberg ("her last book before her untimely death, completed by Taffy Cannon"). Meredith Phillips is "looking for authors for 2002, but regret we can’t publish first novelists." Though she adds, "We’d love to hear from more male authors. And established authors are very welcome to contact us with a letter, query, proposal, etc., at the P.O. box address provided on our web site." The Perseverance Press/John Daniel & Co. is a member of the Independent Mystery Publishers group and has a page in its print catalogue distributed at mystery conventions. Or, interested readers and authors may visit their official web site at www.danielpublishing.com/perseverance. Books can be ordered directly from the site or by calling 800-662-8351. Another small publisher apparently winning the uphill battle against the Goliaths is Silver Dagger/Overmountain Press. Senior editor Beth Wright had also noted the glaring shift in focus by large publishers to best-selling authors at the expense of everyone else. Wright saw that "this left a lot of first-timers and mid-list authors out in the cold." The creation of Silver Dagger was a way "to offer both to the mystery reading public. Our list of authors is comprised of half previously-published writers and half first-time novelists." The story of Silver Dagger/Overmountain Press is another tale of a regional publisher with a hankering to dip a toe into the mystery market. The Overmountain Press in Johnson City, Tennessee, has a list of titles numbering 200, including cookbooks, ghost lore, history, biographies, and children’s books. Wright describes the events that led to Silver Dagger’s birth this way: "Last August, we were approached by Deborah Adams, author of Ballantine’s Jesus Creek Mysteries, and Charles Edwin Price, a folklore author for Overmountain, about setting up a new imprint for Southern mysteries by Southern authors." The idea took root quickly, and soon they were looking for books. Laura Belgrave, author of IN THE SPIRIT OF MURDER, was one of the first to sign on, though Silver Dagger contacted her, not the other way around. Belgrave says that it all happened in a blink. "A mutual acquaintance had passed along my manuscript to Ed Price, Ed got in touch and things took off from there." Belgrave had tried getting published the usual way and admits having almost given up entirely before Silver Dagger stepped into the picture. She says, "I’d been through the wringer with big houses, agents…you name it. So, for me, this whole experience has been nothing short of phenomenal and certainly wonderful." Six months after she contracted with Silver Dagger, SPIRIT was released, though she admits, "a lot happened in between. There was a cover to get together, copy-editing conducted thoroughly and exclusively through email, and so on." She calls her publisher’s support "unprecedented," and she speaks from years of experience working as a children’s book editor. Silver Dagger author Julie Wray Herman echoes Belgrave’s sentiments. Herman’s first novel, THREE DIRTY WOMEN AND THE GARDEN OF DEATH, was just released in both hardcover and softcover, a novel experiment; but Herman has total confidence in her publisher. "I’ve never seen anyone as enthusiastic as Beth about what she is doing. While I haven’t heard anyone in Johnson City actually say this, I get the impression they’re putting out books because they like them and want to provide quality reading material first, then aim to make a profit. My reaction to this kind of support is to make them as happy as humanly possible that they got into the mystery publishing business!" Support is what the Silver Dagger consortium is all about. Beth Wright sees this type of arrangement as being "very author friendly. This group of individuals functions as a whole to promote the entire series as opposed to an author’s own book. We are all on a network of emails where we share everything from marketing to editorial suggestions to personal triumphs and good news. Everyone gets a say in the publication process from editing to cover design to promotion." Promotion is likely the most difficult aspect confronting small presses for the reason John Hayes mentioned: Readers and book stores tend to stick with what they know. Wright finds her Silver Dagger consortium gives her authors a stronger push; strength in numbers is the reason. "We combine everyone’s contacts and bookseller friends, creating quite a network. We’re currently working on several ideas for summer reading programs and are setting up special events at several bookstores for Silver Dagger authors." She adds, "It’s amazing what can happen when everyone works together as a whole rather than as individuals. That is the secret to Silver Dagger and its ultimate success." Julie Herman has this advice for writers still trying to get their first break: "Write. Complete something. Send it out. Then network. Publishing offers do not usually fall in the laps of those who haven’t been out there talking about their projects and those who haven’t finished a book." And look beyond the traditional publishing scene. "Don’t forget about audio books, e-books and other newer publishers. The rules are changing. Figure out which way you want to go and follow that path." You can check out all the books available from Silver Dagger/Overmountain Press directly online. In the next column: More small press stories, including one author’s experience with print-on-demand. |
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