Ok, gang… If you know me, then you know I write sci-fi with gay and lesbian protagonists. I’ve been surfing the web the past few days looking for publication houses geared towards my particular little realm, and I have found a few, but…. I am weary of giving my work to a publication house that I have never heard of. For those with experience, what is your take on these niche publishers?
I don't really have a view on them as a whole, I tend to go by each individual publishing house... If their website looks professional, their guidelines reasonable, they don't charge upfront fees, and you can find books by the authors they have published on Amazon and in bookstores or their websites, I'd say they're pretty safe. However, I recommend you search for a literary agent who could help you find a reputable publishing house that would be willing to publish your novel/s.
Well, right now I am shopping the Two Bullets Left story (hmmm... seems someone said they might give me a review.) It's the first time in a long time that feel very excited about where a story is going, and I feel very happy with my skill at this time. Happy enough to really want to submit it, once it is in a submitable format.
There is an excellent article in the August edition of Writer's Digest regarding the impact of "niche" publication on your future attempts to attract interest from bigger publishing houses. Its under the "Inkwell" section and written by Jenna Glatzer. The article identifies the problems (kind of like typecasting for actors) and possible steps a "niche writer" can take to make the transition. In the author's case, her editor actually requested that she NOT use her real name because of her prior identification in the niche market. She resisted and was eventually allowed to use her own name. You should read this article at some time before you accept any offers. .....NaCl
you say it's a 'story' which i have to assume is a 'short story' meant for a magazine and not a novel, but also refer to 'publication houses' which would be book publishers, not magazine publishers, so i have to admit i'm confused about what it is you have and what/who you want to submit it to... if this is a uk vs us expression gap, please let me know, so i can answer the question...
That’s just me being superstitious. I’m afraid that if I start calling it a novel, then that will bring the whammy factor into effect, drying up all creativity. :redface:
Hallo Wreybies, If u would like to see how your book should actually be "characterized", then have a look in book community. U dont have to worry about anybody taking ur publischer rights or such stuff. I am writing a short story and I a can easily see, if it does find a general approval among the readers. And if so the next step, would be to publish it - through book on demand. samcar
rotflol! ok, so it's a 'book' [is that any easier on you, than the 'n' word?]...from acquired knowledge, since i haven't had personal hands-on experience with same, here's my take on 'niche' presses... for a new/unknown writer with work that's definitely a 'niche' genre, i don't see you have any other option... targeting mainstream publishers will only waste your money, time, effort... and, by definition, 'niche' houses aren't generally well-known, so it's no surprise you wouldn't have heard of them, right? so, if you want your book/story/unmentionable to have any chance of being published, go ahead and query those specialty houses that take on your particular breed of work... just be sure to vet them thoroughly and you shouldn't have to worry... check them out with p&e first, then take a good look at their site, google for good/bad feedback and see how good/bad their books look and how well they do in sales/reviews... best of luck to you! hugs, m
