Category: Publishing

11 December 2019

Dear Editor | What is the Best Dictionary to Use for Fiction?

One of the most important rules of editing is that a document needs to have correct and consistent spelling, grammar, and punctuation. How do we ensure correct and consistent spelling? We check in the dictionary.

But which is the best dictionary to use for fiction?

First, you can’t rely on the dictionary in Word. Or Grammarly. Or any other online software. Why not? Because each dictionary is different, and publishers will each have a standard dictionary they use. This will often be the dictionary recommended by their preferred style guide.

The standard style guide for fiction published in the United States of America is the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS). CMOS recommends the 11th edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (MW).

Merriam-Webster regularly add new words to the online version of the dictionary, which means even the new 1 August 2019 print edition won’t be current for long.

The online edition will always be more current because it can be updated quickly and at almost no cost.

My print edition of Merriam-Webster’s was printed in 2014, which means it’s time to upgrade to the new 2020 edition (and yes, I’m fully aware it’s still 2019 as I write this). Note that these are both the 11th edition, despite the difference in printing date, and the inclusion of words such as emoji and clickbait in the 2020 edition.

This is further complicated by the fact there are multiple versions of Merriam-Webster’s, including:

The Unabridged version, which includes 470,000 words (available online via subscription)
The Collegiate version, also available online via subscription.
The print Collegiate version, which includes 225,000 definitions.
The free online version.
The free and paid Android and iPhone app versions based on the online Collegiate dictionary (with the main difference being the lack of advertisements in the paid version).

Some words can be found in the app version, but not in the online Collegiate or Unabridged versions. (Apparently the Unabridged edition doesn’t include All The Words). Words marked “new” in the Unabridged might not be in other versions until the next scheduled update. Print versions obviously lag online versions.

Merriam-Websters say the subscription-based Collegiate version is the most up-to-date version available.

Our Collegiate Dictionary database on our subscription Merriam-Webster Unabridged site (unabridged.merriam-webster.com) is the most up-to-date version of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. The online Collegiate is usually updated a few times a year.

Our free dictionary on Merriam-Webster.com was originally based on the Collegiate, but the two are no longer the same.

But which is the best dictionary to use for fiction?

Merriam-Webster recommend publishing professionals use the online version of the Collegiate Dictionary. You can find this on the Merriam-Webster Unabridged site (i.e. the paid subscription version).

If you’re writing in US English, then you may wish to subscribe to the online Collegiate version, or you may be happy using the website or hardcover versions. However, it’s worth asking your editor which version they are using so you know which is more likely to be current and correct.

Which dictionary do you use to edit fiction?

27 November 2019

Dear Editor | What is Edgy and Diverse Christian Fiction?

One of the complaints about Christian fiction is that the novels are filled with cliche characters who don’t reflect real life: Mr Almost-Perfect meets Miss Practically Perfect, they overcome a minor doctrinal difference (are you a real Christian if you read the 1769 King James Version rather than the 1604 version?), and live happily ever after.

Others complain that the hero and heroine are always rich, good-looking, and successful, and their conflicts are #FirstWorldProblems. In other words, that the characters don’t reflect real life (however defined).

Many authors try and bring real life into the Christian fiction they write. Some brand this as “edgy” Christian fiction, as a way of separating their books in the market.

What is “Edgy” Christian Fiction?

First, we need to remember there is no universal definition for Christian fiction. I’ve discussed this before:

Edgy is an equally difficult term to define. In broad terms, my observations suggest “edgy” is a term applied to any Christian fiction that doesn’t fit the cookie-cutter fiction traditional publishers tend to put out (because publishing is a business, and following the formula is seen as the route to financial success).

Edgy can include:

Characters who have problems with alcohol or illegal drugs. Conservative Christian readers will consider any novel in which a character drinks alcohol to be edgy. Owning a vineyard is definitely edgy. Proper Christians, it seems, never touch alcohol. Not even in Holy Communion.
Characters who have problems with addictions such as gambling or pornography.
Characters who have been physically abused as children.
Characters who have been sexually abused.
Characters who have had abortions, or babies out of wedlock.
Divorced characters.

Unfortunately, these are real-life situations for many readers, Christian and otherwise. The world is full of hurting people who have been affected by these problems, either as the victim or the perpetrator. Jesus came to save the lost, and too many Christian novels pretend they don’t exist.

As such, there is a market for “edgy” Christian fiction, as readers with less than ideal backgrounds seek fiction that reflects their reality. Yes, sometimes this fiction pushes the envelope of what is typically considered Christian fiction. But that is probably an envelope that needs pushing (if you’ll excuse the bad analogy).

What is Diverse Christian Fiction?

Another envelope that needs pushing is diversity in Christian fiction. Most CBA novels from ECPA publishers have a lot in common:

They are set in the United States of America—the main exception is a small number of historical romances set in England, usually Regency or Edwardian England.
They feature predominantly white characters, although a growing number feature Hispanic main characters.
A smaller number feature people of Native American or African-American heritage, and even fewer feature other racial minorities such as Asian-American. Where novels do feature minorities, they are likely to be self-published or from a small press.
Most novels are non-denominational, although the characters are clearly Protestant (usually conservative evangelical) rather than Roman Catholic or Orthodox or some other Christian denomination.

There is room for the Christian fiction market to expand to include characters who represent a broader cross-section of the Christian church.

This includes:

Fiction set outside the United States and Regency England.
Historical fiction representing nations and cultures other than the United States and England or Scotland.
Fiction from the point of view of indigenous peoples.
Fiction from the point of view of non-white immigrants.

This gives more of us the chance to see ourselves on the page. Yes, I include myself in “diverse”. I’m from New Zealand, and there is a dearth of fiction featuring Kiwi characters or Kiwi settings, much less Kiwi characters in New Zealand.

There are authors writing and publishing edgy fiction, diverse fiction (and even edgy and diverse fiction), but I’d like to see more.

I’d especially like to see more edgy and diverse fiction from the large traditional publishers.

Would you?

20 November 2019

Understanding the Paths to Publishing

All authors need to understand the various paths to publishing so they can make the best decision for them (and not spend their life savings on publishing through a vanity press that promises the world and ends up paying $2 in royalties).

If you decide to pursue a big-name traditional publisher, then you will probably need a literary agent. If you’re writing for the Christian market, you’ll want a Christian agent:

How do I find a Christian Literary Agent?

You might get a offered contract with a small traditional publisher. It appealing, but is it a good idea?

Writing Scams

There are a lot of scams in the writing world. What should writers pay for, and what should they be wary of?

Self-Publishing

If you decide to self-publish, then you are responsible for the entire publishing process:

Book Cover Design

You’ll need a book cover. Here are my design tips: Book Cover Design

Front and Back Matter

If you choose to self-publish, then you’ll need to include certain information in the front and back of your books: your front and back matter:

Copyright

As content creators, we need to understand the basics of copyright. This series of posts includes basic information about copyright so we can ensure we’re not infringing on someone else’s copyright:

Formatting

Vellum

Vellum is downloadable Mac-only software that makes it easy to format ebooks and paperbacks. People who use it swear by it (and as a reader I can confirm it produces beautiful ebooks). Kristine Kathryn Rusch recommends the print copies as well, saying Vellum is fast and easy, and produces quality books.

Joel Friedlander’s Book Templates

Joel’s book design templates* make it easy to format a professional ebook or paperback in Word or InDesign.

Draft2Digital

Draft2Digital* provides free ebook formatting, as well as distribution to Amazon and all major online retailers. They also offer printing services.

Scrivener

Scrivener users swear by Scrivener for formatting ebooks. I’m not yet a Scrivener convert, so don’t have an opinion. But if you use Scrivener, it’s worth checking out their formatting options before paying for something else.

*Note: these are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you click my link and make a purchase. This doesn’t cost you anything.

13 November 2019

Dear Editor | Why Should I Publish with a Traditional Publisher?

I was recently cruising one of the Facebook writing groups when an interesting question came up:

Why should I publish with a small traditional publisher?

I’ve partly covered this before, in Dear Editor | Should I Publish with a Small Press? But one group member made some good points about what a good traditional publisher will do:

Pay an advance to the author.
Employ editors with a track history of acquiring and publishing bestselling titles.
Employ competent line editors, copyeditors, and proofreaders.
Employ cover designers and formatters with experience publishing bestselling titles.
Employ an in-house sales team directly selling to thousands of booksellers through dozens of national and international channels.

If the traditional publisher doesn’t do most or all of these things, then what is the benefit to the author? The author grants the publisher the exclusive right to publish and distribute their book in exchange for the publisher taking most of any future profit, and paying lower royalty rates than the author could earn from self-publishing.

Ironically, said group member manages a vanity press which does not pay advances or employ editors, and distributes books though IngramSpark and Baker & Taylor. Pot, meet kettle.

Having said that, I agree with the comments.

I have a list of over 170 publishers of Christian fiction. There are a small number who meet all the criteria of a traditional publisher: they have a team of editors and designers who have worked on bestselling and award-winning books, and they have an extensive sales team actively selling books into retail chains.

Major traditional publishers pay advances, and royalties (if the book earns out the advance). Typical royalties are 15% of the net price (i.e. the price the publisher was paid) per paper book sale, and a little more for ebooks.

But these publishers don’t take submissions directly from authors.

They choose to work exclusively with a small number of literary agents specialising in the Christian market. Getting a literary agent is hard, and getting one of the limited number of publishing spots with a major traditional publisher is even harder.

My list also has a large number of small traditional publishers.

A couple of these are owned by authors who have been published by one or more of the major traditional publishers, and the quality of the books they publish reflects this professionalism. They are well edited and have covers that look like covers from the major traditional publishers.

Small traditional publishers don’t usually pay advances but do pay above-market royalties (I’ve heard figures of 25% of net on paper sales, and 50% on ebook sales).

The rest of the small publishers on my list mean well, but their books are substandard.

The writing and editing isn’t great (I’ve read better first drafts). Their covers are not consistent with current genre trends. As a result, the books rarely reach any significant level of sales.

What these small publishers don’t have is the sales channels. They don’t have national-level relationships with Barnes & Noble or Walmart or Target … or even Amazon. They might have relationships with the owners of local bookstores (Christian or not), but that relationship will sell tens of books, not hundreds or thousands.

Their main distribution platform is going to be Amazon and the other ebook stores, and IngramSpark (for getting paper books stocked at Barnes & Noble online). They’ll also get listings in the online catalogues.

And that’s exactly the same distribution as a self-published author can get for themselves for the price of the IngramSpark upload fee (i.e. around $50, and free for members of the Alliance of Independent Authors).

Coincidentally, that’s exactly the same distribution as many of the “self-publishing” companies offer … except they charge hundreds or thousands of dollars for the privilege.

And that’s why I believe authors have two choices:

1. Get their writing and platform to a standard where they can attract the attention of a top literary agent who has solid relationships with the major traditional publishers.

2. Self-publish.

And when I say “self-publish” I don’t mean spending hundreds or thousands of dollars with a “self-publishing company” (or hybrid publisher, or partnership publisher, or any of the dozens of other names I’ve seen them call themselves). Unfortunately, these type of companies make up the majority of the publishers on my list.

When I say “self-publish”, this is what I mean:

Write the book.
Work with critique partners to refine the plot and character arcs (or hire me for a manuscript assessment).
Work with beta readers to further revise and refine the story.
Work with an editor to polish the story. You might need a couple of editors e.g. a developmental editor and a copyeditor.
Find a cover designer with a proven track record in your genre,
Format your book for publication (e.g. buy Vellum or format free through Draft2Digital).
Create accounts on the major online bookstores and upload their book for sale (free everywhere except IngramSpark, which is around $50 unless you have a discount code).
Register copyright with the US Copyright Office ($35).

In return, self-published authors get royalties of 70% for (most) ebooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99, and 35% on other ebook sales. Royalties on paper books will depend on the cost of production and the sales price. However, the author doesn’t pay anything up front and isn’t required to purchase any copies (although they can purchase at a discount).

Authors also need to create an author platform, but every author needs that—the major traditional publishers are unlikely to consider an author who doesn’t at least have a professional-looking website and social media profiles.

(As an aside, I recently had the owner of a small press (not one of the good ones) challenge me as to why I didn’t “recommend” her publisher. My answer is that I don’t recommend any product or service I haven’t got personal experience with – which means I don’t recommend any publisher.)

So why should I publish with a small traditional publisher?

The one reason I can think of for first-time authors to publish with a small press is that traditionally publishing through a small press grants them the right to enter some writing contests—some contests for published books require that self-published authors show evidence of $2,000 or $4,000 in sales before they can enter. However, I’ve judged some of these contests and can assure you that being “traditionally published” is no guarantee of quality.

Otherwise, I recommend authors do their homework and carefully consider their publishing options.

Are you published with a small press? What was your rationale for that decision?

11 September 2019

Dear Christian Author | Please Don’t Criticise Christian Fiction Writers

The internet is full of stupid. We all know that. But there are levels of stupid.

And, unfortunately, Christian fiction writers are sometimes the target of internet stupid.

There is Forrest Gump stupid, where someone known for having a lower-than-average IQ says something that’s wrong or stupid (usually both), but we ignore it. We know the person doesn’t understand the issue, so we forgive them and move on. We know we can’t fix stupid.

There is politician stupid, where someone spouts a party line that we either believe or don’t believe, depending on our political leanings and the reputation of the politician in question. Whichever side of the political line we’re on, we know it’s best not to engage. We know better than to feed the trolls.

Then there is the-earth-is-flat stupid, where someone you thought was of average or above intelligence gives their opinion but expresses it as fact. It’s Forrest Gump-meets-politician stupid, because it’s stupid, and it assumes that anyone who doesn’t share their opinion is somehow less of a person.

In Christian circles, the implication is generally that anyone who doesn’t agree isn’t a “proper Christian”.

These flat-earthers are often criticising and ridiculing Christian fiction and Christian fiction writers. This annoys me (understatement). So this post might be a little ranty. #SorryNotSorry

Note: what most annoys me is that this criticism inevitably comes from self-proclaimed Christians, not from non-Christians.

I recently saw a self-righteous rant on the nature of “Christian” writing that squarely fell in the-earth-is-flat level of stupid.

The ranter was opining on the number of Christian writing groups that didn’t meet their definition of Christian.

What is “Christian”?

The ranter points that the disciples of Jesus were first called Christians in Acts 11. Are they implying that no one was a Christian until Acts 11? Surely not. That would imply that Stephen, who is traditionally considered the first Christian martyr, was not a Christian because he was stoned in Acts 7.

They then point out that a Christian is a true disciple of Jesus Christ. I agree. But why cloud the issue by mentioning Acts 11?

I think it’s because they used this “true disciple” idea to question the whole concept of Christian fiction.

They say fiction isn’t Christian, because the Word clearly tells us what is Christian: a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

I agree: no novel is Christian (and I’ve blogged about what Christian fiction isn’t). But nor is any non-fiction book … including the Bible. The Bible is a book. Books can’t be true disciples of Jesus. Only people can be Christians.

But books are tools. A book can point to Christ, in the same way as a good Christian church points to Christ. The Bible points to Christ. A good Christian nonfiction book points to Christ.

And a good Christian novel points to Christ.

I don’t know what Bible the poster reads, but I’ve read four different versions over the last five years. In all of them, a good portion of the gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are fiction. Stories Jesus made up. Jesus and his disciples call these made-up stories “parables.”

Giving them a fancy name doesn’t change what they are: fiction.

Jesus used fiction to tell Truth.

Maybe the ranter believes these stories aren’t Christian. After all, Jesus Christ wasn’t a Christian. He can’t have been, because he wasn’t a true disciple of Jesus Christ. (Surely we can’t be our own disciple.) So perhaps we can ignore everything Jesus said, and only read Acts 11 and the subsequent chapters and books. Because they are about “real” Christians.

Dear Christian Author | Please Don't Criticise Christian Fiction Writers. After all, even Jesus used fiction (aka parables) to share the Truth of the gospel #ChristianFiction #ChristianWriters Share on X

The ranter specifically calls out “romantic/horror or sci-fi” as not being Christian fiction. Well, I’ve been reading and reviewing Christian fiction for years, and I’ve yet to find a book I’d describe as romantic/horror. Sure, I’ve read a few horrible excuses for romance novels, but that’s not the same thing.

As for horror … the only author I can think of who writes Christian horror is Pastor Mike Duran. His books may or may not contain romantic subplots—I don’t know, as I haven’t read them. Duran freely acknowledges his books don’t fit the Christian mainstream, which is why he’s now publishing independently. He may even be writing for the general market—horror!

We’re not supposed to take that whole Great Commission thing in Matthew 28 literally, are we?

What about Romance?

I’m a big fan of Christian romance novels. I like the promise of a happy-ever-after ending. It echoes Jesus’s promise that if we believe in him, we’ll spend eternity with him. If that’s not happy ever after, what is? Romance novels are an allegory of Christ’s relationship with His Bride (that’s us!). Perhaps that’s why so many romance novels end in a wedding.

I’ve heard a non-Christian conference presenter describe romance as the literature of hope. As a Christian, I agree—and I know my hope is in Jesus.

I’ve seen Christian bloggers criticise Christian romance, saying the novels present an unrealistic ideal, that women who expect this ideal will be disappointed when real life doesn’t shape up in the same way. I’ve seen and heard non-Christians criticise general market romance for similar reasons.

I choose to see the other side of the argument: that Christian romance novels model positive God-centred male-female relationships.

Christian romance novels show men who love God and family unconditionally, who seek to do God’s will, and who will do anything to protect their wives and children. If this is an unrealistic ideal, then I submit the problem isn’t with the ideal, but with humanity. Perhaps we should all abide by St Paul’s advice and remain single.

Christian Fiction Writers

The ranter also forgets a couple of things in their post. I know this, because I help manage a couple of the groups they are member of.

They forget that a group with “Christian writers” in the group name is going to include Christians who write … and write across a range of genres. Fiction. Non-fiction. Poetry. Books. Magazine articles. Blog posts. Some even write for television (cue horror music!).

They also forget that a group with “fiction writers” in the group name is going to include (wait for it!) people who write fiction. This might be judgey-me speaking (well, typing), but if the poster has an issue with people who write fiction, perhaps they shouldn’t join groups with “fiction writers” in the name.

Just saying.

The poster is also making the assumption that, as Christians, we are all called to write for other Christians.

Some Christians are, and that’s great. But some Christians are called to write for the general market. As they should be. Otherwise, we’d ever fulfil that pesky Great Commission, would we?

If God calls us to write for the general market, shouldn’t we obey him?

Truth and Lies

It’s been said that fiction uses a lie (the novel) to tell a truth. In the case of Christian fiction, that’s not just a truth.

It’s a Truth.

Non-fiction works the opposite way. It shares truth (or Truth), but often uses stories to get the point across. It’s a time-honoured technique still used by most preachers.

Let’s not be stupid. If we Christians are going to achieve the objective of Matthew 28:18-20, we have to speak to Christians and non-Christians. Believers and backsliders. Seekers and sceptics. Atheists and agnostics.

We have to use all the weapons in our arsenal. Fiction. Non-fiction. Poetry. Screenplays. Books. Articles. Blog posts.

All to tell Truth.

It’s not important how we tell it. It’s important that we do tell it. And that we tell it in a way the seekers and sceptics, the atheists and agnostics, the faithful and the faithless will understand. And not to get tied up in fighting among ourselves about the “right” way to share the gospel.

The point is that we unite to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and make true disciples. Unite, not divide.

Because if Christians divide, we lose.

As Christians, we should think before we speak. As writers, we should think before we write.

As Christian writers, we should think and pray before we write.

Christian Writers: Write to Your Calling

Are you called to write Christian fiction? If so, what kind? What level of Christian or spiritual content should your books have?

Are you called to write fiction for the general market? Or nonfiction? What should you write?

I can’t answer those questions for you. Only God can.

I firmly believe that if you, as a Christian, are called to write fiction—whether for the Christian or for the general market—then that is what you must do. Don’t apologise for it, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Nor should you let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t be wasting your time on frivolous fiction when you could be using your talents writing about serious non-fiction topics.

And don’t worry if your novels (or non-fiction) isn’t actively Christian. Don’t apologise for it. Your Christian faith will come through in whatever you write. (If it doesn’t, you’re probably not writing in obedience to God . . . and that’s a whole different issue).

God blesses obedience, and that sometimes (often?) means going against what those around us think is best for us. If you honestly and prayerfully petitioned God about your writing, whether you consider it a hobby or a career, a calling or an offering, then rest assured that you are writing what God called you to write.

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

5 June 2019

Dear Editor | Should I Pay to Contribute to an Anthology?

Over the last few weeks I’ve discussed various legitimate and less legitimate ways authors are encouraged to spend money. Today we’re discussing anthologies.

First, what is an anthology?

An anthology is a collection of short literary works chosen by a compiler or organiser. It may be short stories, plays, articles, poems, songs, excerpts, or a combination of those.

Anthologies can be an excellent way of getting early publication credits, as you only need to submit a short piece of work, not a full novel.

The most famous anthology series is probably Chicken Soup for the Soul. It publishes several anthologies each year, each 101 stories on a specific theme. Stories must be non-fiction, no longer than 1200 words, and not previously published. Contributors receive $200 per story, plus ten free author copies and a discount on additional book purchases.

If you’re interested in Chicken Soup for the Soul, click here to check out their current topics under development.

Chicken Soup for the Soul has the qualities of a good anthology:

The stories are curated—not everyone who submits a story gets published.
The books are professional.
Authors are paid.
Authors receive some free copies of the book.
Authors have the option to buy additional copies of the book at a substantial discount.
The authors are not required to contribute towards the production or marketing of the book.

There are other kinds of anthologies which don’t meet all these standards, but which are still reputable anthologies.

Charity Anthology

While I’ve never participated in an anthology, I have friends who have. There are some up-front costs with producing an anthology, such as cover design and editing. There may also be some promotional costs (e.g. advertising or a website).

If the anthology is being organised by an individual or organisation, then the organiser might pay these up-front costs and be repaid from sales of the anthology, with profits then going to the named charity.

If a group of authors decide to create a charity anthology, then they may be asked to contribute towards the production costs (and may or may not be repaid these costs). Or they might each arrange and pay for their own editing, and find someone who will donate a cover design.

In either case, the aim is to keep costs down to maximise profit and therefore maximise the donations to the charity.

Contest Anthology

Some writing contests publish an anthology of the winning entries.

The Stories of Life contest costs AUD 10 to enter, which is used to fund cash prizes of $500 and $250 in each of the three contest categories. Shortlisted entrants in each category are published in an annual anthology at no additional cost—editing, cover design, formatting, printing, and all other costs are borne by the contest organisers. Contributors each receive a free copy of the published book, and some have the opportunity to further publicise their work by appearing on a local radio show. Contributors do not receive a royalty payment. I assume all royalties go back into a central fund to pay for the production of the next book.

FaithWriters also publish an annual anthology of approximately 100 of the best submissions to their weekly writing challenge. Anyone can join Faith Writers and enter the challenge, although only paid members can enter every week. Again, there is no additional cost (beyond the cost of Faith Writers Gold membership), but contributors don’t receive a royalty.

Box Set Anthologies

Many self-published authors participate in multi-author box sets as a way of introducing their work to new readers, or as a way of hitting a bestseller list (e.g. New York Times or USA Today). While the specifics of each box set vary, there is generally one author who leads the project and sets the rules. These will include the overall box set theme and manuscript length, and may also include cover design, editing, and formatting.

Each author is responsible for their individual expenses (e.g. cover design, editing, and formatting). They may also contribute to a joint fund if some expenses are to be shared (e.g. advertising, or design of the box set cover). The lead author will usually collect all royalties and distribute them to the participating authors, as per the agreed contract.

However, there are other ways of managing a group anthology, as Carole P Roman explains in this blog post about her experiences as an anthology participant and organiser:

https://www.bookworks.com/2019/04/creating-group-anthology/

Vanity Anthologies

Unfortunately, there are also vanity anthologies targeting Christian writers.

The 2019 Women of Purpose Anthology from Higgins Publishing aims to encourage women to “step out in faith even if they face rejection”, and offers participants the opportunity to become a “Best-Selling Author” and to receive profit of 100% of personal sales. All they have to do is submit a “pre-edited inspiring story of 1000 words” … and a minimum of $250 “registration”.

There are some early red flags, like the suggestion to use Grammarly.com “to edit your story to 100% accuracy.” Well, no. While Grammarly is no doubt better than Word’s spellcheck, it’s not as good as an actual editor. To suggest otherwise is akin to serving a burger patty when the customer asked for steak.

The minimum purchase is 25 books at 40% off the retail price (which is $25). So after paying a minimum of $250 to be in the anthology, authors must spend another $375 on books to sell to recoup that up-front cost. Or you can elect to pay $450 up front, and receive 25 “free” books. The most expensive package is $2,500, which gets you 200 books plus matching bookmarks, postcards, and a “retractable event banner”.

No. Just no.

I don’t take issue with paying for necessary production costs, such as editing, cover design, or even copies of the book. But the costs should be reasonable … and $2,500 for 200 books plus $100 worth of (unnecessary) promotional materials is far from reasonable.

Especially when you compare that to Chicken Soup, who pay all the production costs as well as giving each contributing author a small payment. Or paying $10 to enter the Stories of Life contest. Or a little more to join with friends and create an anthology which benefits a charity you all care about.

Have you every contributed to an anthology? What did it cost, and what were the benefits?

22 May 2019

Dear Editor | Should I Pay an Agent or Editor to … ?

Over the last few months, I’ve come across several people asking if they should pay an agent or editor or publisher for X or Y or Z. Today I’m answering some of these questions.

Should I pay an agent a reading fee?

No.

The Association of Author Representatives clearly state that literary agents are not to charge clients or potential clients for reading or editing their work.

For that reason, members may not charge clients or potential clients a fee for reading and evaluating literary works

Literary agents are paid a percentage of the advance and royalty they negotiate on your behalf when they sell your book to a traditional publisher. The industry standard is 15 percent. Many agents negotiate that the publisher will forward them the full advance or royalty payment, and the agent will then check the royalty statement, take their 15%, and forward the balance to the author.

Kathryn Kristine Rusch recommends negotiating that the publisher make two payments—15% to the agent, and the remainder to the author. I suspect more authors will be asking for this split after the recent case where author Chuck Palahnuik was virtually bankrupted when his agent’s accountant embezzled the funds.

Not all publishers pay advances—if that’s the case, the agent gets paid purely on royalties. Either way, the agent gets paid a proportion of book sales. That’s it.

Should I pay a publisher a reading fee?

Again, no.

Reputable publishers make money by selling books. Period.

Yes, there are a lot of up-front costs in owning a publishing business, even a small press.

If a publisher doesn’t have the resources to read submissions, then they should close submissions for a period (as many do).

Otherwise it would be all to easy for a publisher to charge prospective authors a reading fee. (I’ve seen $35 discussed in Facebook groups). They could turn that into a profit centre. There is also no way to tell the publisher actually read your submission. They could just take your $35 and send back a form rejection letter or email.

Yes, it takes time for publishers to read and assess submissions, and time is money.

Some even pay readers to go through the slush pile. But this is a cost of publishing. If publishers don’t have the time, they can say they only accept submissions from literary agents, or close submissions for a period.

If you download Christian Publishers: A Guide to Publishers Specializing in Christian Fiction, you’ll see I divide out those publishers which are accepting submissions from those who only accept agented submissions. Unfortunately, the high-profile publishers don’t accept unsolicited submissions.

(If you want to know how to find a Christian literary agent, check out this post: How do I find a Christian Literary Agent?)

Should I pay to have my manuscript edited before I submit to an agent or publisher?

Maybe.

Some agents also moonlight as freelance editors. I’m in two minds about this. I can see the appeal in using their skills to earn a little money on the side. I can definitely see the attraction for unpublished authors. After all, paying an agent to edit your manuscript gets you in front of an industry insider, which might be the vital step you need to be offered agency representation or a publishing contract.

However, this goes against the AARs ethical standards:

The AAR believes that the practice of literary agents charging clients or potential clients for reading and evaluating literary works … the term “reading and evaluating literary works” includes providing editorial services with respect to such works. The term “charge” includes any request for payment.

So an agent can moonlight as a freelance editor … but not for current or potential clients.

Also, I read endless blog posts about how busy agents are: how many submissions they have to review, how many manuscripts they have to edit, how many contracts and royalty statements they have to review. If they are so busy, they should be spending their non-working hours relaxing, not moonlighting in a job that’s so close to their day job.

I’ve also heard of publishing house editors undertaking freelance editing work.

Many publishing houses outsource their editing to freelance editors. While hiring one of these freelancers should get you a high standard of editing, a freelance editor isn’t likely to have any influence with the publishing house.

Working with an editor for a publishing house might give you some advantage, but there are potential disadvantages. While publishing house employees aren’t covered by the AAR, they are covered by their own employment contracts, which may well prohibit taking outside paid work.

What about freelance editors? (Like me).

If you’re serious about getting represented by a literary agent or being offered a contract with a major traditional publisher, then you need to make sure your submission is the best possible standard.

That may mean getting input on your writing before submitting. That input could come through beta readers, critique partners, contest judges, or a freelance editor.

This doesn’t have to be a full edit: it could mean an assessment of your full manuscript. It could mean copyediting your first couple of chapters, or it could mean assessing your opening chapters to identify any recurring writing issues.

If you’re interested in finding out more, email me via the About page.

Should I pay to enter a writing contest?

That requires a longer answer, and will be the topic of next week’s post.

Meanwhile, if you have any questions, let me know in the comments.

13 February 2019

Dear Editor | Is My Novel Good Enough to Publish?

I recently completed a manuscript assessment for a new client. After I’d given her my feedback (a lot of feedback), she emailed back with a number of questions. One stood out:

Is My Manuscript Good Enough to Publish?

Easy answer: yes.

The advent of ebooks and print on demand (POD) technology means everything is publishable. But, to misquote 1 Corinthians, you might have the ability to self-publish, but that doesn’t make it a good idea.

It’s especially not a good idea to self-publish through some “service” aka a vanity press—apart from the quality issues, it’s not good Christian stewardship to spend thousands on something you could organise yourself for a fraction of the cost.

So is My Manuscript Good Enough to Publish?

Hard answer: not yet.

Why not?

Anyone can publish anything at any time. But just because we can doesn’t mean we should. And when people say “publish”, they usually mean published by a reputable publisher. Is your novel good enough for your dream publisher?

It depends.

It depends on who you want to publish your novel: a major US publisher, a smaller US publisher, or a local (e.g. Australian) publisher. Attracting your dream publisher will depend on your book scoring well in these areas:

Representation
Setting
Writing Craft

Is your novel good enough for your dream publisher? That depends on representation, setting, and writing craft. #WriteTip #PublishingTip Share on X

Representation

You’ll need to be represented by a literary agent to have a shot at any of the big-name US CBA publishers like Bethany House or Thomas Nelson. You don’t want just any agent—you want an agent with a track record of selling to the major CBA publishers. (Check out my post on how to find a Christian literary agent.)

In order to get signed by an agent, you’ll need to have credibility as a writer. One way to build credibility is to enter and final in major writing contests.

And you’ll probably need to attend a major US Christian writers’ conference such as the American Christian Fiction Writers conference, as major conferences give you the opportunity to meet agents and publishers in person.

Setting

Your novel will need have to have sales potential. Big sales potential.

Major US Publishers

Major US CBA publishers prefer books set in the US, because that’s what they sell best. They will sometimes diversify and read a historical novel set in England or Scotland, but for the most part, they prefer their fiction to be set in the good old U S of A. Or, at the very least, with an American lead character. For example:

Close to You, Kara Isaac’s debut novel, capitalised on the US love for all things Lord of the Rings by having an American hero and a Kiwi Lord of the Rings tour guide heroine.
Mail Order Bride, Lucy Thompson’s debut historical romance, is set in Colorado and utilises the much-loved mail-order bride trope. There may even have been a cowboy.
The Elusive Miss Ellison, Carolyn Miller’s upcoming debut, is a Regency romance set in England.

Australia

Australian publishers love books by Australian authors with Australian characters and settings. They tend to accept submissions direct from authors (so no literary agent required), and it’s easier to get to meet them in person (the best opportunity for Christian writers is at the Omega Writers’ Conference in October). Personal connections help.

The downside is the Australian market is smaller, which means fewer potential buyers (a fact many Australian authors have lamented on). It also means our small publishers can’t publish every manuscript they see, much as they might like to.

Smaller US Publishers

There are a myriad of smaller Christian publishers, mostly in the US, who may be open to submissions.

If you want a free list of over 100 publishers who publish Christian fiction, click here to sign up to my mailing list. This list does not constitute an endorsement, and I don’t recommend any specific publishers … although there are a few I recommend people steer clear of (like the publisher which offered me a publishing contract without actually seeing my manuscript. Or the publisher sued for deceptive practices. Or the publisher convicted of extortion).

Writing Craft

There is also the aspect of writing craft: is your manuscript good enough?

The bigger the publisher, the better your manuscript has to be. There are so many authors fighting for an ever-decreasing number of publishing slots that anything less than excellent isn’t good enough to get the attention of a major publisher. Publishers get so many excellent submissions that they don’t have time for could-be-excellent submissions or almost-excellent submissions or submissions they can’t see a market for.

Genre

The most saleable manuscripts are those which fit clearly into a popular genre. With novels aimed at the Christian market, this includes meeting the expectations of CBA readers, and being careful regarding ‘edgy’ content—topics so expansive I could write a book about them.

The closer your manuscript aligns with a popular and established genre, the easier it’s going to be to sell to a publisher. But what if you don’t fit a popular genre (e.g. Christian Science Fiction, or New Adult)?

This is when you might consider self-publishing.

But if you pursue self-publishing, pursue excellence as well. Don’t self-publish as a shortcut, to fulfil your publishing dream. Instead, write something good enough to win a major contest or be published by your dream publisher, and choose to self-publish because that’s what you believe God has set out as your path.

Because there are several paths to publishing, and—surprise!—I’ve written some blog posts about them:

To go back to the original question.

Is my novel good enough to be published? That depends on how you want to publish it. Is your novel good enough for your dream publisher? Share on X

Your challenge is to work out how you want it to be published, and do the work necessary to achieve that. Start by checking out 9 Keys to Writing Your First Novel. And pursue excellence.

30 January 2019

Paths to Publishing 4 | Vanity Publishing

Over the last three weeks we’ve looked at trade publishing, publishing through a small press, and self-publishing. Any of those can be good options for authors, depending on your genre, writing, and aspirations.

Today we’re looking at a path to publishing that is rarely a good option for the author: vanity publishing. That’s because vanity publishing goes against publishing’s most important maxim:

Money flows from the publisher to the author

If money is flowing from the author to the publisher, that’s commonly referred to as vanity publishing.

Money flows from the publisher to the author. If money is flowing from the author to the publisher, that’s commonly referred to as vanity publishing. Avoid vanity publishing. #PubTip #WritersLife Share on X

And that’s one of the first ways you can tell whether a publisher is a vanity press: they claim they are not. Instead, they say they are a co-operative publisher, a partner publisher, a subsidy publisher, a hybrid publisher, a self-publisher or even a traditional royalty-paying publisher. Vanity publishers are experts at appropriating the language of legitimate publishing in order to squeeze money from the uninformed.

The key way to distinguish a genuine publisher from a vanity press is to consider how the publisher makes money.

A trade publisher (large, small or micropress) or a self-published author make their money the same way: by selling books to readers.

A vanity publisher makes money differently: by charging authors.

The most common vanity publishing business model is pay-to-publish—selling publishing packages to authors.

Pay to Publish

Packages vary in cost and quality, but start at $999 and go up into the thousands. Packages don’t routinely include editing, even when it is obviously needed. The author is encouraged to pay extra for marketing opportunities, which can be anything from blog tour to expensive print advertising at roughly the price of a new car (often double the price of advertising directly through the newspaper or magazine).

Purchase Requirement

The other common vanity publishing model is the purchase requirement—publishing “free” but requiring authors to purchase a minimum of 1,000 copies of the published book (an estimated minimum cost of $10,000). This more than covers the publisher’s production costs, but leaves the author with hundreds of paperbacks and no way of selling them.

It would be nice to think that publishers operating in the Christian market would be better than this, that they would be honest, truthful, looking out for the best interests of everyone … you know, Christian. But there are many vanity presses specifically targeting the Christian market, perhaps because Christians tend to trust other people who say they are Christians.

If you don’t believe me, check out Tate Publishing.

You won’t be able to see their website (or the websites they built for the 2,200+ authors who’ve laid charges against them). That’s because the founder and CEO of Tate Publishing—who marketed themselves as a Christian publisher—have been convicted of:

“charges including 44 counts involving embezzlement, attempted extortion, extortion, conspiracy and racketeering.”

Author Services

Some publishers offer author services, and it can be difficult at first to tell whether it is a vanity publisher, or a printer specialising in book printing who has expanded their services into areas like cover design, editing, ebook creation, and distribution. This is especially the case when the publisher offers both traditional publishing and services for authors intending to self-publish.

An author services company may offer some or all of the following services:

Developmental editing
Line editing
Copyediting
Proofreading
Cover design
Interior design
Interior formatting
Ebook coversion
Printing

An author services company may also be able to assist with uploading electronic ebook files to online retail sites such as Amazon and iBooks, and with uploading the files for the paper books to sites such as Amazon KDP and IngramSpark.

Some of these providers are specialists serving the author community, companies like printers or distributors. But some are not. Some are offering overpriced services. Some aren’t delivering on the services they offer. Some are offering useless services, like pitching to a Hollywood agent.

Above all, services should represent good value for money—and that’s my worry with author services providers. Authors can almost always find better value services from freelancers who have less overhead to cover. Then the author is self-publishing, which we discussed last week.

As Christians, we are called to be wise stewards of our time, talents and resources.

That means understanding the different publishing models, and not getting caught in the snare of a vanity press. It’s not good business, and it’s not good stewardship. Instead, learn the basics of self-publishing and ask for (or pay for) help when required.

Do you understand the different paths to publishing? This week I'm discussing vanity publishing and author services: when authors pay to publish #PubTips #WritersLife Share on X

This is the final article in this series. If you’d like to know more about any of the topics raised over the last four weeks, please leave a comment below.

23 January 2019

Paths to Publishing 3 | Self-Publishing

By Iola Goulton @iolagoulton

Over the last two weeks, we’ve looked at two paths to publishing: working with an agent to attract a major trade publisher, and publishing through a small press or micropress.

This week we are looking at the third option: self-publishing.

Paths to Publishing 3 - Self-Publishing | Self-publishing has soared in popularity since the release of the Amazon Kindle and competing ereaders. #PubTips #WritersLife Share on X

These, along with affordable print-on-demand (POD) services mean no author needs to get stuck with hundreds of copies of unsold paperbacks.

Unfortunately, it also means anyone who can type and open an email account can publish on Amazon, which has led to the “tsunami of carp” (at least, that’s what was called on the old Amazon discussion forums. They had strict guidelines around language).

Self-publishing is also referred to as indie publishing, a reference to the indie film industry. As indie film-making is making and distributing a film independently of the major film studios, indie publishing is publishing and distributing a book independently of the trade publishers.

However, self-publishing is also somewhat of a misnomer, as it implies the writer is publishing alone.

This isn’t true: there are many tasks which have to be completed in order to publish a book, and the savvy self-publishing author knows they will need to outsource some of those tasks.

The main tasks which need outsourcing are:

Developmental Editing

Someone (who isn’t related to you) needs to go through your manuscript and suggest how it can be improved. This can be a critique partner or beta-reader (in which case they help for free on the understanding you will return the favour) or a developmental or structural editor.

Editing and Proofreading

Even the best editor can’t proofread their own work. We read the words we intended to write … which might not be the words which actually ended up on the screen. We need one (or more) editors as part of our publishing team.

Cover design

This is best outsourced unless you are a trained graphic designer with experience in book cover design.

Other Tasks

Then there is a range of tasks which a savvy author can learn to do themselves, or can outsource as time and money permit.

These include:

Interior formatting
Uploading the final version to distributors for printing and epublishing
Claiming online author profiles
Website development and maintenance
Email list development and maintenance
Organising advertising and sales promotions
Writing newsletters
Social media management
Organising book reviewers
Ensuring books are categorised correctly in online stores
Organising blog tours
Writing guest blog posts

And the list goes on …

The essence of self-publishing isn’t that the author does everything themselves, but that they are in control of the process and contract out those parts of the process they can’t do themselves (like editing) or that could be done better by a professional (e.g. cover design). Some contract tasks like social media updates or website maintenance out to a virtual assistant.

Those who choose to self-publish will be responsible for everything.

You will either have to do it yourself, or pay (or bribe or beg) someone else to do it for you. This involves a lot of decisions, and you would be wise to get advice from someone who has been through the process before (and recently – things can change very quickly, particularly when it comes to e-books).

Hybrid Authors

Some authors are known as hybrid authors: they have some self-published some books, and have others published trade publishers. Author Earnings reports suggest hybrid authors have the best of both worlds: they have the advantage of having books in physical bookstores which helps develop a reader base. They have some marketing support from the trade publisher, and while this is specifically for their trade-published titles, it will build name recognition, which will carry over into their indie titles.

Self-publishing doesn't mean doing everything yourself, but it does mean managing the process yourself. | Paths to Publishing - Self-Publishing #WritersLife #PubTips Share on X