Great article. I think you really nailed the advantages and disadvantages of both the Big 5 and Small Press World.
I don't have an agent and I'm not actively looking for one, so Big 5 is closed to me. Both my books (including "Social Distancing" which was reviewed on this site) were published by tiny lit presses. The sort that have no marketing muscle, and only a handful of employees. But they do respect your work, and won't mess with it too much before they release it to the world. They're happy to put your quirky little book out there, usually only a few months after they accept it.
Meanwhile, I've heard horror stories about the way Big 5 publishers bend, fold, spindle and mutilate the MS they deal with ("get rid of this character entirely," "cut 200 pages," "rewrite the ending so that the hero dies in a car crash"). There's also the irony that publishers are chasing the latest trends, but they won't bring out your book for 2 more years, by which time new trends have arisen.
This doesn't mean that small press horror stories don't happen. They do; I've read some of them. The publishing world is creative in the many ways it screws authors. It's really a case of "pick your poison."
"The publishing world is creative in the many ways it screws authors" -- ain't that the truth! I've been hearing from people today with their own stories and it's amazing how many variations there are
Amen. I have experiences with the Big NYC publishers, and you are right. For my latest, I’m trying to find a small press. I’ve pitched about a hundred of them, so far no luck. Could you tell me who the tiny lit presses are you mentioned? You could PM me? Thanks
I'm glad to read more essays that describe the realities of writing and publishing. Thanks for writing it, Tom—and to this piece's editors for getting it out there.
Y'all might be interested in Blake Butler's substack. He has published all along the money-power-scale spectrum, and is trenchant and honest about his varied experiences. I also tried to be as direct as possible with this piece: https://kenbaumann.substack.com/p/break-your-dream
The more of us that are willing to tell it like it is, the more possible it becomes to imagine alternatives.
"Everyone involved in making these small press books is doing so because they are devoted to books. They become evangelists for the work they publish. They are trying to make money, or at least break even, but because profit is not the primary motive, the atmosphere is different at every stage."
--I'm the owner of a small press and this is absolutely right. I've personally had almost no interaction with major presses and lots with small ones, and it always shocks me when I hear the horror stories people have of dealing with the big publishing houses. As for agents... the experience really is quite depressing in most cases. It's a sad state of affairs, which is all the more reason why people should support small presses.
This is really valuable, and as a long-time indie publisher I think gives a very straightforward take on how publishing with us (or even really small indies) has definite benefits compared to Big 5 publishing. There is a large disparity among the range of indies--I think you are right to suggest authors should learn as much about potential publishers as they can, especially the very small outfits. And it's great you offered real numbers this way. I'm heartened to learn that the range of advances we offer at Agate aren't completely out of the ballpark re the advances you got from the bigger houses you worked with in years past. I'd be very curious to hear what those books sold, if you are even able to get them to supply you with that info--a few authors I'm communicating with lately are really struggling to get that kind of data, which I find depressingly telling.
I’ve published three books with Rose Metal Press and one with an imprint of Penguin Random House, and my overall experience is very similar. RMP has been great. So is Tom’s book!
Thank you so much for your honesty and your willingness to share the details of your experience (actual dollar amounts!). For those of us still in that drafting and hopeful space (me) it’s so helpful to have this kind of perspective from someone who’s been at it a while. Right now, publication at all feels like it will rock my world, but I do hope and plan to eventually find myself in a mid-career place. As I get there, I hope to be as grounded in my values and desires as your process appears to be. Thank you for thinking of those of us out here wishing and dreaming.
Thanks for reading, Katie. I'm glad this was a helpful perspective. There's a lot of great experiences mixed in there even with all the frustrations, so I'm glad this wasn't too discouraging either. Good luck with your draft!
Incredibly informative and helpful, Tom. I appreciate you sharing your experience so candidly. I hear so many varying opinions (some quite negative) on small presses that it’s refreshing to hear of your positive experience. As an older not-yet published novelist, the state of publishing traditionally today can feel daunting (yes to how dispiriting pitching agents can be!) and so it feels like small presses may be perhaps my only path to getting published .
This article really resonated with me especially around the strengths of small presses. I’m with a small press now that’s willing to take risks for the books they love and they have done wonderful things for me so far. I know promotion will be hard but it’s exciting to work with people with such fine literary instincts.
As a debut at a mid-sized indie publisher I really enjoyed reading this. I am not a debut that they knew what to do with, and they DID discourage me from setting up events (luckily I didn't listen), and a month out I can say it's been very hard. I poured six years of my life into the book (fine, it's called Hotshot: A Life on Fire) and poured eight months of unpaid labor into publicity and marketing because I'm a PhD candidate with negative money and no other resources.
I want to put a positive spin on it, but it's been hard. Really hard on all levels. So thank you for writing honestly about it.
Great article. I think you really nailed the advantages and disadvantages of both the Big 5 and Small Press World.
I don't have an agent and I'm not actively looking for one, so Big 5 is closed to me. Both my books (including "Social Distancing" which was reviewed on this site) were published by tiny lit presses. The sort that have no marketing muscle, and only a handful of employees. But they do respect your work, and won't mess with it too much before they release it to the world. They're happy to put your quirky little book out there, usually only a few months after they accept it.
Meanwhile, I've heard horror stories about the way Big 5 publishers bend, fold, spindle and mutilate the MS they deal with ("get rid of this character entirely," "cut 200 pages," "rewrite the ending so that the hero dies in a car crash"). There's also the irony that publishers are chasing the latest trends, but they won't bring out your book for 2 more years, by which time new trends have arisen.
This doesn't mean that small press horror stories don't happen. They do; I've read some of them. The publishing world is creative in the many ways it screws authors. It's really a case of "pick your poison."
"The publishing world is creative in the many ways it screws authors" -- ain't that the truth! I've been hearing from people today with their own stories and it's amazing how many variations there are
Amen. I have experiences with the Big NYC publishers, and you are right. For my latest, I’m trying to find a small press. I’ve pitched about a hundred of them, so far no luck. Could you tell me who the tiny lit presses are you mentioned? You could PM me? Thanks
I'm glad to read more essays that describe the realities of writing and publishing. Thanks for writing it, Tom—and to this piece's editors for getting it out there.
Y'all might be interested in Blake Butler's substack. He has published all along the money-power-scale spectrum, and is trenchant and honest about his varied experiences. I also tried to be as direct as possible with this piece: https://kenbaumann.substack.com/p/break-your-dream
The more of us that are willing to tell it like it is, the more possible it becomes to imagine alternatives.
Thanks, Ken -- really appreciate you reading. Agree that the best thing we can do is be as transparent as possible as much as possible.
"Everyone involved in making these small press books is doing so because they are devoted to books. They become evangelists for the work they publish. They are trying to make money, or at least break even, but because profit is not the primary motive, the atmosphere is different at every stage."
--I'm the owner of a small press and this is absolutely right. I've personally had almost no interaction with major presses and lots with small ones, and it always shocks me when I hear the horror stories people have of dealing with the big publishing houses. As for agents... the experience really is quite depressing in most cases. It's a sad state of affairs, which is all the more reason why people should support small presses.
Thanks for being out there and doing the work, David. And thanks for reading.
This is really valuable, and as a long-time indie publisher I think gives a very straightforward take on how publishing with us (or even really small indies) has definite benefits compared to Big 5 publishing. There is a large disparity among the range of indies--I think you are right to suggest authors should learn as much about potential publishers as they can, especially the very small outfits. And it's great you offered real numbers this way. I'm heartened to learn that the range of advances we offer at Agate aren't completely out of the ballpark re the advances you got from the bigger houses you worked with in years past. I'd be very curious to hear what those books sold, if you are even able to get them to supply you with that info--a few authors I'm communicating with lately are really struggling to get that kind of data, which I find depressingly telling.
I’ve published three books with Rose Metal Press and one with an imprint of Penguin Random House, and my overall experience is very similar. RMP has been great. So is Tom’s book!
Thanks, Kelcey! RMP 4ever
Haha, YES!
‘I’m not writing books for people who think like this. I don’t even understand people who think like this.’
Feel this all the time
As a vet if indie presses, this speaks straight my heart. It also depresses me
Tom has always been a real one
Hey man, thanks!
This piece is so good. Just read it a second time.
Appreciate it, Mark. Glad to know it's connecting with people
Thank you so much for your honesty and your willingness to share the details of your experience (actual dollar amounts!). For those of us still in that drafting and hopeful space (me) it’s so helpful to have this kind of perspective from someone who’s been at it a while. Right now, publication at all feels like it will rock my world, but I do hope and plan to eventually find myself in a mid-career place. As I get there, I hope to be as grounded in my values and desires as your process appears to be. Thank you for thinking of those of us out here wishing and dreaming.
Thanks for reading, Katie. I'm glad this was a helpful perspective. There's a lot of great experiences mixed in there even with all the frustrations, so I'm glad this wasn't too discouraging either. Good luck with your draft!
Incredibly informative and helpful, Tom. I appreciate you sharing your experience so candidly. I hear so many varying opinions (some quite negative) on small presses that it’s refreshing to hear of your positive experience. As an older not-yet published novelist, the state of publishing traditionally today can feel daunting (yes to how dispiriting pitching agents can be!) and so it feels like small presses may be perhaps my only path to getting published .
This article really resonated with me especially around the strengths of small presses. I’m with a small press now that’s willing to take risks for the books they love and they have done wonderful things for me so far. I know promotion will be hard but it’s exciting to work with people with such fine literary instincts.
Thanks for giving us the real skinny, Tom. It's enormously sobering.
Such a mature piece of capital-A adult writing. Well said. The US market is downright Sisyphean.
Thanks for reading, Sean. Appreciate your kind words
As a debut at a mid-sized indie publisher I really enjoyed reading this. I am not a debut that they knew what to do with, and they DID discourage me from setting up events (luckily I didn't listen), and a month out I can say it's been very hard. I poured six years of my life into the book (fine, it's called Hotshot: A Life on Fire) and poured eight months of unpaid labor into publicity and marketing because I'm a PhD candidate with negative money and no other resources.
I want to put a positive spin on it, but it's been hard. Really hard on all levels. So thank you for writing honestly about it.
This is a great article and very true. Thank you for writing it.