Luna Brillante Publishing

Lynn,

I appreciate your opinion and definitely your right, we are living in a commercial press world. We wanted to get the company going and with limited funding and resources, POD was the most economical route. Will we always be POD? No, of course not. Our plan is to build the company by producing 4-5 books per yer, get our name out there as having quality works in the Spec Fic genre and then as we grow, make the transition to commercial press. There are definitely challenges in POD but there are POD companies who have their titles in the bookstores. There aren't many...but they're there. I'd rather devote what resources we have toward marketing to retail stores, clubs, libraries and consumers than paying for warehousing, storage, etc.

I've made no declarations that we are a multimillion dollar conglomerate. I have only said I feel strongly we can compete with the other small publishers out there. That's our goal for right now, compete with the other small publishers.

LSI tells me they can meet any request within 2-3 days, and it has been my experience that its more likely three or four days. Regardless, that isn't a ridiculous amount of time to get titles out.

With that said, I do understand your point. Its not like having 4000 books sitting in a warehouse just waiting to be shipped.

We simply do not have the means for that at this point...but we will do all that we can to maximize what we do have and do what's right for any author that elects to join us.

I think we're an excellent alternative to self-publishing. We don't charge our authors, we do all the work, and we help them get their titles published. Then, we help them market the book, get them online sellable (Amazon, etc.), hopefully get them into the stores, and get them into the hands of the people.

I'm not saying we'll ever be DAW or Penguin. We'll likely never have a 500,000 copy best seller (I hope we do but we likely won't). If an author believes strongly that the deal from one of the big boys is right around the corner than sure, I'd pass our little company by too. But if you've been out there, been rejected a billion times and know your stuff is sellable, your considering going small publisher or self-p, we're definitely a good place to start.

So there we are, the LBP plan -

1. Start Small, with low overhead, get a handful of quality authors to promote the name.

2. Establish a brand, a reputation for quality.

3. Begin to grow the company by offering more to the potential authors, such as advances.

4. Expand marketing (to retail and consumer) for existing or back list titles as well as new ones.

4. Switch from POD to Commercial Press

5. Rule the world.

JC

priceless1 said:

Victoria, you make mistakes? Lauri and I talked a long while ago and remarked over the fact that no matter how much research and immersion one experiences in the publishing business, nothing can replace trial by fire. It takes at least a couple years to get all the stupid things out of your system. After that, it's like punching through the sound barrier - it's rocky getting there, but the ride becomes smoother.

I'd seriously consider finding another printer than LSI. They're a POD printer and everyone knows it - including bookstores. LSI charges more for their services and that decreases the ability to keep books priced competitively while maintaining a healthy cash flow.

I'd also consider doing print runs. From the POD publishers I've known, they have a very tough time getting into any stores because they can't meet demand. Sometimes signings/readings happen very fast, and they don't have time for you to order up 50 books for a signing. You're already eating it paying higher prices to print your books. Between that and returns, you're going to get killed.

I hate to say it, because I wish you the very best, but you're a POD trying to live in a commercial press world. The POD business plan simply doesn't allow for the types of marketing ideas and distribution you want to implement for the sole reason that you can't meet demand.

Lynn

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Bad News About Luna Brillante Publishing

I appreciate all the candid discussion and feedback that Silverhand generated with his initial post. While ultimately, the realization that despite all the investigation and study of the business we still had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. My business partner quickly realized that after reading the conversations in the threads and well, he got cold feet. At this point, I don't blame him.

I hope everyone knows and understands that we did have the best intent at heart. We were not trying to scam or cheat anyone. We really only wanted to publish great speculative fiction. Unfortunately, that takes a lot more money than my business partner was willing to invest and a lot more than I have.

Thanks to all who helped us come to this realization and I sincerely wish the best for Silverhand. He truly does have a great story, someone will pick him up and be very happy with the results. I wish it would have been us, but hey, that's life.

Thanks all,

JC De La Torre

Jeez, sorry it turned out so bad. Good luck in future ventures.

I'm very sorry things didn't work out for you.

silverhand, sorry...

Silverhand,

I feel bad for you as well, since they were offering you a contract and everything. Must feel like the rug getting jerked out from under you.

I hope you keep plugging away at publishers with your manuscript. Don't let it get you down long.

Rev. James

Koen

I check out the link for Koen. The email and the place on site to contact them doesn't work. Emails bounce back. Are you sure they are still in business? It sounds like a interesting idea.

icerose said:

In case anyone was curious, during my time with Publish America I was researching these sorts of things to see if I could overcome the problem myslef as an author. Koen will review any books for national distribution and all of their books go into book catalogues that are sent to bookstores as well as being submitted to bookclubs for possible acceptance. They do eah on a book by book selection from the smaller to POD houses. It may be viable for the two of you. As for Publish America it was not possible due to the poor quality of their cover art, editing, and everything else, not to mention their business ethics, or lack there of.

www.koen.com

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A little while ago (let's say a week) I received an acceptance letter from you. The letter was received after you made this post. Now I just have a big question mark floating over my head.

jcdelatorre said:

All,

I have bad news. Tonight my business partner decided to pull out from under me. He felt the money we would be dedicating to the business would not be offset by the profits we would make and decided to invest into something other than publishing. After some deep soul searching and discussion with my wife, we are not prepared to go it alone. With that said, the dream of Luna Brillante Publishing is probably about to end before it really began.




The good news though is that this happend before any authors committed to us and we to them.





I think Victoria was right, when we got into this we did not have a full understanding of what we truly need to run a successful publishing company. Even had my partner not backed out, I don't know how long we could have gone spending thousands of dollars in promotion, distribution, and everything else needed to make our authors and our readers happy.​

I appreciate all the candid discussion and feedback that Silverhand generated with his initial post. While ultimately, the realization that despite all the investigation and study of the business we still had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. My business partner quickly realized that after reading the conversations in the threads and well, he got cold feet. At this point, I don't blame him.

I hope everyone knows and understands that we did have the best intent at heart. We were not trying to scam or cheat anyone. We really only wanted to publish great speculative fiction. Unfortunately, that takes a lot more money than my business partner was willing to invest and a lot more than I have.

Thanks to all who helped us come to this realization and I sincerely wish the best for Silverhand. He truly does have a great story, someone will pick him up and be very happy with the results. I wish it would have been us, but hey, that's life.

Thanks all,

JC De La Torre

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Check their website, Sophia.. the latest news, as of August 2... bolding is mine.

Tampa, Fl – Luna Brillante Publishing, a Florida based business, announced the company is now accepting submissions from prospective authors for their new venture in Collaborative Publishing.

Specializing strictly in Speculative Fiction, the company enters partnerships with their authors to create the very best works in the genre. The company and their authors collaboratively share in the risk of publishing the book. Some will classify the publisher as a subsidy publisher. However, the company’s model differs from subsidies and vanities in a number of different ways -
1. LBP does not accept any and all submissions. LBP has stringent guidelines and only select the talented writers with great books to publish
2. You will never see template or horribly done covers. All LBP book art is done by professional graphic artists.
3. Every book will be professionally edited.
4. Each book will be typeset, proofed, and test printed before ever seeing the light of day.
5. LBP offers no "add-ons" or "upsells".
6. LBP will send ARCs to industry leaders like Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal and other review sources – following all guidelines for review submissions.
7. LBP Authors do not “self-publish”.. As with traditional publishers, LBP produces, edits, markets, and distributes the books for our authors.
8. LBP offers returns and industry standard wholesale discounts.

The packages – Moondrop, Moonebeam, and Moonglade range from $399 to $899.
The pricing structure is not only competitive but cheaper than most other subsidies and vanities. In addition each package is robust in options (most of these options are add-ons or upsells with other companies). Contracts with the company are non-exclusive, meaning, if an author receives an opportunity to sign up with a larger firm, LBP will not stand in the way.

Further, the company is also reader focused. LBP only selects the best from the submissions provided and will only produce books in the Speculative Fiction genre that meet their standards. When readers look for great speculative fiction, they should think LBP first.

Authors interested in stepping into the light with Luna Brillante Publishing can find out more information at http://www.lunabrillantepublishing.com

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They've gone to the dark side. Run.

Shame. I liked him while reading those posts. *shakes head*

The sd thing is he wasn't seduced to the dark side, he was mugged, kidnapped, shanghaied and raped. His main financial backer pulled out on him with not a fare thee well.

Regards,
Scott

Popeyesays said:

The sd thing is he wasn't seduced to the dark side, he was mugged, kidnapped, shanghaied and raped. His main financial backer pulled out on him with not a fare thee well.

Regards,
Scott

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True, but he could have cut his losses and gone on to an entirely different field. Or perhaps took an internship if he wished to remain in publishing and worked his way up until he knew the business. He didn't have to go this route.

Popeyesays said:

The sd thing is he wasn't seduced to the dark side, he was mugged, kidnapped, shanghaied and raped. His main financial backer pulled out on him with not a fare thee well.

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I can't agree with the above. The right thing to do if you lose your financial backing is to close down shop and work on getting more funding. Turning to your authors for money is just . . . not right.

That's true. His original intentions were noble. It doesn't sound like he's out to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, but subsidy is subsidy.

Yog's first law applies in big, bold letters here: MONEY FLOWS TOWARD THE AUTHOR.

Christine N. said:

That's true. His original intentions were noble. It doesn't sound like he's out to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, but subsidy is subsidy.

Yog's first law applies in big, bold letters here: MONEY FLOWS TOWARD THE AUTHOR.

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And the Mario Brothers corrollary: Never throw your money into the toilet when the flush handle is depressed.

Folks, there's nothing wrong with subsidy publishing as long as everyone understands what they are getting into, the expectations on both sides are spelled out, and the terms of the contracts are clear. Luna Brillante Press tried to go the "traditional" publishing route, and had too little experience, publishing savvy, and funding to make it work. They are now trying a different model, and it looks very much like they are spelling out exactly what they provide to their authors.

We have had this discussion on these boards ad nauseum: there is so little difference between a "traditional" publisher that doesn't have a clue what they are doing and a subsidy publisher that charges a fee to do the same thing that I can't understand why people jump all over the subsidy publishers who are up front about it. The result in both cases will be the same: you will receive printed copies of your book. You may or may not be happy with the resulting product. You may have your book listed in Ingram, Amazon, and a few other wholesalers. You may even have your book listed in your local chain store database, and you may be able to set up some book signings.

You will not have your book reviewed in legitimate trade or consumer publications. You will not have your book stocked in chain stores on a region, state or nationwide basis. You will not receive publicity outside of your local paper. You will not be viewed favorably by larger publishers because you are now considered "published."

These are choices that you need to make. There is nothing less legitimate about a subsidy publisher that is up front about what it charges and what it provides than there is about a micro press that promises all kinds of traditional publishing services and can't come through with more than a printed book.

Nomad said:

We have had this discussion on these boards ad nauseum: there is so little difference between a "traditional" publisher that doesn't have a clue what they are doing and a subsidy publisher that charges a fee to do the same thing that I can't understand why people jump all over the subsidy publishers who are up front about it. The result in both cases will be the same.

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Amen. This is so true. Even when the publisher promises otherwise.

- Victoria

I'm not personally jumping all over subsidy in general, or even this particular company. BUT... you're right - these are choices. Ideally you want a publisher who puts up all the money. If you really insist that your book see the light of day and haven't caught the eye of anyone, agent or publisher, this is a way to go. BUT... it's pretty much considrered just one step above vanity.

The question then remains - why hasn't the book been picked up by a commercial publisher? It's one each has to answer on their own.

I'm all for honest business, but it's still a chunk of change to pull out, and you're still PAYING TO PUBLISH. I agree Nomad, that the end result might still be the same - the author has to ask themselves, what IS the result they're looking for?

If you start at the top and work down ... you never reach this level.

And who would bother hanging around for their site to open, then be blasted with loud music and a further wait while you 'skip intro'. Iffy outlet and difficult to maneuver - one I'll ignore.

CaoPaux said:

J.C. has posted in Paying Markets that Luna is once again a publisher.

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51669

Still POD. Still pays on net. Constant use of "traditional" highlights lack of experience. Of three books listed on website, two are by owners.

All previous cautions still apply.

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I would agree. I queried them for a soft sci-fi novella since they say they are back to traditional publishing. I sent the first 3 chapters only in addition to my query email. Today, this is the response I received:

Well I have good news! You have passed the initial round of submissions. We really liked your work and are interested in producing it.

Now - with that said - it does not mean we WILL. Here's the thing, Luna Brillante Publishing is a small press publisher - we only publish 4-6 a year. Because of this, we must be sure that the authors we choose will be active in supporting their book.

Even if you are published by Random House, the days of turning in your manuscript, getting it accepted, and then waiting in your Ivory tower for the millions to roll in are long, long gone.

As an author, you must be willing to go out there and promote your work, do interviews, book signings, conventions - that kind of thing. You have to be active in the promotion of your book. There are several great books on out there on how to do this if you're not sure what you need to do - one I highly recommend is POD People by Jeremy Robinson (Breakneck Books). It's more geared for self publishers but the techniques will definitely help for any author.

We'll do our part by sending out Advanced Reading Copies to reviewers as well as some advertising on the web. Many small publishers won't even go that far.

We need to be sure that before we dedicate our time, our money, and our resources to your work - you are going to be an active participant in the promotion of the product.

As of right now, we still have 3 slots available and several folks to choose from.

So give us your best marketing plan or at least what you have an idea of doing once the book is released.

You can take a little time in figuring out your strategy but remember, the longer you take the more submissions we receive. You do not want someone else to take your slot.

If you are not comfortable with taking part in the promotion of your book - then LBP is not the place for you, and I'll be honest, most publishers will also pass for an author who does not want to dedicate time to making their book a success.

Think about it and get back to us!

Thanks and congrats getting this far - most of the subs we receive never do.

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I'd be less concerned if they'd actually asked to read the ENTIRE novella before offering representation. That they didn't, but somehow feel my book is worthy of a publication offer without, you know, seeing how it ends and all, confirms the POD/vanity/whatever status, at least to me. Particularly interesting is the paragraph where they outline what "their part" is, and it's some ads on the web and sending out advance review copies. Not exactly what I expect from a traditional small publisher.

It was worth a shot (particularly since it was all done via email and so cost me no money and very little time) and now I know for sure, which was about what I was looking for.

Ah well, onward -- back to the top of the list and working downward again (confirming as always that Uncle Jim is never wrong).

Hmmm, I received the identical email from Luna Brilliante today. What concerns me (aside from the lack of request for the complete manuscript for one or more of the series and duplicate language) was the "give us your best marketing plan" phrase. I have been out of the loop for quite a few years (pre-internet and ebook era) and I know authors are expected to do more to help promote their work. I have no trouble with book signings or talking up the book on the internet where I can but shouldn't the publisher have the actual marketing strategy in place already with the author providing additional ideas to enhance it? I'm not trying to be annoying, but I'm a bit lost due to the "marketing plan" verbiage.