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Curiosity Quills Press

veinglory

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Your intent was very clearly and explicitly to insult most of the people who have participated in this thread, and you have probably succeeded FWIW. If you actually do regret doing so, you can delete those comments.

AW is about getting books in the hands of a significant number readers, and that is the only "model" any publisher is measured against. Do let us know how that works out.
 

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My apologies. I see must have bruised some egos (not my intent), so I'll get to my point.

Jeff, perhaps you should read over your own post again:

Many of the folks who post here are either invested, or hope to invest, in the legacy publishing model.

Some of us are trying to write original fiction, not market-greased ya fantasy or sports novels, for example.

Publishers like CQP offer some hope to those want to sell books based on literary merit rather than conforming to a broken system.

Curiosity quills is doing something original and worth the readers time.

What you have said is that AW members who publish with large commercial presses are not writing original fiction worth a reader's time but, instead, are writing market-greased, unoriginal YA fantasy with no literary merit. This is an egregious insult to all those writers, and is wholly disrespectful.
 

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I am a writer and I am sympathetic with what they are doing, so I'd just like to see some honest discussion out there about CQP's methods and, of course, the quality of their fiction.

Okay. I went to the site and clicked at random on a story. Here's the first 100 words. I've bolded in red the errors I spotted.
Once upon a time, a very long time ago, in the world of Thiside there lived the last of the great Sorcerers. As his inevitable death loomed ever closer he was wrought with despair. As the last of his line the sorcerer had yet to leave his mark on the world. Those that preceded him had created amazing things, built cities from an acorn, created new creatures and, in one unique case, invented the toilet seat (which was never utilized for it’s true purpose but was instead implemented for more practical application; stopping one’s buttocks from touching the distasteful rim ....

Right. Let's talk about the quality of their fiction, one aspect of which is the quality of their editing, shall we?
 

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Curiosity Quills rocks. The "concerns" raised here remind me of the monkeys in a cage experiment. Many of the folks who post here are either invested, or hope to invest, in the legacy publishing model.

Some of us are trying to write original fiction, not market-greased ya fantasy or sports novels, for example.

Publishers like CQP offer some hope to those want to sell books based on literary merit rather than conforming to a broken system.

Curiosity quills is doing something original and worth the readers time.

Ah, well then. I much prefer to write unoriginal books which have no literary merit whatsoever, and no readers have ever considered any of my books to be worth their time, so I guess CQP isn't for hacks like me.
Maybe you and I can go off in a corner by ourselves and talk about boys while we braid each other's hair and paint our toenails.
My apologies. I see must have bruised some egos (not my intent), so I'll get to my point.

I do not work for CQ or write for them. I am merely lending my own thoughts, as an actual reader of their fiction, since the bulk of the criticism is based on comparing them to traditional publishing models rather than the experimental venture that they are.

I am a writer and I am sympathetic with what they are doing, so I'd just like to see some honest discussion out there about CQP's methods and, of course, the quality of their fiction.

Some authors are going to like CQP and shouldn't be scared away out of hand (See, I know what AW is all about after all!) I just wanted to put in my two-cents--sorry for the snark.
One thing I couldn't find on their site that I'm not certain if it's been mentioned upthread (quick scan reveals it hasn't) is who are these people? I see a lot about the authors but nothing about the staff. Who are they? What experience do they bring to the table? Have they worked in publishing? A detailed "about us" listing the staff and mentioning their experience would certainly help build their case, especially since they're still a relatively new publisher.
 

Filigree

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Popcorn, anyone?

Honestly, I'm unlikely to ever sub anything to CQ, simply because I'm already familiar with the markets and contacts I need. I wouldn't call those markets 'literary' or 'legacy' publishing. They're a long way from the Big Six. They're not earning me any 'very nice deals'. They are earning more money than I expected, and getting me far more notice than I could as a self-published author or with an unknown new publisher.

I will be interested in seeing how CQ's experiment works over the next couple of years. If CQ books sell reasonably well and there's no odd business dealing, I might even recommend them to writers looking for a co-op model. However, I am going to wait out those two years, for these reasons:

1. Historically, many small presses have imploded within that time frame: from poor management, adverse market conditions, or diminishing capital reserves. It happens to even the savviest of business owners. Nothing to be ashamed about - unless the business starts trying to cheat its creditors and contractors to shore itself up.

2. Publishing is not a learn-as-you-go business. It's a contradictory, complicated, frustrating, illogical, exhilarating mess. It requires at least some familiarity, some kind of apprenticeship. I wouldn't send my artwork to a brand new gallery without doing a business and credit check on the owner/operators. I'm not going to send a mms to a publisher who hasn't proven they're worth more than glowing promises.

It may seem like all these AW folks are being utter meanies, but take a look through the failed publishers thread and you'll see why many of us are cautious about declarations of 'The Next Great Thing'.

I wish you well, though.
 

Terie

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I do not work for CQ or write for them. I am merely lending my own thoughts, as an actual reader of their fiction, since the bulk of the criticism is based on comparing them to traditional publishing models rather than the experimental venture that they are.

Could you please explain to us how CQP is an experimental venture? Especially in light of the fact that, so far, they appear to be doing exactly what hundreds of micropresses -- most of which have, unfortunately, failed -- before them have done? Explicit details about what they're doing differently would be relevant to this discussion.

Before you answer that, you might want to peruse the index of publisher threads and read through some of the greyed-out threads. (The greyed-out threads are for publishers who have gone out of business, some with a bang but most with a whimper.)
 

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Humn. Well, thank you for the passionate support, Jeff, although I agree, your first post wasn't just 'able to be taken offensively', it was outright offensive. I think you'd do us both a favour if you hit the edit button and replaced it with "I was having a bad day and said some things I shouldn't, please ignore". I'm really glad you enjoy our books though, and look forward to your future support.

Filigree, I look forward to seeing you after those two years; I want to see how this experiment works out, too (and yes, it IS an experimental venture -- the focus on serial fiction, for instance, isn't standard practice, and there's a lot more in the works you'll see before the end of those two years).

I'll back out of this discussion now, as I'm not sure I'll be able to add anything much more. As Filigree pointed out, the real test of a new micropulisher is the test of time. If we're dead and gone in two years, you'll know you were right. If we keep on track, though, I think you'll see good things.
 

Anninyn

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My apologies. I see must have bruised some egos (not my intent), so I'll get to my point.

I do not work for CQ or write for them. I am merely lending my own thoughts, as an actual reader of their fiction, since the bulk of the criticism is based on comparing them to traditional publishing models rather than the experimental venture that they are.

I am a writer and I am sympathetic with what they are doing, so I'd just like to see some honest discussion out there about CQP's methods and, of course, the quality of their fiction.

Some authors are going to like CQP and shouldn't be scared away out of hand (See, I know what AW is all about after all!) I just wanted to put in my two-cents--sorry for the snark.

That is exactly what you are seeing. That, and the same concerns that are raised for every new publisher - including publishers started up by AW members. Check the Musa thread for that.


The fact that some authors may like CQP doesn't necessarily make them a good choice. What makes a publisher a good choice is their experience, their marketing, their business savvy and their ability to get books where they belong - in front of readers. While you're here, check out these links - they don't always follow the same pattern, but in a lot of them you'll see: New press claiming to do things differently, us applying questions, authors and owners coming in to defend press, then press folding, or worse, going down the scam press route. Not always, but often enough.

Blue Phi'er
Asylett
Authors Ink
Bouncing Balls
Cacoethes
Callio
Capri
(edited to include further links)

And dozens of other now defunct publishers that took their writers work with them when they folded. Some time reading through the grey links here would be very educational for all new board members - as would spending some time with the stickies. All those things are there for a reason.

And Aspen Mountain proves that it can happen to anyone.

Perhaps now you can see why we may come across as a little unaccomodating? Bitter experience. We want new publishers to succeed, as we want places to send our work, even though we are all (all 30,000 of us) derivative hacks.

As an unpublished writer, I want as many markets out there as possible that can publish my work and get it in front of readers. That's the important thing to me - getting it in front of readers.
 
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shaldna

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I'll tell you one last thing, though. I've been on this site many times. I've always thought of it as a very reliable resource. I'm disappointed to see the CQ debate going on here.

If that's the case then surely you can see why there are questions being raised?

I'm no newbie, I know what I'm doing and I've been doing it for quite a few years now. Being unpublished prior to CQ doesn't mean I'm dumb and prone to making rash decisions, you know? I realize none of you said that, but I'm putting it out there anyway.

But by being unpulbished it would suggest that you lack experience of how the publishing industry works and what is good and bad practice. As such it makes it harder for inexperienced folk to see the concerns - this is why companies like Publish America still exist - they rely on inexperience authors who don't know any better.

Now, I'm not saying that CQP is a bad press, but I am saying that there are legitimate concerns based on their business model, experience etc. If you choose to ignore those concerns then by all means that's you perogative. But for all those other folk, new and old and lurkers alike, it's important to raise potential issues. It doesn't mean anyone is bashing the press. It's a rational discussion about the merits or potential problems with a new publisher using unconventional methods that those of us with actual experience in the industry have seen fail over and over and over.

You should have a read of CathyC's post here on why publishers fail - http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=241409


Shaldna, to clarify, yes we pay based on gross income, as received by ourselves. What started out as an attempt to clarify (for instance, in some cases we ship books ourselves, at which point we DO deduct shipping) turned into a massive confusion of terms. In plain English, royalties are paid out of what we receive from retailers / distributors / etc, and all marketing costs, cover art, editing etc are covered by CQ.

Thank you for clarifying.


As to some of our authors coming to talk to you, someone from this forum contacted CQ and said 'you're getting some bad press here, I like your stuff so thought I'd give you a heads up', so yes, it got around our author community.

Except it wasn't 'bad press' - it was a question on a public message board for writers - as I'm sure you've seen when you read the posts here.

That said, the sudden creation of brand spanking new accounts here created solely for the purpose of posting on this thread is suspicious - it makes it seem like it's CQP doing it. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that it's just 'passionate authors' - but those authors might want to realise how it looks to the common man reading this thread. Sometimes helping isn't really helping.


Curiosity Quills rocks. The "concerns" raised here remind me of the monkeys in a cage experiment.

Wow, you're very first post here is to insult people? Really?

The concerns raised her are legitimate concerns that would get raised about any other publisher. Trust me - just read some of the threads about the Big Six and even there you'll see concerns and issues getting raised.


Many of the folks who post here are either invested, or hope to invest, in the legacy publishing model.

And many of the folks here have self published, some have done both. What's your point here? Because it sounds like you are trying to say that the folks here are picking on a new publisher because they are what? Threatened?


Some of us are trying to write original fiction, not market-greased ya fantasy or sports novels, for example.

And again with the insults. It doesn't help your case.

The main rule we have here is Respect Your Fellow Writer - that means all writers, regardless of what they write or whether you think they are orginal or worthy enough to be called a writer.

For instance, I could just have easily said something like 'Some of us are trying to write something fun and entertaining, not over written, naval gazing pap.'

But I didn't. Because that would have been disrespectful.

Think about it.



My apologies. I see must have bruised some egos (not my intent), so I'll get to my point.

You didn't bruise egos, but you did insult an awful lot of people and a whole industry.


One thing I couldn't find on their site that I'm not certain if it's been mentioned upthread (quick scan reveals it hasn't) is who are these people? I see a lot about the authors but nothing about the staff. Who are they? What experience do they bring to the table? Have they worked in publishing? A detailed "about us" listing the staff and mentioning their experience would certainly help build their case, especially since they're still a relatively new publisher.

And again, this is something we see over and over again - usually when those folks don't have any experience.

Could you please explain to us how CQP is an experimental venture? Especially in light of the fact that, so far, they appear to be doing exactly what hundreds of micropresses -- most of which have, unfortunately, failed -- before them have done? Explicit details about what they're doing differently would be relevant to this discussion.

And again, I would direct folks to the link I posted above.
 

Stacia Kane

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Humn. Well, thank you for the passionate support, Jeff, although I agree, your first post wasn't just 'able to be taken offensively', it was outright offensive. I think you'd do us both a favour if you hit the edit button and replaced it with "I was having a bad day and said some things I shouldn't, please ignore". I'm really glad you enjoy our books though, and look forward to your future support.

Filigree, I look forward to seeing you after those two years; I want to see how this experiment works out, too (and yes, it IS an experimental venture -- the focus on serial fiction, for instance, isn't standard practice, and there's a lot more in the works you'll see before the end of those two years).

I'll back out of this discussion now, as I'm not sure I'll be able to add anything much more. As Filigree pointed out, the real test of a new micropulisher is the test of time. If we're dead and gone in two years, you'll know you were right. If we keep on track, though, I think you'll see good things.


Nice response, PP. Thanks for it.
 

Momento Mori

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BlueThroneJeff:
Many of the folks who post here are either invested, or hope to invest, in the legacy publishing model.

The legacy publishing model doesn't need authors to invest in it. The whole point of legacy (or as I prefer to term it, "commercial publishing") is that the publisher invests in you by paying you an advance up front and then paying you royalties once you hit a certain sales target.

BlueThroneJeff:
I see must have bruised some egos (not my intent), so I'll get to my point.

I'm sure that the thought of bruising egos must be very distressing to you, given that you expressed your fully thought-through opinions in such a conciliatory manner ...

BlueThroneJeff:
I am merely lending my own thoughts, as an actual reader of their fiction, since the bulk of the criticism is based on comparing them to traditional publishing models rather than the experimental venture that they are.

The purpose of the Forum is to enable people to make informed decisions on what is best for them. As such it makes sense to compare going with an "experimental" publisher like SQP against a commercial publishing model because as an author, you need to work out which one gives you or is likely to give you the better immediate and long term rewards for your work.

Those market-greased YA and sports novels you denigrate so freely are the same books that subsidise the publishing of more experimental literary fiction by commercial publishers. Literary fiction is not profitable. It tends to be very hit and miss because it's a harder market to pinpoint a readership for. Genre fiction, by contrast, is seen as a 'safer' bet because you have set venues and markets in which you can reach your target readers (e.g. conventions, genre blogs etc).

It's a relief that the authors and members of CQP staff who've been posting here have been more professional and courteous than you seem to be capable of. Friends like you are damaging to start-ups trying to establish themselves.

MM
Returning to her market-greased YA novel as it needs another basting.
 

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I'll concede that, in an effort to defend CQP, I was insulting. Accept my apologies and thank you all for the feedback.

Cheers.
 

Filigree

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Jeff, you're new, and I can see that you're sincere in your passionate defenses. It's okay. There are books within my favorite SF&F and Romance genres that I still don't get - but the market seems to. The big bestsellers help pay my royalties, though.

Filigree, a market-greased erotica writer.
 

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Filigree, I've been reading AW for years, but never felt the need to post (didn't want to get into a spat . . . oops!). I also know plenty about the publishing industry, so posting for the first time at AW does not make me "new," only new in posting to this small facet of the greater literary community.

AW is one fish in a sea of resources, and it's not for everyone. Those invested in using AW might see it differently. For me, it's expansive and offers lots of insight; I will continue to use it, though with a grain of salt.

AW is not the authority on writing, editing, and publishing, and shouldn't treated as such.

I've enjoyed the discussion. I wish you all well with your market-greased fiction (I kid, I kid). This will be my last post here (and reading of the thread), but thanks to all of you for your honesty. I wish you all well.

Cheers!
 

htrent

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I'm just curious. If you've been reading AW for years and understood the tone and workings of the place, why would you enter a thread with snark guns blazing and without an inkling your comment was offensive? Not that it would be CONSTRUED as offensive, but that it WAS?

Rule of thumb: you can't insult people then apologize for them being sensitive. That's being disingenuous.

Even if people agreed with you about CQP (and folks have already said there isn't enough information to make a long-term assessment about the publisher), tactless snark is a surefire way to annoy those of us who have very long memories.
 

BenPanced

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Filigree, I've been reading AW for years, but never felt the need to post (didn't want to get into a spat . . . oops!). I also know plenty about the publishing industry, so posting for the first time at AW does not make me "new," only new in posting to this small facet of the greater literary community.

AW is one fish in a sea of resources, and it's not for everyone. Those invested in using AW might see it differently. For me, it's expansive and offers lots of insight; I will continue to use it, though with a grain of salt.

AW is not the authority on writing, editing, and publishing, and shouldn't treated as such.

I've enjoyed the discussion. I wish you all well with your market-greased fiction (I kid, I kid). This will be my last post here (and reading of the thread), but thanks to all of you for your honesty. I wish you all well.

Cheers!
2.5/5.0

Considering much of the misinformation floating around online about publishing, AW is much more of an authority on the business than what I've seen. I'm incredibly biased about the information available here because without it and the people who offer it, I wouldn't be sitting here today with two published books to my credit.
 

Filigree

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Same here. I sold a story to an anthology based off a call-for-submissions I read about on AW first. I researched all the e-publishers I then queried for my debut novel, right here on AW first, and then in other online forums. I approached my agent based off PM conversations with some of her existing clients - again, here on AW. I share ideas, travails, and triumphs with some very smart and kind people on various AW forums.

Sure, it's not the only resource around, and I view *everything* I read with healthy skepticism. But as a tested resource, it's one of the best.
 

Momento Mori

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BlueThroneJeff:
I also know plenty about the publishing industry

Cool. Where does your knowledge about the industry come from? I ask because if you're concerned about AW not being an absolute reference guide (pun fully intended), then perhaps you can share alternative resources so people know where else to look.

For example, I usually recommend that people go check out a book called MERCHANTS OF CULTURE by John Thompson, which takes a look at the last 50 years of the publishing industry and explains how modern publishing works. It was published in 2010, so it's not as hot on epublishing as it could be, but it's an accessible and informative guide to the industry for anyone wanting to know more.

Alternatively, I recommend that anyone interested in writing for the children's/YA market look into joining their local chapter of the SCBWI, which is a highly organised, highly knowledgeable resource for that sector and has excellent support networks for people working on their craft and those who are already published.

I agree that AW isn't the be-all-and-end-all, but it is a useful resource and plenty of people who have gone on to be successfully published have picked up a lot of useful industry and craft information and support from hanging out here, e.g. Erin Morgenstern.

MM
 

michael_b

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Filigree, I look forward to seeing you after those two years; I want to see how this experiment works out, too (and yes, it IS an experimental venture -- the focus on serial fiction, for instance, isn't standard practice, and there's a lot more in the works you'll see before the end of those two years).

For the record you aren't as unique in publishing serialized fiction as you think. Many other indie epresses have been doing so for some time now. I've had serialized pieces coming out from various epresses since 2004. These stories weren't given away for free, they were ebooks readers paid to read.
 

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AW is one fish in a sea of resources, and it's not for everyone. Those invested in using AW might see it differently. For me, it's expansive and offers lots of insight; I will continue to use it, though with a grain of salt.
AW does have a good section on self-publishing, in case you haven't wandered through that section. Since you've self published, I'm sure AW members would appreciate any contributions you could make to that section, and any tips or info you could share.
 

DrFaerieGodmother

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I was wondering if anyone has heard anything more about this publisher.

And thank you for the links to small presses, Anninyn. That was... eye opening.
 

SamanthaLehane

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To the authors who have free serials being published by CQP, have you seen more reviews or sales on your other works (or traffic to your blogs) from being featured on CQP? If the authors are getting good publicity then I can see how having a free serial featured on CQP would be beneficial.
 

Anthony Mathenia

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I published 'Happiness: How to Find It' as a free online serial with CQP. As a romance, it was an experimental novel for me and I decided to carry the experiment forward and publish it as online serial.

Having a weekly serial was a good way to self-promote. Every week I had an opportunity to engage my readers. I did pick up a good group of readers from the exercise. I even got some fan-art.

However I don't think it was very effective in getting those same readers to purchase my newest release 'Paradise Earth: Day Zero'. I don't have any direct data, I'm just going by how it feels.

One pet-peeve I had is that their online serials didn't really seem to have any kind of proofreading, like their normal releases. I was often horrified at some of mistakes that went through. Granted they were my mistakes, but it would have been nice to have another set of eyes on it.

All-in-all, I am pleased. I wasn't overly attached to 'Happiness' and quite frankly I don't think I would have tried to publish it otherwise. I would definitely considering doing another online serial again if the right project presented itself.