Comparison of between PA and a Small Press-Part 1
With my PA book I got:
-Editing: a quick touch-up, with a few typo's and errors added for good measure by recent college graduates with no editing experience. I had two weeks to go over all the changes (actually it was five days--I was away on vacation when they orginally sent my "proofs").
With my Small Press pubbed book:
-Editing: Compete developmental editing with a back and forth effort working with an experienced professional editor who is a college professor of English with a MFA from Goddard. This process took about three months. Then came the copy editing phase where I was given all the time I needed to go over the suggested changes. Then came the proof phase where I had as much time as I needed.
****
With PA:
-Production: POD, however you want to spell it.
With Small Press:
-Production: Initial print run in the hundreds, digital. Second print run in the thousands, offset. Gee, I guess they want to sell my book or something.
****
With PA:
-Review Copies: None sent by PA. I had to buy and send my own, of course, no major reviewer will even consider a POD book sent for consideration after the release date, but no one told me at the time...
With my Small Press pubbed book:
-Review Copies: Dozens sent, three and a half months in advance, to the major reviewers, local media, chainstore buyers, some bookstores, online reviewers...among the reviews they got for me: Publishers Weekly: "commendably brisk...superior fantasy fiction...workmanlike"
****
With PA:
-Marketing: Listed book with Ingram, Baker & Taylor and Bowker-this automatically lists your book with the online stores. A direct mailing to my friends and relatives--whose names I was asked to provide. All other efforts must come from the author.
With Small Press:
-Marketing: Obviously they listed the book as above. Sent review copies (see above), catalogs featuring my book, works to get my books stocked by bookstores, arranges book signings for me, advertises with trade publications and pubs directed at readers. Etc. (I'll add to this later-I'm still tired)
****
With PA:
-Responsiveness: Ignores emails, or replies harshly and abusively. Ignores correspondence from my attorney.
With Small Press:
-Responsiveness: Immediate, either by email or telephone. A true pleasure to work with. They clearly care about me and my work.
More to come--I've got to go mow the law and work in my garden, and then some writing...
diana
With my PA book I got:
-Editing: a quick touch-up, with a few typo's and errors added for good measure by recent college graduates with no editing experience. I had two weeks to go over all the changes (actually it was five days--I was away on vacation when they orginally sent my "proofs").
With my Small Press pubbed book:
-Editing: Compete developmental editing with a back and forth effort working with an experienced professional editor who is a college professor of English with a MFA from Goddard. This process took about three months. Then came the copy editing phase where I was given all the time I needed to go over the suggested changes. Then came the proof phase where I had as much time as I needed.
****
With PA:
-Production: POD, however you want to spell it.
With Small Press:
-Production: Initial print run in the hundreds, digital. Second print run in the thousands, offset. Gee, I guess they want to sell my book or something.
****
With PA:
-Review Copies: None sent by PA. I had to buy and send my own, of course, no major reviewer will even consider a POD book sent for consideration after the release date, but no one told me at the time...
With my Small Press pubbed book:
-Review Copies: Dozens sent, three and a half months in advance, to the major reviewers, local media, chainstore buyers, some bookstores, online reviewers...among the reviews they got for me: Publishers Weekly: "commendably brisk...superior fantasy fiction...workmanlike"
****
With PA:
-Marketing: Listed book with Ingram, Baker & Taylor and Bowker-this automatically lists your book with the online stores. A direct mailing to my friends and relatives--whose names I was asked to provide. All other efforts must come from the author.
With Small Press:
-Marketing: Obviously they listed the book as above. Sent review copies (see above), catalogs featuring my book, works to get my books stocked by bookstores, arranges book signings for me, advertises with trade publications and pubs directed at readers. Etc. (I'll add to this later-I'm still tired)
****
With PA:
-Responsiveness: Ignores emails, or replies harshly and abusively. Ignores correspondence from my attorney.
With Small Press:
-Responsiveness: Immediate, either by email or telephone. A true pleasure to work with. They clearly care about me and my work.
More to come--I've got to go mow the law and work in my garden, and then some writing...
diana