The other definition of independent publishing refers to an increasingly popular form of self-publishing.  Rather than working with a vanity or subsidy press, the author incorporates as his or her own company, or small press, and bears the entire cost of publication, sub-contracting all associated services (copy-editing, layout design, cover design, indexing, printing, distribution, etc.).  This can be more expensive and labor-intensive proposition on the front end, but it also allows the author to maintain more control, as well as all the rights and a substantial amount more of the sales proceeds on the back end. Independently self-published books are also less stigmatized in the industry than those published by vanity or subsidy presses, as it is assumed that the cost and labor involved in the process has necessitated the author going to some lengths to ensure quality.

You may notice that this is the only form of self-publishing we’ve explored with more pros than cons…

Pros:
• Author retains control over entire publishing process
• Process from start of writing to books on bookshelves can be accomplished in half the time of commercial publishing
• All rights remain with author, completed books are author’s property, and author keeps all net sales proceeds
• Because every aspect of process can be put out to bid, can be more cost effective than vanity or subsidy publishing, and can result in a much higher-quality product
• Authors can – and should – create a publishing company name that will signal the fact that this is an independent publishing endeavor, or small press, as opposed to vanity publishing.
• Self-published books done well and/or that sell a large number of copies (5,000 or more in first year) often get picked up for resale by commercial publishers or literary agents

Cons:
• Authors undertake entire cost and labor of publication themselves, including all marketing, distribution, storage, etc.
• Can be more expensive and more labor-intensive, especially at the front end
• Works best for particular kinds of projects, such as niche non-fiction. Can be more challenging with fiction and children’s books.

A vanity press prints and binds a book at the author’s sole expense.  Sometimes the author maintains all rights, owns the books and retains all proceeds from sales. Sometimes the publisher claims various rights, owns the ISBN and pays the author a royalty. There is little, if any, screening process – anyone who can pay can be published. Any adjunct services (such as editing, marketing, distribution) are usually minimal. Vanity presses derive their profits from the authors of the books they publish. That is their intended market.

Pros:
•  The press may absorb some of the upfront costs (though usually a lot less than the author invests)
•  They will publish anything, without any screening or selection process – which may be good for ‘niche-market’ works with specialized appeal or those simply interested in seeing their books ‘in print’ to give to friends and family members.
• Offers more freedom/independence for authors than conventional publishers with respect to editorial content, design, layout etc.
• May offer web-based sales, or make a book available via online booksellers or their own website

Cons:
• Negative association about vanity published books/authors in the industry
• Many conventional distributors, fulfillment houses, bookstores, libraries etc. will not carry vanity press books
• Generally do little to no marketing
• Costs include the publisher’s profit and overhead, so usually more expensive than other forms of self-publishing
• No economic incentive for the publisher to get books into the hands of readers, since their target market is authors themselves
• Some don’t have arrangements with distributors or wholesalers, making it impossible to obtain books except through the author.
• A number of these houses are unethical/fraudulent
• The publishers’ name alone may tip off industry professionals – reviewers, booksellers, librarians, etc. – that this is vanity/self-published, rendering title less likely to be reviewed, stocked etc.

Due diligence and reading the fine print is the key to working with a vanity –  or for that matter, subsidy – press.

Certainly there are many advantages to having one’s books published by a commercial publisher. But in exploring self-publishing as we are at the Childrens Book Hub this month, it’s important to understand there are advantages and disadvantages to all forms of publishing. Let’s begin by looking at a few for the good old-fashioned commercial route.

Pros:
•  Pays authors an advance against royalties, based on anticipated sales.
•  Pays all up front costs of publication (editing, design, printing, marketing, distribution and fulfillment fees, advertising, pr).
•  Satisfies all legal formalities (ISBN, Lib. of Congress, copyright, permissions etc.).
•  Provides most of the labor associated with bringing a book to market.
•  Value attached to “being published by…”
•  Books sold everywhere (stores, chains, libraries, online, etc.)

Cons:
• Royalties paid to author are only 6-12% (10% average) of net sales, and nothing until the advance plus all up front costs “earn out.”
• Majority of authors never see any more revenue from the book beyond the advance.
• Books are owned by the publisher. Author gets 10-20 copies; must buy more at cost.
• Publisher only puts real marketing dollars or energy behind books with best shot at success.
• Authors have little control over final book.
• Increasingly difficult to land a publisher.
• Takes 18-24 mos. for a publisher to bring a book to market from contract to books in hand.
• Authors expected to significantly supplement marketing plans with own efforts but are not allotted additional money or royalties to do so
• Proprietary: “That’s our area, not yours… so even though we don’t have time (or funds) to do it, you can’t either.”

In the next post, we’ll weigh the pros and cons of the various forms of self-publishing. Stay tuned!

Best known for creating the hilarious Charlie and Lola in addition to the Clarice Bean series, Lauren Child is an award-winning author and illustrator from England. Her body of work includes many other equally funny and creative books that I adore, such as her brilliant retelling of  The Princess and the Pea and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. She uses mixed media, combining endearing child-like sketches with collage and photos in a totally unique yet instantly recognizable style. As Lola might say, “I am an absolutely hugely enormous and big fan.”

So when I opened up Clarice Bean, That’s Me, I was particularly struck – and inspired – by the inside flap copy.

For anyone who ever loses faith that they might yet get their children’s book published one day, here’s a little gift from Lauren Child (in as close to her font/style as I could capture):

A word or two from Lauren Child about this actual Clarice Bean book…

This book was sent to lots of PUBLISHERS
Some people liked the words
Some people liked the pictures
Not many people liked them both together
Hardly anyone liked the t y p e
A few thought it shouldn’t be written from a child’s point of view
No one thought it would work as a book
the way it was
I DIDN’T WANT TO CHANGE IT

I waited for five years

I STARTED MAKING LAMPSHADES

I MIXED PAINTS FOR AN ARTIST

I BECAME A RECEPTIONIST

NOTHING happened. . .

F  i  n  a  l  l  y   I got a letter
It said, Yes
I still have it
It was one of the most exciting things
that has ever happened to me

(For more on Lauren, visit her wonderful website: www.milkmonitor.com)

A publisher is the entity that contracts with an author to publish a manuscript, then pays for that book to be created/published.  A distributor disseminates books into the marketplace. There are basically three ways books are distributed – through wholesalers, through book distributors or through fulfillment houses.

Bookstores, libraries and other retailers seldom buy books directly from publishers – they buy them from wholesalers.  Most publishers lack the storage space to house massive quantities of books and prefer to focus their energies on the acquisition and publishing of manuscripts rather than their dissemination into the marketplace.  The wholesaler buys books from publishers at a high discount and sells the books to their customers (the retailers) for a slightly lower discount.  Among the most commonly known wholesalers are Ingram and Baker & Taylor. But wholesalers seldom work with small publishers, since there are so many of them, so small publishers generally use a distributor.

The distributor takes the publisher’s books and actively sells them into the retail and wholesale marketplace.  A distributor will do all of the warehousing, packing, shipping, etc. that a fulfillment house does, but will also work to sell titles by calling on accounts. They then take a share of net revenue in exchange for their services.

A fulfillment house stores the inventory; packs & ships the books; bills & collects from customers; processes returns, etc. but does not market or sell books.  They fill the orders received, but creating demand for the book is up to the publisher and author.

So, in a nutshell, a wholesaler works for their big retail customers (and waits for orders to come in from them); a distributor works for the publisher (and actively promotes/sells to the wholesalers and retailers) and a fulfillment house can work for anyone, including a self-published author – but simply stores, ships and bills for books sold.

Here’s a familiar Catch 22: Agents don’t seem interested until you’ve been published, and you can’t seem to get published without an agent. How to break the cycle? Expand your definition of ‘getting published.’  One way to do so is to include children’s magazines.

Consider submitting your work to one or more of the many popular children’s magazines, such as Highlights, High Five, Ask, Cricket, Ladybug, Muse, National Geographic Kids, or American Girl, to name but a few. Being published in a children’s magazine is an important credit for a bio or resume – and most magazines pay for published work, sometimes very nicely.

Writing for children’s magazines can also provide nice opportunities to write outside your usual genre or comfort zone. Many magazines for young readers publish short stories, but an even greater number focus on non-fiction articles that cover a range of topics, and some even publish poetry for young readers. If you choose to try your hand at article writing, remember that when writing non-fiction for children that it should still read like a good story, with all the same elements that draw the reader in: a degree of tension or suspense that compels the reader to want to know more, evocative language or imagery that incorporates the senses, emotional resonance.

The annual publication “Magazine Markets for Children’s Writers” details all the magazines in print, along with their submission guidelines and contact info. You can order a copy directly from Amazon.

One caveat: if you’re interested in writing for children’s magazines, be sure to read a number of them first. You will get a much better sense of the marketplace and what the style and approach of each magazine may be from the magazine itself than from encapsulated submission guidelines.  And you may be surprised by the content of some magazines for young people today… it’s a different world for children now than it was when we ourselves may have been reading Highlights!

The venerable Lois Lowry gave a superb keynote on finding ideas (during which I suddenly had a brainstorm for a new picture book idea!).  There was a very informative picture book panel led by Jane Yolen, Mark Teague and Patricia Lee Gauch. Jane shared ten words every picture book author must know – lyricism, compression, child centeredness, focus, hook, words, ‘illustratability’, motion, emotion and resolution (thank you, Jane – this gives me weeks worth of blog topics!). Mark spoke about art that has depth, and provokes wonder and a sense of mystery for the reader as to what might be going on beyond the borders of the page.  Patricia talked about “letting go to story,” the miracle of page turns and the dramatic arc as a wave, that must rise and crest and resolve itself.

The breakout sessions with editors, agents and art directors were hugely informative, and provided attendees with rare opportunities for manuscript submissions.  There was much discussion about the opportunities as well as the challenges being brought about by new technology, and there was general agreement that most editors have seen enough manuscripts about dystopian societies, vampires and psychic teens, thank you very much.  Everyone agrees that strong, simple premises, compelling and true characters and beautiful – or witty – writing will always be in demand.  Hilarious keynotes by R.L. Stine and Jules Feiffer rounded out the day’s delights.

Thank you, Lin Oliver, Stephen Mooser and everyone at SCBWI for forty years of unmatched service and support for children’s book authors and illustrators!

I am very excited to announce a brand new center of information, resources and support for children’s book authors – The Children’s Book Hub!

The Children’s Book Hub is a membership-based ‘virtual salon,’ featuring lively, ongoing discussion about writing and publishing for children and young adults, as well as all the latest trends in the children’s book industry.  My goal as ‘Hub Host” is to provide the best, most valuable information, education, news and resources for established and aspiring children’s book authors of all kinds, all year long. Hub members have access to…

* Free monthly teleseminars featuring Expert Interviews with authors, editors, agents and other notable members of the children’s book industry, plus recordings of each call after the event. (Among the industry experts lined up in the coming months are marketing and public relations expert Susan Salzman Raab of Raab Associates, bestselling children’s book author Kate McMullan (“I Stink!”) and esteemed literary agents Jennie Dunham of Dunham Literary and George Nicholson of Sterling Lord Literistics.)

* Free monthly Q&A calls during which I address specific member questions, plus recordings of each call.

* A monthly Newsletter focusing on items of interest in the areas of writing, editing, marketing, publishing and selling your books.

* A ‘brain trust’ community of support via a Members’ Forum.

* News about industry trends and resources, such as conferences, workshops, festivals, organizations and associations specific to children’s literature.

* Invaluable resource materials, such as lists of publishers that accept unsolicited manuscripts, editing checklists, submission information, marketing tools and ideas,  and more.

If you’re ready to start the New Year with a powerful commitment to take the next step in your publishing dreams, then join us at the Children’s Book Hub today.  Visit www.childrensbookhub.com for details.

If you’d like to take a test run and see more of what the Hub has to offer, please join me for a Free Q&A call on Tuesday, January 11 at 7 PM EST. Click here for details.

Whether you’re an established children’s book author looking for a “think tank” community of support, or an aspiring writer who longs to touch the hearts and minds of the next generation, the Hub will help you fulfill your vision.

Here’s to a year in which all your creative dreams come true!

The question I was asked was: What are the particular challenges you think we (meaning children’s book authors, editors, educators, advocates, lovers of children’s literature) face?

This was my response:

“I think one of the challenges is keeping young people’s skill and interest in reading high enough to take advantage of the opportunities that will be waiting for them.

In my book Raising Bookworms: Getting Kids Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment (Beech Tree Books, 2008), I talk about how much reading skills correspond to our ability to be confident, engaged, informed citizens. They affect how well we communicate, succeed in school and in our chosen careers, and ultimately our level of personal fulfillment. In fact, order to participate fully in society and the workplace in 2020 and beyond, we will all need powerful literacy abilities. But with all that competes for our attention these days, from television to the internet to electronic games and social networking, we face the possibility of a serious decline in the reading and writing skills of the next generation.

Our strength as readers and writers is profoundly influenced by how much of it we do – the more we read, the easier it gets. The easier it gets, the more we enjoy it, so the more we read. But we have to start by actually reading – and the key lies in making that activity as attractive as all the other temptations out there. We achieve that by focusing on activities that support the joy in reading (as opposed to reading as chore, or duty)…and by ensuring that what is being read is so good that the reader gets hooked and comes back for more.

That’s why I’m dedicated to supporting children’s book authors in the continued development of their craft. We have a huge responsibility on our hands. It only takes one great book to turn someone on to reading… but those great books need to keep being written and gotten into the hands of children!”

This is why you must write that book. If you have ever felt that nudge… that gentle (or perhaps, at this point, nagging) whisper in your ear to get that idea down on paper, I am here to hold you accountable. We can only keep the next generation (and those after that) reading, and writing – and using creative expression to solve problems and promote awareness, and cultivate compassion, and address the issues before them with artfulness and thought – if we continue to provide them with the tools to do so.  And the first (and best, in my view) is a good book.

So, get writing. Who knows? You may be the next Madeleine L’Engle… but even if your story touches just one child, one heart, that’s reason enough for it to exist.  One might even say you have a responsibility to put it out there.

The answer to the first question is: Ideally, yes. Agents handle everything from submitting your manuscripts to publishers, to negotiating contracts  and overseeing royalty statements, in exchange for which they take a 10-20% commission from your earnings.   Most publishers do not accept “unsolicited manuscripts,” which essentially means “un-agented manuscripts.”  There are some publishers who will accept unsolicited manuscripts directly from writers, but they are the exception rather than the rule. So your first task should be to try to find an agent to represent your work. Which brings us to the “How.”

You get an agent the same way your book finds a publishing house – by impressing them with the quality of your work. So, when submitting your work to agents for representation you need to show that you can write, that you are dedicated, and that you are capable of writing more than one book , because if they take you on they want to know that you’re going to have an ongoing relationship with them.

Most agents as well as publishers have very specific and strict submission guidelines, which are posted on their websites. Unfortunately it is NOT one size fits all.  Your best resources when it comes to finding an agent or a publisher is either the latest Literary Marketplace (best borrowed from the library as it is so large and expensive) and Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market (worth the annual investment to purchase the latest edition.)  These volumes are updated each year, and include comprehensive information as to names, addresses and submission guidelines for every publisher and agent in the industry. The annual turnover rate in this market is very high – it can be breathtaking how quickly editors move from one house to another. So you want to be sure that you’re looking at the latest version of who is who at which house before you submit.

Whether you’re shopping for an agent or a publisher, you may submit to more than one at the same time – but do make sure they know that you’re doing that.  For instance, if there is an agent you really want to work with, or that you have an inside connection to, you can flatter them by saying “I’m submitting this for your exclusive review. I would appreciate your response.” This lets them know you consider them to be special and you’ll wait to hear from them before you send it to anyone else.  And don’t forget to include your cover letter, SASE, bio, etc. from the Submissions 101 post of two weeks ago!