During the next few months, I have a previously published book being released by a new publisher. The new publisher is actually my long time romance publisher where my romances have enjoyed modest success. However, this previously published book isn't a romance. It's an epic fantasy, the first book in that genre that my publisher has taken on.
Like many authors who work with small presses, I've gotten to know the people running the business. When my publisher heard about the two presses going out of business who had contracted my epic fantasies, she offered to take on my books and make them the first in a new line. She's taking a chance on my books, on me. I'm feeling the pressure. Will this pay off for her? Do I deserve her Susan Kelley writing fantasy as Susan Gourley,as a way to draw my romance following to the new books but still distinguish them as a different genre. I'm very nervous about the entire endeavor.
In other news, I recently read an article in Writers Digest where the author of the piece on promotion talked about hiring a marketing firm, especially if you're a new author. This is where it gets amusing. She suggests planning a 2-3 month campaign at minimum and expecting a reputable marketing firm to ask for a monthly retainer fee of $3,000-7,000. LOL. Even an author signing with a traditional publisher would need a big signing advance to come up with that. Am I wrong to wonder to whom this article was directed?
Some wisdom to get me through the final edits of my next romance novel.
"Be curious, not judgmental." Walt Whitman
"Three, helping one another, bear the burden of six." German proverb
I'm hoping for a few family members to help me finish up some major landscaping projects so I'm going to throw the German proverb at them.
Don't forget to visit others on the list at IWSG. What writing venture made you nervous lately? Do you spend thousands of dollars per month on marketing? Can I borrow some of that?
58 comments:
lol damn, if I had 3-7K I'd do my own marketing and keep 6K of it at least, nuts. Awesome that your publisher is taking them on.
Wow, that's a lot of money!
That's awesome they are taking on your series.
That is insane. You should only hire a PR person if you are confident that you will reap that money back and then some. Yes, advertising will bring in more money, but it needs to be enough to cover the cost.
That is wonderful your publisher is taking a chance on your orphaned books.
How great that your books will be the first in a new line! Your publisher has faith in you, now you need to have faith in yourself! :)
How wonderful they're taking on your series! :) And wow, that's a lot of money. Unless you're making tens of thousands, I can't see anyone needing to spend that amount on marketing.
It's best to evaluate time and money spent versus return. Check with others to find what they found was most effective. 😀
LOL with the amount on marketing, seems a bit one sided with that article favoring the marketing side indeed!! The cover of your book looks great! What a fantastic adventure to be part of with the publisher. She must be confident your book will do reasonably well to take it on!
betty
Susan, lots of people involved with yard projects and gardening in Blogdom. I did some serious tree trimming and bush removal and such yesterday.
I think it's wonderful they're taking on your series, and you definitely deserve it!
Hi, Susan,
Congrats! Don't be nervous,. obviously they are very thrilled to have your books because of your track record in Romance. Remember, excellent writing IS excellent writing, no matter what the genre is. And I am sure your ROMANCE readers will LOVE your High Fantasy ... They are similar in many ways because the are both PASSION driven.
All the best! Good luck on your gardening endeavors. It will be beautiful once it's done!
I hope it's win-win for both of you. She's already confident of your talent, now to convince loyal readers to try another genre.
Re: WD advice
All I could think of was "a fool and his money". All well and good if you have the dough but I'm not convinced throwing money at a problem will solve it.
Congratulations on the new publisher!
That article on marketing must've been geared towards folks who have ample money to burn, not real-world writers or even people in general. That would be a gigantic loss on taxes for most folks.
Cool that your epic fantasy found a new home. Yeah, I couldn't afford that now and I've been publishing awhile.
I'm so glad your publisher is taking on your fantasy novels, I'm sure they'll do great!
Me too. With one thousand I could do all kinds of promo stuff.
It is a lot of money and results can't be guaranteed.
After reading that near the end of the article, it made me question all the info given before it. Insane is right.
Thanks, Madeline. Can't help but worry. The book feels like a jinx.
I can't imagine that amount of money either. And many publishers are giving smaller advances except to a select few authors.
I guess promotion would be easy if we had unlimited funds.
Thanks, Betty, I'm very excited about the cover.
Tomorrow will be my big day. Lots to do.
Thank you so much. Here's hoping.
Michael, you just make me smile and feel good. Thanks for stopping by.
Fool and his money, LOL. I should have used that description.
I keep thinking how many books you would have to sell to see any profit.
I would need to sell a lot more books to be able to afford that.
Thanks, Laura. Nice to see you blogging again.
I am planning to write a thriller, this will be my first adult book. Its making me very nervous as I have moved away from my comfort zone of MG Fiction.
Rachna Chhabria
Co-host IWSG
Rachna's Scriptorium
It's wonderful that your publisher is taking on your fantasy novels and making them the first of a new line!!! I can understand your worries, but I'm sure that your books will do great, and who knows - maybe you'll have a crossover audience! :)
I'm a little nervous about my novella that's with a small press. I'm used to the indie (I have all the responsibility) route.
And thousands of dollars for marketing . . hahaha. Who has that money? Where can I get it? is there a marketing cash-flow tree that I didn't know about?
Congrats on the re-publishing with a new/old name. I don't read romance as a genre, but I love fantasies with as many other genre elements as possible. Mystery, adventure, even romance if not "closed door" stuff. Even if it is, this is a real opportunity to fish in a new pond.
Three grand. Wow.
$3k-$7k? *gulp* That article was not written for me, either!
And you know what? They're taking a chance on you because they think you're a good bet. You'll do great.
My eyes bugged out of my head reading that marketing budget. Good grief.
Congratulations on the re-release! The cover is wonderful. Best of luck with it!
The budget is a bit steep. Good grief is right. But it's one of the issues every writer needs to think about. Congratulations on your new books. I think your publisher is one smart cookie.
I love small presses! I'm with one. :) And I think it's awesome that your publisher is going to release your previously published book. That is exciting. I think it will do very well.
Wah!!! Those figures are ridiculous! When I first started out I didn't have a penny to my name. Even though I'm published, I'm still new and I still can't afford those figures.
I love small presses! I'm with one. :) And I think it's awesome that your publisher is going to release your previously published book. That is exciting. I think it will do very well.
Wah!!! Those figures are ridiculous! When I first started out I didn't have a penny to my name. Even though I'm published, I'm still new and I still can't afford those figures.
Oh wow, I understand the pressure, but I'm really excited for you! I hope it goes beautifully :)
That article made me laugh, too. Who WAS she writing for? The independently wealthy? Sheesh.
No way can I spend that kind of money right now on marketing, I wish I could! I am so happy for you Susan in your new endeavor with your publisher. Try not to think of it as pressure, but more as faith. How amazing it is that she has the faith to give your other work a try in a very pubic way. You are so in the right place at the right time! Go girl! Make it work for you and your publisher! Good luck! Lisa @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com
Wow, that's a lot of money. Being a writer sure isn't cheap, or easy for that matter. Good luck with everything :)
That romance book cover is amazing! Now you just need to cough up a few thou to market that book! Truly! Only the big guys could afford that kind of promotion!
Denise :-)
My IWSG post on Mindfulness
I had contracts with two publishers that eventually went under in the middle of my publishing process, so I had had enough! Glad you landed at a good place, though. Congrats!
And no way would I hand over that kind of money unless I had all that cash to burn.
Great cover and love this quote: "Be curious, not judgmental." Walt Whitman. Thanks for stopping by today!
oh! Good luck with your epic fantasy. It's great they are taking that chance on you. A huge honour.
That's a shame about those two presses folding, but how exciting that your current publisher is willing to take a chance on work they don't normally release. I can easily see how that'd be nerve-wracking, too, though. Will keep my fingers crossed that those nerves will all be for nothing!
The writing venture that has made me nervous is getting back into the author groove. It takes a huge amount of time to write, edit, market (marketing is a flimsy word for what REALLY happens). Ha!
♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥
Nobody can afford that sort of budget unless they're well-to-do.
I hope your Sci-Fi stories do well in their new home.
Your publisher clearly has a lot of confidence in you and I think it was a great idea to use your romance name, hopefully your romance readers will take that chance too and follow you down the fantasy route. I would be honoured to have a new line started just for me!
Wow, what a budget for marketing. Wish I had thousands as loose change to throw at it! It must be aimed at that parallel universe where money grows on trees...
Hey Susan,
While I don't have 7k to share (sadly!!) I would love to help when you get closer to launch... and I am so excited for you - and your publisher!!
The cover looks great and I'm sure tons of your romance readers will be intrigued and want to read a "new" genre by you :)
"Break a leg" (Or should writers say "break a pencil" ???)
7000 a month? Absolutely, most authors have that kind of money :)
Best wishes with your new release. :-)
That is wonderful you have a publisher so involved with your career. Much success to both of you! The new cover is great.
I think that article was geared toward total newbs who think all of those marketing strategies will automatically work. If there was a fool proof formula, we'd all be doing it---and then it wouldn't work anymore, ha!
Good luck with the relaunch. What would the marketing firm do for 3-7 grand? Thanks for buying my recent story collection. Hope you enjoy them.
If you had that much money for marketing, you would probably not have a blogger blog! I wouldn't.
I'm so glad your romance publisher is taking a chance. The team will have to widen the focus of marketing to reach more readers, but yours will not be the only fantasy books on their list forever.
Your previous misfortune could be a great thing for you and your press! Relax and breathe, it isn't like they have no idea about your talent or work ethics. They are doing this because they believe.
Yeah, who was that article aimed for? Millionaires? Most us writers struggle to drop a few hundred on things like covers or editing. Is that credit card debit I hear calling? LOL
Good luck with your new release. I hope it rocks your socks off.
~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
Do major publishing houses spend that much money on promotion for anyone anymore?
Yay!! Keepers of Sulbreth returns!! So glad to hear it. Let me know when the release date is and I'll jump on the promo wagon for you. And I won't even charge 7 grand! lol! Hope to see you Saturday!
I am so glad you found a new publisher for your fantasy books. I like the cover. It is super cool. Wishing you the very best. :)
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