In recent months, friends and readers have asked me this question, and I appreciate their concern. Behind the scenes, I know the answer, and I figure if I share it, you’ll understand a bit about the nature of the publishing business.
I have been like the groundhog lately, not sticking my head out of my house because I’ve had editing to do with a deadline looming. I’m thankful people understand that I’m not being anti-social or a recluse.
Teaching was so much easier!
Small Publishers Closing
Another small publisher closed its doors recently—Midnight Ink, leaving many of my fellow authors bereft and cut loose from a publisher who had, in some cases, published them for years. Add this to the casualty of my own publisher, Five Star Publishing, that stopped producing mysteries in the middle of my series. Now, I hear that Seventh Street Books has sold its mystery line to another publisher, but no one knows yet what that will mean.
The publishing industry is changing, and with those changes, writers like me are getting shut out. Self-publishing is always a possibility, and in the future the industry may end up with a handful of large publishers (who require authors to have agents), and only self-publishing as choices. I have self-published two novels and a novella, and that was enough experience to know I’m not interested in doing that again. Large publishers are not within the reach of anyone who doesn’t have an agent. Agents are difficult to acquire, and only a small percentage of all writers have agents. And that, readers, in a nutshell, is how the publishing industry works.
An Update on My Books
I self-published my last Endurance mystery, Death Takes No Bribes, after Five Star closed its mystery line, and then made the decision to go in another direction. I began a new book, had it edited, and started looking for an agent or publisher. This entire process—writing, editing, and searching—took almost a year and a half. The result is that A Death at Tippitt Pond will be published in paperback and e-book June 15, 2019. A mystery with a cold case from the early 1970s, it is about a researcher and genealogist who discovers she knows very little about her own true past. I am grateful to my editor, Lourdes Venard of CommaSense Publishing, and to Encircle Publications—the publisher—for agreeing to publish this new book. They, too are a small publisher, just getting started in the last few years. Before next June, we’ll do more editing, they’ll design a cover and an Advance Reading Copy, and I’ll count on wonderful friends and fellow authors to help proofread those ARCs and provide advanced reviews. I am eagerly anticipating this new story.
Back to the Future
In the meantime, I’ve written yet another book with a new setting and characters called Death in a Pale Hue. This setting is an art center in a small town, and the possibilities for artistic themes and threads are endless. The deadline to send it to my editor is next Monday. Then it will return to me a couple of weeks later with more edits to do. After that, I go back to square one, looking for an agent first, and then a publisher.
In forthcoming months, you’ll see information about A Death at Tippitt Pond prior to its birth next June. I am grateful to the readers who have stuck with me during this crazy, intense, and slow process. Thank you so much for your support, kind comments, and reviews.
Hi, Susan, Thanks for telling your publishing story. As an author myself, I’m always interested in hearing others’ stories. Good luck to you in these difficult publishing times!
Thanks, Leslie, both for stopping by and for your kind comments. When I think about all these publishing changes, I believe I should have started writing about twenty years earlier!
It’s really tough right now, isn’t it? I hadn’t heard about Seventh Street yet. Another one bites the dust, I guess. I really do NOT want to self-publish, but it’s like they’re driving us toward it. Best of luck with the new series! My fingers are crossed for all of us.
Thanks, Kaye. My fingers are crossed for you too! In the past twelve years I’ve learned quite a bit about the industry, but I’m still relatively a novice compared to you and so many others. I am still surprised on a regular basis.
Susan,
Thanks for this article. I’ll add Encircle Publications to our Guppy Small Publisher list.
You are so welcome. EP would be a great addition.
Well written post, Susan. Had not heard about Seventh Street. Good luck with your journey.
A little bird told me.
As for Seventh Street, Publishers Weekly had a story on November 12 about the sale. Seventh Street is evidently going to concentrate on nonfiction. Start Publishing is the company that bought the fiction line.
Wow! I’ll just speak for myself, to see this happening it’s discouraging to someone like me who wants to see about getting poetry published. I in fact was going to pull your ear on it, and get some information from you if I could Susan. I was just trying to gather up my courage Lol. Actually what I have to do first is get it printed out and someone with sharper English skills than I correct all my errors lol! But, this is discouraging isn’t it for anybody that’s trying to get something published. I’m rooting for you and everyone else at the library is. All the way Susan, the SVK Fan Club is alive and well at the library. We may be small but we are mighty!
Thanks, Betty. I appreciate the amazing support I get from you and the Warren County Public Library. The folding of small publishers is a discouraging trend in publishing. As far as poetry is concerned, I don’t know anything about publishing it, other than perhaps going the self-publishing route. But I think you might be able to get individual poems published in literary magazines. The Writer’s Market series of books has a section on magazines that publish writing. That might be the place to start. Once you have several poems published, an agent or publisher might be more interested.
Thank you for sharing your story, Susan. Your information is exceptionally valuable to your Guppy friends. All the best in your writing journey as you continue determinedly. Too many adverbs? I will ask Lourdes to edit me!
“Carry on” is about all a person can do. Thanks for stopping by. Lourdes is the PERFECT person to rein in adverbs.
Thanks for the update, Susan. It’s tough to see some great mystery imprints disappearing. My own publisher closed suddenly in 2013 and with a launch party already arranged, I decided to go indie. It’s more work but definitely worth it. Good luck.
Thanks,Cindy. Congratulations,too, for finding a publishing route that works for you. I think you will have more company as time goes by.
First, Susan, let me say that I am anxious to read your latest offering. I have enjoyed your mysteries very much. Next, I found this blog post especially helpful to fledgling writers. In fact, it was so informative that I took the liberty of putting a link to it on my FB page. (Hope you don’t mind.) Recently I have been posting on my FB page ways would-be authors can get their work published. This blog post will serve as a valuable source of information to those who follow me on FB. Thanks!
Thanks, Jim. I appreciate your thoughts and your link to my Facebook page. I am anxious to have this book come out and it always seems so long with publishers.