In the Middle—the Small Publisher Debate

Friends, today a super star is visiting my blog! Seriously.

Super. Star.

The Alex J. Cavanaugh is here to chat about small publishers. Alex, creator of the massively popular Insecure Writer's Support Group, is one of the most supportive, nicest guys ever.

Curious about small publishers? Me too. Take it away, Alex!

In the Middle – the Small Publisher Debate

You ever notice how things can get lost in the middle? Think there can be no middle ground? After all, the two sides sound so appealing:

The self-published author – keeps all the profits and doesn’t have to share. Gets to make all the choices and has total control. Can write outside the genre box and is free from deadlines.

The author with an agent and a book deal – work is validated. There’s no book costs and gets a royalty advance. Bookstore placement and marketing. Big reviews and often better sales.

Both sound great, right? So, what’s in the middle?

Signing directly with a (small) publisher.

You’ve probably heard a lot of good and bad things about that route. Let me list a few points for you, some based on experience and some on the experiences of other authors.

The Cons:

• Small publishers don’t have huge marketing budgets. Some don’t have any.
• Your book sitting in a book store probably won’t happen. A lot are eBooks only.
• They are more likely to experience financial troubles.
• Often there’s no advance royalty. Overall royalties aren’t much.
• Sometimes covers are simple or involve stock images.

The Pros:

• Small publishers are more willing to take a chance on a new author or genre.
• Acceptance gets your foot in the door and garners some respect.
• You’re not a number – you’re a real person and sometimes family.
• You have some input in the process, including cover design.
• Often there is support past the initial release.

The middle was my choice. Overall I’ve been very fortunate with my publisher. They took a chance on a complete unknown and continued to support my books months after their release. They kept me in the loop and the covers they’ve produced have been stunning. And while there was no advance for the first two books, I did get one on the third book, and overall royalties have far exceeded my expectations.

Is it the right choice for you? Only you can answer that question. There will be pros and cons either way. Everything in life has pros and cons though. Which ones matter most to you?

Thank you Julie for the opportunity!

Alex, thank you! Not only for this great post, but for all you do for writers. You're a bright light in this community, and we're so thankful for you.

I've heard many authors speak about the family atmosphere with small publishers. Friends, do you have any experience with small publishers? Have you queried them? Published with them? Please share! Any questions for Alex? Ask away!

(No fair, Alex! A shadowy photo??)

Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. The author of Amazon bestsellers CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.

Website * Twitter * Goodreads * IWSG

Conquering Divided Attention-itis #IWSG

Happy February, Insecure Writers! I hope your 2014 is off to a great start. If you aren't yet a part of this wonderful group, click here and sign up. This month I'm so proud to be one of the co-hosts, along with M.L. Swift, Sheena-kay Graham, and Jamie Ayers.

What am I insecure about this month? Divided attention.

My YA novel, The Boy Who Loved Fire, was recently released into the big wide world. It's been a crazy, exciting ride, and I'm still in the infancy stage of publishing and promotion.

As I look ahead to the rest of 2014, I have plans and projects stacked up in my brain. Enough work to keep me out of trouble for a while! But way more important than that, I have a family—a supportive hubby and three teen sons who deserve my attention.

As busy writers, how can we manage our divided attention? I boil it down like this:

1. Family first—it sounds obvious, but sometimes we get lost in a zone and lose sight of what really matters. Spouses and kids should not feel like they're in line behind writing. If there's something I absolutely have to get done now, I let my family know I have work to do and I'll see a movie, have lunch, or watch the starry skies in an hour. They understand if they know I'm working now, but will turn my attention to them when promised.
2. Prioritize the work—I have the attention span of a 10-year-old (SQUIRREL!), so it's important for me to focus on one task at a time. I usually work on the most pressing issues first. Then I take stock of what needs to be done and make a list of priorities. I sometimes plug tasks into my iCal, based on what needs to be done when. This keeps me organized and on point.
3. Drop everything and … have fun—In order to write about life, we must live it. If something fun and unexpected comes up, I'll drop everything and go for it. The work can wait.

What's your opinion on managing divided attention? How do you juggle it all? If you have any tips, please share!

Hangin' With The Cool Kids @ Insecure Writer's Support Group

I'm very late to a party filled with cool, smart people--Alex J. Cavanaugh's brain child, the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Why did I join?

1. I'm a writer
2. I'm insecure about being a writer

I've always written, even before I labeled myself a writer. And I was a writer long before I put myself "out there" for all to see my attempts, achievements, and failures. 

In my regular life, I'm not overly insecure. Sure, I have moments of insecurity, but who doesn't? No, the lingering insecurities are reserved nice and special for my writing life. Heck, I'm even insecure about joining IWSG late. How weird is that?

To introduce myself, here's a brief history of my professional writing journey:

• Completed a writing course at the Institute of Children's Literature. Awesome and rewarding experience, by the way.
• Ezine publications. *Polite applause*
• Print magazine successes. *Hearty applause*
• Wrote three novels. *I did it! I did it!*
• Signed with my literary agent. *Choirs sing*
• Submitted to editors. *This is it! This is it!*

And then...crickets.

Here's what I've learned: when there's too much time between successes, it's easy to forget about them and only focus on the string of bad news. Writing this post reminded me of the important learning stages that go hand in hand with a writer's journey. And it reminded me that there've been plenty of Yes moments mixed in with the No moments.

So thank you, IWSG, for helping me remember the peaks when I sometimes focus on the valleys. And thanks for the reminder that we can't have one without the other.

Do you sometimes forget your peaks, and focus on your valleys? Are you neurotically insecure about your writing?