Pens and Swords » Blog Tours

Invasion of the PODs

Kameron — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:56:20 +0000

I’ve decided to leave the drive-bys to the professionals. There’s something else I want to talk about.

The interview with Jeff Gerke, founder of Marcher Lord Press, over at The Least Read Blog on the Web has been my favorite post so far from this month’s Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy blog tour. One question, in particular, (and its answer) grabbed me:

LRB: And that’s why you went with print-on-demand also?

JG: People hear print-on-demand and they think, “Oh, vanity press, subsidy publisher, self-publishing!” I guess that’s because the first companies to embrace print-on-demand were those kind of companies.

Print-on-demand is just technology. I had been in the publishing industry for twelve years and I kind of knew the different parts of publishing. And I knew the headaches. Some of the big ones are the big discounts you have to give to retail chains and distributors to get them to take your book. And then, after they’ve ordered fewer copies than you wish at lower discounts than you want, then they send them all back and demand their money back. And sometimes, they send them back to you in an unusable condition. You’ve got warehousing, you’ve got shipping, you’ve got warehouse staff, you’ve got the whole distribution thing, you’ve got to get sales staff to go out and meet with all the chains to see if they’ll take your book at all, you’ve got returns, you’ve got refunds … it’s just crazy. Why are we doing this? So I said, if I ever do a company, it won’t play that game at all.

So what about print-on-demand? Then I could print exactly how many copies as I have orders. No warehousing, no sales staff, no returns, no big discounts. The problem is, I don’t have stores all over the country featuring the book, but I saw how that worked and it usually didn’t work. If you’re not Tyndale or if your book isn’t by Jerry Jenkins or whatever, it’s not going to get big coverage, so why would I even go there at all? So that definitely influenced my decision to use print on demand.

It’s an unfortunate truth that POD technology has a stigma attached to it because of its early adopters. As, Jeff pointed out, the current publishing model is broken, slanted too far in the favor of retailers, and writers suffer for it. Other industries, like music and software, are being forced to change their models because of digital distribution. Why isn’t print-on-demand having the same effect on books?

Public perception is one aspect of that. POD publishers aren’t viewed as legitimate. That’s only a part of the reason, however, and a small one.

Cost is another factor. POD books generally retail for $3-$6 more than mass market paperback. That’s a tough sell, unless you have a vested interest in the product.

Visibility is perhaps the greatest challenge to the success of POD. Brick-and-mortars won’t purchase from POD publishers, which relegates them to the Internet, and the awareness of John Q. Bookreader of what sites sell books is restricted to Amazon and Barnes & Nobles. The latter works under the broken model and the former runs its own POD service, not to mention the fact that Amazon accounts for just a small portion of any title’s total sales (i.e., brick-and-mortar retail sells more than online).

What do you think it will take for print-on-demand to take off as a model? Or will it? Is there another answer to breaking the current model of publishing? Post your theories in the comments. Then check out the other stops on the last day of this tour:

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The challenges of a marcher lord

Kameron — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:00:27 +0000

One of the two internships I served in college was with a small press publisher as an assistant to their Sales & Marketing Director. There were 3 full-time employees, including the president, and a part-time receptionist. They worked out of what could have been an automotive service bay. My duties included making calls to potential reviewers, filing tear sheets (copies of published reviews), and sending out reviewer copies via media mail. I even got to write a couple press releases.

Small press publishers generally serve a niche. This particular publisher’s niche was retro-Americana. The president had a large collection of vintage art from the 40s and 50s. Their initial offerings were compilations of World War II pin-up art. They got creative from there, publishing retro-themed cookbooks and encyclopedic volumes of cover art from the pulp era. While I was there, they hit it big with a history of American candy that got coverage on the Today show, and a book on the history of airlines fashion that they were able to tie-in with the Miramax comedy View from the Top. The place was hopping.

I tried to look up their website as I was writing this article and got an error. An Internet search also proved unfruitful. Such is the life of a small press publisher.

We knew our authors by name and worked with them closely to produce and promote their work. The marketing budget allowed for little more than press releases and phone calls to media contacts, followed by a review copy. The authors were encouraged to pursue whatever avenues where available to them, and were responsible for any expenses incurred. I wasn’t privy to figures for advances and royalty rates, but I’d be surprised if much was offered upfront. The same goes for sales numbers, though I did make a few calls to remainder dealers.

All of this is to say that small press publishers are not the market for everyone. I appreciate Jeff Gerke’s honesty in laying out the pros and the cons of submitting to Marcher Lord Press. Every small press publisher faces challenges, and it’s clear Mr. Gerke knows what he’s facing.

While I can appreciate the emergence of Print-On-Demand as a technology, and agree that there could stand to be some changes to the current model of publishing and bookselling, the combination of small press and POD doesn’t appeal to me as a primary market for fantasy fiction novels. What about you? Would you consider a small press publisher? Does POD equal vanity press in your mind? Do you need to see your book on a store shelf? Is the marketing burden you’d bear worth getting your novel into the hands of a couple hundred readers? Convince me in the comments that the challenges are worth it. Then go check out the other stops on the tour:

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Are you a marcher lord?

Kameron — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:00:06 +0000

What is a marcher lord? To summarize the article at marcherlordpress.com, a marcher lord was a knight who patrolled, defended, and sometimes even expanded the borders of a kingdom.

Jeff Gerke, Marcher Lord Press’s founder, is seeking modern marcher lords for the world of Christian publishing. These knights are the authors of works that lurk at the edge of what Christian publishers, and their primary demographic, are interested in. The stories would push the boundaries of speculative fiction while maintaining a Christian worldview.

Marcher Lord Press will be launching on October 1st with three brand new novels. One of the novels is the debut of a first-time author. Another is a standalone sequel; it shares the setting of a previously published book by the same author, but does not directly continue the story of that novel. Marcher Lord Press is running a launch contest that includes a trip to Comic-Con 2009 as grand prize.

The Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy (CSFF) blog tour is featuring Marcher Lord Press in its September 2008 tour (9/22-24). I plan to do a drive-by shooting of marcherlordpress.com and discuss the small press/POD publishing model. I hope you’ll join me. Be sure to check out the other stops on the tour as well:

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Religion in fantasy fiction

Kameron — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:00:55 +0000

Today is the last day of the May 2008 Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy blog tour, featuring the Mindflights webzine. The editors’ vision for Mindflights is to provide quality science fiction and fantasy stories that respect “traditional values and Christian principles.” However, their submission guidelines reveal they aren’t interested in “works that appear to function mainly as a Sunday School lesson or modified sermon.”

Religion in fantasy fiction can be a difficult subject for any writer. It’s too easy to become preachy, whether you’re for or against. However, avoiding religion eliminates a wide range of themes and motivations that add wonderful complexity and depth to a fantasy world and the characters that inhabit it.

One of the things that appealed to me about writing Maiden of Pain was the chance to explore the faith of a person who had grown up within a community of similar beliefs and the challenges to that faith once the person stepped into the wider world. I identified with that struggle as a Christian, but it’s a universal one for any individual who holds strongly to a particular belief system. Focusing on such universal themes can help a writer avoid the appearance of preaching.

Of course, it helped that Ythnel, the protagonist of Maiden of Pain, belonged to a fictitious religion that bore little resemblance to any real world religions. I think this is important for fantasy fiction writers that want to use religion. You’ve spent a lot of time and energy building a unique world, don’t skimp on the creativity by copying a modern or historical religion and just changing some names. Come up with some basic theological principles, doctrine and rituals.

There are some exceptions. If you’re writing satire or allegory, you want to include elements that the reader can easily identify as belonging to the religious counterpart in the real world.

It’s too bad that more fantasy fiction authors don’t include religion in their stories beyond the tired tropes of corrupt leadership or narrow-minded zealots (or proselytizing missionaries in the CBA). It’s a testament to the secular bias of our culture. Religion and spirituality have been integral parts of our world’s history, it doesn’t make sense to not include them in the worlds we create that use cultures based on those from our past.

Have you read any good fantasy fiction stories that use religion and faith to good effect? I’d love to read your recommendations. And be sure to check out the other stops on the CSFF blog tour if you haven’t already:

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The return of the serial

Kameron — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:00:39 +0000

When I think of serial fiction, the first thing that comes to mind are those old black-and-white serials that used to play in theaters before the main attraction. However, serial fiction has a longer tradition in the written word than the moving picture. Writers from as early as the 19th century made their livings by submitting stories broken into contiguous installments to magazines. Many of Charles Dickens novels were originally serials. Sherlock Holmes debuted in serial fiction.

In more recent times, Stephen King published The Green Mile as a six volume serial shortly before its release as a single book. He also experimented with another serial released in 2000. Elaine Cunningham recently announced a serial project for Paizo’s Pathfinder RPG. The webzine Mindflights, subject of this month’s Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy blog tour, also has a serial fiction feature.

With the popularity of television shows like Lost and Heroes, and the power of the Internet, serial fiction can be a great way for an author to introduce audiences to their work. If the work is received well and grows a following, the collected stories could be presented to a publisher, though a little new content might need to be added in order to offer first publication rights.

Serial fiction isn’t limited to short stories, however. Serial novels are a popular choice for fantasy fiction authors. Trilogies once ruled the genre, but many recent series have eschewed that model. The Temeraire and Drizzt books are a good example of a modern serial novel. Serial novels can have self-contained stories, but include plot threads that are woven throughout the series. Harry Potter falls within this category.

Writing serial fiction requires a little thinking ahead, but has benefits for both the publisher and author. Publishers might be hesitant to sign a new fantasy fiction author proposing a trilogy, but a series allows them to test the waters before offering a multi-book contract. The author benefits from being able to build a brand, rather than limiting themselves to retiring a popular concept after just three books.

I’ve considered the serial format for my Janner Kohl stories, and am steering away from the traditional trilogy format for my Chronicles of Jord novels. Do you prefer your fantasy fiction in trilogies or serials? Let me know in the comments.

Today is day 2 of the May 2008 CSFF blog tour. Be sure to check out the other participants:

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Fantasy zines

Kameron — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:10:33 +0000

Welcome to the grand re-opening of Pens & Swords. I’d like to thank my long-time readers for their patience during the renovations, and hopefully I didn’t scare too many new readers away while I tried out some design templates during this past week. I think I’ve cleaned up all the messes, but if I missed something, be sure to let me know.

It’s been a while since I participated in the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy (CSFF) blog tour, but it just so happens that the May tour starts today. This month features MindFlights, a new speculative fiction webzine that is really a combination of Double-Edged Publishing‘s previous webzine’s: Dragons, Knights and Angels and The Sword Review.

MindFlights is a direct descendant of the fanzine. Fanzines are fan-created publications dedicated to a particular cultural subject. They generally consisted of photocopied, stapled pages of colored paper stock that were distributed by hand or mailing list. A nominal fee might be charged just to cover costs.

I saw my first fanzine in junior high, about the time I really started collecting comic books. This particular fanzine focused on superheroes, though I think it might have contained some traditional fantasy fiction, also. I don’t remember too much else about it, other than the colored paper, but I thought it was cool and wanted to contribute a story. I never did.

The Internet has provided a new medium for fanzines. A Google search for “fantasy webzine” returns over 200,000 results. Like their paper predecessors, the vast majority of these online publications offer little or no compensation for accepted stories.

Fanzine’s enjoy a rich tradition, and shouldn’t be written off as possible markets, however. The magazine Amazing Stories made its debut as a fanzine in 1926. Many famous genre authors got their starts in fanzines, and continued to contribute to them after being professionally published. An early version of Siegel and Shuster’s Superman first appeared in a fanzine, and Hugo Awards are given to fanzines.

Another benefit of writing for fanzines was the direct feedback from readers in the form of a letter column. Sometimes the actual addresses of fanzine readers where printed, allowing for direct communication. MindFlights provides this same type of connection through their forums. A link at the end of each story opens a comment post where fans–both readers and writers–can discuss the work.

If I was a more prolific short story writer, like my friend and fellow author Marcy Rockwell (who also happens to be an editor for MindFlights), I’d probably submit to webzines. Print markets for short fantasy fiction are few and far between. Contributing to fanzines might not be as sexy, but they provide a unique experience for fantasy fiction writers. Be sure to check out the other stops on the CSFF blog tour and see what they have to say:

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CSFF May ’07: TSR day 3

Kameron — Wed, 23 May 2007 15:55:37 +0000

As promised, I’ll conclude my contribution to this tour with the final part of my interview with Marcy Rockwell, one of the editors of The Sword Review.

Q: So, now you’re an editor for TSR. How did that come about?

MR: I’m friends with one of the poetry editors there, Marcie Lynn Tentchoff – we’re in a poetry group together. They needed help, and she asked me if I’d be interested. SR had published a bit of my poetry by this point, so I guess they trusted my judgment.

It’s been interesting being on the editorial side of the desk. You have to really think about why a poem does or doesn’t work – it’s not enough to say “I like it” or “Yikes, this is bad.” You also really gain an appreciation for how important it is to follow a publication’s guidelines.

Q: As an editor, what is your vision for the future of TSR?

MR: I’m a poetry editor, but I do also read and comment on fiction when I have time. I’d like to see more people submitting poetry – but they need to remember, SR publishes speculative work. If it’s a lovely sonnet praising God, that’s great, but we can’t use it. If it’s about aliens praising God, on the other hand… That being said, it’s extremely hard to do formal poetry well. If you have to make bizarre word choices just to get something to rhyme, don’t. Stick with free verse.

In terms of fiction, we’re pretty overstocked right now, so we’re being incredibly picky. People might want to hold off submitting anything until next year. For myself, I’d like to see work that has a Christian message without being preachy. And it seems like we never get enough science fiction.

Q: What do you look for when reviewing the slush pile?

MR: First – can the person follow directions? If it’s not an rtf file, for instance, or if they’ve put fifteen poems as one submission, that’s a mark against them.

For poetry – is it lyrical? Does it tell a story? Does it evoke emotion? I look for technical things, as well, especially for formal poetry, but if the answers to the first three questions are “no,” then I’m not likely to give it a thumbs-up, no matter how well the meter scans. As always, grammar and spelling count. Punctuation is a bit more flexible with poetry than fiction, but if you use it, use it correctly.

For fiction – how long is it? It’s a sad fact, but longer work has less of a chance, just because people don’t have a lot of time to read submissions. And sometimes we don’t have the budget for longer work, even if we like it.

Are there a lot of grammar/spelling/punctuation errors? If there are too many errors in the first few pages, I won’t read further. It’s the writer’s job to proofread, not the editor’s.

Is the story fresh, or can I guess the ending by the second page? Is it well-written, or full of cliches? Does the story pull me along, or do I have to force myself to finish it?

Even if it’s a great story, if it’s not speculative or if it goes against Christian morals, we can’t use it. We’ve rejected some work I really liked, because it just didn’t fit our publication. It pays to be familiar with the market you’re submitting to – any market, not just SR.

Q: Any other advice for hopeful writers submitting to TSR?

MR: Well, I think I pretty much covered it all in the last question. Read the magazine on-line – it’s free and it’s not hard on the eyes. That’s the best way to get a feel for what we like. That being said, don’t give us what we’re already publishing – we want your unique story, told in your voice.

So what are you waiting for? Send us something, already!

Thanks, Marcy. Don’t forget to visit the other stops on the tour:

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CSFF May ’07: TSR day 2

Kameron — Tue, 22 May 2007 15:21:37 +0000

It was my pleasure to become acquainted three years ago with one of the hardest working writers I know. If you’ve ever visited Marcy Rockwell’s LiveJournal, you’ll note that she’s got something making the rounds nearly every week. Her debut novel is about to hit bookshelves around the world. And she’s a Navy wife and mother of two.

Marcy was a regular contributor to The Sword Review, until she recently volunteered to serve as one of their editors. I’ll owe her dinner at GenCon Indy this year for taking time to answer some questions about her experience with TSR.

Q: How did you first learn of the Sword Review?

MR: I honestly don’t remember now, but I probably saw the listing on ralan.com or duotrope.com – they are both invaluable resources for the speculative fiction writer/poet.

Q: What made you consider them as a market?

MR: They publish speculative fiction (and poetry) with a Christian perspective – or at least that isn’t at odds with Christian beliefs. They were the perfect market for some of my more faith-oriented work that other editors had shied away from.

Q: How did your submission experience with TSR compare to other markets?

MR: It was fairly painless. You need to register on the site and then you can submit your work via an on-line submission form. They have a good turn-around time, and you usually get some sort of editorial feedback on both rejections and acceptances, which is nice.

Tomorrow, I’ll pick Marcy’s brain about being an editor for TSR. Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour while you wait:

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CSFF May ’07: The Sword Review

Kameron — Mon, 21 May 2007 18:25:46 +0000

This month’s Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy blog tour features The Sword Review. I’ll be interviewing my friend and fellow WotC freelance novelist, Marcy Rockwell. Marcy is a regular contributer to TSR, and recently took on the role of Poetry Editor for the e-zine.

In the meantime, check out the other tour stops:

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RotGK: CSFF blog tour (day 3)

Kameron — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 18:47:04 +0000

Note from the editor: The previous content of this post has been removed. After much consideration, I came to the conclusion that it did not meet with the spirit and intent of the blog tour. My apologies to Karen Hancock and the other members of the tour. The Return of the Guardian-King is a well-written book that many fantasy readers should and will enjoy.

Well, if you made through all that, I hope you’ll continue on to the other stops on the tour:

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