Crime Publishers

[Jason Lewis / Garrett Alexander]

I'm having a beast of a time finding a reputable publisher for my latest project. Is there anyone out there that knows of a decent publisher that is not a scan and slam that can work with me on my project? Any help would be great.

[Jason Lewis / Garrett Alexander]

Everyone is making the mistake of thinking this is my first project. I have another non-crime book out that was published earlier this year that followed my life while I was homeless seven years ago. Even that piece was not exactly short, it came in at about 90K, and I was able to get the done with much less hassle than this one. Look up Garrett Alexander on Amazon.com, and the book with the upside down blue house on a black background is mine. ISBN 1*59654*832**0

[J W Nelson]

Thanks for this excellent advice!

[Jon Loomis]

Even having an umbudsman and two senior editors working with me I'm having a hard time getting this even looked at, let alone published

Hi Jason/Garrett--I share Benjamin's curiosity about the two senior editors who are working with you--not to mention the ombudsman. What are they the senior editors of, exactly? How did you find them? Do you pay them? Also, I'm not sure I understand the role of an ombudsman in the publishing world--is it anything like what an agent does? Who appointed this person? How much do their services cost?

I ask because it all sounds a bit fishy to me, or at least far removed from the normal, legitimate run of events in the publishing biz as I understand it. I'd hate to see any of our members here get taken advantage of--the publishing world is tough enough to negotiate without getting caught up in some pay-to-publish scam.

[Jason Lewis / Garrett Alexander]

I can't name the publisher the editors are with for obvious reasons, but it is one of the largest in the country. The umbudsman came from one of the two, and none are paid; it is all pro bono since I am just entering the industry. I got really lucky there, but at the same time I'm beginning to wonder what exactly their roles are. I can't seem to get anywhere with these guys, and once I get to submission, the umbudsman is no more. I think it is kind of fishy myself that these three are in the positions they are and I'm fighting like never before to get somewhere. I don't want it dropped in my lap, but at the same time it should not be as hard as it is with the "backing" I have.

[J W Nelson]

Best of luck with this! Looking forward to a future success story.

[Jason Lewis / Garrett Alexander]

Wish I had one to share. It's been seven weeks since I submitted, and the only places I've heard from are vanity pubs. I'm done.

[Vic]

excellent! so you know the ropes. Good luck with this project and hopefully your editors will recommend you asap!

[Jim Thomsen]

The best advice I've heard, and this could give, is to look at all the in-print books you admire in your genre (Amazon.com makes this easy). Take note of the publisher; take note of the dedication (usually authors thanks their agents). If you've read those books, you can make some very informed queries that will get more attention than if you wrote a formal stab-in-the-dark query.

[Jason Lewis / Garrett Alexander]

Yeah, this mission is close to being aborted and put into the "Not Happening" folder in my life. I got a response from two publishers, but they were both vanity pubs that wanted me to pay out like $975-1400 to get my work published. I'm done trying to break into this scene and am going back to writing just for fun. If anyone is interested in my work, let me know and we'll work something out.

[Vic]

sadly this is how too many of us end up feeling. What happened to the editors you knew? I suggest you get it edited and then publish it yourself digitally and see what the marketplace thinks. If it sells you've got something to go to the publishers with.

And I wonder if it's rational to chase publishers of very similar material. My experience is that they've got one good writer covering that scene, do they need another which will split the vote? Prob not. Keep punching though!

[Jason Lewis / Garrett Alexander]

Vic, it is true that many people probably feel the same way I do about not going further with my work. One of the notes I was sent from a publisher said that the story itself was captivating but needed some work. I have no idea what else could be done to the project to make it better than it already is, and I honestly believe the main reason it was turned down was the length. I'm from an old school line of thought, coming in where I believe a good book or story is one that takes several days, maybe a week for the reader to go through. The ones that are read in a day or less are often just done for the money, not the love of the game. I have read some pieces by Clive Barker and even Dean Koontz that I blasted through and felt like I had been had in the process.
While I can try the digital route, I feel as if I'm shorting myself somehow. I could easily make the piece available as a .pdf file for anyone interested, but I'm not. I'm going to keep on trying and hope that one of the places I submitted to will take it. The editors I know aren't being helpful in this endeavor at all, and in fact I really haven't spoken to either of them due to their own sechdules. I wish I could sit down with them and make something good happen, but I just don't see that happening.

[Vic]

digital pub is about the digital rights only, IMO that doesn't cheapen the product, it enhances the product. It gets it out there and if you get sales, then you've got something to go to a hardcopy pub with, esp if it's long and that's the genuine hurdle sales would prove that wrong.
If your previous editors aren't being helpful, take that as = not interested so take on the advice that it needs work and find your own prof editor to help you identify issues with it. That will give you some direction and then you can redraft it. After all if a pub does take it on as it is, it's going to be essentially redrafted anyway, you might just be saving them some effort and make the project more attractive for them to take the risk - it's all about sales for them. Good luck with it.