Posted by Chat on 12-29-06
[Anne] hello
[Magikrose] Hi Suz.
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[moderator - gracepub] We usually wait a bit before starting, it can take up to 15 minute for all the time zones to get in
[moderator - gracepub] Lynne, Lela, Anne - are you all new to this chat?
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[Merryone] Hi everyone
[Anne] I’ve never been to this chat room before
[Margie] Hi Merry
[Magikrose] Hi.
[Lela Davidson] I was here once before, a couple of weeks ago - I think I signed in as ldavidson or davidson98
[Anne] I saw a post on a yahoo group and thought it might be interesting
[Lynne] yep new to this room as well as you know gracepub
[Enspiren] ah -
[Enspiren ] Hey Merryone,
[Enspiren] that was a great chat, we’ve still had people talking about it
[Anne] hi
[Lynne] hello merryone
[Merryone] Enspiren, is that suz?
[moderator - gracepub] There is a lot of bad weather in the mid USA, so don’t fret if you are bumped, just come back in
[Enspiren] Who here has reprints?
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[moderator - gracepub] Who here is pitching a novel?
[Margie] I will be at some point in 2007
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[moderator - gracepub] cool
[Magikrose] I’m pitching!
[Merryone] Me too, Margie - though mine’s Juvenile Fiction
[Anne] does Enspiren have a website?
[Enspiren] Yes…..www.enspirenpress.com
[Anne] ok thanks
[Magikrose] I can’t believe you did it so quickly. That’s great that you decided to do it.
[Enspiren] quickly - as in 2 years quickly
[Magikrose ] :)
[MargieJ ] Majik—-that was my comment to her too…that it was quick!
[lorichance] yes. and it only takes about 10-20 years to be an ‘overnight’ success!
[Merryone] What genre’s are you concentrating on, Enspiren?
[Enspiren] At the moment, we are looking at all but adventure, war, erotica, childrens, YA
[Enspiren] we have distribution set up for historical romance, sweet romance, and gritty woman’s fic
[Enspiren] as well as non-fiction, which we have been in for about 4 years
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[Lela Davidson] what is gritty women’s fiction?
[moderator - gracepubJ ] Lori - you just ruined my nite - I am only into year 7
[lorichance] sorry!
[lorichance] maybe you’re ahead of the curve!
[Enspiren] Gritty as in dealing with issues, being real, instead of just hinting at problems and drinking margaritas at a local club
[moderator - gracepub] ROLF
[moderator - gracepub] yea - drive hard, move fast, crash and burn often - I’ve heard that before
[Lela Davidson] gotcha
[Merryone] I like the sound of that - literary with a voice
[Magikrose] When you say the distribution is set up, do you mean for paper books as well as ebooks?
[Enspiren] very much Merryone - we don’t need to worry about filing our books into bookstore shelves, so we have more freedom
[Enspiren] We’ve already had editors ask to ‘jump ship’ from other big companies, so that is reassuring
[lorichance] that’s cool!
[Enspiren] yes, seeing as I only put out a call to editors on Friday
[Margie] It’s your great reputation, Suz!
[Anne] I wouldn’t mind being an editor
[Enspiren ] :)
[Anne] it was the historical part that drew me to the chat
[Merryone] I was going to ask about the editing as well, though I’ve only professionally edited and rewritten e-books
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[Enspiren] If you want to be an editor, contact me at enspiren@hotmail.com
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[Merryone] Will do - thanks.
[DianaBold] Hello everyone!
[Magikrose] hello
[Merryone] Hi Diana
[Lynne] morning
[lorichance] morning? where are you Lynne? It’s 4 pm here!
[Merryone] Is it morning there, Lynne. It’s six at night here
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[Lynne] 9:16 am westerm australia
[Merryone] I bet the weather is beautiful, too.
[meldo] Hi all
[Merryone] hi
[Magikrose] hello
[Lynne] boiling hot
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[Lynne] hello meldo
[Lynne] where’d suz go
[Merryone] oy, did we lose our moderator?
[Margie] She’ll be back
[meldo] what are we discussing tonite
[Merryone] I think Enspiren is here for authors to pitch ideas…
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[lorichance] they’re also looking for editors, I think
[Margie] On the private message look at the tool bar at the bottom of your screen
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[Merryone] Hi Kim
[Kim] Hello
[enspiren - gracepub] hello
[enspiren - gracepub] again
[Merryone ] hi Suz
[lorichance] she’s baaack!
[enspiren - gracepub] There - does that make it easier for everyone? Just don’t ask ‘novel writer magazine’ questions tonight and we will be safe
[enspiren - gracepub ] :)
[lorichance] multiple personalities catching up with you?
[enspiren - gracepub] yup
[Merryone] Were you getting a ton of which one are you private messages?
[lorichance ] 
[enspiren - gracepub] I told someone today that gracepub was like moss - you didn’t know how deep it ran until you got right in and started rooting in it
[enspiren - gracepub] Yes - all the PMS and MSN messages crashed my system
[enspiren - gracepub] So - Where were we? Talking about the historicals
[enspiren - gracepub] there is a big market for historicals - especially historicals with more story than sex, and traditional regencies
[enspiren - gracepub] There is also a big market for series books
[enspiren - gracepub] with 3 or 4 short stories in each
[enspiren - gracepub] We are also looking for non-fiction
[Merryone] What do you mean three or fours short stories, combined novella?
[enspiren - gracepub] sweet romance
[enspiren - gracepub] yea, a combined novella
[enspiren - gracepub] but, the industry is saturated with erotica, so many people are starting to ask for something without sex that
[enspiren - gracepub] even ellora’s cave is bringing it out through their crewwed(sp?) site
[Merryone] crude?
[enspiren - gracepub] no it is the name of an ancient female diety
[DianaBold] Cerridwen
[Merryone] that’s the name of an irish fairy
[enspiren - gracepub ] yes :)
[enspiren - gracepub] One thing we have going for us, because of our heavy mag experience, is that we can make ‘to die for’ covers
[Merryone] Love historical, are you doing much with fantasy?
[enspiren - gracepub] and plan to use photos for the covers as much as possible.
[DianaBold] Suz, can you give me the website address for your company?
[enspiren - gracepub] Yes, fantasy is one of the biggest selling genres right now
[Magikrose] I love photo covers.
[enspiren - gracepub] The website will be www.enspiren.com - but right now you need to settle for www.myspace.com/enspiren
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[Anne] I know of writers wanting the trad regencies to come back
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[enspiren - gracepub] yes, we want to start with a strong line of trad regencies.
[DianaBold] Are you brand new? Sorry never heard of you before, actually am here because of a myspace bulletin
[Anne] and readers too
[Margie]
[enspiren - gracepub] Yes, we are new, no we are not.
[enspiren - gracepub] Grace publishing is 7 years old. It has published online courses for 7 years, www.inspiredauthor.com, and www.authorsconnection.com, at least 20 blogs
[Anne] will you have a standard contract?
[enspiren - gracepub] Novel Writer magazine, soon to be released WAHM- Work At Home Magazine - and ebooks
[DianaBold] Ah, thanks! Joined late so I’m catching up
[enspiren - gracepub] This is the first ’solidifying’ of our book section
[enspiren - gracepub] Yes, we will use a standard royalty contract for both editors and authors
[DianaBold] Will you be doing print and ebooks, or just ebooks?
[Anne] what will your distribution be for print?
[enspiren - gracepub] I have already talked to the president of EPIC, and any Enspiren author will qualify for memberhsip
[enspiren - gracepub] Distribution for print will be through Ingrams, but without bookstore returns
[enspiren - gracepub] Yes, we will be in print on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. If a book warrents it, ie. the author is selling and promoting great, I will pay the $100 Amazon wants to get an ebook listed on their site
[Anne] I hope you don’t mind me asking questions, I’m taking notes for my historicals critique group, is that okay?
[enspiren - gracepubJ ] Feel free, that is what the chat is about
[Anne] thanks.
[Anne] will you be taking submissions from writers without an agent?
[enspiren - gracepub] yes, frankly, I am not to enamored with agents - from a publisher’s stand point, they are a pain in the butt
[Anne] right.
[lorichance] in what way?
[enspiren - gracepub] most agents are not familiar enough with the publishing industry. They come trying to make changes to contracts that are not feisable.
[enspiren - gracepub] Okay, if Deb Macomber wants to send me a book, I’ll head to the bank for an advance and perks….but small press doesn’t work that way
[enspiren - gracepub] Yes, large press can offer an advance, and know they are going to be okay. Because they will print 10 - 50 000 copies
[enspiren - gracepub] and then sell most of them at the short discount -55%, meaning that the author doesn’t get any royalties
[enspiren - gracepub] So, they never lose
[Anne] and you give no advances at this time?
[enspiren - gracepub] small pubs don’t do that to authors, so they don’t give advances, because there is no guarantee the author will be able to pay it back.
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[Anne] I only know of one small press that gives small advances
[enspiren - gracepub] No, an advance is only a loan - and, a loophole that most publishers use to rip authors off.
[DianaBold] When do you plan to open?
[enspiren - gracepub] yea, most don’t give an advance… I know that authors can earn advances from some small pubs if they stay for 4 or 5 books, but that is a catch 22
[enspiren - gracepub] Technically, we’ve been open for about one year… but, the ’store front” is going live in a week, and our first books will be listed this month under the new cover and new ISBN.
[enspiren - gracepub] We are even toying with lulu.com to help us get over some of the red tape in the USA
[enspiren - gracepub] using them as a ‘printing agent’
[enspiren - gracepub] don’t know for sure yet on that –
[Merryone] Are they not available in the US?
[Anne] will you be looking at have distribution points set up around the world?
[enspiren - gracepub] but we keep our Canadian copyright, ISBN numbers etc.
[enspiren - gracepub] Any book that does well can go to the Frankfurt book convention for international sales.
[Merryone] How well is well?
[enspiren - gracepub] I already have that distribution - and, our printer has a venue in England, so if the book sells good in the USA, I can send it there and we can still keep the same contract.
[enspiren - gracepub] are you asking ebook, print, or hardcover?
[Anne] will you be doing small print runs or only print on demand?
[Merryone] print
[enspiren - gracepub] We are a Canadian publisher
[enspiren - gracepub] our books will be available in Canada and USA
[enspiren - gracepub] through Ingrams
[Kim] ok do you have a specific type of book
[svessey] Are you looking for specific types of fiction - romance, fantasy? Or open to anything?
[Anne] gritty historicals, the family saga type sell very well in England, it’s a whole different audience
[Kim] I am writing fantasy….in fact you have read my idea in your class
[svessey] What sells in Canada?
[enspiren - gracepub] As far as promotion goes Merryone, Inspiredauthor has build a vast promotion network
[enspiren - gracepub] What sells in Canada? Anything
[Kim] ok I probably missed this while I was feeding daughters but what is the avg pay on a novel
[enspiren - gracepub] There is no average pay on a novel….I know authors who make nothing, and authors who make $10 000 a year
[enspiren - gracepub] But, if there is an ‘average’ for ebooks, than it is $200 a quarter according to Piers Anthony
[Kim] and how does that work if you publish a book I know you said no advances
[Kim] it is all royalties
[svessey] 200 a quarter?
[enspiren - gracepub] All publishing is 100% royalty base, an advance is only a loan that you must pay back out of royalties
[Kim] are you only publishing in ebook form
[enspiren - gracepub] yes, $200 a quarter, $800 a year
[svessey] AHHH, a QUARTER. Sorry, didn’t understand what you meant. LOL.
[enspiren - gracepub] no, books will come out first in ebook, after about 4 - 6 months, in trade paperback.
[Magikrose] Who will decide the cost of the books?
[enspiren - gracepub] Oh - quarter - 3 months
[Kim] ok got it
[enspiren - gracepub] Most books have a fairly set cost.
[Kim] how much will the ebooks run
[enspiren - gracepub] fiction trade paperbacks go for $12.99 - $15.99
[enspiren - gracepub] ebooks go for $1.5 -$5
[enspiren - gracepub] Hard cover go for about $22
[enspiren - gracepub] Hmmm, wait, I think I am giving you canadian prices.
[enspiren - gracepub] so - subtract about 15%
[Kim] ok
[Kim] thanks
[enspiren - gracepub] non-fiction ebooks go for $10 - 20
[enspiren - gracepub] We will keep our books in line with Extasy, Wild rose press, wiskey creek press, ellora’s cave, and mudanai
[enspiren - gracepub] we see those as our only real competition.
[enspiren - gracepub] because we have major distribution, something most small presses do not have
[enspiren - gracepub] because we have the magazine
[lorichance] what do you mean by keeping ‘in line with’ those other presses?
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[enspiren - gracepub] you might also need to offer references
[Majikrose] I’m sorry. I was dropped. Is this about getting a copy of tonight’s chat?
[enspiren - gracepub] just email Margie and she’ll get you a chat
[Majikrose] ok
[Majikrose] thanks.
[enspiren - gracepub] One thing, if you are self published, you know that your old ISBN is no good now
[enspiren - gracepub] you need the 13 digit.
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[enspiren - gracepub] Oh, btw, all our print books will have a bar code on it, so we can have library sales
[Margie] That’s great
[enspiren - gracepub] But, I need to play with that a bit - because it can be worth about 1500 instant copy sales, on the other hand, it can be a complete waste of money.
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[enspiren - gracepub] so, I am not going to promise that
[Majikrose] Will authors have a little input on covers?
[Merryone] What are the first titles coming out in 2007?
[enspiren - gracepub] Authors will have a little say on covers
[meldo] Thanks I found ISBN application form. I wish all authors had input of illustrations. I’m tired of seeing heros etc who defy the description with in the novel.
[Majikrose] ok.
[enspiren - gracepub] however, I am willing to give them a lot of say - if they want to purchase their own photos
[Majikrose] Gotcha.
[enspiren - gracepub] ROLf - I found a ‘real’ man that looks exactly like the guy on the cover of Ellora’s Egypt series
[Majikrose ] :)
[enspiren - gracepub] I wanted to buy the pic, but they wouldn’t sell to me
[meldo] Could they do their own illustrations. My mother is also a fine artist and graphic designer
[enspiren - gracepub] he doesn’t want to be known as a romance guy like Fabio
[enspiren - gracepub] but I have a perfect picture for an imprint line of romance where they all end up married at the end
[lorichance ] :)
[Margie] Suz, will you be publishing Inspirational Historical?
[enspiren - gracepub] I would have to talk to your mother first.
[enspiren - gracepub] yes @ Margie
[Margie] Yeah!!!!
[enspiren - gracepub] meldo - if your mother works with CMYK, offset printers, and has done magazine work, then she will probably do well
[Kim] do you have the submission requirements on the myspace page I know you listed them but it went by too fast
[enspiren - gracepub] I mean, if someone is really bent on having their own cover, I can get them a pro for about $1000 and they can have pretty much anything
[enspiren - gracepub] What I want first is about 500 word query. I am worried more about the author’s promotion than I am content
[enspiren - gracepub] We currently have 3 top notch editors who can turn any book into a good one, and 3 more coming on board.
[lorichance] who are they?
[enspiren - gracepub] We are also training up to 10 editors in the second week of jan.
[enspiren - gracepub] deb kinnard is one
[Merryone] We haven’t talked about non-fiction, are you looking for history, biography, how to?
[enspiren - gracepub] most of our non-fiction to date has been ‘writing skills’ and ’self help’
[enspiren - gracepub] how to -
[enspiren - gracepub] I would look at a proposal for more…I mean, we currently have 3 dog books online
[Kim] so 500 word query about how I would promote and continue as an author or about my book
[Kim] sorry I have never done this before
[enspiren - gracepub] Basically, just let me know that you want to become a full time novel writer one day, and are willing to do the work
[enspiren - gracepub] I’ve been around for long enough that ‘hobby’ writers, who only want to see their name in print, can be a drain on a publisher’s resources
[Kim] and if I am accepted I get royalties right of the book sales
[enspiren - gracepub] and if you’ve been around Grace Publishing for a while, you know that we prefer a community where everyone works together
[enspiren - gracepub] laughs
[enspiren - gracepub] and has PMS all at the same time
[Kim ] :)
[lorichance ] :)
[Kim] and what do you make as my publisher
[Merryone] Then do we share chocolate and coffee, too… ?
[KimJ ] of course
[enspiren - gracepub] Someone asked me a question and I lost it.
[enspiren - gracepub] Oh - how much does the publisher make
[enspiren - gracepub] is that question still on the table?
[Kim] yes just curious
[Kim] I mean is it like 10%
[Kim] 15%
[Kim] or a certain amount per book or amount upfront
[enspiren - gracepub] k, basically, the royalty you make, combined with the royalty the editor makes, is our mark up - less wholesale costs
[Kim] so we do not need an agent
[Merryone] I’m going to have to get going, great discussion, though
[enspiren - gracepub] royalty for ebooks is usually 45% off site (after shopping cart fees) 20% through distribution
[enspiren - gracepub] no - you do not need an agent
[Kim] what about a lawyer
[enspiren - gracepub] royalty for print books is about 5% per net - and we outline what net is, so you are not paying my coffee bill
[lorichance] night merryone. nice to ’see’ you here! I like your theme for 07, btw…
[enspiren - gracepub] a lawyer is always a good thing. We have a ’standard’ boilerplate contract, but it is best to know that you are being treated fairly
[enspiren - gracepub] nite lori
[Margie] Bye Merry…I’ll stop by your blog soon
[Majikrose] g’nite
[Merryone] Congratulations on the launching of enspiren, and I’ll write soon about the editing.
[Merryone] Night all, and thanks Lori - I like your theme idea!
[enspiren - gracepub] nite -
[Kim] how many authors do you currently have that you will be publishing
[lorichance ] :)
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[enspiren - gracepub] - how many authors are with gracepub?
[enspiren - gracepub] or have books with us?
[enspiren - gracepub] I think IA has about 20, give or take
[enspiren - gracepub] we have about 7 of them with books
[enspiren - gracepub] all non-fiction
[enspiren - gracepub] with the mag - we work with about 50 authors on a regular basis
[Kim] can I have a list of the books you currently have published
[Kim] and a link to the mag
[Kim] I would like to see what types of stories you have
[enspiren - gracepub] K, this is the thing - we have no fiction at the moment
[enspiren - gracepub] this is the ‘new’ part that I mentioned
[Kim] oh ok
[enspiren - gracepub] everything we have to date is ‘adult education’ and ‘non-fiction’
[enspiren - gracepub] But, what we are looking for is good stories, sex is not important,
[enspiren - gracepub] character growth
[enspiren - gracepub] heroes without emotional problems
[enspiren - gracepub] a ‘real’ climax
[Majikrose] If we were to submit within the next month, how soon would we see our novels published (that is, if they’re accepted?:}
[enspiren - gracepub] It all depends on how fast you edit.
[Majikrose] Ah.
[enspiren - gracepub] it is usually 3 months after you finish the edit
[Majikrose] Okay.
[enspiren - gracepub] I’ve seen edits take 1 week, and I’ve seen them take 18 months
[Majikrose] I remember you saying that.
[Majikrose] three months, with dedication, is good.
[Majikrose] the funny thing is…
[Kim] do we as authors retain all rights to our story
[Majikrose] I’m taking the "How to write a synopsis" with you right now!
[enspiren - gracepub] you retain the copyright, but the contract gives the publisher the right to publish the book for 2 years
[enspiren - gracepub] - well, at least you know what I am looking for
[Kim] so if we were to go somewhere else we could not take the book you publish with us for 2 years
[Majikrose] I hope so!
[enspiren - gracepub] At the end of 2 years, the rights return to you
[enspiren - gracepub] no - if you give a publisher the right to publish a book, you cannot go and sell that book to another publisher….that will get you sued
[Kim] ok just wondered how that worked
[Kim] ever
[Kim] or during the contract
[enspiren - gracepub] only during the contract
[enspiren - gracepub] the day after the contract is up - or it is broken, then the rights revert
[Kim] ok that is what I was trying to figure out if it was ever or during a certain amount of time
[enspiren - gracepub] But, say a big publisher wanted your book - they can buy the rights
[Kim] oh I didn’t know that
[enspiren - gracepub] yes, most small publishers sign the rights for 2 - 4 years
[Kim] is it a hassle
[enspiren - gracepub] I think we had more than 40 people that night - all talking about how they got published
[Kim ] :)
[lorichance] and every one had a different way of doing it!
[enspiren - gracepub] clubs ‘buy’ the book for a block of money - then they print their own copies…the publisher/author divides up that money, but they make nothing on sales - it usually is a fast cash grab, but unless the author is ‘big’ into promotion, you loose money in t
[Kim] well I have a long way to go before I am ready to even submit
[enspiren - gracepub] Lori - those people were crazy
[Kim] but I intend to start writing a little everyday
[lorichance] it was a facinating experience….
[enspiren - gracepub] yes, It was like being at the RWA conference 2 am on the last night when everyone was drunk out of their minds
[enspiren - gracepub ] :)
[Majikrose] I thought it was hilarious.
[lorichance ] :)
[Majikrose ] :)
[enspiren - gracepub]We’ve started a new forum at www.inspiredauthor.com
[enspiren - gracepub] The thing is, with authors like that, it is easy to know why they are a top 20 publisher in the USA
[lorichance] why?
[enspiren - gracepub] they are dynamic, they are ‘into’ their writing in a way that transends paper and time.
[enspiren - gracepub] You can really see those people creating only 1 degree of separation between their characters and the reader
[lorichance] ‘dynamic’ is a great word for that group!
[Majikrose] I’ll say!
[enspiren - gracepub] and, their infectious enthusiasm will spur promotion
[enspiren - gracepub] yes, it is
[lorichance] It was like most of them WERE their characters.
[Majikrose ] :)
[enspiren - gracepub] ROlf - That is so true
[enspiren - gracepub] ture
[enspiren - gracepub] true!!@!
[lorichance ] :)
[enspiren - gracepub] The last time I put out a call for submissions, I received 3000 submissions within 2 weeks
[Margie] Wow
[lorichance] and then you had to wade through them all!
[Majikrose] !!
[lorichance] how long did that take?
[enspiren - gracepub] Three months
[lorichance] !
[enspiren - gracepub] It wasn’t that bad, because 2/3 of them were written by people who never studied the craft
[enspiren - gracepub] so we were rejecting them within 10 minutes
[enspiren - gracepub] but, it was a LONG 3 months
[lorichance] and didn’t you say you only accepted 1 out of all those?
[enspiren - gracepub] yup
[calikat] WOW!
[lorichance] What caught your eye in that 1?
[Majikrose] Wow!
[enspiren - gracepub] We did have about 20 that we would have accepted if the author was willing to work with an editor
[Kim] so you are saying I should do some more studying before I finish my book and before I submit
[enspiren - gracepub] The main thing about that one was it was well written
[enspiren - gracepub] The sentence structure was clean
[Margie] So the others weren’t willing to work with an editor?
[Kim] so you are saying I should do some more studying before I finish my book and before I submit
[enspiren - gracepub] I am one of those editors who goes over a page, and if I see was,had, that, would, could, felt, thought, saw — all over the place, I just reject the book
[calikat] passive writing
[enspiren - gracepub] Many authors are not willing to have their books edited.
[enspiren - gracepub] yes, passive writing does not fit most fiction genres, especially mass market
[Kim] so if you like the story and it has all that but the author is willing to work with an editor you might consider it
[enspiren - gracepub] The author wants to feel that they are the main character, and the action is happening the moment they read the words
[Anne] passive writing is something we look for in my critique group
[lorichance] does the same hold true for non-fiction - the passive voice part?
[enspiren - gracepub] Yes, @kim, I am known for giving a lot of second chances, of course - I am also known as a few harsh names behind my back, but then, that is what holds the labrinth together
[Kim ] :)
[enspiren - gracepub] yes, non-fiction should be written as if the reader is thinking the words, as if they are their own thought, instead of being ‘talked to’ or ‘talked down to’
[enspiren - gracepubJ ] At least I haven’t earned the reputation ‘dragon lady’
[lorichance] if you do, take it as a compliment!
[lorichance] I love dragons!
[enspiren - gracepub] :)
[Majikrose ] :)
[lorichance] they’re magical, rich, and get the job done! sounds like suz!
[enspiren - gracepub] I am not a ‘my way or highway person’ - but I do have a tendency to tell people what to do, without telling them why
[calikat] !!!
[enspiren - gracepub] that is a fault
[Margie] But you are good to work with us Suz if we just ask
[enspiren - gracepub] well - rich is not on the list, I’ve never been a collector of money
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[enspiren - gracepub] yes - true, I always find time to talk to people
[Kim] I plan on taking some more classes with you
[Majikrose] Absolutely!
[enspiren - gracepub] I would rather take 10 minutes and solve a problem than flounder for 2 weeks
[enspiren - gracepub] BTW - HTWEN is going to be a book. It will be interesting to see how that works
[Margie] That will be great…I am almost finished with that course
[lorichance] what is HTWEN?
[calikat] My favorite class
[enspiren - gracepub] Mark - is this ‘my’ mark …. 2 am movie guy mark?
[Margie] How to Write and Edit a Novel
[Kim] I took the 7 steps to your first novel
[MarkW] The same
[enspiren - gracepub] hey guy - nice to see you
[MarkW] Same to you
[Kim] what is your suggestion on the next class I should take
[enspiren - gracepub] Well - what did Hollywood say?
[enspiren - gracepub] any news yet?
[MarkW] Everyone is out until next week
[enspiren - gracepub] do you have any hair left?
[MarkW] We have 5 webisode projects we have to have ready to send by Jan 5
[enspiren - gracepub] Kim@ what have you taken?
[enspiren - gracepub] cool - for gofish?
[Kim] the 7 steps to your first novel I think
[enspiren - gracepub] K, take How to Write and Edit a Novel next
[MarkW] GoFish, HBO, NBC/DotComedy
[Kim] is that at the same online school
[MarkW] GoTV Networks
[MarkW] Sony/CBS
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[enspiren - gracepub] yes, it is at writersonlinecourses.com
[enspiren - gracepub] Sony/CBS wants some of your short shows? cool
[Kim] ok I will take that next
[Kim] I really want to do this
[enspiren - gracepub] What about the PI series - is that a go yet?
[Kim] I have 3 book ideas a series
[Kim] I have all three stories the basics anyway
[enspiren - gracepub] Cool kim, well then HTWEN is the next best course - it is harder, but it tells you how to turn a first draft into a marketable novel
[Kim] but need help to get it down on paper
[MarkW] Haven’t gotten anything…waiting until 2007
[enspiren - gracepub] Man - that is too long.
[MarkW] Tell me about it
[MarkW] Next week
[MarkW] waiting stinks
[Kim] wonderful I look forward to it
[enspiren - gracepub] Kim@ you will learn to do that in HTWEN - storyboarding and plotting lessons
[enspiren - gracepub] Mark took one of my courses - now he makes movies
[Majikrose] That’s wonderful.
[enspiren - gracepub] His partner is in Hollywood, or was last week, pitching projects
[MarkW] Thanks. The courses were VERY helpful, obviously
[enspiren - gracepub] BTW - how is Woodland Haunting selling?
[MarkW] That’s a good question. Haven’t checked in a while.
[Margie] Which course(s) did you take, Mark?
[MarkW] I took How To Write A Novel In 7 Steps
[MarkW] Because my attention span is less than that of a gnat
[MarkW] 8 steps was way too long
[Kim ] :)
[enspiren - gracepub] Yea - I am going to bug mark at 2 am until he makes trailers for us
[MarkW] It’s kind of strange…I fully intended on writing fiction, but all those studios want is comedy
[MarkW] They are interested in a wide range of stories, but short comedies for cell phone content is in
[enspiren - gracepub] how long are they going to be?
[MarkW] They want low budget..exactly what I do.
[enspiren - gracepub ] :)
[MarkW] They want 2-5 minute episodes
[enspiren - gracepub] hey - it pays the bills
[Margie] Do you mind if we ask how you got started in this? I’m always interested in what to do.
[Kim] is Woodland Haunting a movie, book ???
[enspiren - gracepub] Wow - are the cell companies going to make a killing
[enspiren - gracepub] Woodland Haunting is a movie
[MarkW] Yes, hopefully it will. Our current plan is to work with as many companies as we can…widening our exposure
[enspiren - gracepub] he also has a cool website that he made from a www.wordpress.com blog
[[enspiren - gracepub] no prob
[enspiren - gracepub] I probably won’t reject or accept on the query, but it will give me a good idea of what to do next.
[Anne] are you looking for Enspiren to be a long term project?
[enspiren - gracepub] Long term as in - 20 years?
[Anne] yes, I guess something like that
[enspiren - gracepub] We’ve had a 10 year marketing plan that did include this. We’ve had a couple false starts, but basically, everything we do works together
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[enspiren - gracepub] and yes, Enspiren will become a main part of the ‘grace publishing’ project
[Anne] in the last five years so many new publishers have folded so quickly after opening
[enspiren - gracepub] Anne@ we have something they don’t have - distribution
[Anne] personally I think distribution is main thing to any publisher
[enspiren - gracepub] Most small publishers use their first books to earn distribution. We’ve had guaranteed distribution for every book we print for more than two years
[enspiren - gracepub] we don’t even need to pay the $50 reading fee
[enspiren - gracepub] We learned this through previous projects, and the magazine
[enspiren - gracepub] as far as Ingrams is concerned, we are not a small pub, but a mid/large pub
[enspiren - gracepub] I am also personal friends with the pres of EPIC,
[enspiren - gracepub] a member of PMA
[enspiren - gracepub] PMC
[Anne] Will Enspiren stand alone from Grace or will the two be linked in nearly everything? and if so why have the two publishers?
[enspiren - gracepub] bla bla bla bla bla
[enspiren - gracepub] no grace is a parent - books will not have grace on them
[Anne] sorry if I’m asking questions posted while I wasn’t here
[enspiren - gracepub] The same as Mira the parent company is not on all Harlequn books
[enspiren - gracepub] No problem - ask away
[Anne] thank you
[enspiren - gracepub] There are too many grace publishing companies
[enspiren - gracepub] We might even break it down more.
[lorichance] Every chat I learn something new… but the kids think they need to be fed. Thanks suz. Night all!
[enspiren - gracepub] I believe Whiskey press and Wild Rose are the same publisher - because they use the same templates on their website
[enspiren - gracepub] and they have the same shopping cart -
[Anne] night lori
[enspiren - gracepub] we may do that in the future too.
[enspiren - gracepub] Nite lori
[Magikrose] nite
[MarkW] nite!
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[Anne] ok, that’s interesting
[Anne] will you consider mass market in the future?
[enspiren - gracepub] Only if we can sell more than 5000 books
[enspiren - gracepub] Mass market is a different type of distributing - it would mean a lot more work for me - in my spare time
[Anne] will you have a promotions team?
[enspiren - gracepub] a very loose, very large one
[enspiren - gracepub] for example - just our one website – inspiredauthor.com
[enspiren - gracepub] it earned more than 250 000 hits in the last 3 months (give or take)
[enspiren - gracepub] and will finish somewhere between 750 000 - 1 million hits by next august
[enspiren - gracepub] and that is before we start buying advertising for certain sections of it
[Anne] what about getting books into Baker & Taylors database for libraries?
[enspiren - gracepub] We also receive more than 5000 hits a day on our blogs
[Kim] you mentioned that the authors would have to be willing to promote
[Kim] how would we do that
[enspiren - gracepub] Ingrams guarantees distribution through B&T - but that doesn’t mean B&T will get it right and put it in their database right - they are bad at that
[enspiren - gracepub] Well, one thing I do is write blog journals - ie www.historical-novel.blogspot.com www.regencies.blogspot.com
[enspiren - gracepub] I also have book selling blogs at bloggerparty and wordpress
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[Anne] I asked that question because a lot of readers don’t go on the internet to hear about books, a lot of the older generation use libraries or buy on impulse in shops
[enspiren - gracepub] Anne, you are right, but that accounts for less than 1/2 of the 26 billion in book sales on average
[enspiren - gracepub] and, if they do go to bookstores - more than 80% of all books are sold on ’short discount’ which means the author earns no royalties -
[enspiren - gracepub] we prefer to find niches - like historical reader groups, where people are willing to pay well, and buy more than 10 books a month
[Kim] so where will you sell the ebooks that you publish
[enspiren - gracepub] For example - once we get making enough, we plan to advertise in Romance times
[Kim] sorry if that is a repeat
[enspiren - gracepub] magazine
[enspiren - gracepub] Kim @ again, distribution will be through Ingrams - so we will be in most of the ebook malls like fictionwise (sold more than 40 000 books in Oct this year) and ebook.com
[Kim] ok I remember now sorry
[enspiren - gracepub] we will also sell from our website, but we prefer to use major distribution.
[Anne] I know that the English readership for historical, gritty mainstream don’t rely on the internet sadly
[enspiren - gracepubJ ] Don’t apologize -
[Kim] so ebook first then you will print in paperback
[Anne] ebooks don’t sell all that well in England or Australia, not like in the USA
[enspiren - gracepub] that is not true, not totally true.
[calikat] that is not what I have heard either
[enspiren - gracepub] The top 14 ebook publishers sold 16 million $$ in ebooks in the last 3 months of 2005, and the industry has been growing 20% on average every quarter
[enspiren - gracepub] Now - it may be true that these people do not buy as many ebooks, but you are comparing maybe $1 000 000 in ebooks sold in England as compared to $5 000 000 in the USA - frankly at those numbers, I don’t mind
[enspiren - gracepub] I also write a financial column for a UK financial company, and the UK economists say that under 30 UK consumers spend most of their money online - so the trend will be changing
[enspiren - gracepub] The problem with the publishing industry is that it takes 3 years to get news. and it is subjective.
[Anne] well, it’s a market I’ve studied as an author and yes perhaps it’s growing England but honestly in Australia, outside of the writing communities ebooks are not well known
[enspiren - gracepub] No - Australia is a dead market, don’t know why….but that is why many authors print and sell in the USA and Canada
[Anne] true
[enspiren - gracepub] or sign with publishers in the US/Can areas
[Anne] it’s what I did
[Anne] and other Aussie writers I know
[enspiren - gracepub] yes, I haven’t studied the Australian markets, but I’ve talked to a lot of writers. Even booksurge had to close their Australian division
[Anne] Sadly, England is not far behind in ebook consumers either. I know of many UK authors who’ve submitted to USA publishers/small press because it’s just not viable in England
[enspiren - gracepub] The good thing about ebooks is that people can buy them in any country but the middle east and China
[enspiren - gracepub] Yea @ anne, but UK readers
[enspiren - gracepub] will
[Anne] BeWrite Publishing is th eonly ebook/print publisher I know of now and they are really based in France.
[enspiren - gracepub] read American authors.
[Magikrose] so you would be a Can publisher, Suz?
[Magikrose] For us, I mean.
[enspiren - gracepub] The thing that most writers do not understand is that ‘across the board’ people buy authors - not titles
[enspiren - gracepub] yes, we are a canadian publisher
[Magikrose] Just gettin it right.
[MagikroseJ ]
[Anne] I agree
[Kim] so you only publish in Canada
[Anne] I buy authors, not titles
[enspiren - gracepub] So, if you do a lot of promotion, and build a big online presence, than you’ll sell books anywhere
[Kim] true
[Magikrose] But until then, it will be in Canada?
[Kim] that is true just cause you publish in Canada doesn’t mean USA won’t buy right
[enspiren - gracepub] no - our main printer is in Florida, our second printer is in Tennessee, our third printer which we just signed with is in Ontario
[enspiren - gracepub] No - most bookstores will not even know we are a canadian publisher
[Magikrose] So we’ll be selling in US online, too, right?
[Anne] I don’t have a huge online presence - a little in USA and I sell my historical better on Amazon.uk then Amazon.usa
[enspiren - gracepub] Yes, Ingrams is based in the USA, and they sell to Canada, USA, Mexico
[Magikrose] Ok. Got it.
[enspiren - gracepub] We also have rights to sell in the UK, through our Tenn printer’s subsidiary - simple eh?
[Magikrose] for me, yes.
[Anne] is the Uk subsidiary, Gardners?
[enspiren - gracepub] no - Barclays or something weird and UK sounding
[enspiren - gracepub] Berterams
[enspiren - gracepub] Bertrums
[Magikrose] Is there any time we would be passed on– away from Espiren?
[Anne] your response from the bookstore managers, etc
[enspiren - gracepub] K, Anne - bookstores buy from the Ingrams catalogue, for the most part, they just buy new releases to fill shelves, most books are returned to the publisher within six weeks and then go into the garbage
[Anne] what about your Grace authors getting book signings?
[enspiren - gracepub] If the author has a ‘name’ than yes, it is worth it. If the author doesn’t have a name, or the imprint is not popular (yet) then it is a waste of time
[Anne] have the stores been helpful?
[enspiren - gracepub] Hm, There is a lot of controversy about book signings
[enspiren - gracepub] I know people who do them, but they rarely make back the $200 - $500 the bookstore charges
[Anne] I know some authors have had a hard time from bookstores because they’ve been small press published
[enspiren - gracepub] Small press ‘with’ Ingrams distributing… or small press ‘without’
[Anne] the stores over there charge?
[Anne] with ingrams
[enspiren - gracepub] Then I am not sure why, because the bookstore places their order the same way with a small print as they do with a large
[enspiren - gracepub] and as there are about 5000 publishers in North America, most bookstores don’t know who is who anymore
[enspiren - gracepub] I do know that bookstores refuse to order from a publisher’s web page
[enspiren - gracepub] so, if the publisher is not with Ingrams, they won’t order
[Anne] I’ve had a mixture of responses, one independent store was wonderful , a chain store was painful, had an issue about the book being a POD
[enspiren - gracepub] How long ago? Again, we don’t do our own POD
[calikat] Anne, what is the name of your book?
[Anne] a few months ago
[enspiren - gracepub] We have them ‘pro’ done, so they don’t look any different than the rest of the books
[Anne] which book, calikat?
[enspiren - gracepub] this is something I’d have to know more about, because there is nothing in the Ingrams database that tells a bookstore owner the book is a POD - the only thing that might turn the bookstore owner off is if it is ‘not bookstore return.’
[calikat] sorry, I thought you had a book written
[Anne] sorry, yes I do. My fault, I was reading too quickly
[enspiren - gracepub] Bookstore return means the bookstore can order a bunch of copies, let people read them while drinking coffee, ruin them, and then return to Ingrams for a full refund - at the publisher’s expense
[calikat] And the name of your critique group
[enspiren - gracepub] That is why most big publishers only have a .01 or .02 royalty rate, where small press have up to .10 on the same books
[Anne] my critique group is Historical Fiction Critique on yahoo
[enspiren - gracepub] hey - ? …..
[calikat] thanks
[enspiren - gracepub] No, I belong to historical fiction writers on yahoo
[enspiren - gracepub] for a second, I thought I was a part of your group
[Margie] Anne…is your group open to new members?
[Anne ] :)
[calikat] it’s a small world!!!
[Anne] I’m considering opening to one or two new members, recently a few members left after been signed
[Margie] My genre is historical fiction
[Anne] we have a mixture of published and unpublished
[Margie] yes, I am unpublished
[calikat] It’s not my genre, but it sounds like a great group
[Magikrose] Can we ask: how much does it cost to join?
[Anne] nothing
[Anne] just hard work mainly, it’s not a hobby group, all members are seeking publication, a career
[Anne] one member recently got a 2 book deal with Berkley
[Magikrose] Any period in particular?
[Anne] none
[Magikrose] Wow.
[Margie] Should we contact you if interested?
[Anne] open from Ancient to WWII
[Anne] certainly
[Margie] Thanks!
[Anne] sorry Suz
[enspiren - gracepub] no prob -
[Anne] didn’t mean to interrupt
[enspiren - gracepub] you were not interrupting, it is an informal chat
[Anne] I’m published in both the USA & UK.
[enspiren - gracepub] What is your book called?
[calikaat] everyone in this group is a great source of info and inspiration
[Margie] yes they are
[enspiren - gracepub] It is really growing into a good group
[Magikrose] Suz, I was asking before — once you’re published with a company, can they sell you off to another company at all, for any reason?
[Anne] Kitty McKenzie, Gossamer Wings, Kitty McKenzie’s Land, Long Distance Love and my next release is in Feb in hardback The Gentle Wind’s Caress and I have three short stories out
[MarkW] wow
[enspiren - gracepub] Magic Rose - yes…but they don’t usually do it without author consent.
[calikaat] Wow!
[Anne] and another historical set in Australia out at the end of 2007
[Magikrose] Okay. Thanks.
[enspiren - gracepub] Most of the time, a mass market publisher will want to buy the mass market rights, which doesn’t bother me, because I get about .015 cents for every sale
[enspiren - gracepub] Penguin is the company that does most of that type of thing
[Magikrose] Oh.
[enspiren - gracepub] Book clubs sometimes want a book if it goes bestseller - but for the most part
[enspiren - gracepub] big publishers don’t buy books unless the author has a lot of promotion
[enspiren - gracepub] The main thing is submissions. Some publishers use weird submission rules just to weed out writers who are not ‘in tune’ or ‘up’ on the publisher’s style and guidelines
[calikaat] I just ordered your book, Kitty McKenzie, looking forward to reading it, Anne!
[Anne] wow, thank you!!
[enspiren - gracepub] Anne - you have any reprints looking for a home?
[calikaat] don’t you love the net!!!
[Anne] no, not yet, but never say never, ,LOL
[enspiren - gracepub] Well - how many people are in your group?
[Anne] at the moment my UK agent is selling my historicals to Robert Hale Ltd UK for libraries around the world, ,except USA
[HellenYrth] I didn’t see the post about the chat until just a little while ago, so please forgive me if I’m repeating questions-
[Anne] my crit group? 27
[enspiren - gracepub] well, if anyone does have a reprint, we are giving them precedence
[HellenYrth] What type of fiction and non-fiction are you interested in?
[enspiren - gracepub] fiction - our main focus at first will be all romance, historicals, fantasy,
[enspiren - gracepub] but we will look at reprints in others
[Anne] Suz, I may be pushing some of my members your way for a look-see, especially when your website is up
[enspiren - gracepub] woman’s fiction, inspirational - we will need to see before making a decision
[HellenYrth] I’m glad you say fantasy. Mine’s not done, but I’d like to keep that in mind when I do finish.
[enspiren - gracepub] K Anne - that should be in a week, if you stay in touch with myspace.com/enspiren, you’ll know
[enspiren - gracepub] non-fiction is self help, writing topics, how to -
[Anne] yes, I’ve gone to add you as a friend,
[enspiren - gracepub] cool
[enspiren - gracepub] which one?
[Anne] enspiren and novel magazine
[enspiren - gracepub] great - those are my main ones
[HellenYrth] Thank you for the info- I also added you to my MySpace (under Lori)
[enspiren - gracepub] great - I’ll go and accept them when the chat is over
[Anne] I have some writers who are looking for publication/agents and are so very close to getting the contract but as always sometimes getting the final call is so hard to get from the big publishers
[enspiren - gracepub] Myspace is a great place to sell books
[enspiren - gracepub] yes. that is another advantage to small press. They can usually get you into print within 12 months - big press is 3 - 5 years
[Anne] agreed and also some have eras that aren’t ‘popular’ at the moment
[enspiren - gracepub] My question is, because i am pulling my books in to espiren - am I now self published?
[enspiren - gracepub] yea - viking has taken a dive, but I think that is because Egyptian is taking over
[enspiren - gracepub] Post Stuart to regency is also taking a dive
[enspiren - gracepub] So - if I am now self published, am I really published? ROLF
[Anne] one member writes ancient and another writes English civil war, both are very good.
[enspiren - gracepub] ancient (including Egyptian, is really taking off)
[enspiren - gracepub] especially in erotica
[Anne] one is writing naploneonic and I ‘ve got some regency writers
[enspiren - gracepub] I want regenecies - especially trads - 50 000 words
[Anne] I think some are a longer
[Margie] Suz how many words for historicals?
[enspiren - gracepub] of course elllora’s cave are looking for them too - so I probably won’t get many
[enspiren - gracepub] 80 000 - 100 000
[Anne] I’d have to check, but I’ll be writing up a report to send to the group
[Margie] k, thanks
[Anne] I do that for different publishers
[enspiren - gracepub] I am thinking of doing a line of short ‘ebook’ stories - maybe 25 000 words, for a quick read
[enspiren - gracepub] I’ve seen it done successfully, but I am not sure
[Anne] one of my publishers does that - samhain Publishing
[Magikrose] You’re with Samhain? Wow!
[enspiren - gracepub] you are with Samhain impressive
[Anne] yes
[enspiren - gracepub] I’m more impressed with that than with library distribution
[Anne] I’ve just sent off a short story for one of their anthologies 2007
[Anne] I have three books with them so far
[enspiren - gracepub] cool
[Magikrose] Which ones?
[Anne] but England is my main aim, always has been
[enspiren - gracepub] That is a powerful publisher
[Anne] Kitty McKenzie, and it’s sequel Kitty McKenzie’s Land and Long Distance love, ,which is getting re-released in paperback
[enspiren - gracepub] so - is Shaman not loyal to their writers?
[enspiren - gracepub] just wondering why you are here?
[enspiren - gracepub] not to pry - just curious
[enspiren - gracepub] - I was on their website last night - man, is that a great layout
[Anne] yes, I believe so. I’m here because I was interested in the editor jobs, and I’m one of those people who like to keep informed, and in turn I inform my crit group
[enspiren - gracepub] I see - that makes sense