Last week I exhibited at TLA (Texas Library Association conference) for something like my 11th time. This is the largest single library conference in the nation and it has been key to getting my performance career started and keeping my schedule full.
I’ve always been, essentially, an “indie artist” but, over the last couple of years, I’ve felt like I could benefit from some promotional help from a publisher. I’ve built a successful career as a performer but I feel like I need to find a significant alternative to getting my books, CD’s and DVD into the world beside just doing 500 shows a year (that’s not hyperbole).
One publisher, in particular, seems like a good fit to me. I won’t name them here but they are a small publisher that does children’s picture books, most of which tell scientifically-oriented stories. The books conclude with educational tidbits and activities. With my career in science education and heavy author visit schedule, I would think that doing a book with me would be a no-brainer; it’s certainly no-risk.
I submitted one of my most popular pieces, “The Chimichanga Song,” through their online submissions process but I got a quick reply that they will have nothing to do with a song. I spoke with one of the founders at TLA and he was dismissive. My previous successes and business were of no significance to him. “Show me a manuscript” was his basic message.
I get that. I understand that his company was not at the trade show to find authors and that they surely have hundreds if not thousands of wannabe-authors approach them every year, if not month. Another publisher said basically the same thing—they’re not interested in my starred-review DVD, my previous publishing successes or my adoring fan-base. “Show me the manuscript…”
I do have a manuscript but this whole thing got me thinking. My wife and I talked for hours over the weekend and wondered: can a publisher take an interest in the author first? Could they look for people with an established business and body of work and just help them get that to a wider audience? Might that not actually be the BEST way to manage a business?
The other issue is that publishers will basically promote a book for 6-10 months and, after that, they’re going to move on to the next title. Again we asked, can a publisher stick by a title for the long haul? Once they’ve accepted a manuscript and spent the time and money to get it printed and distributed wouldn’t it be a wise to stick with it as long as it takes? Granted some books are just going to bomb but I think many good books fall into obscurity simply because they didn’t find their audience and start selling quickly enough.
Round and around I go—stay indie, go with a publisher, stay indie. The aforementioned manuscript is nearly finished and I think I could find a publisher or I could do it myself. It is, I believe, a guaranteed hit in Texas schools for reasons I can’t publicly discuss. I think this is a project that, once submitted, at least one publisher will get excited about and I think that it could also be one of those rare, self-published breakout successes. If I stay indie and it does NOT sell as I’d hoped, however, I’m going to feel like a missed a good chance. Hmm… what to do?
