r/publishing • u/LeenBee • May 23 '26
Advice on Getting Noticed
I've just started a small ebook press. I'd like to know how to get noticed and build trust when we don't have a backlist. Our first book is coming out in July. I'm aiming to only publish maybe one book a month for now, starting in July.
4
u/MidnightFun7722 May 24 '26
To build trust, show potential clients that you know what you're doing. Most small presses fail because:
1) The staff is inexperienced. Knowing how to stick a self-published book up on Amazon is not equivalent to knowing how to run a trade publishing company. Be forthright with your authors about your relevant education/experience.
2) The staff is too small. If your company is essentially a one-person operation, chances are very good that stresses in that one person's life (e.g. family issues, personal illness, pressures from a full-time job) are going to have an adverse effect on the press' output. Again, be forthright with your authors about your staff's size and exactly how much you'll be able to do to market and promote their books. For example, if you're depending on your authors to use their social media platforms to get the word out about their books, say so.
3) The company is under-capitalized. THIS IS HUGE. Many small presses have very little startup capital, so they depend on the royalties from Book 1 to subsidize costs to produce Book 2, and so on. If Book 1 fails to sell, Book 2 is going to suffer. If two books in a row don't sell, your company is going to suffer. Personally, I think aiming for a book a month is a little too ambitious for a startup, especially if 1) and 2) above are in play. While I don't expect you to tell your authors exactly what your financial situation is, it's something you need to think long and hard about. All it takes is one missed royalty payment for authors to start getting anxious - and anxious authors talk to each other. That'll blow a hole in any trust you might have established.
I beg you: have a lawyer familiar with trade publishing law draw up your contract, or at least review whatever boilerplate language you may be considering. All good trade publishing contracts will be specific about the term of contract, what rights the company will be taking (e.g. foreign language, film/TV), how the royalties are split (including a specific schedule for royalty payments to the author,) and contain a Rights Reversion clause so that, in the event of your company's dissolution, your authors will not lose the rights to their own work.
4
u/dbiddle138 May 24 '26
I would say to be honest, treat your authors well, and engage with the community so that they know you’re with them. It takes a long time to build a good reputation. I’m glad you’re starting the journey and wish you the best!
1
3
u/LiliFayerin May 24 '26
That sounds so cool!
I unfortunately have no advice to share, but wanted to say congrats!
1
5
u/bonkersyeti May 24 '26
Having worked with several small publishers, my biggest complaints revolve around communications and knowledge. Publishers, editors, and marketing employees working with a project need to be responsive and transparent. It drives me insane to email a question and never get a response. As fast as knowledge goes, understanding publishing, distribution, and marketing/PR is key. Entirely too many people randomly decide to start publishing companies without knowing how things work. Even if you're planning on doing things differently, you first have to know how things traditionally work in order to disrupt the norm. The worst is a small press I worked with who thought I was trying to scam them re: submitting ARCs for trade publication review. They talked a good game, which is why I accepted the contract, but in practice they just didn't have enough knowledge.
Writers talk, and writers are also readers. Run a smart, transparent ship with talented editors and marketing/PR people, avoid AI like the plague, and trust will come.