Guest Blogger Pat Bertram: The New Era in Publishing

The New Era in Publishing.


When I was studying the publishing industry, trying to figure out how to get published, one thing bothered me. There you are, a debut author, and because the publisher does not promote you -- spending their promotion dollars instead on the big names -- your books sit on bookstore shelves or in warehouses until finally the publisher gives up on you and remainders your book. That is the best scenario, because if it is remaindered, at least it will still be available for a time. Generally what happens is that it is pulped. 25% of a publisher’s total output (including your beloved book) is destroyed. This after shipping costs incurred to and from the publisher’s warehouse.
My books, More Deaths Than One and A Spark of Heavenly Fire are being published Second Wind Publishing, which uses digital printing technology, and because of it, I do not have to fear my novels succumbing to such a fate. Nor do I have to fear an inadvertent error showing up in thousands of volumes. As soon as an error is found, it can be corrected. Because of this new technology, there is no reason to destroy unsold merchandise. And there is no reason to stop publishing a novel because it does not live up to the bottom-line demands of the traditional publishing houses.
Small presses today are where independent movie producers were in the late eighties and early nineties. They have the ability to publish books that need time to reach an audience, books that might not appeal to the masses but could still be loved by many (and turn a tidy profit in the process.)
Although I have nothing but admiration for self-publishers, I like knowing that my books went through a submission process, and I like knowing I was chosen. I also like having a say in the editing, the cover choice, the arduous copy-editing. I even like promotion -- what I’ve done of it, anyway.
So, new era in publishing? Good for us all. And I am pleased to be a part of it.
I’m also pleased to be here on A.F. Stewart’s blog today. To celebrate the release of my novels, I am doing a reverse sort of blog tour -- instead of promoting myself, I’d like to promote a few of the people who helped me with my promotion efforts. A.F. has written a wonderful Squidoo Lens -- How to Become an Independently Published Author -- which gave me many suggestions on how to promote. So, thank you, A.F. Best of luck with your book.

Pat Bertram is a native of Colorado and a lifelong resident. When the traditional publishers stopped publishing her favorite type of book — character and story driven novels that can’t easily be slotted into a genre — she decided to write her own. More Deaths Than One and A Spark of Heavenly Fire, available at Amazon and from Second Wind Publishing, are Bertram’s first novels.







Book Links:

Amazon:
A Spark of Heavenly Fire
More Deaths Than One

Second Wind Publishing:
A Spark of Heavenly Fire
More Deaths Than One