Xavier House Magazine Released
Category: Writing and Poetry

The debut issue (free PDF download) of Xavier House Magazine is now available at www.xavier-house.com/magazine.html

Xavier House Magazine is filled with industry articles, poetry, book reviews, short stories, and news releases pertaining to all things writing.  

Xavier House Magazine is always looking for fine poetry, reviews, and news items from independent writers.  You may get more info by visiting our web page.

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Call for Content: Xavier Lit Magazine

Hello folks,

We are starting a new project here at Xavier House. It is intended to be a bi-monthly PDF literature and writing magazine.



We are looking for content in the form of poetry, short stories, questions for an "ask the editor" piece, book reviews, etc. We also want to have a feature in which one or two writers get the chance to "pitch their work". We think this will give good exposure and a writing credit to a writer who is trying to get their work published.



We are intending to have an author interview with an up and coming author in each issue.



There will be no monetary compensation as the magazine will be free of charge, and all rights pertaining to submissions will remain with the author.



If you would like to submit something for inclusion you may email it to info@xavier-house.com or to our myspace.

5:38 PM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Professionalism for the aspiring writer
Category: Writing and Poetry

Being an editor of a small publishing house I get the opportunity to communicate with many aspiring writers from many different backgrounds.  These writers communicate with me in an effort to get their books in print, and begin their careers as successful writers.  One thing that amazes me is the sheer number of strange queries that I receive.  Perhaps strange does not even do it justice.  I have in fact received a number of queries which have accused my publishing company of being involved in a variety of strange practices. 

One lady queried me wanting to know "What makes your company so much better than any other POD out there?"   A strange question for the fact that POD refers simply to a printing process-not a business model. Nowhere does it say what printing processes we use for our company.  This lady got it in her head that we were simply a small PA, Xlibris, Outskirts, Author House, etc.  Now if this lady makes a habit of challenging a publishing company's practices in a query letter she will not get very far in this business.  There is a time and place for everything and the query letter is not the time, nor the place for those kinds of questions.

Some queries I get are obviously first drafts.  Please make sure you edit your queries.  It doesn't matter how great your story is, if your query is riddled with errors your story will not be given a chance.  If English is not your first language, get someone to check your query before you send it out.  Also do not make your queries look like spam.  Whenever I get a query with about 500 email addresses in the "TO:" section it goes straight-line in to the delete bin.  Publishers are now ok with simultaneous queries but they do not want to know every single email address where you are sending your queries.  Do take the time to send an individual email to each address.

The last piece of advice I can give you is to watch what you say on message boards.  Many publishers are now doing quick searches to see what kind of behavior their potential author's exhibit on message boards.  Does the author come off as a jerk?  Do they bad mouth other companies on boards? Do they give authors bad information?  One can lean a lot of someone's character based on what they say on message boards.  A person who is difficult on a message board will probably be difficult in business.

Although you may hear to the contrary, publishers do hesitate to sign authors who complain about publishers practices on message boards.  Whether the author is right or wrong is irrelevant.  A publisher will always wonder if the author will turn around and slam them if the author is not happy with something, regardless of how minor of an issue.

When you wish to complain about a publishing company's practices, go through proper channels.  The Better Business Bureau is usually a good resource.  If your publisher did something illegal, go through the courts.  Sounding off on a message board could affect your future chances so be careful when you do it. 

11:22 AM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

The Publishing Business is Finally Being Run Like a ...Business
Category: Writing and Poetry

From time to time I cruise writer’s message boards to keep up on the latest gossip and lies about the industry in which I am trying to make my mark.  When I got into publishing 4 years ago I started to see many things that I thought didn’t make a lick of sense.  Perhaps it is because I came into the publishing business as a business person and not a writer.  As a staunch capitalist the old adage, "standard terms" ,which many authors like to throw around, really gets in my craw.  These "standard terms’ just do not make business sense.  The "standard terms" state that you have to pay an advance, you have to set the royalty rate at a certain percentage, you have to use a particular method of printing.  These "standard terms" only serve to drive the money people out of business. 

I practically got death threats when I stated that Xavier House would not pay advance because we didn’t have to.  I recieve more than enough great pieces of work from people dying to be published.  If they are willing to give up an advance to improve their chances of publication, why should I have to pay one.  It’s about supply and demand, the great capitalistic system.  If I can get a book stocked in sotres with a short discount why shouldn’t I?  If I can save on returns, and "F-up" the environment a little less, by digitally printing my books why shoudn’t I?  If I can get an author to sign for 8% royalties instead of 10% why shoudn’t I?  Negotiating the best deal for yourself is what business is all about.  I fully expect my authors to try to get the best deal they can get from me also. 

Well an interesting thing happened.  One of the big boys must have caught on to my business plan because Harper Collins is now starting a unit which will no longer pay advances to its authors.  In this "pilot program" the the author will be compensated strictly based on the number of sales...straight royalties if you will.  I think this is the way it should be.  I have heard way too many authors state that they are not responsible for doing any marketing of their book, "that is the publisher’s job". These same authors then wonder why they are not selling any books, nor getting additional writing deals.  They are more than happy to just cash their advance check and not lift a finger.

With our changing economy, you are going to see more publishers start thinking like businesspeople rather than writers.  Please see the article as you may see even more of this in the future.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/04/business/04harper.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

3:52 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Much Ado About Amazon
Category: Writing and Poetry

Since yesterday the internet has been trembling from the fallout from Amazon.com’s decision to discontinue "selling" books which are Printed-On Demand.  In truth Amazon is not pulling these books off of their site, they are just making them a bit harder to get.  The particulars of the situation are as follows:

Amazon.com is in the process of discontinuing handling the sales from POD books which are not printed by Amazon’s own Booksurge company.  This means that titles from Publish America, lulu.com, other pay to publish services, and a host of independent and micro-publishers will not be serviced by Amazon.com.  In short if your book is printed through LSI (the major printing service used by practically all POD services and most micro-publishers) it will be affected by this development.  When a customer goes looking for these titles they will have the option of purchasing from one of the independent Amazon associates, not Amazon.com themselves.  This action by Amazon will cause customers of Amazon.com to not be eligible for free shipping on items over $25.00. 

This action has resulted in many questions by Wall Street, authors, publishers, and customers alike.  Wall Street wants to know if there will be a major fallout from this act, and corresponding stock price drop.  Authors ask how much this is going to cost them in lost royalties, publishers wonder if they should use Booksurge to print their books, and customers ask if their choices will be reduced.  These questions will surely be answered within the coming weeks as everything begins to shake itself out. 

I would like to offer you some things to consider.

First remember that Amazon.com book sales currently account for only about 15% of the typical title’s sales.  This one fact means that no author is going to go broke by Amazon.com engaging in this action. 

Secondly, your title will not disappear from Amazon.com completely.  If a customer goes looking for your POD book, they will still be able to order it from one of the many associates who will still be offering it for sale (NOTE: currently about 26% of amazon.com sales are actually associate sales). 

Third, internet book customers are not as dumb as you think.  Every internet book buyer knows of an obscure little web-site called bn.com.  They will simply find your book there if they want to order $25.00 worth and get free shipping.

Fourth, this action may not even take legs at all, as somebody is probably already filing an anti-trust suit as I write this blog. 

One thing I wonder is why Amazon is doing this at all.  I think they feel that all of the POD market will feel so scared they will rush out to use Booksurge for their POD needs.  Where Amazon may be shooting themselves in the foot is the fact that titles printed through LSI, (the major printing service used by practically all POD services) actually services all amazon.com orders of their titles.  They print and ship from their own facility using amazon.com boxes and labels.  Amazon will be giving up what is essentially a "turn-key" business for only the opportunity to build their own POD service. 

Seems kind of risky to me based on the possible legal ramifications. 

 *********************BONUS ITEM*************************

Use this rubric to find out how much this move by Amazon.com may cost you.

On average, for every 100 books you sell overall------

15 were sold at amazon.com

4 of those 15 were actually sold by an Amazon associate

11 books were actually sold by amazon.com

Of these 11 books left over, if a customer now cannot buy them from amazon.com about  4 will now go through an Amazon associate, or somewhere else to buy it.

That leaves 7 book sales per hundred you will probably lose due to this action by amazon.com

Currently reading : Free Chicago: Free things to see and do in the Chicagoland area By James Vincent Bilodeau Release date: 28 January, 2008

6:11 PM - 5 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

Book Review: Seven Perfect Days
Category: Travel and Places

*****
          (out of five)

Author: Bill and Celia Ginnodo  
Publisher: Pride Publications
Pages: 170
Price: $14.95
Publication Date: 02/2007
ISBN: 978-0965658720
Category: NON-FICTION
Classification: California Travel

An in-depth guide to Northern California

Seven Perfect Days In Northern California: A Guided Driving Tour is expertly written by the husband and wife team of Bill and Celia Ginnodo.  Unlike typical travel guides which just list attractions and phone numbers, the Ginnodo's book is organized into a complete seven day itinerary.  Nothing is left to chance in Seven Perfect Days as readers are provided all of the information they could possibly need for their trip.  On page 126 Bill and Celia even teach the basics of wine tasting!

Seven Perfect Days is complete with information about the best places to see, stay, and eat.  The seven days in the book start in San Francisco and meander across the countryside, finally ending in wine country on day seven.  An alternate 4 day tour is provided for those who have less time.  For someone who wants to do the entire seven days, boundless energy will be needed as the Ginnodo's itinerary does not contain much downtime.  With all of the little extras described, one could easily spend a leisurely two weeks exploring all of the attractions the Ginnodo's list. 

Seven Perfect Days In Northern California: A Guided Driving Tour serves as the ultimate companion guide for people on an active vacation in Northern California.  People who love to RV will probably find this book to be the most useful Northern California travel guide on the market.

Currently reading : Seven Perfect Days in Northern California: A Guided Driving Tour By Bill Ginnodo and Celia Ginnodo Release date: 01 February, 2007

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Book Review: Annie: The Mysterious Morgan Horse
Category: Writing and Poetry

**** 1/2

Author: Ellen F. Feld  
Publisher: Willow Bend Publishing
Pages: 206
Price: $9.95
Publication Date: 10/2007
ISBN: 978-0970900296
Category: FICTION
Classification: YOUNG ADULT (HORSE) FICTION

A story about decisions in life, and their consequences.

Annie: The Mysterious Morgan Horse is just one book in a delightful series by Ellen F. Feld.  Annie is a Morgan horse who has had an eventful, but rough life.  Annie was the victim of harsh treatment from an abusive trainer.  Because of this abuse, Annie failed to realize her potential as a show horse.  Due to some extraordinary events Annie suddenly finds herself free of her torturous environment.

Annie soon finds herself in much more caring hands at the Gallant Morgan Horse Farm.  Due to events detailed in the story, the owner of the farm does not know the background of Annie.  Much of the story's focus is on search for information about Annie's origins by farm owner Chauncy Campbell.  Because of this search, young Heather Richardson finds herself growing attached to the mysterious horse.  So strong is her attachment, Heather ends up withholding information about Annie's past which she accidentally discovered. What results from Heather's decision is a good illustration of what can happen when a little, well intended lie spirals out of control. 

Annie: The Mysterious Morgan Horse will appeal to younger readers, girls in particular.  The characters are very well though out, and the main female character (Heather Richardson) has a strong voice.  For those who are familiar with equine terminology, Annie will be an easy read.  For those who do not know much about horses, the story will give a good insight into the world of horse shows, equine care, and the legend of Justin Morgan.

8:10 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Publish America without the gray areas...Would it work?
Category: Writing and Poetry

I have batted the idea around of starting a similar service as PA with some very specific differences.

The main difference would be that there would be complete transparency in the business practices.

The company would not offer a joke advance of a Dollar (there would be no advance). Books would all be returnable, and the author would be told that they would be solely responsible for marketing their books. The contract period would be shorter (probably three years). The books would be available through Ingram at normal discounts. The books would also be priced to be competitive.

I wonder if writers would be receptive to this kind of project being that all of the hype and psychological tricks would be removed. I wonder is a company could even make a profit without resorting to tricks and fancy angles.

What are your thoughts?

1:59 PM - 13 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

Ranking Author Credentials
Current mood: awake
Category: Writing and Poetry

One thing I have noticed recently is claim of writing credentials among writers at conferences, message boards, web-sites, etc.  Since there are about a million ways to get publised now, I have created a simple list ranking various credentials.  This list can be used when deciding if somone's info is worth a damn.

1(most credible)
Traditionally Published-Major House-multiple times last 10 years.
2
Traditionally Published-Medium Press-multiple times last 10 years.
3
Traditionally Published-Small/Micro Press-multiple times last 10 years.
4
Traditionally Published-Major House-once during last 5 years.
5
Traditionally Published-Medium Press-once during last 5 years.
6
Traditionally Published-Small/Micro Press-once during last 5 years.
7
Self-Published by method of starting own publishing company-at least one title during last 5 years.
8
Self-Published by method of starting own publishing company-at least one title during last 10 years.
9
Self-Published by way of vanity publisher-multiple times during last 5 years.
10
E-book published by traditional e-book publisher-number of times and time period irrelevent.
11
Traditionally Published-Major House-over 10 years ago.
12
Traditionally Published-Medium Press-over 10 years ago.
13
Traditionally Published-Small/Micro Press-over 10 years ago.
14
Self-Published by method of starting own publishing company-any number of titles over 10 years ago.
15
Self-Published by way of vanity publisher-one time during last 5 years.
16
Self-Published by way of vanity publisher-any number of titles over 5 years ago.
17 (least credible)
Unpublished.

Notes to consider.
A. Cookbooks never count.
B. Ghost written books by celebrities never count.
C. When comparing 2 authors within a credential group, Sci-fi author always gets ranked lowest. 
D. This is an ever evolving list, as publishing is an ever evolving industry (although some people would like to think it is not.)Your thoughts are encouraged.

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Why publishers do not pay advances.
Category: Writing and Poetry

There is a new trend among small to medium size publishing houses that is really upsetting writers who have been around for years.  The new trend is not paying an advance to writers.  In the past when a publisher wanted to secure your work for publication they would cut you a check for anywhere between a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars.  As more and more smaller presses have come into the publishing business advances have gotten smaller, or disappeared completely.  There are a few reasons for this.

1.  Publishers don't have to pay advances to secure writers. 

Unless a publisher wants to work with a celebrity, there is a good chance that they can still sign an author with no advance.  In the publishing industry publishers reject over 98% of all manuscripts submitted.  Most good writers will never be signed, and great writers may only get 1 or 2 book deals in their entire lives.  With the odds stack against the writer, most are willing to pass up an advance to get into print. 

2  Publishers want the author to work hard.

I always found it odd that the publishing industry would give someone an advance on their royalties and not expect it to be paid back if the book bombed.  The music industry standard is to "loan" the artist their advance with the understanding that they have to pay at least some of it back if the album bombs.  This keeps the artist very motivated to work hard promoting their album.  There is a though among many writers (most of them unpublished) that they can just take the royalty and walk away from their book.  For some strange reason they expect the book to fly off the shelves with no effort on their part, "The publisher is supposed to market my book not me!"  I'm not sure where this attitude came from since I see Steven King, John Grisham, Dean Koontz, and James Patterson on TV all the time hawking their new books.  To combat this attitude we at Xavier House Publishing do not pay an advance, we simply pay royalties starting at book one.

3  Newer publishers don't care about the way things have always been done.

Many new publishing ventures are started by people who have a background in business rather than writing.  Sometimes the worst person to run a publishing house is a writer.  When I was researching the business plan for Xavier House Publishing I looked at the way things have always been done.  What I found were many outdated, inefficient, and idiotic business practices.  Sometimes I get some grief from writers about some of my innovations.  They say I should do things the old way because that is the way they always have been done.  What I usually say to that is back in the 1800's someone decided that we shouldn't have slavery even though slavery is the way things always had been done.  Everyone with a brain now realizes that change was a good thing.  I know it is an extreme example but sometimes people need to be snapped back into reality.

What does all of this mean?

Well finally after 100's of years the publishing industry is modernizing.  Those writers who fail to embrace change will be left behind.  They will still be talking of the glory days when authors got advances for doing nothing, and did not have to promote their books.  They will be talking about how they are superior to self-publishers, and how they simply know more than anybody else…Even though they have never had their book in print, or got an advance, or written anything that didn't appear on a message board.

10:01 PM - 5 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment