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E, Me and the Big Apple: A two-book deal from NAL
April 6, 2008 | 11:28 am
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By Katherine Smith
Does New York notice e-book authors? I’ve asked that question before, and now I can answer.
Well, it does, at least in my case.
Last week my agent, Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Agency, called me with a two-book deal with NAL. After I picked myself off the floor, I believe I mumbled some inarticulate words of gratitude that probably made her wonder how on earth I could string two sentences that made sense together in a manuscript, and we ended the call.
Well, wow, I said to myself.
The “how”
So how did this happen? Did my name in the world of e-books—I also write as Emma Wildes—help? When I found the presence of mind to ask, the answer was yes.
Proven success there does means something, and so it should. Some very talented authors are spreading their wings, learning the game, and the venue of e-publishing lends itself nicely to the discovery of unique voices. The advantages are huge because companies like Siren Publishing, Loose ID, Samhain Publishing, and Ellora’s Cave, to name only a few, offer very good editing, great covers, advertising in places like Romantic Times Book Reviews, and they sell books.
In some cases, lots of books. And praise be for Fictionwise and places like the ever-growing ARe that offer e-books in almost every format possible to an international market. Authors and publishers build a solid following only by turning out a very good product, just like with any other medium.
And apparently, New York is watching.
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Comments:
Congratulations!
Based on a number of conversations with agents and editors, I believe that the big NY publishers are starting to think of small press/ePress as the minor leagues which they can continue to scout for talent. Certainly they don’t see us as the losers of the bunch any more (which they certainly did ten years ago). ePublishers, partly because of our shorter time to market, and partly because we have less to lose when we make a mistake, will take chances big publishers simply can’t afford. Sometimes this pays off big. Glad to hear that you are one of our successes. (Don’t forget us now that you’ve made the big-time).
Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com
NAL? Harlan Ellison sent them the rotting body of a dead gopher to get out of his contract. They were still talking about that when I was shackled to them. I had to *destroy* my books to get free of them. I can’t congratulate you on being wooed by a slavehouse. They’ll suck the life out you.