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The new publishing opportunities available to writers in today's market are phenomenal. The gatekeepers, aka agents and editors, no longer have the final say on whether or not a project will find readers. Writers are being published traditionally, and this is great. But they are also finding ways to publish their books with subsidy companies and by self-publishing!

We are excited to welcome, Brooke Warner with She Writes Press. Some of you may recognize her name if you have been a member of the She Writes community or taken advantage of her coaching services. She Writes Press is a new company she has started with Kamy Wicoff, the founder of SheWrites.com. Brooke took some time to answer questions about the services and opportunities She Writes Press, a subsidy press, will give to authors. So, take it away, Brooke! 

WOW: Welcome, Brooke! There's a lot of buzz going on about your new independent publishing company, She Writes Press. All the interviews and comments I've read about it have writers excited and enthusiastic about the opportunities you are going to provide women writers! So, tell me, how is She Writes Press different than some of the other subsidy publishing companies like Outskirts Press, Inc?

Brooke: There are many self-publishing options in the world today, and they vary quite a bit. We consider ourselves to be a hybrid press. MJ Rose of Author Buzz recently told me she considers presses like ours to be co-op publishers. We are offering something unique in the marketplace because we are vetting our books. In order to publish on She Writes Press, your manuscript has to be up to industry standard, and we have editors and agents vetting our projects. Some writers will qualify to publish with SWP right out of the gate. For those authors who need either developmental editing or copyediting, we present a way to move forward with us for the end goal of publishing with SWP. The other primary thing that sets us apart from other self-publishing companies is our community of writers at SheWrites.com. She Writes Press serves the She Writes community, though you don't have to be a She Writer to publish with us. She Writes Press is mirroring a traditional publishing model. We are offering custom covers and interior design, not templates. We're also giving our authors a team, support, and an opportunity to be part of something bigger. Self-publishing can be a lonely endeavor, and we believe authors will be more successful as a result of having community, resources, and support.

WOW: That is DEFINITELY true--authors need community, resources, and support! It's great to hear that She Writes Press is thinking outside the box and offering writers new opportunities. What type of projects are you looking for to be some of your first books?

Brooke: We are accepting submissions across all genres, and we're not trying to specify what can and can't be considered. Our only stipulation is that the authors be female. Other than that, we are doing almost any genre. The only thing we're not doing at the moment are children's books and other high-production art books. Our sweet spot is going to be commercial fiction and memoir just because this is what we see most in our community; but I think we'll also do a lot of literary fiction and prescriptive books as well.

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Can a crack team of online readers replace agents?

Slush Pile Reader thinks so. They just announced a service where fledgling writers can upload manuscripts so the site's community can pick their favorites. The best books score a contract where "Slush Pile Reader will edit, publish, distribute, and market the book."

The idea sounds a little nutty, but the right combination of small print run presses and dedicated reading communities could be crazy enough to work.

Over at After the MFA, Gordon ponders a gym membership. I used to feel just like him, but now the gym is an invaluable part of my writing routine. Dig it: "up to now, I believed I had to choose one way of life or the other: make time to write and create, or make time to be fit and healthy."

Papercuts ponders the great storytelling program, This American Life, coming up with some helpful advice for anybody looking to write in this evolving genre of American fables.

 

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Following an exhausting week at my day-job, I'm starting the new week with a tired brain.

Luckily, the tireless reporters at Publishing News haven't been slacking, and they have some important insider gossip, straight from an exclusive "agents briefing" at Random House. 

While this site only skims the surface of the Big Picture in the publishing industry--we focus on the web writers and lit bloggers in the new digital wave--we still need to pay attention to these seismic shifts occurring at the highest levels of publishing.

Check it out:

"The message was clear: it's not getting any easier out there. Publishers' share of the trade is shrinking while at the same time discounts are rising. There has been conglomeration among retailers and wholesalers (EUK's takeover of Bertrams was mentioned) and the pressure on all publishers remains intense. 'They're saying something has to give,' was one assessment afterwards." 

Thanks to Ed Champion for the link. 

 

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