Weekend Thread: Book Therapy
Your chance to ask me anything about book publishing.
Confidantes,
Welcome to Book Therapy!
This community is for paid subscribers, and the goal is to create a safe space where you can ask questions about the publishing industry/process, book publicity, and marketing. It’s also a space where you can share what you’re worried about in book publishing.
Please post your questions in the comments, and I will answer them throughout the day & weekend.
PLEASE READ THE RULES:
-If you are asking a question about YOUR book, please tell me a little bit about it, or my response will be, “It depends on the book…”
-I cannot answer questions via email. Please post your questions in the comments. You'll need to be a paid subscriber to do that.
-I can only provide ADVICE when I respond to specific questions, not definitive answers.
-This is a forum where questions are asked. It is not a forum to write lengthy commentary about your book or the publishing industry (or political beliefs, etc.). If you reply to someone’s question, do so in a helpful way.
-Be respectful to me and others. Everyone’s experience is different. Be kind. Unkind comments will not be tolerated.
-If I don’t know the answer, I will tell you and try to provide a resource where you might find it.
-Please don’t use the comments to self-promote. That’s not what this thread is about.
-There’s no such thing as a stupid question. We don’t know what we don’t know!
-Please be patient. I’ll pop in and out to answer you.
-The more context you provide, the better response I can give you.
-Please allow me the weekend to answer your questions. The deadline to post a question is Sunday night. After that, you’ll have to wait until the next edition of Book Therapy.
Please limit your questions to one comment so I can keep track of them and be fair to others who have questions.
-I have the least experience in YA and kid’s books, so I don’t feel comfortable advising that territory.
-This is a community effort so others may chime in with their own knowledge.
Ready? Go!
-Kathleen
I am querying a completed memoir and have received some encouraging responses from agents, but no requests for full mss based on proposal. If I were to go with a reputable hybrid publisher for this first book, what impact might that have (in today's publishing climate) on my next book in terms of traditional publishing route? Is there a general feeling about authors who self-publish and hybrid-publish before pursuing a book deal?
Kathleen! As always, thanks for your expertise. I have a biz side question for you. Your publishing company is understaffed in every department, and annual numbers are following the industry trend of declining, but you now have $50k to invest. In your opinion, what would be the best way to spend that $50k? Hire staff? Hire freelancers? Increase author advances to acquire work from a more platformed author? Strategic marketing investments?
Love to hear your thoughts! Thank you.