E-publishing Credits, Help or Hinderance?
The Diva Forum has been tossing this question around. Melissa Blue was wondering at what point do e-publishing credits help your chances of getting an editor/agent? Or is it a hinderance to have those e-publishing credits?
A Diva is never shy with her opinion, so there were lots of great answers ::
There’s no hindrance to any publishing credit: e-books, articles, non-fiction writing-anything. Most agents and editors will look at your e-pubbing history as meaning that you can complete a story and have some at least basic experience with the editing process and with promotions. Pubbing with NY is very different, but e-pubbing first was definitely helpful to me as a writer. - Eden Bradley, published with Bantam, Berkley, Phaze
If you cross genres it hinders I have found. When I first started querying agents with my YA MS I put in my epubbing credits. A LOT of R’s, it was only when I excluded it that I started getting partial and full requests. I have a feeling credits as an erotica author are not a step up for getting a YA agent! — Elaina Huntley, published with Liquid Silver, Phaze
I have noticed several authors who had published with Big Fish E-Publishers like Ellora’s Cave and Samhain moving to publishing in NY and doing well so far. Anya Bast and Shiloh Walker are good examples. Our own Tawny Taylor published with epubs and now has a NY published book. Crystal also writes for epubs and for Kensington - Vivienne Westlake
Having pubbed credits of any kind is a double edged sword. It shows prospective editors/agents that you can produce and have understand the editing process. You’re not a newbie. And, depending on how many titles you have out, you’re a serious career writer. All good stuff.
But, when you have previous pubbed experience, prospective agents/editors will almost always look at your sales numbers. You might have an awesome book that you’re trying to sell them, but if you previous numbers are low, they’re going to be hesitant to pick it up. Those numbers carry weight. It’s not a death sentence, but it does factor in.
Having said that, I think most agents/editors are familiar with e-publishing’s potential for much lower numbers. I certainly wouldn’t stop e-publishing for fear of low numbers, but be aware that your publishing record will follow you wherever you go. — Gemma Halliday, published with Dorchester
It depends on who you e-publish with. Not just the size of the publisher, but their level of professionalism. If you’re looking for experience, you want the experiences to be good. With the better e-pubs, it’s just as hard as NY to get a contract, which is why you see authors frpm there doing both.
Agents will ask right out why you chose e-pub for a particular title. You have to be able to answer…and saying you weren’t ready for NY isn’t the right one. They’ll advise you not to put your name on anything you wouldn’t be proud of in ten years.
For me, e-pub has been about length and topic. Short stories are hard to place; e-pubs have given them a home and some status. With short novels there is only one massive publishing umbrella considering them traditionally. And I also wrote a book about golf that isn’t about golf. It’s about using the tiny golf skirts to catch attention…and sports themes are a hard sell to NY, even when the sport is used for comedy. Who knew? — Jenna Bayley-Burke, published with Mills & Boon, Samhain
I had my agent pull something from a NY editor where it was under serious consideration…and she told me to go ahead and accept the offer from an epub since the NY publisher was taking too long. I thought that was interesting… But it does show that my agent takes epublishing seriously, as I believe she should.
Editors from HQN, NAL, and Grand Central asked about my epublishing experience. Also, my NY houses are using review quotes from my epublished books on my back cover! — Dawn Halliday, published with Samhain, NAL, Grand Central
The thing is, e-publishing and NY publishing are totally different animals, with different sales models. People forget that, but it’s a really important thing to remember. Yes, it’s about writing books, but NY is very slow on the e-pub bandwagon (and e-royalties from NY reflect this). My point is just that I think it’s good to keep in mind that e-pub houses and NY houses operate very differently, and to a lot of old-school NY editors/agents, it really doesn’t matter how many e-pubbed books you have out there, they still won’t count it as being published. — Lillian Fiesty, published with Ellora’s Cave, SPICE, Grand Central
I wasn’t asked about my e-publishing history by Kensington before they bought me, although it was one of my e-pubbed books that my agent read and then offered to represent me-so that was an advantage to have. I’m not sure if it does any good or not, to be totally honest, although I also know K did go and look at my website and took quotes from my e-book reviews to use for the cover. Personally, what e-pub gave me was an understanding of the publishing process, an opportunity to try all kinds of stuff and the ability to define my voice-all things that I think helped me sell to NY later. That’s why I still write for both. - Kate Pearce, published with Kensington, Virgin, Ellora’s Cave
Psyche, by Aislinn Kerry
All that Glitters, by Aislinn Kerry
