Publisher’s Desk: The Final Battle

BY PENNY FREEMAN

This blog post is the culmination of my Citadel series, explaining who and what we are at Hamilton Springs Press/Xchyler Publishing, and our philosophy regarding the publishing industry. Specifically, I hope over the course of the previous four articles that I have answered one young author’s question of “Why should I choose Xchyler?”

To sum up.
Although Xchyler belongs to that new breed of publishing house, the micro-publisher, which have sprung up like mushrooms around the mighty oak that is Amazon and their print-on-demand capabilities, we differ in significant ways.

Alternative perspective.
Unlike so many publishers and other media types who fill the airwaves with their grousing about Big Bad Amazon, we see their business model as a boon to writers everywhere. I heard one Intelligencia publisher cant about how dangerous it was to put a universal price of $9.99 on ideas, and I thought, what a bunch of bunk!

If an author’s ideas are so important, don’t you want them at a price accessible to the broadest scope of readers? Or, do “they” suppose that the great unwashed masses are incapable of grasping complex concepts or philosophies, and thus such books must be priced out of their range to protect the sanctity of the thought? What is this, the Dark Ages?

Yes, a single idea can change the world, but to do that, people have to hear/see/read it. We at The X mean to avail ourselves of every opportunity to make wonderful things happen.

The long haul.
We do not demand up-front payments to get an author’s work on either virtual or RL book shelves. Because we operate solely on a royalty basis, everyone, from the Front Office to Editorial to Graphics to Marketing, is thoroughly invested in the success of the properties we accept. We work hard to make the most efficient creative tools available to our authors.

We do not cut writers loose to fend for themselves as soon as we receive their checks for editorial, marketing, and graphics services, after demanding they purchase a minimum number of copies, of course.

That’s not how we roll. At The X, everybody benefits from success, so everybody takes the risk, makes the investment.

Quality.
Many “publishing” companies are simply proofreading and graphics services. For a fee, they will correct your spelling and punctuation (if you’re lucky), allow you to choose from a catalog of generic, previously designed book “covers”, slap your title on the front, and then dump your manuscript into the murky swill that is e-book Purgatory. If that is what you’re looking for, you have come to the wrong place.

Yes, we are small. Yes, we publish e-books and use print-on-demand, but that is where the similarity ends. When we accept a manuscript, or more commonly, sign a developmental contract with an author, we provide full editorial services. We will not put our name on the spine until we’re proud to be affiliated—even defined—by what is inside. Getting to that point can become a painful process for author and editors alike, but, ultimately, well worth the effort.

So, unless writers are willing to approach the production process in this manner, we’re not the publisher they’re looking for. This may seem presumptuous or even condescending on our part, but, frankly, authors who come to us recognize that their efforts to that point haven’t produced the results they had hoped for and that professional help can improve their work. We may be their second (or third or fourth choice), but that’s exactly what we provide.

What draws authors to us will change over time, as our reputation for quality grows, and we prove the advantages of independent “boutique” publishers. However, our service and our philosophy will remain unchanged. Each author’s success is our own, their improvement and professional growth our goal. Each title represents a personal investment from the whole team.

When push comes to shove.
Authors must understand that we will not publish, let alone acquire, works we don’t believe in. We’re willing to put in the work if they are.

However, in the short history of The X, there have been two or three occasions where either the author failed to see the need for the work recommended by their editors, or felt incapable of meeting expectations. In those instances, although we regretted the author’s decision to abandon the project, we released them from their contract, with our best wishes for their success.

As I said, we are thoroughly invested in the manuscripts and authors we sign, but we require that same commitment from them. Although other publishers may simply shelve the project, denying the author the rights to their own work, for The X, continuing nonproductive relationships serves no purpose.

The long and the short of it.
Producing four anthologies a year is work. A lot of work. From advance promotion to post-release marketing, each anthology represents a significant investment of time and energy from the lion’s share of our staff. So, why do we do it? Quite simply, because we don’t have to go looking (or dredge the slush pile) for promising authors. They come to us.

Through the judging and publication process, because of its rapid production schedule, our rigorous editorial approach, and the nature of short stories themselves, we get to know the authors in a very short period of time, and they get to know us. We all learn if we can work together; if the writer embraces our philosophy, if they and the editors “click”. Sometimes, we even inspire one another.

And, when all the stars align, this speed dating of the publishing world results in beautiful relationships with promising futures—even literary marriage. Currently, we have no fewer than five of our anthology authors signed to developmental contracts. They are a known commodity and, for us, an excellent risk, as we are for them.

Queuing up.
In case I haven’t been clear, at Hamilton Springs Press/Xchyler Publishing, we’re all about the relationships. We work best with writers whom we know, and who know us, who can work within our guidelines, and who see constructive criticism as a challenge to improve their craft, rather than a personal insult.

However, we accept open submissions for short stories during the contests for our Steampunk, fantasy, mystery/thriller, and paranormal anthologies. This is the best (and proven) way for serious writers to get our attention. We also accept unsolicited manuscripts during three months of the year, October 1st through December 31st.

We prefer original manuscripts but have accepted previously self-published titles. In such cases, the author removes their previous edition from the market upon receipt of their contract, and regards that version as the rough draft of their work. We then treat it to the same editorial scrutiny and revision as we would any other project. We evaluate these on a case-by-case basis.