Writers' Reticence or About That Backlist

No one needs to tell me writers tend to be a bit reticent.

So I should have known it would be a challenge to open a press for authors who want to decide if and when their books get published. But I still think the idea behind why I started Bacon Press Books is pretty good.

Here’s what I was thinking six years ago:
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I knew a lot of writers (myself included) who’d had books published but only in hardcover. We never got that paperback deal. And our books were published way before eBooks. So we were missing out on a whole new world where books are more affordable and never go out of print.

On top of that, many authors who didn’t make a fortune on their latest book, often earned money from their backlist. Only some were discovering their backlist books were no longer available.

At the time, I’d been reading about new ways people could publish their own books. I figured if I learned how to do it, I could teach other writers or do it for them, and we’d all be drowning in sales.

I was excited by the idea that writers no longer had to wait to be chosen, accepted, anointed – we could make our books more available to readers without first getting someone else’s approval. We could do it quickly, fairly inexpensively.

I wasn’t out to compete with the Big 5. I didn’t want to decide who should or shouldn’t be published. I just wanted to make already published books available to readers in other formats.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t rich. The only way I could do it would be to have the writers pay for the interior and cover design and editing when necessary. I would create an imprint, take care of all the little annoying stuff. The authors would file for copyright, keep all rights, and would get most of the sales receipts as royalty payments.

Since I’d be re-issuing books that had already been published and authors would only be paying for services, this wouldn’t fall under the dreaded vanity press label.

Early on a friend put me in touch with another friend who’d been in the publishing business for years. He told me my business model was a recipe for not making money. If books had gone out of print, he said, there must have been a reason. Like maybe they weren’t selling.

To be honest, he was a little smug and condescending with a touch of mansplaining thrown in. I wanted him to be wrong.

My friend, neighbor, and dedicated writer, Judith Podell, had published a small collection of very funny stories. Her publisher had gone out of business. She agreed to let me practice on her book, Blues for Beginners: Stories and Obsessions. It was too short to put out in paperback, but it was perfect for an eBook. She did the artwork for the cover then we had an artist polish it. I found someone to do the interior layout. I learned how to publish on Kindle and Smashwords and I was in business.

The cost wasn’t all that much - I can’t remember what but I’m pretty sure together we spent less than $500.00.

Judith was happy to have her work out there again, and I was pleased that this publishing thing seemed doable.

But the path kind of veered in other directions. There was one nonfiction book I wanted to publish if the author didn’t get an agent. And another author asked about publishing his collection of stories so he could interest a publisher in his novel. Three authors had terrific novels that needed a home.

Three Brave Early Adapters

​Six years and fifteen books later, only 3 of the 15 books I’ve published have been re-issues. You Won’t Remember This: Stories by Kate Blackwell; Blues for Beginners by Judith Podell; and Sunset at Rosalie by the late Ann McLaughlin.

Every day I see older books promoted on the two discount lists I receive by email – BookBub and Book Gorilla. I’m often temped to pick up a copy of a book I’d meant to read or an author I want to know more about. Backlists are selling.

It’s a tough business. Unfortunately, so far that friend-of-a-friend has been  right – my business model has not led to financial success.  

But there were other successes. Some authors have used the re-issue to have another launch which has led to more readings, more reviews, and more exposure while they hammer out their next books.

And along the way I was lucky enough to find an amazing editor – Lorraine Fico-White (Magnifico Manuscripts); a wonderful cover designer – Al Pranke (Amp13); and a terrific interior designer – Lorie DeWorken (Mind the Margins). I’ve worked with some very talented writers. They’ve made this whole journey worthwhile. But I need to do better.

​So I’m doing a re-set. Maybe what I should have done at the beginning. I’m taking my own older novel – Waiting for Next Week - published ages ago by Henry Holt & Co. and re-issuing it in paperback and eBook.  

In part, I’ve avoided doing this because I was a little reticent. And I didn’t want to run into the accusation of starting a vanity press. But honestly, I’ve discovered all of that doesn’t matter. What does matter is  - if I think this is such a great idea for other authors, then I really ought to do it myself. Right?

I’ve taken the first steps – I had my hardcover book scanned. And right now I’m proofing because scanning can be a little wonky. I haven’t read it in years and was a little worried about re-reading and hating it. But it’s like finding old essays from college and being surprised that I ever knew so much about the Renaissance. Some of it’s not bad. Did I used to have a better imagination?

I’ve asked my favorite cover designer for a new, clean, modern cover. And my favorite interior designer will put it all together for paperback and eBook. There are fewer steps with a re-issue since it was heavily edited (I do remember that part); I already hold the copyright; and the book has a Library of Congress number. I’ve got a block of ISBNs and accounts with both Ingram and Amazon.

With any luck, the book will be out in March.
Stay tuned. ​
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A quick note: Right  after I published this I read Mike Shatzkin's
​2020: Zero year thoughts about the changes in book publishing 
https://www.idealog.com/blog/2020-zero-year-thoughts-about-the-changes-in-book-publishing/ 
that talks about what's happened to backlists over the years.