You may remember how Azure Fire Publishing has both hired me to be their Editor-in-chief and asked me to publish my fantasy/sci-fi books with them.
I now have some more exciting news to share: Patakis, the largest Greek publishing house, has bought in advance my next 3 children’s books and will publish them next year in Greece. Which means I am officially a hybrid author, as they also offered me a cash advance (a small one, but hey, it’s the principle, right?)
The new books continue the adventures of the little boy, his dog, and a few new cast members including a dragon (some Musiville favorites also make guest appearances). Their titles are Valiant Smile, Whisker Smile, and Lola’s Smile. All books will now be officially part of the Mystery Smiles series (the old name, Niditales, will now be phased out).
The first book will be published in Greece in March and the rest are scheduled for May and October. As I still hold the rights for the English language, I will be self-publishing them on Amazon in the same months.
Negotiating With A Publisher
- Patakis first expressed an interest in my books almost 3 years ago. Even though we’d hit it off, I never heard from them for over 2 years. Then, earlier this year, I received an email telling me they would be interested in signing me on. Things in the publishing world move far slower than in the Indie one (“at a glacial speed,” as a seasoned pro once described it). Keep that in mind when you send in manuscripts or respond to a publisher’s interest. Publishers work at a completely different timescale than Indies. They make long-term plans and already have a publishing schedule that spans several years. Which means it can take a while before they get to your book.
- It took us over 6 months of negotiations to successfully sign the contracts. The first draft they sent me covered all of their needs. The final contract was more balanced, addressing my concerns as well. For example, I made sure to include clauses that would see the rights to the books revert to me in the event of the publisher going bust or in the event they sold under 150 copies in a single year. Stick to your guns where it matters to you.
- Patakis accepted increasing some royalties during our negotiations. Others, not so much. I know I said you should stick to your guns, but you should also be ready to compromise and accept that you win some, you lose some. Choose your battles and know when to budge.
- I’ve heard plenty of authors (especially trad-published ones) claim that no publisher would ever touch an Indie-published work. I’ve always been skeptical of that claim. Now, I know it’s a non-issue. Indeed, being an Indie was a definite advantage in my case. It has taught me a lot about publishing. It has honed my writing and marketing skills. And it helped me understand the publisher’s point of view during our contract negotiations, something that proved invaluable. I got far more generous terms than most authors signing on to a major publisher because of my Indie experience, as the publisher admitted. Having a proven sales record also helped secure a better contract. It also allowed me to keep the publishing rights for the English language, as I could prove that I was doing a better job selling my book than they would.
- My book marketing expertise was much appreciated. In fact, they offered me a consultancy position to help them push some of their other books on Amazon. Which shows you just how precious (and uncommon) a skill it still is.
- When negotiating your contract, consult a lawyer and be honest. If a term gives you pause, let them know. Explain what it is that troubles you and offer a solution that covers your needs as well. Always be polite and professional, but don’t be afraid to speak your mind. You’re entering a partnership, and it’s the same as with any romantic relationship: if they can’t love you for who you are, chances are it won’t last long.
- Do your homework. Is the publisher someone you want to do business with? What do you hear from other authors? In my case, I was helped a lot by two Greek authors (hi Marina, Kosta) who knew what’s happening in the Greek publishing world. When, 3 years ago, I enlisted the help of Delta Publishers in distributing my first book in Greece, I failed to do all that. As a result, I never saw a penny of my sales. Learn from my mistake and don’t rush into things.
janetweightreed10 said:
Congratulations. Enjoy a beautiful holiday season and a very happy new year. Janet 🙂
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Janet 🙂
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Stevie Turner said:
Congrats!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you, Stevie 🙂
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Stevie Turner said:
You’re welcome.
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Charles Yallowitz said:
Congrats. I still hear the thing about nobody wanting to take on an indie author these days because of a first release thing. I’ve been wondering if that’s true or might be more of an American thing. The second reason is because I noticed that I usually hear that from people over here. Did you have an agent for this?
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
No, I contacted them directly. My illustrator had already done some work for them, so I had a reference. As for the first release thing, I was surprised by how grateful they were that I already knew the (marketing) ropes and they didn’t have to teach me.
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Charles Yallowitz said:
The agent thing is what stops me from trying. All of the publishers I find require one. Won’t even let you through the mail slot or spam filter at times.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
You need to find someone who knows someone (who knows someone…). That’s probably why you get so many authors whose resume includes a stint as interns at publishing houses.
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Charles Yallowitz said:
I found a few people that know someone. For some reason, nothing comes of it. Not really sure what I can do to change that either. I did look into that type of internship when I was in college, but they didn’t have anything for my field. The internship program focused primarily on education and science.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Did I mention that it also took a lot of praying? 🙂
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Charles Yallowitz said:
Hmmmm. That might work better than me looking at the sky and saying ‘Really!?’ after every setback.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
“Oh, Lord of the lion and the lamb, would it break some vast, eternal plan, if I were a wealthy man?”
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Charles Yallowitz said:
I’ll even take a man who doesn’t have to cry about bills. No need to be rich. I’ll be happy with just enough money to stay off the street and keep on writing.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
My feelings exactly. I wonder just how “successful” an author you need to be to make that happen.
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Charles Yallowitz said:
I’ve wondered that too. Seems you can’t get anywhere, at least over here, without a movie or tv show as well.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Let’s be honest; I hadn’t even heard of Game of Thrones until the series.
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Charles Yallowitz said:
I was the same with Divergent and, to a lesser extent, Hunger Games. A lot of these series are popular in their own circles, but then explode with a media change. Now, you have authors, agents, and publishers out there who are looking at that as the end game instead of the published book.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
First we take Manhattan… 🙂
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Charles Yallowitz said:
They always take Manhattan or Los Angeles.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Yeah, what’s with that? Isn’t anyone interested in, say, New Jersey?
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Charles Yallowitz said:
Nope. Not even people in New Jersey.
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gibsonauthor said:
Reblogged this on s a gibson.
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brilliantviewpoint said:
This is wonderful news! Glad to hear of your accomplishments – congratulations. Also, extremely nice of you to share your story, so we can learn some good tips from you. This is a GREAT holiday for you!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much 😀
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Marcia said:
Reblogged this on The Write Stuff and commented:
A wonderful post from Nicholas Rossis today, on things he has learned about signing a Trad-Pub contract. Interesting reading for those who are considering that route, and even for those who aren’t. (You never know when you might change your mind.) Check it out, and oh, yeah . . . pass the word! Enjoy!
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Marcia said:
Great post, Nicholas. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. I’m taking note of your good news, and the process involved in getting you to this point. Very interesting! 🙂
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Marcia! It did teach me a lot 🙂
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Marje @ Kyrosmagica said:
How wonderful Nicholas all your hard work has paid off so pleased for you. 🙂
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Marje 🙂
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Staci Troilo said:
Congratulations and best wishes!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Staci 🙂
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olganm said:
Congratulation, Nicholas and good luck!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Olga 🙂
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rijanjks said:
This is excellent, Nicholas. I would agree that being an Indie Author and seeing both sides of the coin would help with a traditional contract. I hope to be needing this advice in the near future. Thank you for sharing so openly.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
A pleasure! I hope you get to use that info real soon 🙂
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rijanjks said:
Oh yes! And Congratulations, Nicholas!!
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The Story Reading Ape said:
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog.
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Mae Clair said:
Congratulations on the book deal. That is fabulous!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Mae 🙂
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Cynthia Reyes said:
Great advice, Nicholas. Question: what benefits do you see in using traditional publishing vs. Indie?
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
You know, that might be a great question for a future post. In this case, distribution. Greece is a strange case, as only 5% of Greeks buy books online. As a result, bookstore distribution is the only way to reach readers. I couldn’t do that as an Indie.
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Marina Costa said:
This is a thing I know about too. 😉 You also haven’t said if in Greece there are any agents (as Charles Yallowitz had mentioned). Because here we don’t have any agents. What does an agent in the USA here is done by the publisher.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
I honestly don’t know. I’ll have to ask 🙂
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Ernesto San Giacomo said:
Wonderful news and some good advice.
Big Congrats Nick!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much! How’s the wee one? Still keeping up at night? 🙂
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Ernesto San Giacomo said:
He had a fever the other night, but still growing like a weed.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
So sorry to hear that! I remember the first time the wee one was sick. Scary stuff…
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paulandruss said:
Congratulations Nicholas and thanks for sharing you experience. It teaches us all a lot. Merry Christmas Paul
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Paul! Merry Christmas 🙂
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D.L Finn, Author said:
Congrats and thanks for all the insight.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much 🙂
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Alethea Kehas said:
Great advice and congratulations!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Truth 🙂
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kimwrtr said:
Congratulations, Nicholas!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Kim 🙂
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jenanita01 said:
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Anna Dobritt said:
Reblogged this on Anna Dobritt — Author.
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OIKOS™-Redaktion said:
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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tracikenworth said:
Congrats, Nicholas!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Traci 🙂
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Lara/Trace said:
You are so generous to share all your efforts and a big congrats on publishing!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Lara, you’re too kind 🙂
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mypeacockbooks said:
Congratulations I’m a bit late in reading this but such a wonderful piece of news! 🙂 And some great advice especially on negotiating contracts as its something I don’t know anything about. Over here in the UK I’ve seen some of the smaller publishers state in their submissions information that they’d be willing to consider indie published work so it’s not so much a problem here, it depends more on the publisher as I do believe there’s a chance out there without going to an agent. However it’s finding those publishers that’s tough and the there are often new ones showing up so its always worth re-checking every now and then. I also know of some books I’ve read which were previously self-published titles (YA books in my case) however they’ve been grabbed by a big UK publisher and re-released so I don’t agree with any trad published people who say that it can’t happen.
Congratulations again, hope you have a great Christmas and New Year! 🙂
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Unless it’s a US-specific attitude toward Indies, it sounds like a myth busted. Merry Christmas 🙂
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Jennie said:
Nicholas, this was such an interesting post. Thank you for sharing your experiences, and congratulations!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Jennie 🙂
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Jennie said:
My pleasure, Nicholas. 🙂
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cristeecook said:
Congratulations! Great information. Thanks for sharing!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you–and welcome 🙂
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