MSI Press Blog

  photograph by Frank Perez) It is Tuesday. Time to tall turkey. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side. Today's topic addresses expectations that authors, especially first-time authors, have of publishers. Often these are unreasonable and are just not going to happen, leading to disappointment. Jane Friedman has written an excellent column on this topic, pointing out the following: Publishers are not going to send you on a national book tour--and shouldn't.  Publishers are not going to invest as much in your book as they would in a bestselling author--and what they invest is likely to be far less than you thought and hoped when you embarked on this journey. Publishers are not going to thro

  (photo by Frank Perez) Because we work with first-time authors, we are exposed to some wild ideas about what publishers should be doing for them -- and how quickly. Let's look, then, at reality. What authors can/should expect publishers to do for them:  Provide you with a fair contract (you should be able toheck out the terms with a legal advisor if you wish) that  states the rights that are being purchased (do NOT sell ALL rights) and for what period of time (and under what conditions rights will be reverted); describes details of the process of publication -- what is expected of authors and what is expected of the publisher; and provide times and deadlines.      Professionally prepare your book for publication by editing and copyediting the text; typeset the text (allowing you to make necessary corrections); and prepare a cover.            Professionally print your book.  Promote your book within parameters discussed and agreed to by contract; this generally includes  making th