The Small Press

Contrary to popular belief I can’t make it rain when it comes to contracts. However, when it comes to the pitch and a synopsis I am one of heck of a pitch woman, and when it comes to finding a quality small press the pitch, and knowing what you want, is key.

I belong to three houses. MuseItUp Publishing, Hydra Publications, and Blackwyrm Publishing. One of them is a Canadian e-publisher, one is located in Madison, IN, and the other is in my hometown of Louisville, KY. They each offer me something different.

Muse taught me how to self-market and put me through a kind of marketing bootcamp. Between them and digicon of Savvy Authors I came out ready made to promote myself. 

Hydra gave me my first print book. That’s what I wanted. Hydra is in its infancy as a company and Frank has big ambitions for the company. I signed on for the print book though.

And finally Blackwyrm, they offer a unique set up. They cover marketing, cover, editing. The book breaks even you get 50% of the profit. You can ‘jump the stack’ by actively marketing yourself and your work. It’s more of a partnership and some may not like it, but I’ve seen some things that I really like about it and I knew what I was walking into.

Knowing what a small press can and can not do for you in key. Their budgets are not that of a traditional press and even theirs aren’t great for the unknowns. Keep that in mind. Authors have a daydream about what the Big 6 can do for them and while it does sometimes happen, it’s rare.

Now all of that being said I am enjoying the fruits of my labor. The small press rewards fast writers, fast learners, and those who can pitch extremely well, at least, that’s been my experience.

And in this in flux publishing world it would do people well to research their press they choose to go to very well. You don’t want to be ripped off. I’m not paying a single out of pocket cost to have my books published. And if you are, you’re in the wrong place.

As you travel this crazy world of writing and publishing remember, writing is art, publishing is a business. But that’s another lesson for another time.

Conglomeration

 
Last year, I helped out with Louisville?s multimedia science fiction  
and fantasy convention, ConGlomeration. They were so grateful, that  
they forced me to serve them for all time. I mean, they inducted me  
into the convention committee.
 
ConGlomeration has some great people and events this year. On a normal  
year, you can expect to see authors, artists, gamers, musicians, and  
cosplayers (costume wearers). This year, we also have mad science  
experiments and a troupe of actors.
 
We're bringing in the independent theater group The Alley. At their  
own place, they've performed such wonders as Evil Dead: The Musical,  
Star Wars in 60 Minutes or Less, The Matrix, and Hitchhikers Guide to  
the Galaxy. At ConGlomeration, you can see them perform two radio  
serial-based shows that are included in your normal ticket price:  
Flash Gordon and Commander Cody. Normally, to see two shows by The  
Alley would cost more than your generally admission to ConGlomeration,  
but these are being thrown in as a bonus.
 
We?re bringing LVL1 (?Level 1?) hackerspace. They?re a collective  
group of scientists, engineers, inventors, and other geniuses who  
share a four-story building filled with high-tech equipment, all so  
they can play around with it and see what kind of wild stuff they can  
make. They're bringing a device that will let ConGlomeration attendees  
explode a watermelon with just the power of their minds.
 
But we're not neglecting our usual attractions. There will be dozens  
of vendors, carrying everything from books to jewelry to swords. Our  
hospitality suite will be stocked with all the drinks and snacks you  
want, including a 'high tea' on Saturday as led by the Louisville Tea  
Company.  There will be board games, card games, miniatures games, and  
roleplaying games played throughout the event, including a game  lending library to 

try out new games. Noted gamer Sean Patrick  
Fannon will be up from Atlanta. Indie Press Revolution will be on hand  
to introduce you to weird games you?ve never heard of.
 
There will be dozens of events, seminars, and panel discussions.  
Listen to filking (parody singing), and concerts by Drunk & Sailor and  
by the Klingon klezmer folk band Il Troubador. Watch our masquerade  
for amazing contests and skits.
 
We also have special guests of honor that we?re bringing in:
 
Artist: Beth Trott is primarily a watercolorist but also works in a  
number of other mediums, including digital, oils, graphite, and pen  
and ink. Her clients include Fantasy Flight Games, Paizo Publishing,  
White Wolf Publishing, and Wizards of the Coast, and Harper Collins.
 
Author: Ian 'Lizard' Harac is an alpha nerd, with works published for  
Dungeons & Dragons, GURPS, the Dying Earth books, and the HERO system,  
as well as a regular column for PC World magazine. He leads the  
science fiction and fantasy writers group in Louisville. He'll be  
reading from his novel The Rainbow Connection, in which an FBI agent  
goes to the land of Oz to solve a Munchkin?s murder, and from Medic,  
in which a sentient ambulance in a post-apocalyptic future spew his  
thoughts.
 
Publisher: Jason Sizemore of Apex Books is by his own admission a hillbilly done good.

His Apex Magazine has featured pieces from some  
of the most famous science fiction and fantasy authors today, and was  
a finalist for the 2012 Hugo Awards. As an editor, Jason has been  
nominated personally for a Hugo and a Stoker Award.
 
What: ConGlomeration
When: Friday April 5 ? Sunday April 7 2013
Where: Ramada Inn Plaza, 9700 Bluegrass Pkwy, Louisville KY 40299
How Much: Admission is $45, which covers the entire three days, and  
all of the programming.
Online: www.conglomeration.info, www.facebook.com/conglomerationky,  
twitter.com/conglomeration
Who: YOU!
 
 
 
-- 
Dave Mattingly
BlackWyrm