Is Publishing Basically Gambling? Book Distribution Survey Continued, and more...
Be the Person Your Subtitle Thinks You Are
Being the 14th edition of Assorted Nonsense, the official newsletter of Donovan Street Press Inc.
I’m constantly refining my thinking about what it is we want to accomplish with Donovan Street Press Inc. Here’s my latest noodling on the subject:
Donovan Street Press mission statement:
Publish books we believe in by authors we believe in
Make those books as compelling and attractive as possible
Find those books their audience
Help authors actually make money
I’m sure there’s a better way to state that last point but the sentiment remains. My first book came out in 2017 and since then I’ve discovered many brilliant ways to waste money around book publishing. It is unbelievably easy to spend more money making and promoting books than you earn. Turning writing and publishing books into an expensive hobby rather than a lucrative (or even just somewhat profitable) career.
I think it’s kind of like gambling. I live not far from a casino and I go there sometimes to eat (they have a great restaurant) and see shows (incredible how many great bands come through Moncton, New Brunswick). Sometimes I wander around the slot machines, blackjack tables and so on but I never play. I have friends who do and who never seem to lose money but I’m pretty sure I’d get so far lost down that rabbithole that I’d never find my way back.
I’m not judging because I do my own kind of gambling. With books. Writing a book is a gamble. Will I ever be able to finish this thing? Will it ever be any good? Will I ever get it published? Will anybody buy it? Will anybody like it? It’s all a gamble.
And then, when it does get published, the gambling continues. Will this cover work? Let’s change it, see if a new one does better. Let’s throw some money at this marketing newsletter ($). That didn’t work, let’s try this one. ()Let′stryaKirkusreview($). Let’s try a bookbub (), Let’s try Amazon ads. Facebook ads. Venezuelan Beaver ads. ($)
If you’re not careful, you can wind up essentially gambling a lot of money that most times will NEVER pay off. And before you know it, you’ve spent far more money than you’ll ever make.
I’ve tried all this. I’ve come to the conclusion that most of the money to be made in publishing is at the expense of authors. Pretty easy to make suckers out of us. Cuz we all share that dream: Becoming the next Stephen King, the next J.K. Rowling. MY book is special. As the hero of my own story, I WILL find that exact right (write?) formula to make this my books successful. It’s just a matter of time. And money…
So, having explored all those paths, I think I’m in a position to help authors avoid those mistakes. Save them those expenses. And make them a little money while we’re at it.
Why should you believe me?
Well, fellow author Den Valdron once endorsed me thusly:
I would trust Joe Mahoney with my second born son, or three of five daughters (but not all of them at once, but individually, or some lesser number.) I would donate bone marrow, or a left kidney (but not the right, that’s my favourite) (and no corneas) if he needed it. I would trust Joe Mahoney to have my back facing off a variety of aggressive herbivores or hungry predators of up to 211.4 kilograms collectively. I would trust Joe Mahoney not to trip me while fleeing a zombie apocalypse (not saying I would trip him, even if it was the sensible thing to do, or just really funny to see the expression.) Joe Mahoney is a good guy (for a value of chromosonally XY hominids of certain age, weight and height).
(By the way, if you haven’t read Den’s book The Mermaid’s Tale, what are you waiting for?)
I stumbled upon the following helpful chart outlining the distinctions between different types and levels of publishers by publishing consultant Jane Friedman (she used to work for Writers Digest). I found it on another Substack (not Jane’s): Hardcore Software by Steven Sinofsky.
Donovan Street Press Inc., once we really get going, will fall under the third category (Small Presses).
Sales and Distribution
After surveying publishers in Atlantic Canada (see previous editions of Assorted Nonsense for that) I turned my attention to sales and distribution. I would like to understand exactly how these companies work and who’s out there. There aren’t that many of them, so I’m tackling them one at a time. Last week we looked at a company called Ampersand Inc.
This week we’ll tackle these folks:
Canada Book Distributors
Who, it seems, also go under the names Lonepinepublishing and Lonepinemedia.
Canada Book Distributors is (obviously) the Canadian side of the operation; Lonepinepublishing is the US side of the operation. They have offices in Alberta and British Columbia.
I first became aware of their existence after seeing some of the books they distribute in a music store in Moncton. Their name and website were on the back of the books.
On their website, Canada Book Distributors claims to represent book sellers from across Canada, large and small. With all due respect, they don’t have the most attractive website. Nor is it particularly informative. There is no “About” page. I really had to dig to find out more about these guys.
They have a 1-800 number. I phoned them to find out more about them.
“We’re sorry,” the recorded message told me. “There is no one available to take your call. Please leave a message.” I decided not to leave a message.
(Just for fun, I tried Ampersand Inc. again, after having failed to reach anyone there last week. Again I was asked to leave a message. I didn’t. Doesn’t anyone answer phones anymore?)
Canada Book Distributors appear to represent about ten publishers. At least, that’s all that are listed on their site. Some of the publishers seem to be directly a part of Lonepinepublishing (sic) while others (like Quagmire Press and Dragon Hill) seem to have some autonomy and be run by actual individuals (Hank Boer and Marina Michaelides, respectively).
(Incidentally, I’ve been wondering what to call myself with regard to Donovan Street Press. Hank of Quagmire calls himself President and Publisher; Marina of Dragon Hill calls herself Owner and President and, on the submissions page, Editorial Director. Myself, I’m thinking Grand Poobah might fit nicely.)
Anyhoo, back to Canada Book Distributors. Interestingly, they state that they receive financial support from the Government of Canada. I’m thinking that this is for the book publishing part of their operation as opposed to the distribution side, but I could be wrong. Maybe it’s both.
They do represent a whackload of books about a lot of different things.
What else?
According to the Book Publishers Association of Alberta, Lone Pine Publishing:
…is creating a library of books that celebrates the diversity and character of our own backyards. Their interest in nature, outdoor recreation and popular history has led them to publish titles of local relevance to enrich our appreciation of who we are as a people and a place.
According to Hank Boer, President and Publisher of Quagmire Books:
It’s also important that we have the right kind of support, especially early on. I feel we have that in the agreement we have with Canada Book Distributors, a distributor with an extensive North American distribution network, that will handle our distribution and marketing.
In the same interview, in a response to a question about the name of his publishing company, Hank says this about publishing, which I can’t resist adding:
“Take a close look at book publishing some time. If it’s not a quagmire, I don’t know what is.”
Amen.
History of Rome
I just finished listening to all 179 episodes of Mike Duncan’s The History of Rome podcast.
What a stunning podcast.
One of my daughters made fun of me for listening to it. Apparently it’s a guy thing, being into the history of Rome. Well, it was definitely a Joe thing. I usually listened to it in the car, on long road trips, or even jaunts around town, on the way back and forth to the supermarket or Costco. With episodes between 15 and 30 minutes long, it was perfect.
Anyway, Mike Duncan did an incredible job. Well written, well-read, thoughtful, informative, even at times amusing. If you’re at all interested in history, or ancient Rome, or leadership, or just down for a fun podcast, I highly recommend Mike Duncan’s History of Rome. (He’s also written books, too, and is producing other historical podcasts now.)
Donovan Street Press Books (So Far!)
Adventures in the Radio Trade
"In dozens of amiable, frequently humorous vignettes... Mahoney fondly recalls his career as a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio technician in this memoir... amusing and highly informative." ~ Kirkus Reviews
A Time and a Place
“Entertaining, chaotic adventure.” ~ Publishers Weekly.
A note as well that the hardcover version of A Time and a Place now features the new cover, and is available at a much less expensive price than before.
Other Times and Places
“ …a lovely little collection of sci-fi and fantasy short stories, fun and well written.” ~ Charles P. Kelly
The Deer Yard and Other Stories
“Partly memoir, partly fiction, The Deer Yard is more than merely a good read …well-written, gentle stories, well worth reading.” ~ Ottawa Review of Books
Coming Soon
The Gates of Polished Horn by Mark A. Rayner
Re-Creative: the Podcast
Our podcast Re-Creative (hosted by the author of this newsletter, Joe Mahoney, and author Mark A. Rayner) is currently on a brief hiatus, but will resume shortly.
Future guests already in the can include: Michael Antman, Catherine Fitzsimmons, Candas Jane Dorsey, and Ira Nayman.
Yet to be recorded but already booked include: Ben Fox (of Shepherd Books), Tony Schwarz (1st Assistant AD of Firefly), Blair Young, Tom Bradley, Hugh Spencer, Jenn Thorson, Abigail (Abby) Grimes.
And both John Scalzi and David Brin (the latter having already appeared once on show) have promised to make time for us in the near future.
Appearances
I’ll be at the Mother’s Day Market in Richibucto Saturday May 11th from 9am until 2pm.
I’m always on the look out for new places to sell books. If you know of any, lemme know at joemahoney@donovanstreetpress.com
This has been the fourteenth edition of Assorted Nonsense, the official newsletter of Donovan Street Press Inc.