ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

How to Tell a Good Small Press Publisher From a Bad One

Updated on March 7, 2014

Looking for a first or new publisher can be daunting, especially in the booming world of small presses, where there are potentially dozens in your genre to choose from - inevitably, some better than others. Part of what to look for in a publisher will come down to personal preference, but there are also some things that should be universal.

Keep these tips in mind on your search and you'll be more likely to avoid the pitfall of a bad publisher and all of the unpleasant things that can come with trying to deal with one.

Are You Looking for a Publisher?

See results

Signs of a Bad Publisher

Firstly, let's look at a couple of the major warning signs you might see if you're dealing with or looking to deal with a bad publisher.

  • Lack of Transparency - In general, good presses will list their staff, their submission terms and guidelines, royalty rates, the rights they usually seek to require, and any other pertinent information. A press website lacking clear information should be taken as a red flag.
  • Long Response Times - If a press is either reporting a long response time on their website, or they fail to respond to you within the time frame they've provided, you're better off not wasting your time. More than 10 weeks would be excessive for a small press.
  • Poor Webstore Design - Do you like the way this press' own store looks and operates? Remember that one of the advantages of small press publishing is that small presses often cultivate followers, and those people will need to be able to use the web store. This is also usually the best deal for you, so treat a badly designed store with great suspicion.
  • Lack of Contract - If the press doesn't provide a formal contract, ditch 'em. Never work without a contract.
  • Anything Odd or Unprofessional - if something you see strikes you as wrong, it's often best to trust your instincts. If you're not sure, ask a friend for a second opinion. It's better to be overcautious than potentially have disaster befall you because you weren't cautious enough.

Signs of a Good Publisher

So we've heard the bad - what about the good? Here are some of the kinds of things you should be looking for in a publisher:

  • Clear, Professional Submission Guidelines - The first point of contact a press has with a potential author is usually their submission guidelines. Guidelines that read well, treat you like a professional and are as clear as possible are a good sign.
  • Good Web Design - Does the publisher's website work properly and look good? Attention to detail in their website means there's a better chance a press will pay attention to detail with your work.
  • Previous Publications - Take a look at some of the books your potential press has already published. Do they look professional? Are they available through major distributors? Take a look at the 'Look Inside' feature on Amazon - are they formatted attractively? A good press will have good previous work.
  • Transparency - Editor and owner names should be readily available on their website, with contact details provided.
  • Professional Communication - Any contact you have with the press - whether via email or social media - should feel professional and respectful from their end. Good presses do not speak down to authors, regardless of whether they're published with them or not.

Have You Had a Bad Experience With a Press?

See results

What To Do If You Get Caught Up With a Bad Publisher

Found yourself dealing with a bad publisher? Let's talk about what you can do about it.

If your publisher didn't provide a contract, you can just walk away. No contract means no legal relationship. If you have not signed a contract that says they can use your work, and they use it, you can take legal action to stop them. Start with a Cease and Desist letter, and if the particular work they've got is important to you, contact a lawyer who specialises in intellectual property.

If you signed a contract with a limited timeframe, it may be best just to wait it out. Once you get your rights back, make sure to send your publisher a letter to say that you are terminating your relationship and watch to be sure that they honour it. Otherwise, again, legal action is your next recourse.

If there was a termination clause in your contract, (and there should have been, but a Bad Publisher may not have one), take advantage of it. That's what termination clauses are for.

For all other bad dealings, it's important to know exactly what your contract says (and means), and what you can do about it. Sometimes you will just have to move on and consider the book or books you have with them a loss, but if it's worth it to you there are often ways to recover your rights and cut ties with a bad press.

© 2014 Cecil Wilde

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)