Thank you very much for having me,
Leanne.
You're most welcome, Michelle. Thank you for visiting my blog.
What
is Central Avenue Publishing's mandate?
Our
goals are to treat writers with respect and integrity while bringing to market
entertaining books and authors that connect with readers.
How/why did you decide to be a
publisher?
Unlike many in the publishing industry, I didn’t
work in it before. I’ve always been an avid reader and the idea for this company
actually started with a conversation about 6 years ago that it should be easier
for authors to get their work out there. Ebooks were in their infancy and being
a technophile, the whole idea of a low cost, environmentally sound way to
publish books really intrigued me.
The
first iteration of Central Avenue Publishing was ireadiwrite Publishing, which
was basically a DIY type of venture where we would take anything that anyone
submitted and put it into the various ebook formats and sell it on our website.
A year later, I wanted a change. I wanted to feel really passionate about what I
was helping to put out into the world and so we adopted a more traditional
publishing model. You can learn more about our first year here: http://centralavenuepub.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/one-year-old-almost/
When
did you establish Central Avenue Publishing?
We
started research and work in September 2008 and opened for business on May 1,
2009.
Share some of Central Avenue Publishing's challenges
and victories...
Our
biggest challenge is trying to get distribution into bricks and mortar stores.
With paper books in decline, and fewer bookstores around, it’s near impossible
to find anyone to represent our print titles. That said, I often wonder if it’s
worth the effort. After all, the majority of our revenues come from digital and
all signs point to continued success in that segment. I talk a little more about
our challenges in this post: http://centralavenuepub.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/central-avenue-is-4-years-old-whats-next/
I
also find marketing and sales challenging. Until about 2 years ago, I was solely
focussed on production, getting books into the market. Book marketing is tough,
it’s hard to make your book be seen in the other millions of books out there. We
believe we’ve come up with solutions that work for us so far, but as always, I’m
constantly looking for new ideas.
We
have had a series of small victories over the last 5 years, and they’ve come in
the form of authors who are truly dedicated to making their writing careers
work. That said, we have had a few books go viral - which has meant that while
the author did some great initial work to get the word out, the genre and the
audience took over and helped propel the books to get more widely
read.
We’ve had several books hit high on bestseller lists
and it’s meant that a few of our authors can afford to do more of what they
love: write.
This
is a challenging time to become a publisher. How are you uniquely equipped to
meet these challenges?
This
is such a difficult question to answer. I believe that the only thing that I can
offer any author is to be their collaborator and champion. Any author can
publish themselves, they don’t really NEED a publisher. That said, there is
inherent and tangible value to working with someone who has a vested interest in
making your book work. I bring that to the table. That and a strong case of
integrity and honesty and a true love of books.
What
do you see as the benefits of being a publisher?
As I
said, I love books. But what’s really cool is seeing the evolution of the story
into a book that is even better than when it came in. With my editor’s hat on, I
love suggesting changes to characters and storylines - it lets me be a bit
creative.
Being a publisher is a bit like being a parent. You
foster this thing along through maturity and then release it into the world to
see what it can do. When it does well, boy that’s the best feeling.
I
understand that Central Avenue Publishing is a Canadian publisher, what unique
benefits and challenges does this present?
You
know, I don’t know if being a Canadian publisher is good or bad - but Canada is
so great at supporting their arts that they make it easier to do business - like
issuing free ISBN’s and offering grants and awards to publishing houses. We take
advantage of the former of course, and one day, when I have the time to fill out
the paperwork, I’ll look at how to apply for some of those grants.
The
only challenge I have seen is that I’m a small, primarily digital publisher on
the West Coast of Canada. This means that there are few other professionals
close by for me to collaborate with. However, my discovery of Twitter five years
ago has meant that I can connect with other like minded people - no matter where
they are.
Do
you only publish Canadian authors?
No,
only a small handful of our authors are Canadian.
How
does Central Avenue Publishing market their books? Do you have a global
reach?
Primarily, marketing is spearheaded by the author
with support from us. At launch, we prepare all the materials an author might
need, postcards, posters, press releases, media sheet, etc. We also query
hundreds of book bloggers and run giveaways. Our books are reviewed about 2-3
times per week on book review blogs around the world. But really, we rely on the
author to develop the plan (with our input) and we do their
bidding.
We
are so very global! Our authors live in all four corners of the
world.
Please describe a typical work day...
Since I’m pretty much a one-person show, I wear all
the hats. I do on occasion work with freelance editors, proofreaders and art
directors but for the most part I do it all. I have partnered with Meghan
Tobin-O’Drowsky who runs our Everheart Books imprint.
What
genres do you publish?
We
publish all forms creative writing. We are not interested in self help or other
non-fiction.
Who
pays the publishing costs--the author or the publisher?
We
are a traditional publisher, we pay all costs.
Does
Central Avenue Publishing pay royalties as well as an advance?
We
pay royalties but not advances. That said, our royalties are the highest I’ve
seen talked about in the publishing world.
Do
you publish ebooks, print or both?
Both, but depending on the book, it could be ebook
only.
Please take us through Central Avenue Publishing's
author submission process...
We
aren’t currently accepting unsolicited submissions but we might later this year.
When we are, we ask for a one page query letter. If we’re interested we ask for
the first three chapters and then the whole manuscript.
How
do you choose the authors you publish?
Of
course, I have to like the book - but most importantly, I have to like the
author. I look for authors who are serious about their career, putting
themselves out there and being professional. I research them quite a bit before
furthering the submission process. If I find instances of being overly dramatic
or unprofessional websites, social media activity, etc. then it’s a red flag for
sure. Since we work together a lot, I want to be sure that we’ll get
along!
What
next, please walk us through the process of publishing a book...
Our
process is much like any other publisher, initial read, rounds of editing and
proofreading, rounds of cover design, distribution and then development of a
marketing plan and follow up.
Parting words...
I
just want to thank you for having me. It’s always a pleasure to meet new authors
and publishing professionals. I always have the same words for any person who
feels themselves compelled to write. Never stop writing, if you do, you do a
disservice to the rest of us. It doesn’t matter what happens to those words, if
they’re read by one or one million it is more important that you wrote them
down.
