Today I attended my local RWA’s monthly meeting. Jane Carver, editor-in-chief of Midnight Showcase Fiction - http://midnightshowcase.com/ - spoke about Electronic Publishing. Her talk was very informative.
She stressed that an author should look at electronic publishing as a stepping stone where one can gain experience, exposure and connections on the way to a bigger publishing house.
Experience:
Read the contract
Study story line edits carefully
Learn from copy editing
Ask questions/expect answers
Cover design input
Write tighter the next time around
Exposure:
Publisher’s website
Loops with other writers
Personal website/myspace
Word of mouth/emails to others
Book signings and presentations
Writers’ groups
Meet and greets
Connections:
Author groups
Agents
Editors
Conventions
Writing contests
Unexpected encounters of all kinds
There are pros and cons to being with an electronic publishers.
PRO:
Electronic Houses offer faster turnaround
Electronic Houses offer more opportunities for out of the norm subgenres
CON:
Print Houses have a larger circulation
Print Houses offer more money for promotion
