I’ve been invited to guest blog on Booksquare about the realities of writing for a small press. My debut novel, The Legacy (April 2008), published by Medallion Press, is a historical romance about the destructive nature of secrets. Set in 1525 Wittenberg, Germany, the novel follows the arranged marriage of a printer to an ex-nun during the Early Reformation period, playing out an intimate love story on the canvas of history.

The Legacy is the first book I ever wrote. Not just the first to sell, but the first I wrote. I finished it back in 2001 in blissful ignorance of market trends, distribution, print runs, sell-throughs, etc. I had a story to tell, and figured out how to tell it my way. Of course, very soon thereafter, I realized that maybe I wanted other people to read it, too, and so I joined a chapter of Romance Writers of America and started sending my pretty baby “out there,” certain that New York would snap it up.

My arrogant innocence quickly morphed into jaded understanding. The “book of my heart” was an impossible sale. While many people were interested in a romance set in Martin Luther’s Early Reformation Germany, none of them were editors who thought they could actually sell the book in the marketplace. I received several “good” rejection letters praising my voice, my characters, and my sexual tension, but those comments were always followed by a perplexed, “I’m not sure where it would fit on our lists,” or “I don’t know how I would sell this, but if you’re interested in writing a Victorian romance, I’d love to see it.” I discovered what many other newbie writers have: if it isn’t set in England or America, folks, it’s a hard sell. I had already started on a sequel to the manuscript before I realized neither would likely sell, put them both away, and moved on to writing contemporary paranormals.

Then a funny thing happened on the way to my dreams. A new small press opened its doors in 2003. The publisher, Medallion Press, was founded by Wrigley heiress Helen Rosburg, an author and book lover searching for a way to bring outside-the-box novels she loved to the people who wanted to read them. Medallion doesn’t have guidelines for the books they buy, only that they have to love them. I watched this new company grow and take steady steps toward success and finally decided to submit my manuscript to them in 2005. To my shock, Medallion bought the book.

The whole process has been an education for me. Would I sell to a small press again? Well, that’s a good question. Let me answer that by examining the pros and cons.

(Note: According to the founder, Medallion has shed its small press designation and is now quantified as an “independent press” because of its financials.)

First the cons: there are some major differences between a small press and say, a major New York publishing house. First, because of smaller print runs, it is unlikely my book will ever have the chance to hit the New York Times bestseller list, something every author dreams about. The distribution numbers just aren’t there. Whereas some of my author friends have seen their books go into six-digit press runs, that isn’t going to happen with mine simply because of capacity. Smaller numbers mean readers aren’t going to be able to find my book as easily as they would the ubiquitous Nora Roberts, for example. Therefore, while my publisher does have distribution into all the major chains and retail outlets, and co-op money to spend for shelf placement, their distributor, IPG, also has to convince booksellers to stock the book in large enough numbers so that readers will perceive it is as an “important” book. If the book isn’t physically present in a store in numbers “too big to ignore” (forgive me, Helen Reddy), than the likelihood of hitting any lists is minute.

Secondly, while a smaller house can afford to take a chance on books that are unusual and different, and while they can sell those books in smaller numbers and still consider them successful, a large number of returns on a book could do a lot of damage to their financials. Booksellers are aware of this and are always concerned about ordering from smaller houses for this reason. They have to ask, will the money be there for refunds if the book doesn’t sell? The demise of Triskelion showed just how critical that question is (reportedly, a large number of returns hitting at once started the publisher on its downward spiral toward bankruptcy). A bookseller might buy conservatively as a result, if at all. Valid or not, the perception that small houses can’t handle big returns is a problem difficult to overcome, such as when industry professionals (agents, booksellers, authors) assume the house is an e-publisher because they’ve never heard of it (in fact, Medallion Press is not an e-publisher, but rather a bricks-and-mortar Illinois-based company).

Third, being newer means the house is still establishing its procedures while it reaches out to the marketplace. New authors and new houses sometimes make mistakes, and the learning curve occasionally catches up with us. Additionally, because of smaller dollars to spread around, the advances and contract terms for new authors are not the kind one might see with larger houses, although the royalty rates are more than competitive.

Now that we know what some of the cons are, it’s time for the pros. Why am I happy I took a chance on this company?

Because Medallion Press had the cajones to take a chance on me. The romance genre market is trend driven. Because of its outside-the-box setting and characters, The Legacy is a book no other house in the traditional romance market could have published, and I’m delighted Medallion had the vision to see what could be done with a strong niche market. Wonderful books are seeing the light of day that might not have, and I’m not only referring to my own. Look at Medallion’s list (http://www.medallionpress.com/) in every genre and you’ll see what I mean.

In addition, since the working atmosphere is more intimate and flexible, I had input on my incredible cover. Medallion takes pride in their covers, and they are being noticed everywhere. How important is a cover? Ask any author who ever got a bad one, and they’ll tell you how dramatically it can affect sales. Medallion’s covers trumpet the importance of the writing within, and the company ponies up the bucks to place ads featuring the covers prominently in each of the genres most important magazines.

Medallion authors are racking up awards after awards, showing that there is a recognition of quality writing, no matter how small the press, and devoted readers are taking notice. Devoted readers spend money. Let’s be frank: if my book and its sequel, The Promise (May 2009) sell well, it is likely I might come to the attention of a house willing to pay larger advances and offer more flexible contract terms in the future, or I might even be able to negotiate a more lucrative future deal with the house I’m at. In other words, I’m getting a chance to strut my stuff, and that is worth the price of admission.

Would I recommend that new writers or writers trying to reinvent their careers consider signing with a small press? If they do their homework, understand the tradeoffs, pick a house with good financial backing, a strong history of sales, and a commitment to quality, and they are willing to endure a few growing pains, then yes, a small press is definitely something they should consider. I’m certainly glad I did.

If you get a chance, please stop by my website at www.tjbennett.com and read excerpts, send me an e-mail, check out pictures of conferences I’ve attended, and comment on my blog. I’d be interested in hearing what Booksquare readers think about the unusual settings and subjects of my books.

Now for the contest: comment on at least two of the blogs TJ’s touring on this week for a chance at a free book and a $40 gift certificate to either B&N or GermanDeli.com (a German foods importer). Details and blog tour schedule are at www.tjbsopinion.blogspot.com. If you win, BS really likes sausage (hint!)

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