Dennis N. Griffin
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Retired as Director of Investigations - New York State Dept. of Health, Wadsworth Center. |
I began my investigative career with Pinkerton's Inc. and finished with the Dept. of Health. There were stops as a Sr. Child Support Investigator and deputy sheriff in Madison County, New York in between.
I started writing in 1996 to tell the story of what I learned while investigating the operation of a medical examiner's office. It was an eye-opening experience for me and I felt compelled to share it with others. I eventually produced a fictionalized account called The Morgue. I found to my chagrin that readers didn't believe anything in the book could actually happen, but they liked the story and my style; rough edges and all. That response caused me to write Red Gold, also based on personal experience. I now have a total of six fictions in print.
In January 2002, I decided to try my hand at non-ficton and began writing Policing Las Vegas. This book covers the history of law enforcement in Las Vegas and Clark County from 1905 thru 2004. Policing was released in April 2005.
My second non-fiction, The Battle for Las Vegas, is the story of the Vegas reign of Chicago mob enforcer Tony Spilotro. In the movie Casino, actor Joe Pesci played a character based on Spilotro. Battle was released nationally on July 1, 2006.
If you try one of my books I sincerely hope you enjoy it.
Vegas Mob Bus Tour. A new mob bus tour based on my book The Battle for Las Vegas runs out of the Greek Isles casino six nights per week. In addition to the regularly scheduled runs, group tours can be booked and tailored to fit your group's interests. These special bookings will include guest tour guides who actually participated in the events discussed on your trip. For more information visit: http://www.vegasmobtour.com/, or e-mail me at griff1945@hotmail.com .
Things to Consider About Publishing and Agents
By
Dennis N. Griffin
http://www.authorsden.com/dennisngriffin
Last year, some other Las Vegas authors and I put on a series of seminars that were designed to make new and would-be authors aware of some of the aspects of the writing business and help them avoid the same mistakes we had made. During the course of those sessions, the presenters and some of the attendees shared their writing related experiences. I think we all came away from the discussions much more knowledgeable than when we started.
Two of the areas that were talked about in length were publishers and agents. I’ve taken what I learned from personal experience, what I’ve gleaned from those seminars and from others in the writing business, and put some of the main points into an FAQ format.
Please remember that the answers provided are suggestions and should not be considered as endorsing any particular company, service, or product. It is the responsibility of each individual to decide with whom they do business.
Before I get to the Q&A, let me say that I personally don’t rely on any single source of information when researching the reputation of a publisher or agent. I believe that the more information I have, the better my decision will be.
Q: At what point in writing my manuscript should I start thinking about publishing options?
A: It’s best to do it before you begin to write. If not beforehand, then the earlier in the process the better. Many new authors put a lot of time and effort into completing their manuscript, only to find that getting it published isn’t as easy as they had anticipated. Desk drawers and closet shelves are home to many manuscripts that didn’t get published because they were inferior. And there are scads more that didn’t make it into print because the author didn’t have the stamina and desire necessary to pursue a publisher. Knowing what publishing options are available up front can save the writer a lot of disappointment at the end.
Q: How can I find out what my publishing options are?
A: The Internet is certainly a valuable research tool. Writer sites contain articles about all aspects of the writing business. Many also include author message boards, where those who have been there and done that share their experiences in dealing with publishers and agents. However, it should be noted that message boards sometimes contain “sour grapes” postings, that aren’t a true and accurate reflection of a person or business. You should check multiple sources and not take one person’s opinion at face value. Reading online from sites such as Writers Market, Writers Digest or Publishers Weekly, or subscribing to their hardcopy editions, can also provide a wealth of information. In addition, one of the best methods to gain knowledge is to join a local writers group. The membership is usually comprised of authors with varying degrees of experience and success. This allows the newbie to hear first hand from those who have already been down the same road.
Q: What are the chances of an unknown author having his or her manuscript accepted by a major publishing house?
A: There are exceptions, of course, but generally speaking, not good. Without name recognition or a proven track record of success, the major houses aren’t likely to take a chance on publishing a new author. Getting a contract with one of the biggies is worth a try. But you have to be realistic in your expectations.
Q: Assuming I strike out with the major houses, what then?
A: There are other options to consider: Small traditional publishers, vanity presses, and self-publishing offer additional choices to the author.
Small presses: There are a number of them out there, some good and some not so good. They generally publish only a few titles per year, are less likely to offer an advance, and some are in the publishing trade more as a hobby than a business. Although there may be downsides to a small press, there are also benefits. The fact that they are traditional, allow for the return of unsold books, and have a decent distribution system, removes many of the obstacles the next publishing options have to overcome.
Vanity publishers: These are presses that charge you for publishing your book. Their fees are often substantial. Unlike traditional publishers, they make their money from the author rather than from book sales to the public. In addition to the cost, there are a couple of other potential downsides to using a vanity press. Traditional publishers may not consider a vanity published book as a legitimate publishing credit when marketing future manuscripts. And in some cases, the books aren’t returnable, making it difficult to get brick and mortar stores to stock them. In the end, it depends on the individual author’s financial situation and goals as to whether or not a vanity press is an appropriate solution to his or her needs.
Self-publishing: If you elect to publish your book yourself, you are in fact opening a business. You’ll have to comply with all the licensing requirements and pay the necessary fees of the jurisdiction you’re operating in.
In addition, you will have to find a printer, hire a distributor (or self-distribute), purchase an ISBN — International Standard Book Number — and hire an editor, designer, production staff, etc. In other words, you’ll have to spend some money. You’ll be in competition with a lot of other books, so you really can’t take shortcuts to save a few dollars.
If you can afford the investment in time and money to self-publish, there are advantages. You not only have control of the process, but after you recover your initial expenses, all the profits are yours.
Self-publishing services: What if you don’t have the assets to self-publish? There is a last alternative that is similar to, but different from straight self-publishing. And it’s the way many new authors are going. You can use supported self-publishing. This means that rather than you doing all the things you’d have to do to be a self-publisher, you’ll contract with a publishing services provider to do them for you.
Some of the self-publishing service providers you frequently hear about include iUniverse, Author House (formerly 1stBooks), and Infinity. And there are many more. In general, these service providers offer a variety of packages and prices for you to choose from. In some cases you can get your book in print for a few hundred dollars, or add on additional services such as editing, publicity, and promotion for increased fees. For the most part, they are Publish on Demand (POD) operations. This means your book would be stored on a large computer as a digital file, and can be printed as orders are received. The print run can be as little as a single book.
Some of the advantages of POD are that the author doesn’t have a huge inventory of books to store and care for, books can be ordered through bookstores and online outlets, and the printing can be done very quickly.
Two of the major disadvantages of POD are that the books usually aren’t returnable, making it difficult to get a store to stock them. They also are more expensive to produce, resulting in having to set a higher retail price.
Q: Do I need an agent?
A: There is no question that legitimate, ethical agents can open doors that an individual author can’t. If you can find such a person who is willing to represent you, go for it. However, you should be aware that landing a reputable agent isn’t an easy task, and there are a lot of scam artists lurking out there, ready to take the money of the unwary. As a general matter, if the agent asks for money from you up front, you should run like hell. Many new and unknown authors have attained success without the services of an agent. It takes effort, initiative, and a good product, but it can be done.
In closing, I’m again going to stress the point that research is critical. Don’t enter into an agreement with a publisher, self-publishing services provider, vanity press, or agent, until you’ve checked them out thoroughly. It’s in your own best interest to find out everything you can about the person or entity you’re considering working with. If you do your homework, you’ll be much less apt to make a decision that will come back to bite you.
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