DOES GOING TO HARPER VOYAGER MAKE SENSE?

 Harper Voyager is accepting submissions:

When to submit:
October 1 through October 14th

Where to submit:
www.harpervoyagersubmissions.com

What sort of submissions:

          "We’re seeking all kinds of adult and young adult speculative fiction for digital publication, 

but particularly epic fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, horror, dystopia and supernatural. 

For more idea of the type of books we love to read and publish, check out our authors and their titles at www.harpervoyagerbooks.com."

Harper Voyager plans to release one book a month.  If accepted, how long before they get to yours?

Initially the books will be published as ebooks but if one does well, a print copy will be issued.

But does it makes sense to submit to Harper Voyager?

The playing field in the digital world is pretty level for traditional and self.

I. We're going to be trading a 70% royalty for 17.5% royalty.

  (From a post by Michael Sullivan, who has been both traditionally and self published http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=254364&page=2 ):

Signing a "digital only" with a big six means you get 17.5% of list rather than 70% of list.

 And books priced at $6.99 - $9.99 will sell fewer copies than those priced at $2.99 - $4.99.

*In a "full publishing deal" you also get print sales and that helps to offset the difference income but Haper is offering only digital.

*So what do you get for the difference in money (no advance royalty):

Cover design: which can be purchased for $150 - $350 (Of course sometimes for much more if you do not research)
• Editing: which can be sub-contracted to a freelancer for $350 - $1,000
• Their name on the title - yes this is worth something.
• Loss of control over key factors like pricing and categorization

And self are selling comparably (in numbers) to traditional in this space.

50% of the Amazon Epic Fantasy list is self-published, the other 50% is traditional.

II. On the other hand:

Even if they decide not to publish a print version, the fact that an unpublished writer would have a legit publishing credit works in their favor, over a self published credit.

III. Consider if you are selected...

take a minute to consider that you have a "stamp of approval' indicating that a major publisher finds value in your work. You should realize that they are not the only option.

Try to balance the "excitement" of someone providing validation for years of work with the "business sense" to make sure you are maximizing your income.

You are about to cross a threshold to earning from your writing - and as such you need to be aware of the various alternatives.

IV. What do you think?
{THREE SPIRIT KNIGHT cover courtesy of the talented Leonora Roy}