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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

ABNA 2013 - HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT


ABNA is the lottery for those of us struggling to break into publishing.

I. BETTER THAN THE LOTTERY, FOR WE HAVE SOME INPUT:

     1.) We can polish our prose to give us our best product to be evaluated.

     2.) We can edit the remaining parts of our entries should we pass the Pitch round.

     3.) That's like being able to change the numbers of our lottery ticket!  How cool is that?

     4.) And for a month or three we get to dream of what it would mean to win.

II. MY REALITY CHECK JUST BOUNCED!

     1.) Eden had a snake, and dream dates sometimes have bad breath.

     2.) If your book is published by Amazon, it won't be shelved by B&N.

            a.) Some books do really well with online-only presence.

            b.) Mostly the popular, in-trend genres --
                 which by the nature of ABNA will be the winners.

            c.) For other books, not being in B&N (or other brick-and-mortar stores)
                 can have a devastating impact.

III. WHAT SMALL PRINT?

     1.) The official rules can be found here: 

     2.) When a stage magician sweeps broadly with his right hand ...
           watch his left hand -- the key to the trick is there.

     3.) Part of the contract (the first section puts stars in our eyes, right?):

          "Amazon Publishing is offering five publishing contracts. Four first-prize
            publishing contracts with a $15,000 advance against future royalties.

            One Grand Prize Winner will receive a publishing contract with a $50,000
            advance against future royalties. A brief summary is available below with
            more information available on the Prizes overview page.

            {Stars in our eyes may make us blink through the rest of the words.}

            You will be required to accept the Amazon Publishing contract "as-is"
            if you are selected as a First or Grand Prize winner.

            Each finalist will receive a full publishing contract with additional details."

           
     4.) I have accepted jobs with the phrase "and duties as required" to discover that I had
          signed on for the labors of Hercules!  :-)

IV. THIS PUTS LOSING INTO A WHOLE NEW CATEGORY!

     1.) Non-winners may be offered publication by Amazon.

     2.) They must then negotiate exclusively with Amazon for a contract.

            a.) If they can't come to an agreement, they're free to shop the manuscript elsewhere-

            b.) But if they receive an offer, they must give Amazon "the last right to publish"
                 on the same terms and conditions (and for a bit more money)
                 than are being offered by the other publisher.

            c.) So if you enter the contest and get a publishing offer,
                 it may be very hard to refuse.

                 (See Clause 5 of the official rules.)

     3.) The lovely Victoria Strauss pointed this out to me.
          
            a.) By the way, Ms. Strauss, the cover to your PASSION BLUE is evocative and beautiful.

            b.) http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Blue-Victoria-Strauss/dp/0761462309?_encoding=UTF8&al_rs=#al_rp

     4.) Once again, I hope I have helped my friends in some small way, Roland

    

12 comments:

  1. Sounds like coming in sixth has its advantages if one receives other offers. If Amazon can't match them, that might be even better.

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  2. Alex:
    Doesn't it though? Thanks for visiting! :-)

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  3. Thanks Roland for making sure we watch all the angles. I used to be a magician's uninspired assistant and even that experience can't prepare me for everything.

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  4. Yes, Roland, you helped. I also agree with Alex that coming in sixth might be better. I'm not a big fan of Amazon and am thinking of jumping ship to B&N. Hey, Happy New Year, sha!

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  5. Interesting. I suppose it's logical for them to have those clauses. I'd be curious to see how past winners have fared overall afterwards.

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  6. THE DESERT ROCKS:
    I've always been fascinated with stage magicians .. politicians learned their best tricks from them!

    Kittie:
    But if you were offered publication by one of the Big Six who would place your book in B and N or BOOKSaMILLION, you might not be very happy being forced to go with Amazon.

    Happy New Year to you, too!@! :-)

    Southpaw:
    Me, too. Something to research! Thanks for visiting! Roland

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  7. Sounds like once you submit, you are under tentative contract. They explicitly prohibit simultaneous submissions, and exclude previously published work.

    So the only thing to submit is a new piece that is not submitted elsewhere.

    Good find, but make sure you understand that by submitting your work, you agree to the terms of the Amazon contract.

    As you stated, there is some sleight of hand here.


    - Eric

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  8. ...thanks for the info, Roland. Incidentally, while I no longer recall the names of the first winner & runner-up, if memory serves, I read somewhere that Amazon's runner-up actually out sold the winner. Interesting, eh?

    El

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  9. Eric:
    Great to see you again. Yes, a tentative agreement it is. Amazon is a business, after all, and nothing is given away for nothing in business! And in the business world, you have to pay careful attention to any contract. Which makes us having to agree with "additional details" sight unseen somewhat unsettling!! :-)

    Elliot:
    I try to have the backs of my cyber-friends. Yes, I believe AMERICAN IDOL is often like that, too.

    Alice is quite certain that if ABNA picks her Victor, their sales will skyrocket -- and they will keep all their fingers!! LOL.

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  10. Well, good luck in the lottery of ABNA Roland. Nice to know someone is reading the fine print for us.

    ........dhole

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  11. Good information, Roland. The ABNA is Interesting—for someone else. But then, I don't play the lottery either.

    One question: do you know at what point an entrant is considered "under submission?" Surely not the first round, which as I recall is something akin to a sort of query letter?

    ~VR Barkowski

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  12. VR:
    I would say from reading the contract that if you are an entrant when you submit your entry of PITCH, EXCERPT, and FULL MANUSCRIPT.

    You only have to be concerned if Amazon offers you publication -- even if you say NO, any other offer from another publisher, Amazon retains "the last right to publish" to match the terms and a bit more money.

    If Amazon Publishing is like Penguin was, you have pretty much sold all rights to your novel forever. The movie rights are theirs to sell, although you will get a substancial cut of the money gotten that way.

    Something to think about, right?

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