 


Today I am thrilled, proud and downright giddy to announce the launch of a new venture: She Writes Press.

About six months ago, Brooke Warner, formerly the Executive Editor of Seal Press (one of my favorite presses, by the way), came to me with an idea.  What if, she asked, we started a press for authors who want to try their hand at publishing outside the traditional system, but who also want to be part of a high-quality, curated imprint?  And what if we started this press as a an offshoot of the She Writes community, so its authors could leverage the support, networks, and knowledge of She Writers from all over the world?  Authors would pay She Writes Press to edit, print and distribute their work, but She Writes Press would not publish anything that wasn't up to a high, "She Writes-y" standard.

Best of both worlds, right?

I said I was on sabbatical.  Then I said I would think about it.

And think about it I did, even as I was diving more deeply into the writing of my book.  I started to think: when my novel is finished, do I want to shop it around to publishers who will most likely give me a small advance, take all but 7.5% of the net profits from paperback sales (mine is not a hardcover sort of book), and, in return, frustrate me to no end by relying on ME to do all the hard work of promotion?  Having spent some time trying to raise venture capital for a business idea associated with She Writes, I know that no entrepreneur would ever give away such a huge percentage of her idea for so little in return.  And I was having a hard time imagining myself doing the same.  I know publishers care deeply about books; I know some authors get the kind of publicity and support that makes the tradeoff worth making.  I also know that for some authors, laying out capital from the beginning just isn't possible.  (More on that in a minute.)  But my experience publishing my first book was more like that of most authors I know: I had to bend over backwards to "sell" my book to people who stood to make a lot more money off it than I ever would...by convincing them that I would do all the work when it came to selling it.  And do all the work I did, paying out of my own pocket for a website, an independent publicist, and my own travel as I took my book on the road.

If I'm going to invest so much time and money in my work, why not own and control it?  And if I can do it under the She Writes brand, giving my book credibility, and publish it in a supportive, community environment, giving my book reach, why not?

I couldn't think of a good reason.  

She Writes Press is not going to be a press for "other people," people who couldn't get a deal with a traditional house (which, these days, seems to have as much to do with pitching yourself to a marketing department as it does with the quality of your work).  Like She Writes, which Deborah Siegel and I created because we needed it, I am founding She Writes Press with Brooke because I need it too.  And when my novel is done, SWP is where I will go to publish it.  That said, SWP won't be the right press for everybody, and She Writes will always be here for ALL women writers, no matter how they choose to publish.

Last but not least...I could never start a venture like this without making sure we found a way to support all authors with books we love, even those without the resources to invest in their books up front.  So each year, we will choose one to two projects that we will edit, publish and distribute for free (in the spirit of what we did with The Passion Project).

And now it's time, too, for my sabbatical to end!  I will be working on my novel, of course, but I will also be blogging every other week about my adventures in writing it, and Brooke will be blogging every other week too.  More on other changes to the SW blog, and additions to our team, coming soon.

If you think She Writes Press might be right for you, please, visit the new site!  And please, tell me what you think.

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Comment by Karoline Barrett on June 29, 2012 at 1:25pm

Ohhh. I see. Visit the website. Doing that now!

Comment by Karoline Barrett on June 29, 2012 at 1:24pm

This is fantastic! How can we submit? I have one novel ready to go and am working on another...

Comment by Brooke Warner on June 29, 2012 at 1:14pm

@Carolyn. Thanks for the well wishes. You can submit directly to Seal Press in Berkeley. Please email me and I'll give you the right contact: brooke [@] shewritespress [dot] com.

Comment by Sarah Paul on June 29, 2012 at 1:09pm

I am glad to see this! As Lawrence mentioned below, will save many people from the clutches of iuniverse and I don't mind dissing them! They took my money for nothing, too! I got away and am now self-publishing and it is really so much work and one could use trustworthy help! 

Comment by Sharon D. Dillon on June 29, 2012 at 1:06pm

Congratulations!

Comment by Carolyn Barbre on June 29, 2012 at 1:04pm

Good for you Brooke. I tried submitting to Seal Press a few months back but everything was being funneled through anouther outfit on the East Coast. I wanted the true Seal Press. Maybe SWP is the best reincarnation. Hope so. Good luck to you and Kamy. 

Comment by Edith O Nuallain on June 29, 2012 at 1:00pm

Congratulations! What an amazing adventure! Will be following with avid interest! xxx

Comment by Brooke Warner on June 29, 2012 at 12:53pm

@Judith van Praag. I like this take on things!

Comment by Lawrence Fisher on June 29, 2012 at 12:51pm

Well, that way you will not be taken in like companies such as iUniverse. I managed to get away from them and I am now self-published.

Comment by Claire McAlpine on June 29, 2012 at 12:39pm

That's awesome news Kamy, what a return, reaching your own goal of near completion of your novel and bringing something wonderful back to your community of supporters and sisters. That's not just a good idea, its that wonderful thing called altruism. This will be a grand success, what joy that little seed was planted right when you set off to plunge into your own creative cycle. Can't wait to watch it all unfold. Mille fois merci. 

 

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