Submissions: Spending Money to Make Money With Sci-Fi
So, I've edited my manuscript. I've tuned it as much as I can. Now I have to submit it to a publishing house. I've picked out the one I want to start with: DAW Books has been a mainstay of Science Fiction publishing for decades. They also accept un-agented manuscripts and have a reputation for spotting new authors. So...fingers crossed.
*Important side note: I didn't decide on DAW just because of their submission guidelines. I've also read two of their authors extensively: C. J. Cherryh and Julie Czerneda. Cherryh's Foreigner series and Czerneda's standalone In the Company of Others were fairly critical to my development as a writer, thinker and (dare I say it) human being. Both deal with excellent themes - specifically as they relate to those who don't 'fit' in for one reason or another (race, illness, difference, etc.).
Now then, here's where it gets a tad expensive.
In order to submit to a publisher, I don't just need to have a manuscript that fits their submission guidelines. I also have to print it. At 555 pages (I just realized how awesome that is), that's just over one ream of paper. I also have to account for ink and a printer.
Here's some math for fun: (Skip to Costs Conclusion for the end result)
If I go to a printing place (Staples, Grand and Toy, etc.) it's about $45 CAD to print a single copy. I also have to pay postage, but that's as constant as death and taxes, so I won't factor it in. To print it 10 times, that's $450. Not very economical.
So, I bought a printer and an ink cartridge to start. At $210 CAD for both, I'll be able to print about 5 complete manuscripts before I have to replenish the ink. Add $30 for 5 reams of paper and the total creeps up to $240.
The up front costs are actually a little more than using a printing place, since the same would cost about $225.
However, it's the next five where the substantial savings are: Add up the cost of a new ink cartridge and the paper, and my costs drop to about $21 a copy. This price will remain consistent until I have to replace the drum unit.
Costs Conclusion: For 10 copies, doing it myself costs $340 and having someone else do it is about $450.
If I somehow manage to hit a home run and get picked up before I hit the break-even mark, I guess it wasn't a great investment (although I can use it for other things). I'll still be incredibly happy though, since most authors say we can expect between 20-30 rejections before someone finally gives in on account of our tenacity.
In short - it's kind of a win-win. The more I submit, the cheaper my copies get compared to having a printing place do the work. The fewer submissions I have to make to get published, the happier I'll be.
Anyway, that's all from me. Thanks for reading!
*Important side note: I didn't decide on DAW just because of their submission guidelines. I've also read two of their authors extensively: C. J. Cherryh and Julie Czerneda. Cherryh's Foreigner series and Czerneda's standalone In the Company of Others were fairly critical to my development as a writer, thinker and (dare I say it) human being. Both deal with excellent themes - specifically as they relate to those who don't 'fit' in for one reason or another (race, illness, difference, etc.).
Now then, here's where it gets a tad expensive.
In order to submit to a publisher, I don't just need to have a manuscript that fits their submission guidelines. I also have to print it. At 555 pages (I just realized how awesome that is), that's just over one ream of paper. I also have to account for ink and a printer.
Here's some math for fun: (Skip to Costs Conclusion for the end result)
If I go to a printing place (Staples, Grand and Toy, etc.) it's about $45 CAD to print a single copy. I also have to pay postage, but that's as constant as death and taxes, so I won't factor it in. To print it 10 times, that's $450. Not very economical.
So, I bought a printer and an ink cartridge to start. At $210 CAD for both, I'll be able to print about 5 complete manuscripts before I have to replenish the ink. Add $30 for 5 reams of paper and the total creeps up to $240.
The up front costs are actually a little more than using a printing place, since the same would cost about $225.
However, it's the next five where the substantial savings are: Add up the cost of a new ink cartridge and the paper, and my costs drop to about $21 a copy. This price will remain consistent until I have to replace the drum unit.
Costs Conclusion: For 10 copies, doing it myself costs $340 and having someone else do it is about $450.
If I somehow manage to hit a home run and get picked up before I hit the break-even mark, I guess it wasn't a great investment (although I can use it for other things). I'll still be incredibly happy though, since most authors say we can expect between 20-30 rejections before someone finally gives in on account of our tenacity.
In short - it's kind of a win-win. The more I submit, the cheaper my copies get compared to having a printing place do the work. The fewer submissions I have to make to get published, the happier I'll be.
Anyway, that's all from me. Thanks for reading!
Comments