In this extra episode, concluding our first 10-part series, we catch up with Jane who has just got back from the Frankfurt Book Fair and we explore the collapse of Shawline, a vanity publisher.

01.09 Frankfurt. Ventura part of the Australian Publishers Association stand in Hall 6. It's the most enormous gathering of intellectual property purveyors. It's a wholesale market, publishers doing business with publishers.

02.58 Lots of young rights agents work hard, whilst MDs look important. It's a microcosm of the whole industry.

05.00 Which of Ventura's book got interest. Who else was there. What usually happens is that English-speaking publishers buy foreign rights and translate the books. That is changing, more books being translated into English. The Australian rights agents.

08.16 How translation rights work. What sort of royalties publishers and authors receive. Why the German market is important. Which Australian publishing companies have UK cousins. Why translations come out later than English language editions.

13.09 The collapse of Shawline, leaving 600 authors in the lurch. The difficulties of managing fringe publishers and worse, predatory publishers. Why to use the ASA's Authors Legal. There's a lot of malpractice out there

16.20 Proper publishers have distribution into bookshops. Others may say they distribute but it's all digital. Companies not being honest about how few books writers are likely to sell. On the other hand, a publishing services company can be good e.g. Publish Central.

18.37 Is it likely the Shawline authors will get their files back so they upload them by themselves? Never pay full cost upfront for anything!

20.05 Listeners questions: What is NaNoWriMo? Does a non published author need an author website and social media presence?

23:59 What are we reading? Jane had 74 manuscripts submitted when she was away so she is reading them. Good and bad examples. Seana has read Charlotte Wood's Stone Yard Devotional and Elizabeth Strout's latest book Tell Me Everything.

25.53 Where to find us and farewell.

• Frankfurt Book Fair
• Shawline Group enters liquidation - ASA article
• Publish Central
• NaNoWriMo
• Charlotte Wood's Stone Yard Devotional
• Elizabeth Strout's Tell Me Everything

Jane Curry Links

• Jane Curry Advisory: www.janecurryadvisory.com
• Ventura Press: www.venturapress.com.au

Seana Smith Links

• Seana Smith website: www.seanasmith.com
• Sober Journeys website: wwwsoberjourneys.com

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Jane and Seana answer readers’ questions.

• Why Jane set up Jane Curry Advisory
• The Frankfurt Book Fair - what happens there and why Jane is a regular visitor
• Why the book fair was established in Frankfurt
• How Jane will approach publishers at Frankfurt about Seana’s memoir Going Under
• London Book Fair
• What are bestseller numbers in Australia compared to the UK
• Are all books sold in Australia printed here?
• When does Seana write? Seana’s writing tips
• Why is café writing so popular and effective!)
• Recommended writing groups
• Jenny Valentish memoir structure workshop
• Writing ecosystems in UK, USA, Scotland, Ireland, Australia
• Making publishing more equitable
• Big W as part of the Australian book business
• Commissioning writers versus manuscripts being sent to publishers
• Self-published writers being picked up by traditional publishing
• Print on demand
• The rise of the audiobook

Links

https://www.valentish.net/

In Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.

Going Under on Spotify: Listen to Going Under on Spotify here.

Jane Curry Links

• Jane Curry Advisory: www.janecurryadvisory.com
• Ventura Press: www.venturapress.com.au
• www.instagram.com/venturapress__

Seana Smith Links

• Seana Smith website: www.seanasmith.com
• Sober Journeys website: wwwsoberjourneys.com
• www.instagram.com/seanasmith
• www.instagram.com/sober_journeys
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatdidyoureadtoday/

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jane Curry and Seana Smith take a deeper dive into self-publishing, using Seana's self-published books as examples.

• Seana’s first self published book, made the mistake of not researching what people want to read. Did not sell at all well. And was pulled. 
• So the next project was better researched and planned, Wildly Weird But Totally True: Australia.
• Commissioned a cover, and layout, which didn’t work well.
• Learning curve, it started selling when I began running adverts on Amazon.
• All the ways Amazon earns money; printing books, sales commission, advertising, Kindle downloads.
• Ingram also does print on demand, how Amazon interacts with them. 
• Once books start selling on Amazon, Amazon helps you sell more. 
• Amazon advertising, pay per click, but impressions are not paid for.
• The joy of checking daily sales.
• Jane’s now running advertising for some of her books via Simon and Shuster. Leaning int o the algorithm.
• Next came Wildly Weird But Totally True: Animals but it has not sold well, probably because there is a lot of competition in that area.  
• But remember, there are many books on Amazon that sell no copies.

Find full show notes on the website.

In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.

Going Under on Spotify: Listen to Going Under on Spotify here.

Jane Curry Links

• Jane Curry Advisory: www.janecurryadvisory.com
• Ventura Press: www.venturapress.com.au

Seana Smith Links

• Seana Smith website: www.seanasmith.com
• Sober Journeys website: wwwsoberjourneys.com
• www.instagram.com/seanasmith
• www.instagram.com/sober_journeys
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatdidyoureadtoday/
• 
  

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea

License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keeping up with publishing company changes is essential for writers. In this extra episode within series 1, jane and Seana chat about some recent changes in Australian publishing, and about how to stay up to date in the English-speaking world.

• Ventura Press news, Instagram disaster and 10 manuscripts coming in every day
• Australian publishing news, Affirm has been bought by Simon & Schuster
• Simon and Shuster is owned by KKR
• How it will work, Affirm is keeping its sales team.
• Writers will still approach Affirm directly not via Simon & Shuster
• Hardie Grant have bought Pantera Press
• Background of Hardie Grant and why Pantera is a good buy for them
• Pantera's founders are not staying with the new owners
• Hardie Grant's businesses which complement the publishing
• Build to sell - this often happens with independent companies
• Australian book market going well but still American fiction dominates
• Knowledge is power, helps authors to pitch well... which not all do
• Aspiring writers do well to understand the business of publishing
• List of trade publishers around the world and why to read them

Death At The Sign of The Rook - Kate Atkinson

The Vagus Nerve Reset - Anna Ferguson

The Burrow - Melanie Cheng

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fyfe - Anna Johnston

Special Delivery - Leesa Ronald (to be published Dec 2024)

Intermezzo - Sally Rooney

Stoneyard Devotional - Charlotte Wood

https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au

https://www.publishersweekly.com

https://www.thebookseller.com

https://lunch.publishersmarketplace.com

Jane Curry Links

• Jane Curry Advisory: www.janecurryadvisory.com
• Ventura Press: www.venturapress.com.au
• www.instagram.com/venturapress__
• www.instagram.com/janecurry1

Seana Smith Links

• Seana Smith website: www.seanasmith.com
• Sober Journeys website: wwwsoberjourneys.com
• www.instagram.com/seanasmith
• www.instagram.com/sober_journeys
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatdidyoureadtoday/

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These are exciting times for self-publishers which has really come in from the cold.

• People have always self-published, Beatrix Potter and the Bronte sisters did versions of it
• In the digital world you can create demand and fulfill it entirely online. 
• Print on demand (POD) explained.
• Ebooks, still dominated by Amazon and Kindle, are devoured by readers, especially romance and crime genres.
• Now is the time for self publishing to have its moment. The advantages for readers as well as author.
• The democratisation of the publishing process. Publishers and bookshops are a closed world to the non-traditionally published. They are the gatekeepers, but self publishing changes all that.
• Example: Lisa Genova’s Still Alice was originally self published.

Read more on the show notes over on The Publisher & The Writer podcast: https://thepublisherandthewriter.com/how-to-self-publish-1

In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.

Going Under on Spotify: Listen to Going Under on Spotify here.

Jane Curry Links

• Jane Curry Advisory: www.janecurryadvisory.com
• Ventura Press: www.venturapress.com.au
• www.instagram.com/venturapress__
• www.instagram.com/janecurry1

Seana Smith Links

• Seana Smith website: www.seanasmith.com
• Sober Journeys website: wwwsoberjourneys.com
• www.instagram.com/seanasmith
• www.instagram.com/sober_journeys
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatdidyoureadtoday/

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea

License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Signing a contract can be a cause for celebration, but there may be regrets later.
• As a publisher you often only return to them when something has gone wrong and you need to get out of the contract. 
• The contract is a legal document, but connection and communication are what make the author-publisher relationship work. 
• There is often a power imbalance.
• Rights in contracts; what is the publisher being assigned by the writer; ANZ rights, English-speaking rights, Commonwealth rights.
• Format rights, book, ebook, audiobook, extracts, film and TV and translation rights. The different sizes of books, and hardback and softback.
• Many companies now create their own audiobooks, but others sell those rights on. 
• Length of contracts, some have finiste terms, most remain whilst a book is in print.
• Sunset clauses.
• Royalties are usually 10% of RRP, but that can be altered for books that sell in big numbers, these are called rises.
• Pros and cons of advances, and how often advances are earned out. Why we prefer lower or no advances.
• Beware of contracts from companies that help writers self publish. Can be grossly unfair.
• Discussion about ebook royalties, usually 25% of net receipts. 
• Royalties stay at 10% of RRP even when bookshops do deep discounts.
• Bulk book orders sometimes paid at 25% of net receipts; the pros of being entrepreneurial as a publisher.

In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.

Going Under on Spotify: Listen to Going Under on Spotify here.

Jane Curry Links

• Jane Curry Advisory: www.janecurryadvisory.com
• Ventura Press: www.venturapress.com.au
• www.instagram.com/venturapress__

Seana Smith Links

• Seana Smith website: www.seanasmith.com
• Sober Journeys website: wwwsoberjourneys.com

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Editing books is the topic of this podcast, and it’s a vast one. Jane explains the three major types of editing: 

• The structural edit
• The line edit aka copy edit
• Proofreading 

This is a deep dive on best practices, working with the right editor, the editor’s skill set. You will learn what to expect from an editor and how to ensure that you and your editor work well together. 

We also discuss the issues in the digital era with version control and making sure that the right final manuscript that is published. 

Jane chats about contemporary books which take out all punctuation and the pace that gives. Role of the publisher in making changes to the manuscript, before the structural edit. 

We chat about the close relationship between writers and editors and the trust needed. The pitfalls of finding an editor online and not investing in a good editor. 

There’s advice about avoiding vanity presses and about taking time with your writing and the editing process. 

Books mentioned:

Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss

Going Under by Seana Smith

Institute of Professional Editors

Kim Kelly - author

In Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.

Jane Curry Links

• Jane Curry Advisory: www.janecurryadvisory.com
• Ventura Press: www.venturapress.com.au
• www.instagram.com/venturapress__
• www.instagram.com/janecurry1

Seana Smith Links

• Seana Smith website: www.seanasmith.com
• Sober Journeys website: wwwsoberjourneys.com

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea

License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores and explains the two parts of selling books. Selling in covers publishers and distributors selling books into bookshops in advance of publiscation. Selling through covers the books actually being sold into the hands of readers via bookshops. 

• The importance of the month of publication, once that is set it cannot move. 
• Everything works backwards from the publication month.
• Book reps (representatives) visit bookshops, large and small, and sell the book to them. 
• Larger sales into larger shops is discussed and the value of being in bookshop catalogues. 
• Why ‘spine out’ is not what you want.
• Bookshops receive the books and then they are the ones doing the actual selling to customers. 
• The value of advance reading copies (ARCs).
• Online booksellers respond to demand, but do not create it.
• Pros and cons for pre-orders, who tends to do well with that. 
• Sell through of books is crucial in first month or two. 
• Returns are just a part of the book business. 
• Every book has a life cycle. 
• Visits to bookshops are terrific for authors, once book is stocked. 
• Covers are crucial, a good one makes a difference. 
• What is RRP?
• How to keep sales going? Be an energetic author. 

Jane Curry Links

• Jane Curry Advisory: www.janecurryadvisory.com
• Ventura Press: www.venturapress.com.au
• www.instagram.com/venturapress__
• www.instagram.com/janecurry1

Seana Smith Links

• Seana Smith website: www.seanasmith.com
• Sober Journeys website: wwwsoberjourneys.com
• www.instagram.com/seanasmith
• www.instagram.com/sober_journeys

In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea

License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Quick chat about what we’ve been up to in our daily writing and publishing work.
• The prequel to writing is reading great books, and learning from them.
• Deciding what to write, asking yourself what you love to read. 
• Finding out what is popular and what might sell, the joys of loitering in bookshops.
• The importance of understanding genres in fiction especially. Know your genre!
• Literary fiction versus genre fiction and the blurred edges.
• Writing is a craft and can be taught and learned. 
• Seana lists some of the courses done in creative non-fiction.
• Discussion about creative writing post-grad courses and PhDs.
• Writing tips: getting started and keeping going.
• Writing first draft is one thing but the editing often takes far longer. 
• The importance of the opening lines. 

Links for this week’s podcast can be found in the show notes.

Jane Curry Links

• Jane Curry Advisory: www.janecurryadvisory.com
• Ventura Press: www.venturapress.com.au
• www.instagram.com/venturapress__
• www.instagram.com/janecurry1

Seana Smith Links

• Seana Smith website: www.seanasmith.com
• Sober Journeys website: wwwsoberjourneys.com
• www.instagram.com/seanasmith
• www.instagram.com/sober_journeys
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatdidyoureadtoday/

In Australia: Going Under is available in bookshops and online stores in Australia and on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea

License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we discuss a range of topics pertinent to aspiring authors, from differentiating between types of publishing (trade, educational, and self-publishing) to the process and challenges of handling unsolicited manuscripts. Jane shares insights into the evolving landscape of publishing, the digital transformation, and offers practical advice for writers seeking to get their manuscripts noticed. 

• We use the term unsolicited manuscripts these days, and it is a good time to be sending them in. Publishers do not want to miss out.
• Aspiring writers are seen as an opportunity for publishers. However, the reality is there are few spots each month for new writers. 
• How Jane manages unsolicited manuscripts at ventura and the sticky issue of whether publishers send rejection emails, or just don’t bother. 
• Seana’s experiences of sending in unsolicited factual book pitches. 
• Jane discusses the opportunities that arise when publishers build a new list. 
• How to keep up to date with the traditional publishing companies. 
• The importance of sending submissions exactly to the publishing companies’ specifications. 
• Agents in the USA versus other parts of the world. 
• Virginia Lloyd’s service to help polish an agent pitch.
• Seana and Jane’s experience of literary speed dating as writer and publisher. 
• The skill of managing rejection and writer self-care.
• Strategies for sending out manuscripts and pitches to agents and publishers.
• Routes from self-publishing to traditional publishing.

People and websites mentioned

Virginia Lloyd - Lloyd Literary

In Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the USA: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Under-memoir-secrets-addiction/dp/0645497231/

Going Under Audiobook: Going Under on Audible, narrated by Seana Smith, click here.

Jane Curry Links

• Jane Curry Advisory: www.janecurryadvisory.com
• Ventura Press: www.venturapress.com.au
• www.instagram.com/venturapress__

Seana Smith Links

• Seana Smith website: www.seanasmith.com
• Sober Journeys website: wwwsoberjourneys.com

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/blue-sea License code: JIDFICQZAHSVHXUS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.