A Good Example Why Publishers Are Still Important

So, I bought an ad at one of my favorite magazines, Fantasy Magazine, a while back. Just a small one, to run for a couple months under the assumption that people who like my books will probably also like my favorite magazines. I sent over the money, and alerted my editor that I was going to need an ad to run right at that particular size.

That was it. The ad was handled by the publisher. All I did was let them know I had picked up the space.

I know, ideally, the publisher would pay for the ads but I'm basically an Indie Author without a huge following, and I'm also not exactly writing bestsellers. I'm willing to invest time and money in my own publicity and marketing, and I don't think it's unreasonable to pick up a few advertisements to promote my book while I help out my favorite publications!

If I was self-publishing, I would have had to either beg or bribe someone to put together a professional-looking advertisement. I think we all know that my graphic design skills are lacking. (Evidence: investigate the book cover I put together in MS Paint with some art I was able to beg from Flying Tangerine Studios, a.k.a. my lovely and generous fiance.) If I had tried to do that myself, it would have been a hassle of calling in favors and/or frantically wrestling with MS Paint to create something not-completely-embarrassing. Instead, because NEVER KNEW ANOTHER is out from Nightshade Books, all I had to do was alert the publicity person, Liz Upson, and it happened like magic.

We need publishers, still, and will continue to need them because there are skills authors don't have, and probably shouldn't have. Writing is time-consuming enough. Partnering with a publisher is a great way to maximize my time so I can spend more of it doing exactly what I'm doing right now, this afternoon: writing!

Hi-ho, Hi-ho, Back to the word mines I go...