Lorina Stephens's Blog, page 65
October 14, 2011
Common Errors in Ficton Manuscripts, Part 5
Research
I'm afraid I'm a tyrant about good
research.
I received one fantasy story that had a
fellow stop into an inn, and there roasting on the fire was a whole cow. Now,
unless that inn was more like an enormous Best Western capable of serving 1000
very generous meals, that's completely out of scale. There's a minimum of a
thousand pounds of meat being turned by some hapless and burly minion, assisted
by another minion whose sole occupation is to chop and ferry wood to a hearth
that would make the average medieval kitchen hearth of 13 or so feet seem
miniscule.
Historically an inn served simpler and
smaller dishes. A chicken or a leg of mutton might be the largest you'd see
roasted. More often a stew, a pottage, a savoury pie, a plate or bowl of bread
(often the plate or bowl was a slab of bread) with cured meats, boiled eggs,
seasonal vegetables and fruits, and more particularly cheese would be common fare
at an inn.
Then there are the stories that refer to
a bowstring as a cord, or have a woman travelling on a train in a full bustle,
or people raised for the quality of their intellect on a starvation diet.
In this remarkable age of the world's
greatest encyclopaedia (the Internet), there is no excuse for shoddy research.
Comments? Questions? We'd love to hear
from you.
I'm afraid I'm a tyrant about good
research.
I received one fantasy story that had a
fellow stop into an inn, and there roasting on the fire was a whole cow. Now,
unless that inn was more like an enormous Best Western capable of serving 1000
very generous meals, that's completely out of scale. There's a minimum of a
thousand pounds of meat being turned by some hapless and burly minion, assisted
by another minion whose sole occupation is to chop and ferry wood to a hearth
that would make the average medieval kitchen hearth of 13 or so feet seem
miniscule.
Historically an inn served simpler and
smaller dishes. A chicken or a leg of mutton might be the largest you'd see
roasted. More often a stew, a pottage, a savoury pie, a plate or bowl of bread
(often the plate or bowl was a slab of bread) with cured meats, boiled eggs,
seasonal vegetables and fruits, and more particularly cheese would be common fare
at an inn.
Then there are the stories that refer to
a bowstring as a cord, or have a woman travelling on a train in a full bustle,
or people raised for the quality of their intellect on a starvation diet.
In this remarkable age of the world's
greatest encyclopaedia (the Internet), there is no excuse for shoddy research.
Comments? Questions? We'd love to hear
from you.
October 12, 2011
Common Errors in Fiction Manuscripts, Part 4
Purple Prose
I'm guilty of this, I have to admit. I
love words. I love language. Sometimes I get so carried away with descriptors I
forget about advancing the plot, and sharpening prose to a keen edge.
So, when I go back to a piece some weeks
or months after writing the first draft, I set aside my love affair with the
story and words, and become the clinician.
There is one rule: Use one precise word
instead of many lush words.
The result? A sentence or passage of
such clarity it incises an image into a reader's imagination.
For example:
Completing another chapter, the
eleven-year-old bibliophile gracefully stood and, with the air of a young
nobleman, strode across the library to a second reading chair perched
comfortably before a tall, gothic-style window.
All kinds of wrong with that sentence.
Is the age of the boy necessary? Or can that information be inferred through
action and thought? The use of the word 'bibliophile' arrests the narrative. Personally,
I love that word, but it's a bit antiquated for the targeted audience, and
isn't particularly communicative. The description of the boy's grace when
standing creates a cool and distant omniscient point of view that alienates the
reader from the character. And besides, is it necessary to know he has grace
when standing? Does this reflect upon his character or in any manner advance
the plot? The phrase 'with the air of a young nobleman' is redundant on so many
levels, let alone irrelevant and ridiculous in its assumption that young
noblemen are inherently graceful. Then we have a perching chair. Chairs do not
perch. People do. And further a chair can't be perched comfortably. A chair has
no feelings and so the concept of it having comfort, unless we're dealing with
something out of Terry Pratchett's imagination, is ridiculous. The tall,
gothic-style window is known as a lancet window; however, is it necessary to
the plot to know the exact architectural description of said window?
Rewritten, the sentence could read:
When he finished the chapter, he crossed
to the chair by the window.
Comments? Questions? We'd love to hear
from you.
I'm guilty of this, I have to admit. I
love words. I love language. Sometimes I get so carried away with descriptors I
forget about advancing the plot, and sharpening prose to a keen edge.
So, when I go back to a piece some weeks
or months after writing the first draft, I set aside my love affair with the
story and words, and become the clinician.
There is one rule: Use one precise word
instead of many lush words.
The result? A sentence or passage of
such clarity it incises an image into a reader's imagination.
For example:
Completing another chapter, the
eleven-year-old bibliophile gracefully stood and, with the air of a young
nobleman, strode across the library to a second reading chair perched
comfortably before a tall, gothic-style window.
All kinds of wrong with that sentence.
Is the age of the boy necessary? Or can that information be inferred through
action and thought? The use of the word 'bibliophile' arrests the narrative. Personally,
I love that word, but it's a bit antiquated for the targeted audience, and
isn't particularly communicative. The description of the boy's grace when
standing creates a cool and distant omniscient point of view that alienates the
reader from the character. And besides, is it necessary to know he has grace
when standing? Does this reflect upon his character or in any manner advance
the plot? The phrase 'with the air of a young nobleman' is redundant on so many
levels, let alone irrelevant and ridiculous in its assumption that young
noblemen are inherently graceful. Then we have a perching chair. Chairs do not
perch. People do. And further a chair can't be perched comfortably. A chair has
no feelings and so the concept of it having comfort, unless we're dealing with
something out of Terry Pratchett's imagination, is ridiculous. The tall,
gothic-style window is known as a lancet window; however, is it necessary to
the plot to know the exact architectural description of said window?
Rewritten, the sentence could read:
When he finished the chapter, he crossed
to the chair by the window.
Comments? Questions? We'd love to hear
from you.
October 10, 2011
Common Errors in Fiction Manuscripts, Part 3
Point of view and environmental detail
Too often I receive a manuscript without
a strong and consistent point of view. Writers, particularly novices, tend to
shilly-shally about with point of view, narrating their story from a cool and
distant omniscient perspective so that the reader falls into Tina Toughie's
thoughts, and then Excellent Elizabeth's. And worse, the author then goes on to
describe the weather some fifty kilometres distant.
My comment to the author at that point
often reads: Who's story is this?
Is this Tina's story? If so, Tina
doesn't know what Elizabeth's thinking or feeling unless Elizabeth tells Tina.
Moreover, Tina hasn't a clue about the weather in Milltown 50 klicks up the
road, not unless she has access to instant news.
So, focus your point of view. Decide who
is telling this story, or chapter, and stick to it, so that every environmental
description, every thought, relates to that character. By doing so, you not
only allow the reader inside your character's world, but you build that
character.
I'd suggest you go even further than
that: become the character. By doing so you'll describe every action and detail
from your own perspective, using your own voice. It requires a willingness to
go deeply, much in the way good actors delve into themselves to bring life to
the character they portray. It's exactly the same when writing.
For help with point of view, I highly
recommend Orson Scott Card's Elements of Fiction Writing – Characters andViewpoint.
Comments? Questions? We'd love to hear
from you.
Too often I receive a manuscript without
a strong and consistent point of view. Writers, particularly novices, tend to
shilly-shally about with point of view, narrating their story from a cool and
distant omniscient perspective so that the reader falls into Tina Toughie's
thoughts, and then Excellent Elizabeth's. And worse, the author then goes on to
describe the weather some fifty kilometres distant.
My comment to the author at that point
often reads: Who's story is this?
Is this Tina's story? If so, Tina
doesn't know what Elizabeth's thinking or feeling unless Elizabeth tells Tina.
Moreover, Tina hasn't a clue about the weather in Milltown 50 klicks up the
road, not unless she has access to instant news.
So, focus your point of view. Decide who
is telling this story, or chapter, and stick to it, so that every environmental
description, every thought, relates to that character. By doing so, you not
only allow the reader inside your character's world, but you build that
character.
I'd suggest you go even further than
that: become the character. By doing so you'll describe every action and detail
from your own perspective, using your own voice. It requires a willingness to
go deeply, much in the way good actors delve into themselves to bring life to
the character they portray. It's exactly the same when writing.
For help with point of view, I highly
recommend Orson Scott Card's Elements of Fiction Writing – Characters andViewpoint.
Comments? Questions? We'd love to hear
from you.
October 8, 2011
Common Errors in Fiction Manuscripts, Part 2
Redundant detail in describing body
parts, and attributing action
There seems to be a preoccupation
among writers to describe the colour of eyes. Perhaps this is because eyes play
such an essential role in communication for the sighted. In crafting a story, however,
it's crucial to ask oneself if this information is necessary to the advancement
of the plot, or to the development of character.
I think if you answer that constant
query honestly, you'll find the fact your character has exotic grey or green
eyes is mostly irrelevant to how they manage to defeat The Big Bad, or win the
affection of The Goddess of Light.
And while we're on the topic of eye
colour, there are a disproportionate number of fictional characters running
around with grey, violet or green eyes. Or people who have gold flecks and
green rims in their irises. What happened to plain old blue eyes, or muddy
brown? Or -- radical thought here -- unless the eye colour of the character is
integral to the plot, what about allowing your reader to engage their imagination
and decide eye colour for themselves?
And then there is the common mistake of
body parts disconnecting and taking action. Too often I've read a sentence
like:
"His eyes followed her across the
room."
Whenever I'm editing a manuscript with a
similar phrase, I insert this comment: "What? His eyes jumped out of their
sockets and rolled across the floor at her heels?"
May sound harsh, but eyes cannot follow
anyone or anything. A gaze can. A gaze is not a body part.
I also see sentences such as:
"His blackened teeth smiled at her."
Quite aside from oral disease, this
fellow's teeth, like his cousins the eyes, did not just decide to flash a
smile. The owner of those teeth smiled. The teeth did not.
Or:
"His hand pointed listlessly at the
painting."
The hand is not listless. And the hand
by itself does not point. The owner of that hand is listless, and the owner
points.
Comments? Questions? We'd love to hear
from you.
parts, and attributing action
There seems to be a preoccupation
among writers to describe the colour of eyes. Perhaps this is because eyes play
such an essential role in communication for the sighted. In crafting a story, however,
it's crucial to ask oneself if this information is necessary to the advancement
of the plot, or to the development of character.
I think if you answer that constant
query honestly, you'll find the fact your character has exotic grey or green
eyes is mostly irrelevant to how they manage to defeat The Big Bad, or win the
affection of The Goddess of Light.
And while we're on the topic of eye
colour, there are a disproportionate number of fictional characters running
around with grey, violet or green eyes. Or people who have gold flecks and
green rims in their irises. What happened to plain old blue eyes, or muddy
brown? Or -- radical thought here -- unless the eye colour of the character is
integral to the plot, what about allowing your reader to engage their imagination
and decide eye colour for themselves?
And then there is the common mistake of
body parts disconnecting and taking action. Too often I've read a sentence
like:
"His eyes followed her across the
room."
Whenever I'm editing a manuscript with a
similar phrase, I insert this comment: "What? His eyes jumped out of their
sockets and rolled across the floor at her heels?"
May sound harsh, but eyes cannot follow
anyone or anything. A gaze can. A gaze is not a body part.
I also see sentences such as:
"His blackened teeth smiled at her."
Quite aside from oral disease, this
fellow's teeth, like his cousins the eyes, did not just decide to flash a
smile. The owner of those teeth smiled. The teeth did not.
Or:
"His hand pointed listlessly at the
painting."
The hand is not listless. And the hand
by itself does not point. The owner of that hand is listless, and the owner
points.
Comments? Questions? We'd love to hear
from you.
October 6, 2011
Common Errors in Fiction Manuscripts
Common Errors in Fiction Manuscripts
In varying degrees I've previously
written how to prepare a manuscript for submission to Five Rivers. Given the
experience both Robert and I have had over the past few years, an updated
discussion of some items to watch when submitting fiction seems warranted.
In the next few posts I will address the
nine problems we encounter most frequently:
The use of passive rather than active
verbs
Redundant detail in describing body
parts, and/or attributing action to them.
Point of view (POV) and environmental
detail.
Purple prose.
Lack of thorough research.
Less is More: Sex/love scenes; neologisms
in SF.
Overdone dystopia.
Punctuation: use of single quotes,
double quotes and italics, 5R house style, dialogue, proper suffix for adverbs.
Formatting the manuscript
Passive versus active verbs
The use of passive instead of active
verbs is a sure fire way to slow or even stop the action and tension in your
story. Too often a writer migrates to passive voice, writing a sentence
something like:
She looked up at the sky and there were
birds flying overhead.
There isn't any tension in this
sentence, and were you to read this as an opening line of a story, you'd likely
yawn and look at the next book. Why is it important to maintain tension in your
writing? For exactly the reason I've implied above: to keep the interest of
your reader, and to create an environment that fully engages the senses of your
audience.
Rewritten in an active voice, the
sentence reads:
She looked at the sky where three birds
flew.
Now you not only have an active voice,
but have shortened the length of your sentence from 12 words to nine. By doing
this you've created a sharp image, each word precise. And by creating short,
sharp sentences you create a staccato rhythm that enhances the tension.
That is not to say longer, elegant
phraseology is to be avoided. Quite the contrary. But rather you must determine
where to use shorter sentences for tension, and longer to create drama and
environment.
Comments? Questions? We'd love to hear
from you.
In varying degrees I've previously
written how to prepare a manuscript for submission to Five Rivers. Given the
experience both Robert and I have had over the past few years, an updated
discussion of some items to watch when submitting fiction seems warranted.
In the next few posts I will address the
nine problems we encounter most frequently:
The use of passive rather than active
verbs
Redundant detail in describing body
parts, and/or attributing action to them.
Point of view (POV) and environmental
detail.
Purple prose.
Lack of thorough research.
Less is More: Sex/love scenes; neologisms
in SF.
Overdone dystopia.
Punctuation: use of single quotes,
double quotes and italics, 5R house style, dialogue, proper suffix for adverbs.
Formatting the manuscript
Passive versus active verbs
The use of passive instead of active
verbs is a sure fire way to slow or even stop the action and tension in your
story. Too often a writer migrates to passive voice, writing a sentence
something like:
She looked up at the sky and there were
birds flying overhead.
There isn't any tension in this
sentence, and were you to read this as an opening line of a story, you'd likely
yawn and look at the next book. Why is it important to maintain tension in your
writing? For exactly the reason I've implied above: to keep the interest of
your reader, and to create an environment that fully engages the senses of your
audience.
Rewritten in an active voice, the
sentence reads:
She looked at the sky where three birds
flew.
Now you not only have an active voice,
but have shortened the length of your sentence from 12 words to nine. By doing
this you've created a sharp image, each word precise. And by creating short,
sharp sentences you create a staccato rhythm that enhances the tension.
That is not to say longer, elegant
phraseology is to be avoided. Quite the contrary. But rather you must determine
where to use shorter sentences for tension, and longer to create drama and
environment.
Comments? Questions? We'd love to hear
from you.
October 4, 2011
Glowing Review for The Organic Home Gardener
From the blog of Douglas Nadar, a glowing review for The Organic Home Gardener."There is no such thing as a green pepper… All peppers start out some shade of green (either dark, light or yellowish) and gradually turn red, yellow, orange or even purple as they mature and sweeten. A green pepper, like a green tomato, is simply unripe." Patrick Lima and John Scanlan's The Organic Home Gardener.
"Nature loves man, beetles, and birds with the same love." John Muir
"We have done deeds of charity, made peace of enmity, fair love of hate, between these swelling wrong-incensed peers." Shakespeare's Richard the Third.
Patrick Lima and John Scanlan's just released second printing of The Organic Home Garden is joyously required reading for anyone who loves to garden. These Bruce Peninsula heroes of soil, seeds and thirty plus years of creative sweat have toiled to create the perfect book for both beginners and callused-handed inveterate gardeners. The Organic Home Garden is far more than a 'how to' book.
Yes, we learn about the proper care of raising many vegetables but also find inspiration in the photos and finely crafted words of these two men. The authors' passion can not but strike a chord of reverence for the Earth. Patrick Lima's quiet prose conjures up all that is beautiful in the garden. "…it is a pleasure to potter in the tomato bed, pushing in stakes, plucking suckers, tying the hairy stems with strips of old bed sheets, watching the fruit swell from week to week, then blush pink and finally redden." And the many subject headings draw in the reader: "Of Suckers and Stakes", Bugs, Cracks and Cat-facing", "In the Trenches", "Of Mulch, Maggots and Mold" and "Midsummer Miscellany" are just a few intriguing titles that make us want to read more. From the care of herbs to the potato and great cooking recipes, there is cause to celebrate the new edition of this Canadian classic. Without a doubt, a summer visit to 'Larkwhistle' will inspire you to be a better gardener and cherish these organic gardeners' wisdom. Don't wait till you are reading their book in bed on a cold winter's night dreaming of new sowings of shallots and spinach; visit Larkwhistle now and buy it there. Call 519 795-7763 for directions and hours to visit.
Publisher's note: You can connect with Larkwhistle through their Facebook page, which is listed in the banner to the right of this post. You can also purchase The Organic Home Gardener in both digital and print through online booksellers globally, as well as directly from Five Rivers.
Google map to Larkwhistle.
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September 8, 2011
Runte Guest Spot on Get Published
Five Rivers' senior editor, Dr. Robert Runté, is the guest on episode 65 of Michell Plested's Get Published. Michell interviews Robert about types of editing, working with an editor, common beginner errors in the submission process, and choosing the right editor.
September 7, 2011
New Intern with Five River Books
Five Rivers Books is pleased to announce that as of September 1st, Amy Bright has joined us as an Intern in the editing department. She is an essayist, a short story writer, and a novelist. Before We Go, her first novel for young adults, will be published by Red Deer Press in Spring 2012. She holds a BA in English from Mount Allison University and a MA in English from the University of Victoria. Her academic work can be found in the Journal of Children's Literature and Studies in Canadian Literature. She writes
book reviews at Girl To The Rescue .
September 6, 2011
Dutch Schultz: brazen beer baron of New York
One of Five Rivers' fall releases is Dutch Schultz: brazen beer baron of New York, another in the crime biography series by Nate Hendley.
In creating the cover for the Schultz book, we wanted to create a look similar to the Al Capone book, but unique enough that it would stand on its own.
Both covers are the work of Five Rivers' publisher, Lorina Stephens, who has a background in fine and graphic art, and has designed everything from municipal public transit logos and branding to public awareness posters for social service providers.
Colour was the first consideration in designing the Schultz and Capone covers, and so the palette was limited to scales of black, red and white -- very dramatic, very sharp, and edgy enough to mirror the violent subject matter. Both portraits were rendered in an embossed effect to enhance the iconic stature of these legendary figures, and to create an unearthly, even demonic overtone.
Lorina chose to keep the backgrounds very simple, in order to give presence and scope to the portraits. That allowed a saturated ground on which to lay in titling in stark white that leaps off the screen or page, whether in full colour or black and white, and easily broadcasts.
Typefaces were another consideration. It was important to reflect the stylistic trends of the 1930s, the era of the two mobsters in question. Magneto was chosen for the title of the Schultz book. Although a modern typeface, (created in the 1990s) the designer very much relied upon the script styles of the 1930s through 1950s. Frigidaire was the most recognized trade name associated with this style of typeface.
For the Al Capone book, Lorina chose to use the Broadway typeface which was created during the Art Deco era.
Both Dutch Schultz and Al Capone are available in print and digital formats, available now through Smashwords and Barnes and Noble, and coming soon to Amazon and other digital and print booksellers globally. You can also order directly from Five Rivers.
In creating the cover for the Schultz book, we wanted to create a look similar to the Al Capone book, but unique enough that it would stand on its own.
Both covers are the work of Five Rivers' publisher, Lorina Stephens, who has a background in fine and graphic art, and has designed everything from municipal public transit logos and branding to public awareness posters for social service providers.
Colour was the first consideration in designing the Schultz and Capone covers, and so the palette was limited to scales of black, red and white -- very dramatic, very sharp, and edgy enough to mirror the violent subject matter. Both portraits were rendered in an embossed effect to enhance the iconic stature of these legendary figures, and to create an unearthly, even demonic overtone.
Lorina chose to keep the backgrounds very simple, in order to give presence and scope to the portraits. That allowed a saturated ground on which to lay in titling in stark white that leaps off the screen or page, whether in full colour or black and white, and easily broadcasts.
Typefaces were another consideration. It was important to reflect the stylistic trends of the 1930s, the era of the two mobsters in question. Magneto was chosen for the title of the Schultz book. Although a modern typeface, (created in the 1990s) the designer very much relied upon the script styles of the 1930s through 1950s. Frigidaire was the most recognized trade name associated with this style of typeface.
For the Al Capone book, Lorina chose to use the Broadway typeface which was created during the Art Deco era.
Both Dutch Schultz and Al Capone are available in print and digital formats, available now through Smashwords and Barnes and Noble, and coming soon to Amazon and other digital and print booksellers globally. You can also order directly from Five Rivers.
September 2, 2011
Indigo Shoving the Small Kid
We like to think of Canadians as being polite, stand-up people who would never resort to bullying or strong-arm tactics. It's a nice thought. But of course simply isn't true. We can be, unfortunately, as bullish and predatory in business as our American, and global, counterparts.
Take, for example, Indigo's latest tactic with small and micro publishers. Over the past year, because of Indigo's new retail policy, whereby 50% of retail space is now dedicated not to books, but to giftware (over-priced and destined for garage sale giftware), small publishers across the country have had books flying back to them in astonishing numbers. Often these are books Indigo stores have had up to a year. And often those books weren't marketed particularly well in-store, often relegated to the 'local author' section where few customers linger or browse. Couple that fact with the book retailer custom of ordering more books than could possibly sell (by expedient of the fact a publisher can't deal with Indigo unless you allow returns), and you have a mix that makes a mess of business organization and cash flow.
And because Indigo is now stocking only best-selling and new release books from major houses, or from major distributors adept at bombast, there is little hope of small and micro publishers even having a chance at Indigo's retail space. Sure, a small press can still look to book signings with the mega-chain. But therein lies yet another caveat, because rest assured the event store will order more books than will possibly sell at the event, all with the view of creating a visually pleasing display, at the publisher's expense. And so those books will come flying back to the publisher, now within 45 days, according to Indigo's new rules. That becomes even more difficult for the publisher in light of dwindling interest and attendance at book signings, even for many well-known authors.
There is another more insidious aspect to this entire culture of doing business with Indigo. If a small publisher finds itself in the position of having received hundreds of returns, that can equate to thousands of dollars in credits now owed to the giant, Indigo. And Indigo, in turn, in a thinly veiled attempt to throw up a windfall in cash flow, then expects immediate reimbursement for said returns. Doesn't matter if those returns were from books originally purchased a year ago.
Should a publisher find itself in this position, suddenly that very tight budget and very tight ship finds itself with a breach in the hull that may be difficult to plug. And that breach becomes even more difficult to plug because Indigo's response to wanting immediate payment is to suspend the account of any publisher who owes them money.
So, not only does the publisher find themselves in the situation of being a buyer, but also finds they're unable to bring any new publications to market through Indigo because they can't get their bibliographic data uploaded to Indigo's system.
It's sort of like cutting off an arm, and then saying, "Sorry, there's no recourse to medical attention."
And because small publishers have very little political or financial power to sway the opinions and actions of giants like Indigo, they're left no alternative but to submit to standards and corporate decisions of whim.
Chase of this post? Five Rivers has found itself in a jail of monopoly, without a get out free card. Our books had been in scores of Indigo stores across Ontario, and even in Alberta and Nova Scotia. All of the small inventory in each store had has been returned, which taken as a whole has meant hundreds of books.
Any of our new publications as of September 1 will not be listed in Indigo's online catalogue, and any of our old publications will only be available for order online through Indigo and unavailable for order through Indigo stores. We're told that as soon as this rather impressive sum is reimbursed to Indigo that our account with Indigo will be reinstated.
In the meantime, of course, should you wish a print copy of any of our publications, you can choose to order directly from Five Rivers, through your local indie bookseller, who can either order directly from Five Rivers or through Coutts Information Services. Or you can choose to go to the other evil giant, Amazon, where our books are most definitely available. If you're in the US, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and a score of other online chains carry our titles, as is the case in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Our digital versions remain available through Kobo, Apple, Kindle, Sony, Nook, Diesel, Books on Board, Smashwords and a plethora of other ebook retailers.
We're working on clearing this up as quickly as we can. And although this is something quite beyond our control or influence, we apologize for the inconvenience to our fans, readers and authors.
Take, for example, Indigo's latest tactic with small and micro publishers. Over the past year, because of Indigo's new retail policy, whereby 50% of retail space is now dedicated not to books, but to giftware (over-priced and destined for garage sale giftware), small publishers across the country have had books flying back to them in astonishing numbers. Often these are books Indigo stores have had up to a year. And often those books weren't marketed particularly well in-store, often relegated to the 'local author' section where few customers linger or browse. Couple that fact with the book retailer custom of ordering more books than could possibly sell (by expedient of the fact a publisher can't deal with Indigo unless you allow returns), and you have a mix that makes a mess of business organization and cash flow.
And because Indigo is now stocking only best-selling and new release books from major houses, or from major distributors adept at bombast, there is little hope of small and micro publishers even having a chance at Indigo's retail space. Sure, a small press can still look to book signings with the mega-chain. But therein lies yet another caveat, because rest assured the event store will order more books than will possibly sell at the event, all with the view of creating a visually pleasing display, at the publisher's expense. And so those books will come flying back to the publisher, now within 45 days, according to Indigo's new rules. That becomes even more difficult for the publisher in light of dwindling interest and attendance at book signings, even for many well-known authors.
There is another more insidious aspect to this entire culture of doing business with Indigo. If a small publisher finds itself in the position of having received hundreds of returns, that can equate to thousands of dollars in credits now owed to the giant, Indigo. And Indigo, in turn, in a thinly veiled attempt to throw up a windfall in cash flow, then expects immediate reimbursement for said returns. Doesn't matter if those returns were from books originally purchased a year ago.
Should a publisher find itself in this position, suddenly that very tight budget and very tight ship finds itself with a breach in the hull that may be difficult to plug. And that breach becomes even more difficult to plug because Indigo's response to wanting immediate payment is to suspend the account of any publisher who owes them money.
So, not only does the publisher find themselves in the situation of being a buyer, but also finds they're unable to bring any new publications to market through Indigo because they can't get their bibliographic data uploaded to Indigo's system.
It's sort of like cutting off an arm, and then saying, "Sorry, there's no recourse to medical attention."
And because small publishers have very little political or financial power to sway the opinions and actions of giants like Indigo, they're left no alternative but to submit to standards and corporate decisions of whim.
Chase of this post? Five Rivers has found itself in a jail of monopoly, without a get out free card. Our books had been in scores of Indigo stores across Ontario, and even in Alberta and Nova Scotia. All of the small inventory in each store had has been returned, which taken as a whole has meant hundreds of books.
Any of our new publications as of September 1 will not be listed in Indigo's online catalogue, and any of our old publications will only be available for order online through Indigo and unavailable for order through Indigo stores. We're told that as soon as this rather impressive sum is reimbursed to Indigo that our account with Indigo will be reinstated.
In the meantime, of course, should you wish a print copy of any of our publications, you can choose to order directly from Five Rivers, through your local indie bookseller, who can either order directly from Five Rivers or through Coutts Information Services. Or you can choose to go to the other evil giant, Amazon, where our books are most definitely available. If you're in the US, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and a score of other online chains carry our titles, as is the case in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Our digital versions remain available through Kobo, Apple, Kindle, Sony, Nook, Diesel, Books on Board, Smashwords and a plethora of other ebook retailers.
We're working on clearing this up as quickly as we can. And although this is something quite beyond our control or influence, we apologize for the inconvenience to our fans, readers and authors.
