The Willy Wonka Theorem

            Time to face facts.  Doubt It Publishing cemented the publishing house with Voices From The Herd: An Anthology For Buffalo, NY.  Despite the time involved, anthologies are an easy project to attract local writers.  The project was a colossal success and the proceeds that the book has earned for The Just Buffalo Literary Center will resonate for years to come.   

            Lightning struck twice when heretofore unknown Mark McElligott sent his manuscript along for Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind, which was easily one of the funniest books I've read in fifteen years.  While Mark (and the contents of his book) aren't exactly family friendly, we found a niche for his talent and his book continues to entertain while finding a new audience.    

            The open reading submission for 2011 was less than satisfactory.  I'm slightly saddened to announce that there won't be any Doubt It Publishing Author Of The Year this year because, truth be told, I put all of my eggs in two or three baskets.  Not one, but three promising manuscripts passed my desk that held promise.  One had potential but it wasn't polished enough.  Another had stellar character development but the author's needs and requests were unreasonable.  The final project was perfect but the person behind the collection couldn't commit.

            I've spent the last ten years interviewing writers to find out what works and what doesn’t.  What behaviors succeed, what personality traits work and which ones don't.  In the same sense, I've spent a lifetime learning what it means to run a successful publishing business.  Many schools in the music business open their doors to anyone willing to collect a paycheck and find themselves on the verge of bankruptcy within a few years.  Other ventures weed out new creative endeavors after a short time and turn to subsidy publishing, choosing only to publish and copyright their own work. 

            Doubt It Publishing is an ideal.  A publishing house that was built to foster new, subversive and talented Buffalo authors and save them from the pitfalls and aggravations that I've gone through for the last ten years.  This won't be a vanity house and it won't be a catch-all for any author coming down the pike.  It has to be an imprint that welcomes those of you promising enough to make the cut who are willing to put as much work into promoting your book as you did writing it. 

            2012 is a wash.  The Doubt It Publishing docket for this year has failed.  So we grow, evolve and adapt.  Here's the decision moving forward: The Call For Submissions will be year round from here on out.  As the Publisher and Editor In Chief, I will no longer depend on any one writer or any one manuscript.  There will no longer be a six month reading period.  If you have a promising work and you want to publish and promote it next year, I want to work with you.  The business model remains.  I'm still looking for one book to work with, but I'm swinging the submission gates wide open. 

            Tell me what you've been working on, Buffalo.  You've got all year to do it, and every year from here on out. 

Please send your sample chapters, query letters or entire manuscripts to: bigwordsmailbag@yahoo.com   

Back On The Horse: Call For Submissions & Two Important Promotions This Week

            As previously stated, Doubt It Publishing is rolling forward in June with this year's round of submissions for our 2012 Author Of The Year.  From June 1st through November 1st I'll be reviewing full length manuscript submissions for fiction, nonfiction and poetry.  Doubt It Publishing is looking for: humor, horror, short stories, self-help, memoirs, essays, rants, poetry and suspense. If your book is gripping and engaging I want to see it!  Send either a query, sample chapters or full manuscript to: bigwordsmailbag@yahoo.com. 

There is no reading fee or entry fee of any kind.  The only criteria is that you must reside in the Buffalo area and possess a talent for writing along with a willingness to work hard promoting your book when it comes out next year.  As 2011 Author Mark McElligott knows, marketing and campaigning for his book (Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind) is every bit as important as writing it.  You can review the Author Agreement details at http://www.doubtitpublishing.blogspot.com or by joining the open Doubt It Publishing group on Facebook.  If you know someone who's working on a book, please pass the word along.  Again, I am only picking (and working with) one author per year so that I can give them my undivided attention as well as the full brunt of my networking, marketing and media experience.  If you have any additional questions, feel free to email me at: bigwordsmalbag@yahoo.com.

Getting back to Mark McElligott, he chose to promote alongside me shortly after I launched Mockery, so while I'm starting to wind down on appearances for my book he'll be taking the baton and running with it in the coming months.  This Thursday I'll be reading and signing at Talking Leaves Books on 3158 Main St. from 7 p.m. (SHARP!) to 8 p.m.  Talking Leaves is another venue very close to my heart because it's local, I've done a promotion there for almost every book for the last decade and it's a great store.  Somehow Jonathan has a knack for stocking the ONE Bukowski book that I don't own every time I visit.  If you like poetry, they've got one of the largest selections in the tri-state area and they feature a comprehensive and diverse selection of local authors. 

This Saturday, Mark McElligott and I will both be reading at Stockman's Tavern on 9870 Transit Rd. in Swormville (between Amherst and Lockport) from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Stockman's is a great bar with a great crowd, so please mark your calendar and make the time to come out and join us.  This will be Mark's first full-length reading, so please join me in welcoming him and his incredibly funny new book Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind.  Copies of Mockery and Random Thoughts will be limited, so either show up early or buy both on http://lulu.com  for the low low price of $15.

I'll see you out on the town this week.  Ladies and gentleman, start your submissions!

Thanks,

Tom Waters  

Call For Submissions/Manuscript Review From June-November

     While Mark McElligott has already begun promoting Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind before his impending book launch in June (radio appearances, a video shoot for Time Warner Cable and a promising invitation to host his own radio show), Doubt It Publishing is splitting focus to look for a promising writer to publish in 2012. 
     The submission period will run from June 1st to November 1st.  Doubt It Publishing is looking for a full length manuscript of fiction, non-fiction or poetry.  Genres include fiction, humor, horror, memoir, science fiction or suspense.  No romance or self-help, please.  If you're sending a poetry manuscript, please make sure that it's marketable material with previously published excerpts.  Doubt It focuses ONLY on authors who reside in the Buffalo area and surrounding suburbs.
     The final deadline for 2012 consideration is December 1st.  Please send a query, full manuscript (attachment) or sample chapter (attachment) to: bigwordsmailbag@yahoo.com.
     Mark's book was a refreshing and completely unexpected surprise.  I'm looking forward to seeing what other intriguing and exciting works Buffalo has to offer.  If you feel that your book has a 'wow' factor, please send it in.  If you're willing to actively promote your book, I'm willing to work around the clock to schedule dates and appearances.  Writing the book isn't the easy part, but promoting it isn't easier either.  Show me that you have the raw talent and the drive to put your book into the hands of a larger audience and Doubt It will publish, promote and stand behind your book and yours alone in 2012.
Sincerely,
Tom Waters
Publisher
Doubt It Publishing 

Doubt It Publishing Author Agreement

     This is an exciting time for Doubt It Publishing.  As a writer, editor and publisher, I'm on the cusp of launching our first book with 2010 Author Of The Year Mark McElligott with his incredibly funny manuscript for Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind.  While we are both on the cusp of launching his book this spring, it occured to me that Doubt It has no standard boiler plate contract, so I had to whip one up. 

     After two standard publishers, I tried to come up with a contract that leaned towards the rights of the author.  I didn't found this company to gouge creators, I founded it to expose and promote new talent.  While we transition from Mark's breakout book into 2012, I drafted a contract that was author friendly and nothing more.  Doubt It Publishing is a publishing house founded by a writer for writers.  That's it.  Sure, I'd like to make money, but not at the expense of someone who spent more time on their brain child than me.  This draft is subject to change, but it will never change at the expense of my future writers.  I promise. 

                Doubt It Publishing Author Agreement

1.)  Doubt It Publishing retains copyrights to the manuscript itself.  The author retains all film, merchandising and other rights to his own work.  Doubt It Publishing is willing to manage the artist's work on their behalf.  In any case where a book is optioned for another medium, Doubt It Publishing retains 15% of all royalties.  While the book rights remains the sole property of Doubt It Publishing, any and all other rights (merchandising, film options, etc.) are entirely within the author's domain.

2.) The author has final decision on cover artwork, interior design and publicity posters.  Any additional expenses incurred for revisions lay solely with the author of the book.

3.)  15% of all book sale royalties (online, in-store and otherwise) belong to Doubt It Publishing.  As a publisher, marketing entity and publicist, 15% is due upon initial book launch and throughout the life of the book.  Any copies ordered through Doubt It Publishing will charge a 15% commission at time of order or upon receipt.  Doubt It Publishing will charge a flat 'at-cost' rate for all books ordered including the 15% commission.  This rate will not change regardless of distributor discounts on bulk orders.   

4.)  The author agrees to work with Doubt It Publishing for a calculated publicity campaign to promote said work including in-store promotions, radio appearances, signings and other events.

5.)  Any and all print, online or radio interviews must be condoned through Doubt It Publishing.  All media promotion needs to be approved through the publisher first.

6.)  Appearance fees, bookings or reading costs will be split evenly between the author and publisher.  As publisher and author, this is a tax deductible necessity.

7.)  Any and all complimentary copies for media review will be covered by the author.  Media book submissions, radio giveaways and any other promotional copies of the book are at the discretion and expense of the author.  Doubt It will never insist on promotional expenses for an author, but in the case of media reviews, radio promotions, etc., the author will pay for the cost of any and all books and deduct these books from their taxes at the end of each calendar year. 

8.)  Doubt It Publishing will make any and all accommodations to make a profit for each selected author and expose their work to a larger audience on a regional level. 

9.)  The author agrees to be available for readings, signings and media appearances with reasonable notice determined by both parties.

10.)  Any and all graphic design costs, promotional poster designs and interior layout design costs will be split evenly between Doubt It Publishing and the Author. 

Final Deadline For Full Length Manuscript Submissions is January 1st, 2011

            We're about two weeks away from the final deadline for manuscript submissions for the 2011 Doubt It Publishing Author Of The Year.  I'll be reviewing submissions throughout January and should come to a final decision on which author I'll be working with by February 1st, 2011.  I'm looking for poetry (full length, no chapbooks), fiction, nonfiction or humor.    

            Again, please submit all works with your genre in the subject heading of the email, a query letter and an attachment of your feature length work to: bigwordsmailbag@yahoo.com.  I don’t charge any reading fees and I don't offer any 'editorial services', but I will be picking the best manuscript for a 2011 publication date as well as a promotional book tour.  There are a few early front runners who show promise, but I wouldn't rule out an eleventh hour upset or a surprise wunderkind.

            I'll be partnering with a new or existing Buffalo author and splitting the up-front production costs for the interior layout and design, which are minimal.  I've got multiple graphic designers who are chomping at the bit to showcase their work for the next Doubt It Publishing publication.  Once the  book is formatted and proof read, we'll release it in the fall and planning a publicity plan that works best for the material presented.  Doubt It will retain 15% of the royalties while the winning author will keep 85%.  We'll set the price on the paperback and/or hardcover.        

Good luck and keep writing!

Tom Waters

Doubt It Publishing

Mission Statement Of Sorts

     Welcome to the new site.  Since founding Doubt It Publishing two years ago, it's about time that we had an official site for interested consumers, curious authors, and puzzled literary agents.  With five published and successful books under our belt, it's high time that we made our presence known.
     Doubt It Publishing was conceived almost a decade ago as a means to trumpet the unbelievable talent and untapped potential of a strong literary undercurrent in Buffalo, NY.  There are too many unsung and brilliant voices in the region and instead of charging unreasonable 'entry fees' for contests, hooking up our pals for book deals and publishing their books under vanity presses with university connections or funding the company for our own selfish means while extorting the raw talent that fuels us, we decided to do something honest.
     This is the beginning of a new publishing house.  Reasonable publishing commissions for a select number of new authors per year.  As a founder and fellow writer, I'm not out to exploit someone else's work and I have no desire to profit on someone else's brain child since we're in the same boat.  I plan on paying charging 15% on sales of the book while working directly with each author to implement a publicity plan that's specific to the their goals, availability, and the genre itself.  While I am not a distributor, Doubt It Publishing will distribute through lulu.com (and by extension Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online retailers) where we can set a price point and thereby calculate a fair commission for contributors. 
     I've got fifteen years of experience writing for every newspaper, weekly alternative paper and magazine in Buffalo and beyond.  I've promoted my own books in corporate bookstores (Media Play, Borders, FYE), local proprietorships (Talking Leaves, Rust Belt Books), coffee shops (Spot Coffee), nightclubs (Desiderios, Magruders, Lafeyette Tap Room) and more.  I've promoted on the air with Brian Kahle, Country 106.5 FM WYRK, and Time Warner Cable.  As the host of a radio show (The Big Words I Know By Heart Radio Hour) that's gone on to attract hundreds of downloads per month and unique hits in the neighborhood of 100,000 or more, I'm happy to say that I can bend the ear of a specific audience.
     I'm looking to take on one new author per year.  After a successful anthology launch (Voices From The Herd: An Anthology For Buffalo NY), it's time to take Doubt It to new and ambitious heights.  If you're a Buffalo author and you have a polished manuscript, I'd like to hear from you.  Please send a query with a cover letter, and synopsis to bigwordsmailbag@yahoo.com.  The clock is ticking on 2010.  We've got two months left to select a new distinguished author for 2011. 
      You can print on demand or pay through the ear for a local 'publisher' who's juiced in with all the right people and make less than nothing.  Or you can trust my experience and place your convictions in a fellow writer who's been toiling away in the trenches right along with you.  Life has afforded me a modicum of success, connections and media access.  I'd like to share it with somone else.  My deadline is January 1st, 2011.  Fiction, Nonfiction, or Poetry. I'm specifically looking for short story collections, contemporary fiction or consistent and challenging poetry.  If you have a talent in written word worth promoting (and a desire to actively promote your book in Buffalo), I'd like to partner with you.

Sincerely,
Tom Waters
Publisher
Doubt It Publishing