Funding and Contributor Copies
So... guess what. It's approaching the end of March, and I'm not done with the TOC. It shouldn't be long, though, so check back in a month. I'm working on it, but there's a lot of other stuff to do, too.
In the meantime, let's think about funding. Outside Voices is too young a press to be eligible for most grants, and I don't have any money. So there are two options: "normal" publishing, where I will need to raise $5-7k to pay for the run up-front (they don't take credit cards), and print-on-demand publishing (POD) which has no start-up cost but also allows fewer publishing options (the paper weight would be 55#, the cover automatically glossy, etc.--most books look like this).
I am in favor of raising enough money to print the anthology beautifully, non-POD. But for this to work, I need help. My idea is that if each contributor pre-sold 1 copy of the anthology to their local/university library, that would pay for the run and allow each contributor a free copy of the anthology. It is quite easy to sell a book to a library. I'll set up a PayPal button, you will go to your library (or your library's website) and request that they buy the book. You will send me an email saying, "Hey Jessica I just sold a book to University of Delaware Library." They'll click on the button and buy the book. I will keep a list of who's sold a book, and when the books come out, the libraries will get a book and you will get a book.
If this kind of plan isn't ok with ya'll, then we'll go POD. You'll then have the option of buying the anthology at cost (rather than at retail) which should be pretty inexpensive. But in this case, I will not have the money to buy you all a copy of the book.
I am open to other funding suggestions, but keep in mind that I am already doing everything-- choosing poems, formatting, working with the printers, etc.-- myself, unpaid, so I will not want to hear funding suggestions that involve me doing a lot more work. So, like, bake sales are out.
Let me know what you think-- I've opened the comment fields.
In the meantime, let's think about funding. Outside Voices is too young a press to be eligible for most grants, and I don't have any money. So there are two options: "normal" publishing, where I will need to raise $5-7k to pay for the run up-front (they don't take credit cards), and print-on-demand publishing (POD) which has no start-up cost but also allows fewer publishing options (the paper weight would be 55#, the cover automatically glossy, etc.--most books look like this).
I am in favor of raising enough money to print the anthology beautifully, non-POD. But for this to work, I need help. My idea is that if each contributor pre-sold 1 copy of the anthology to their local/university library, that would pay for the run and allow each contributor a free copy of the anthology. It is quite easy to sell a book to a library. I'll set up a PayPal button, you will go to your library (or your library's website) and request that they buy the book. You will send me an email saying, "Hey Jessica I just sold a book to University of Delaware Library." They'll click on the button and buy the book. I will keep a list of who's sold a book, and when the books come out, the libraries will get a book and you will get a book.
If this kind of plan isn't ok with ya'll, then we'll go POD. You'll then have the option of buying the anthology at cost (rather than at retail) which should be pretty inexpensive. But in this case, I will not have the money to buy you all a copy of the book.
I am open to other funding suggestions, but keep in mind that I am already doing everything-- choosing poems, formatting, working with the printers, etc.-- myself, unpaid, so I will not want to hear funding suggestions that involve me doing a lot more work. So, like, bake sales are out.
Let me know what you think-- I've opened the comment fields.
posted by Jessica Smith at 11:48 AM
31 comments
