[longseason]

Hey guys,
I'm currently picthing an idea to book agents, trying to avoid Vanity Publishing if possible. Although that may be the best option in the end.

Sorry Stephen -- I'll have to take issue with you and the term "vanity publishing" -- I'm not a vanity publisher. I'm a professional small press publisher of Canadian literary works. Beautiful stuff actually; we also have international distribution in the states, the U.K. and Japan; although obviously we couldn't fit this project into our own catalog.

What I was offering you were my services as a publisher, designer, and administrator when it comes to producing a book. I've done it all beginning to end. Many times.

Vanity publishers make money; they take a cut from every book, et al. I was offering to do this as a service to the community. If we went that route, we'd retain all of the proceeds from the book which we could distribute, I would suggest, to a charity like Waterkeepers. We could start our own non-profit if we'd like to oversee the money.

[rant]
Or you could line the pockets of people who care nothing for your book and the real reason why the fans would want to be a part of something like this as readers and/or contributors. Book publishers think in terms of what sells. Large retailers won't give a book real estate unless it'll move off the shelves. Who wants to create books and/or art that's thought of in terms of a commodity? Why would you want to share the spoils with a book agent? A major publisher? What can they do that the community cannot? Raise the profile of your project? Provide credibility? Meh. Big business stinks. It's the independents that do anything worthwhile these days. Been in Chapter's lately? Absolute crap. If I wanted to drink a latte while thumbing through Oprah's new magazine, maybe I'd go.
[/rant]

For a project like this, you have to think about the audience. Do things on your own terms. Way cooler. Way more respectable. Find a book agent, if that's what you'd really like to do. But what are your goals? Get your book in Chapter's and let multiple middlemen eat away money that could serve a greater purpose? Are you really going to sell more books with a book agent? I've been doing this a long time. I know what works and doesn't work. DIY rules.