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Zine~Thyme
by Judy Bridges
Welcome to Zine~Thyme. A column dedicated to interviewing E-zine owners, Authors, and Publishers.
Hello all, this month I interviewed a real publisher.
Guess What? They are real people!
Buzzy has been very helpful even with her busy schedule, and, BTW, she has
a Writers Conference coming up for all you NC’ers, and everyone else that is interested.
The info is below, just email her if you have any questions.
This just in; the conference is just about sold out!
On to the interview!
Is Buzzy a pen name?
Buzzy is not a pen name. I was given this name at birth. Later, as years went on, I actually earned the name. We will not give any info on this. Long time ago.
How do you feel about the use of pen names?
I never thought about it until becoming a publisher. I have one author who uses a pen name because he does not like his "given" name. I have another one that uses a pen name to remain unknown. Personally, I have no problem with pen names unless one is trying to get out of paying their taxes which would come back on my company.
How long have you been writing?
I began writing music when I was 8 years old and lived in Nashville, TN. My first book came about when I became involved in digging up bottles. I wanted to know more about them and with the encouragement of the Western North Carolina Bottle Collectors and their help, I wrote a book “North Carolina During the Patent Era”. Then I wrote, One North Carolinians Dream: Pepsi. Both of these books were published (can't say by who or I could be sued) but were not being promoted... People wanted the book and started calling me asking how could they get a copy...so I terminated my contract, got my rights back and started printing and selling the books myself.
How long have you been publishing?
About that time, the light bulb went on and I wondered how many other people were getting a "raw" deal and how I could change this by publishing books. I found that most people wanted more personal input into their books and more hands on with marketing. I read several books the best being, Jump Start Your Book Sales, and started my own company. I wanted to keep it small and semi-local. That has not happened. I have authors from most states in the U.S. and Canada. People like what I do and how I do it (for the most part).
I started my publishing business Aug. 4, 2001. At present my editorial schedule is into 2005 and although I am accepting submissions it must really be "unique" and have high quality writing to be considered. My genre at present is still open to fiction and non-fiction but I am trying to get back to my roots "working hand in hand with authors and their books" which means obviously I will take a local author vs. one in CA or Canada. But that said; it also depends on the writing, story, characters, and the quality of writing in general.
Do you target a specific age group?
I do not target a specific age group as a writer. All of my own writing is non-fiction, NC interest.
What genre?
As a publisher I have books for a variety of ages. I have adult fiction, non-fiction and do a limited number of children's books. At present, I have been so overwhelmed with children's books that I have enlisted the help of one of my authors who is also an agent to screen the children's books. Her name is Mrs. Barbara Casey.
If I were to submit a manuscript to you, what could I expect.
If you were to submit a manuscript to me in full with out it being requested, it would be returned. If the manuscript had been requested it would go through 3 different editorial reads (including my reading the book) then a meeting to see what type of marketing plan would be needed. At that point it would be rejected/accepted with notification to the author. The average time for an author to hear from Benoy Publishing ranges from 2 weeks (rejection or asking to send to Barbara - children's books) to 5 months. The average turn around is around 3 months.
What do you expect in a query letter, how long/short should it be? What would you consider a bad query?
Query letters should be no longer than one page.
Bad queries I have received include ones that are handwritten, addressed to the wrong person at the wrong company, lots of grammatical and typing errors.
If you can't read the query you are not going to read anything else. Also, a query does not get far in my company if a new author compares himself/herself to an established writer/style. I want fresh, unique writers that are not afraid to develop their own style.
Do you accept online submissions?
I do not accept online submissions, but I do accept online queries. By the amount I am receiving this may change in the near future.
Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
I do accept simultaneous submissions due to the nature of this business I can't hold someone's work and expect them to wait on a decision from me.
What is your biggest pet peeve when dealing with an author?
Pet peeves when dealing with authors. Boy did you open up a can of worms. I think today #1 would be - I am the publisher. I am the decision maker. I love having my writers input and meeting and working with them but I do expect the same respect a larger publisher would. I am not always available and I will not spend my time repeating myself or holding hands. In my business the author is treated with respect and I expect the same.
#2. Read your contract before signing and ask questions before hand not after the fact. I always suggest having a lawyer look over the contract. That way there are no mistakes or surprises.
#3. My time is valuable and I do not like authors being late for appointments. There are always reasons but it better be good. I usually line appointments back to back on certain days and no shows or late do not make a good impression.
Well, I am off this subject...bad day with authors.
Do you love your job?
I do love my job. I like watching first time authors grow and expand then go into their second book with my company. It is like watching as a new born develops. One of my authors published his first book with my company and I have watched him develop into a wonderful speaker and salesman. His second book is being released this month. Very exciting for the company and the author. I have taken authors away from Simon & Schuster and several other companies. This is always exciting for various reasons.
Do you take your job home with you?
For the most part yes, I take my job home, but I am getting better and learning to delegate some of the day to day tasks and take my weekends off from all of the job. I now turn off the phone and in general unless it is an email I am expecting - it can wait until Monday.
Do you deal with agents or prefer dealing with the writers?
I prefer dealing with authors one on one vs. agents. I let the author have a lot of personal input into their book including type (hardcover, paperback), cover design and agents tend to not respond well with that. One exception to this rule is children's books. I have been overwhelmed with submissions and have an agent that I send everyone to: her name is Mrs. Barbara Casey, Barbara Casey Literary Agency, 2158 Portland Ave., Wellington, FL 33414. All children's books have to come through her.
Why do you think the larger publishers are not promoting their books? Why do they publish if they are not going to follow through with promotion?
I can only give an opinion about the larger publishing houses so please quote only as an opinion.
Most of the larger publishing houses have lost touch with how to appropriately market books that they sign and publish. They have signed maybe 50 Vietnam War titles so how do you market them with out competing them against each other? I think they just don't bother. To be fair though, a lot of writers think that once the book is published their job is finished. This is a false statement and way of thinking. Their job is just beginning! The author has to promote their own books with the help of a publisher. My authors are required to promote their own books! It is stated in the contract!!!
Tell me about the seminar that you are planning. Details please!
Writing Seminar: Benoy Publishing First Writing Seminar will be held June 6, 7, and 8, 2003 at AmeriHost in Wilmington, NC. Registration is $50.00 non-refundable. On Fri. evening June 6th from 6 to 9 pm there will be a party with food and drinks at Beau Riveage where people can mix and mingle and pick up their registration packets.
Classes offered will be:
Query letters and synopsis writing by Jane Friedman, Managing Editor of Writer's Digest;
What a Publisher Expects by Buzzy Benoy, Benoy Publishing;
Visualization and the writing concept by Gail Ellioan;
Plot and Character Children's Books by Barbara Casey;
Mass Marketing Your Book by Gerald Boldski.
Development by Paul & Karen-Karper Fredette;
Writing Short Stories by Steven Gibbs;
The Agent and His/Her Role by Barbara Casey.
I am working on a few more and will keep you informed. If people want to receive a brochure have them contact me with name & address by email: buzzy@benoypublishing.com.
Each class is 1 ˝ hours long and prices range from $20 to $30 each.
You mentioned getting your rights back for your books: Is this difficult?
Getting rights back for books works several different ways. For example, my contracts are for 5 years but can be longer or shorter. An author may terminate the contract with out penalty before book has been printed; after printing begins which they will have to pay (which is what I did); or I may terminate the contract because author does not fulfill their end of the contract. It is really not hard to do in any case just requires a letter (usually notarized is best) declaring the reasons for terminating a contract.
We have seen the business side of you, so: What do you do for fun? What makes you happy?
Fun? What is fun? I forgot. No, just kidding. The girls (PP & DoDo) and I get in the car and travel to the beach when weather allows. We walk, run and play, even pick up shells and sharks teeth once in a while. Also, I am an avid bottle collector and digger so I enjoy going through old "dumps" and "privys" to see what history has left behind for me. I also enjoy traveling. Once a month I try to get out of town (not business) for a couple of days to enjoy a different city and what it has to offer.
What do you see happening for the future of your publishing company?
Future of the company; I am today where I thought I would be in 5 years and it is not slowing down at all so I imagine I will eventually be one of the "big" publishers at least in the south.
Now we have the scoop from a real insider!
I also asked a couple of her authors, whom I will also be interviewing, what they thought of Benoy Publishing. Their responses were very enlightening.
This opinion comes from Paul and Karen Fredette, next on my interview list.
PAUL: Signing a contract with Benoy Publishing is committing oneself to a cooperative venture. It isn't just a matter of turning a manuscript over to the publisher and sitting back to await royalties. We knew from the beginning that we would be expected to do our part in producing a quality book and marketing it. I was very pleased that Buzzy was open to my suggestions about adding some maps and a number of sketches, as well as using my photograph for the cover.
KAREN: After publishing two other books about which I had no say, re; appearance or even title, I was delighted to find a publisher who not only listened to our suggestions but asked for them. One of my first questions of Buzzy was about what she planned to do to publicize Lovada Branch. Her enthusiasm and practical plans which were spelled out even before we signed a contract were very reassuring, especially since I had had the unhappy experience of dealing with previous publishers who did very little to push my books. Buzzy has made it clear that publicizing is a cooperative venture in which she would invest personal experience and energy and capital but would ask us to do our part as well. Working with a smaller publisher seems to have a lot of plus's, and in our experience with Buzzy thus far, very few negatives.
This opinion comes from Jere Paul Geurin, he will also be interviewed closer to the release date of his book.
Buzzy Benoy is the unknown author's publisher. I have heard it said that her heart is in the right place, and have come to believe it. She looks for opportunities to make North Carolina writers known to the reading public. While she does not offer any advance payment to her writers, she does offer a very generous royalty. She also buys from the author only the right to publish the writer's book in English. The writer retains all rights to TV, movies, foreign language, etc. This is in contrast to most of the big publishers who buy all rights, including the rights to rewrite, change the title and dictate the book's cover. Ms. Benoy allows the writer to work with the editor, to provide significant input regarding the book cover, and to retain the author's original title.
Her author's contracts are straightforward, with nothing hidden. She is interested in marketing and promoting both the book and the author, and is scrupulously honest in her dealings. She does not, however, accept books of genres that do not fit her marketing expertise, and is quick to respond to writers who send her unacceptable material.
She does expect the author to reciprocate. Since her business is mostly a one-woman show, she herself does the initial promotion, then expects the author to carry the ball--with her help--from that point on. Her writers are expected to dress and behave professionally, to show respect for reviewers and readers alike, to appear on time at signings and other events, and generally to represent Benoy Publishing in a favorable light. She judges each book on its own merits, expecting an author's second book to be better than the first.
Ms. Benoy is easy to work with and generous and fair in all respects. An author can trust her to do what she says she will do, but must live up to her expectations regarding the author's own promotional and marketing responsibilities. An author's business dealings with Buzzy Benoy are a reciprocal agreement: "I'll do my part, and you do yours."
Working with her to publish and promote my book, The Monkey's Fist, has been a great experience. She has taught me more about marketing and promotion than all the many books I have read. It has proven to be much more work than I anticipated, but I am grateful to her for considering my novel worthy of risking her money. I look forward to collaborating with her on subsequent projects.
Jere Paul Geurin
Author of "The Monkey's Fist"
A tale of love and betrayal set in Vietnam
Coming soon from Benoy Publishing, Wilmington, NC
Benoy Publishing
My thoughts;
I have never interviewed a publisher before and certainly didn’t know what to expect. Yes, I was nervous! But Buzzy made this interview very easy with her straightforward answers. When I get that novel finished, I will send it to her! I love her honesty and so do the other authors I asked about her. I fully believe she will become a “big publisher” in the south and we need more like her that believe in the power of southern writers.
Another thing just in; submissions will not be accepted until July of 2004 and she doesn’t accept unfinished manuscripts.
Disclaimer: Any resemblance to any fictitious character is purely coincidental and all interviewees are genuinely human and not a figment or fragment of this writer's imagination.
All information is current at the time of submission to “The Stump”
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