Generally, authors talk about pursuing either traditional (books in print) or self publishing (e-books). I have always wanted to go the traditional route, preferably through one of the major Christian houses.
So. WHAT IF I could publish an e-book through one of those houses? An edited, designed, marketed e-book? Well, that might be another story. And now there is just such a possibility.
Zondervan has begun a program called Zondervan First. Here’s the information from their website:
“Finally, a no-cost, simple publishing solution that stands out above the rest. A first in the Christian publishing industry, Zondervan First is your megaphone to get your message to the most people. Backed by the Zondervan name—an industry leader in Christian publishing—your message receives the highest possible visibility with the lowest possible risk. From sales, marketing, and promotional support, to generous royalties and wide distribution wherever English novels are sold across all devices, Zondervan First is the last step for authors who want their message to go as far as they’ve dreamt it can.”
Now, this is not vanity publishing and submitting a manuscript is no guarantee of publication. You need to have completed your manuscript and it will be vetted just like other Zondervan submissions. But they can accept so many MORE books this way. Authors whose work is accepted for publication will be edited and won’t get an advance. They will, however, start getting royalties as soon as the first e-book sells.
I’m still trying to decide how I feel about this option. I still dream of holding my published book in my hands (you can order hard copies with a print to order service, but it doesn’t seem the same) and seeing it in bookstores. I mean, how do you have a signing for an e-book?
Even so, I see incredible potential for this idea. It’s exciting. I hear over and over again about agents and editors turning doing books that are really good, but not great. Or not right for the market. Or too much like a book already in line for publication. Seems like this will be a win-win-win for the author, the publisher and best of all, the reader!
If you’d like to learn more (or submit your manuscript!) visit http://zondervan.com/first