Multiple Publishers

[Androxine Vortex]

Some of my projects have very dark themes while others I could see being young adult simply because it's not that dark or violent. My question is, is it unusual for an author to submit his works to multiple publishers? Keep in mind I don't mean submitting to multiple publishers trying to published but having different publishing companies putting your novels on the shelf.

 

[Ireth]

A YA book doesn't have to be non-dark or violent (see Terry Pratchett's YA books for examples), and a non-dark and violent book isn't necessarily YA. I'd only switch publishers if they specifically ask that you don't offer books with dark or violent themes in them.

 

[Philip Overby]

It's been noted by some writers before that they use multiple pen names to separate their brands. Meaning if you're writing sci-fi, you may not want your sci-fi fans reading your romance stuff and for it to get intermixed. That's one reason Anne Rice wrote horror, but then had a pen-name for her erotica. It's really up to the writer and their publishers. I've also heard of people writing darker fiction and having a separate pen-name for their YA writing. I don't know how common this is, but I'm sure there are examples out there.

 

[TWErvin2]

Yes, authors can and often are published by different publishers, especially when the work doesn't fit what one publisher publishes, but it fits the audience of another publisher.

 

[BWFoster78]

Some of my projects have very dark themes while others I could see being young adult simply because it's not that dark or violent. My question is, is it unusual for an author to submit his works to multiple publishers? Keep in mind I don't mean submitting to multiple publishers trying to published but having different publishing companies putting your novels on the shelf.

I had three distinct thoughts arise from reading this thread:

1. YA isn't defined by darkness. The best my research has indicated is that YA is defined by a YA protagonist who, and apparently this is the important part, thinks like a YA instead of an adult writing a YA.

2. John Ringo is an author who has found success writing across genres. He's done military sci fi, fantasy, modern adventure, etc...

3. I think that writing across genres can actually help you. Since the audiences for each genre are different, you'll market each to a different group. Once someone finds and likes you, it may encourage them to read your stuff even if it's not their normal genre. For example, the guy who wrote Confessions of D-List Supervillain also wrote a novel about unicorns. Normally, I woudn't touch a book about unicorns with a ten foot horn, but, since I liked the other book, I bought it.

 

[Darkblade]

Unless you already have a contract with a publisher explicitly tying your work to them it really doesn't matter who you sent it out to.

That said usually it is best to send a single story to only one publisher at a time. It gets far too complicated when multiple publishers are looking at it and unless you are already well known the publishers will mostly get pissed off at you for wasting their time.

 

[Devor]

Usually, it's stated in the guidelines for most publishers that they won't accept stories if you're simultaneously submitting them elsewhere. You typically have to submit the story, wait an allotted time or until you hear back, and then submit it elsewhere.

 

[BWFoster78]

Usually, it's stated in the guidelines for most publishers that they won't accept stories if you're simultaneously submitting them elsewhere. You typically have to submit the story, wait an allotted time or until you hear back, and then submit it elsewhere.

Not my area of expertise, but isn't it possible to submit to multiple publishers at once if you both are up front about it and send only the first several chapters instead of the entire manuscript?

Not saying that I advise doing so, I just read that some people do this (not sure of the advantages/disadvantages).

 

[Devor]

Not my area of expertise, but isn't it possible to submit to multiple publishers at once if you both are up front about it and send only the first several chapters instead of the entire manuscript?

I'm suddenly not sure, it's possible that I'm thinking about short stories instead of novels. But always check the guidelines.