Launching Von Buchholz Books in 2010
Post by: Von Buchholz on December 31st, 2009 | File Under Von Buchholz Books
Von Buchholz Books is a new publisher poetry chapbooks, dark fiction collections, gothic romantic novels, non-fiction books and other genres such as horror, fantasy, magic realism and science fiction. My company, DigitalPractices Media Inc. is launching this new imprint in January 2010, and the first book is a collection of poetry from various authors that will be titled Dark Eye Glances. It will be published in March 2010.
So, why would anyone want to become a publisher when they are a writer?
1. Many famous writers have made a living as a publisher. Even Edgar A. Poe became a publisher, mainly to try to make a living. However, I’m already making a living with my company, DigitalPractices Media Inc., which owns and operates this new enterprise. I’m not hoping that being a publisher will somehow make my own writing more successful. In fact, it may cause it to be held up to even more scrutiny.
2. If a writer is not spending a lot of time writing, he/she can dabble in the literary world by publishing as well. No, that’s not it, either. I am busy running my own business, and I have been working simultaneously on two non-fiction book-length manuscripts as well as planning to write my new novella in January. I am spending a lot of my free time writing.
3. The writer wants to self-publish his/her work. No, I have self-published a few books, and I can tell you that it is far easier for me to self-publish using a Web-based publisher or a self-publishing “vanity press” that it is to do it through my own company. I may contribute to some of our books if it is warranted, but I fully intend to look for other publishers for my own work.
4. It’s just so easy to publish things electronically now. This isn’t one of my reasons, either. My digital media company has, and always will, publish Websites and other forms of digital media, but my intention is for Von Buchholz Book to publish actual print books. albeit using more of a 21st century publishing strategy. I don’t want to publish authors’ works on my Website, nor on any other site, although we will make digital versions available for download if the author(s) is/are in agreement.
Von Buchholz Books (VBB): Our strategy
In this age of transparency, I refuse to cloak our publishing strategy because a) it isn’t our strategy to begin with, it’s been “out there” all along in various forms, and b) my company won’t benefit by trying to keep our publishing strategy a secret.
If someone else out there reads this, and does a better job, and is more succcessful at it, then more power to them. Conversely, if VBB is highly successful, then it’s to our credit that we used this strategic framework and made it sing. I’m willing to risk it as I have learned throughout my career that I have almost always benefited from knowledge-sharing and collaboration rather than been harmed by it. That’s one reason why I started the Dark Fiction Guild, which is approaching 500 members now.
I decided to call the publishing imprint “Von Buchholz Books” because I am becoming more and more convinced that when your name is your brand, that’s the most powerful kind of branding you can have. Originally, I was going to call it “Deathly Romantic Productions” because of a book called Deathly Romantic that my company is going to release this year. However, towards the close of 2009 I began to realize that I was interested in publishing many more titles and kinds of books. My interest is in dark fiction, including poetry, prose, drama and non-fiction that is all about “dark glamour” and (I almost hesitate to say) the Gothic aesthetic. My family’s ancestral name, Von Buchholz, is a suitable name for this kind of imprint because it creates a kind of Germanic Gothic impression, and our logo with the castle in the background reinforces that impression.
I have read widely about changes in the publishing industry, including both convergence and obsolescence of the traditonal publishing industry as a result of the digital revolution. Personally, I think there’s still a lot of aesthetic value in a printed book, not because of some old fashioned or romantic ideas I have about it — a few years ago I was read to ditch my entire print library at home in favour of digital versions of all my books — but because a book like other physical objets d’art has an artistic presence and identity of its own. Think of visual arts. Sure, you can digitize Michaelangelo and Matisse and Warhol (never mind that there is rarely a total losslessness when it comes to digital works as people discovered when they compared analog vinyl rcordings to digital CDs) , but it is never the same experience as seeing the real thing. Yes, published books are all reproductions, too, but they are like holding a small work of art in your hands when you own them. Even trashy paperback novels have a charm of their own, as you will find if you search the Internet for sites that have lovingly preserved these by digitizing them.
I’ve never used Amazon’s Kindle, but I’m in favor of ebook devices. I’d love to be able to store a hundred books on one of those devices and carry it around with me in places where I can use it to relish a bit of reading time while standing in a lineup, sitting down for lunch or relaxing in a park. Then again, I might just bring the book itself. Maybe people who read just for the sake of gathering information don’t care about holding a work of art in their hands; they just want something that’s cheap and easy. I just had an experience where I bought a Ruth Rendell paperback novel in a conventional bookstore for about $11, then just a few minutes later saw a different version of the same paperback for $7 in a discount outlet. A few days later as I was leaving our local library, I saw the hardcover version of the same Ruth Rendell novel in the sale bin for a couple of bucks. And, of course, you can always find great deals on books on Amazon or other e-tailers as long as you don’t get soaked for shipping costs.
On the other hand, I’m a writer and I would like to be able to earn some fees and royalties commensurate with the amount of work and the level of artistry I put into each book, but if my publisher is getting squeezed by retail consumers, how can they afford to pay me what my book is worth? And if publishers can’t afford to take risks anymore because it’s too costly for them, well…just take a look at any current best-seller paperback list to see what happens. In our world there are many noble, intelligent, forthright, cottage-industry-style independent publishers who want to champion the cause of good literature even if this quixotic quest impoverishes them, too. Maybe the Internet will level the playing field by toppling the Goliath publishers while making all the little Davids out there into the new kings of the industry.
How VBB will operate
With that in mind, here’s how Von Buchholz Books will operate. This may change somewhat as we issue new titles and navigate the waters of the marketplace, but it is the core of our business and marketing plan:
- VBB will publish solely-authored and multiple-authored books including poetry collections, novels, novellas, drama (stage or film) and non-fiction works about literature. Our first book will be a collection of rhyming poetry from various authors (see submission guidelines). VBB is interested in dark fiction novels and novellas, dark poetry and lyrics, gothic romance, dark fantasy and dark science fiction. We may also list other titles but these would be the exception not the rule.
- For multiple-authored books, we will pay by giving each author one print copy of the book in its first edition. If the book is to be reprinted in a second edition, we will probably negotiate terms and offer either a royalty arrangement or a flat fee arrangement. We will offer a contract and ask for all First International Rights.
- VBB will specialize in publishing ODD (On-Digital-Demand) books. This means that on our retail Website will offer readers several options: 1) Download the book from our site or from the site of a participating e-tailer for a low price. We will probably offer the digital version in PDF format. 2) Order the print version of the book from our site or from the site of a participating e-tailer for a higher price. To make this option more appealing to readers we will have some added value in the print version of the book — e.g. the digital version is text only while the print version includes photos, graphics and even a link to a site where readers can download other content related to the book. 3) Order both digital and print versions for a low price.
- To promote our titles, we will offer free digital versions to agencies, media, key influencers such as bloggers and book clubs, and so forth. These complimentary promotional digital books may or may not be the “full” graphical versions readers would have with the print version of the books. We will also order some printed copies for VBB to distribute to various bricks-and-mortar bookstores onsite through a consignment arrangement. We want to maintain a presence in traditional book venues, but we also want to limit the print inventory we are keeping.
- Finally, we will be using a new strategy called Contentology (that’s the other book I’m writing) to develop content for the Internet across multiple domains and social networks.
The Literary Community
There something more to our plan, too. It’s about the authors themselves. Some of the greatest literature from different periods and different nations has appeared when the writers are part of a dynamic cultural vortex where new ideas and new work are swirling around other readers and writers, all of whom are actively engaged in reading, responding and criticizing new creations. I am a reader, too, and I become a better writer when I read. I also become a better writer when others read my work, and respond to it.
By launching a new publishing enterprise, I am hoping to build relationships with other writers and readers who are interested in some of the same forms and genres of literature that I read and write, too. I think it will make me a better writer, and I also believe that I can make a difference in developing other writers by respnding to their work and by bringing their work to the attention of other readers and writers who can respond to them. The Internet s a great tool for facilitating response and discussion, and I have been making my living as an Internet specialist for 15 years now.
So here I am on New Year’s Eve, ready to introduce Von Buchholz Books to a world that is almost beginning to believe that traditional print books are going the way of 8-track tapes. It’s definitely Orwellian, and it makes me think of how John the Savage felt about a world that lost its love of books and literature. He hung himself at the end, didn’t he? (oops, that was a spoiler.)
We have some great titles ahead, including Deathly Romantic, which is slated for release on 10.10.2010, so watch this site and all our other sites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc) as VBB evolves and grows. I promise that the story of Von Buchholz Books will be a page-turner.
Garth Von Buchholz
Publisher, Von Buchholz Books
DigitalPractices Media Inc.
NEW PUBLICATIONS: Our poem, Silence Ascending, will be published in Issue 3 of 
Our poem, In the Basement of the Citadel Hotel, will be featured in the new anthology, 
