It wouldn’t have occurred to me as a possibility until it actually happened, but the publication of my first chapbook Hearts led to a very strange phone call last week.
One evening, the phone rang from a toll-free number that came up without a name attached, asking for me. They started out congratulating me on my recent publication and wanted to know what I was doing for publicity. Most of my efforts have been local, so they started pitching things like national interviews with millions of listeners. I was laughing because the concept seemed totally out of the realm of what one does with a poetry chapbook. They did eventually get around to the cost, $1,000 to $3,000, depending on chosen options, which, of course, was a discount off their regular pricing.
It all sounded very fishy and I would never have said yes, but, while I was explaining why it was unaffordable, given that it would take many hundreds of copies sold to even get back the money paid, they told me they were also a hybrid publisher and that they could publish my book, too, so that I would make more money. I told them in no uncertain terms that I had a five-year contract with Kelsay Books with automatic annual extensions beyond that and that I would never break my legal contract with them.
So, the call ended with me still shaking my head at the absurdity of the whole thing.
The next day, I searched the toll-free number and found that it belonged to a company called Author Reputation Press. Although their mailing address is in Canton, Massachusetts, another site listed their service area as Singapore and nearby areas, which explained the accents of the people who called me. Just a word to the wise, in case any of my writer-friends get publicity or publication calls from them.
Yesterday, though, I did run across a reputable hybrid press, Atmosphere Press. A poet-friend of mine has published with them. In their publishing model, if they accept your book, the author pays the up-front cost of the editorial/design team and publication but then keeps a high percentage of the royalties. It’s not something I want to try now, but I might consider it for my full-length manuscript if I don’t find a home for it over the next couple of years.
Meanwhile, there are more manuscript submissions in my future.
And publicity efforts for Hearts.
At least, I won’t be paying thousands of dollars in a scam, although all the submission fees and such do add up after a while.
More decisions coming soon.
Fingers crossed.
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Joanne Corey 
There’s a shyster around every corner these days. And far too many fall for them. 😦 Glad you didn’t! Thanks for the PSA on behalf of so many authors.
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Somehow, I could see scammers targeting fiction writers, but poets? Novelists do sometimes break through and gain large audiences and, I imagine, might be more vulnerable to the scam pitch. Still, it’s disconcerting to learn that this is so widespread. I’ve been called naive before and it’s apparently true.
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They don’t care what you publish, only that there’s a possibility that you (meaning any writer) think your work is brilliant enough to break out of the million other works published every year and sell enough to make you a comfortable living. If you publish, you’re fair game. No matter what you offer for sale.
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LOL – Even most famous poets don’t make a living from their books! They usually make their living teaching, lecturing, etc. I have no illusions about “fame and fortune” so I hope to remain immune to any further unsavory pitches that come my way. Or I’ll always screen calls and let people babble at my answering machine rather than me…
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Ack. If and when you are in a position to hire a publicist, there are plenty of reputable ones out there. Yet another reason I’m glad I don’t answer the phone (especially from a number I don’t know). So sorry you had to deal with that. I mean, you could make up a simple press kit for the book as a PDF and pitch it in a ripple effect to publications: local, then regional, then national, both for standard publications and for poetry-specific ones. If you have the time to put into it, it’s often just as effective.
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I do have a press release, along with templates for bookmarks and business cards, that I got for a very reasonable price from Kelsay. I need to find a local printer to make the bookmarks and cards for me before I start scheduling signing events but I admit I have no concept about what to do with the press release. I’ve tried to put our a few queries on reviews but haven’t heard back, so that may not happen either. I just can’t imagine ever having it make economic sense to hire a publicist. I’d need to sell thousands of books, which is not reasonable for poetry chapbooks unless they are from a famous poet.
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There are a lot of those out there. After I got my copyright on my first book, I got many calls letters and offers to provide all kinds of services, all for an upfront fee from me. My research shows the odds of getting a return are small. I self published. Amazon and kindle.
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Self-publishing works well as long as you have the skills required to get everything formatted and uploaded correctly. I admit that I am not that knowledgeable and self-reliant. It must be annoying, though, to have people come after you with offers you don’t need when you have already done the work!
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