Today, I am thrilled to be a part of announcing a new publishing company that blends selectivity and approachability. Velvet Morning Press, the brainchild of two American authors living in Paris, Adria J. Cimino and Vicki Lesage, will take a unique approach by investing in new authors who haven’t been picked up by a major agency but want the added professionalism that comes with having a publisher. Velvet Morning Press‘s blend of professionalism and discovering new talent is sure to be pure perfection. As a blogger, I have read some fantastic self-published books, but most of the ones that cross my desk are in serious need of a professional editor. Velvet Morning Press will take these promising stories, polish them up, and help launch new authors. If you don’t believe me, check out my interview with co-founder Adria J. Cimino and decide for yourself!
1. What made you decide to launch your own publishing company?
After spending a year promoting my own debut novel and sharing experiences with other new authors, I realized a lot of good writers were falling through the cracks. A handful of talented, but also very lucky, new authors sign deals with literary agents and big publishing houses. Other writers take the self-publishing route.
But I found that a lot of authors were like me: Facing the difficulty of landing a big publisher, yet still wanting, among other things, the credibility that comes with being selected versus publishing one’s own work.
I’ve seen the fabulous work of certain fellow writers, and it’s clear that they deserve to see their work in print.
2. Tell me a little bit about you and the cofounder, Vicki Lesage.
I worked more than a decade as a journalist for news organizations including The AP and Bloomberg News. I wrote fiction “on the side” and even landed a literary agent, who published my debut novel “Paris, Rue des Martyrs” through the agency’s ebook imprint. Vicki is the best-selling author of “Confessions of a Paris Potty Trainer” and “Confessions of a Paris Party Girl.” We actually met through a blog link up: She saw my post and realized that we are both Americans living in Paris and have French husbands. So we got together and shared stories of everyday life and the writing life! Then we started working together to promote our books… and after many conversations, decided to start Velvet Morning Press!
3. How will your company differ from traditional and/or vanity presses?
We are different from the traditional publishers because we keep our costs really low so that we can take the “risk” of investing our time in new authors. For instance, we publish our books in ebook and print-on-demand form rather than hardcover etc. Also, we specifically seek new authors.
We are different from vanity presses because we aren’t helping writers self-publish. We don’t publish everyone who approaches us. We are very selective and are looking for polished work. And we don’t charge fees. Like traditional publishers, we use a royalty model.
4. As an author, you have been on the “other side” of the process. How will that enhance the experiences of those who publish with you?
As a writer myself, I understand the challenges and dilemmas that new authors go through… When Vicki and I decided to start this business, we said to ourselves, let’s make this publishing house one that we wish we could sign a deal with!
5. What makes your company unique and stand out from a crowd?
I think the fact that we are aiming not only to launch the work of new writers, but to aggressively market it. We aren’t just going to publish a book and let it sit there. Through my year as an indie author, I realized how rough it is to “self-promote” and that promotion by one’s publishing house, in most situations, is crucial. We also truly value the place book bloggers hold in today’s publishing world. As authors, we enjoy working with them… and we plan on continuing that great relationship in our new role as publishers.