A writer named Dev Jarrett has written a novel (his first) and he’s shopping it around. But before he decides where to submit his work, he’s doing some research. He sent me five smart questions that should be of interest to people who are writers and potential Apex readers.

1) Where are Apex novels sold? I see them online, and I’m guessing they go out to indie stores, but is there a mechanism for selling them in brick and mortar chain stores?

Apex books are sold through the usual small press outlets such as online stores (Amazon, B&N, Powells, Horror-Mall, etc.), through our website, and through a number of independent stores. We’re currently in about 50 b&m stores across the US, but we’re working on increasing this number.

Our books are also carried in several dozen libraries as we are partnered with Brodart and Follett.

Apex does not deal with distribution groups such as IPG because we do not believe in the ‘Returns’ system that hangs around the publishing industry’s neck like an albatross. Fortunately, through our printer, we do get Ingram and Baker & Taylor wholesale. For stores that are okay with the no returns policy, we give them the standard 40% discount on SRP.

2) Maybe it’s redundant with the last question, but is it POD, or do you have specified print runs?

We use Lightning Source as our printer. They use digital POD printers. Therefore, we do not have specified print runs. Your book stays in print and available for the duration of your contracted terms.

3) On average, how much sell-through do you see on Apex novels? I’d assume they generally earn out their advance, but beyond that, what’s a ballpark average?

So far, every book we’ve published has earned out its advance (except for our two newest titles, but they will earn out barring a disaster). We’ve only been publishing for 15 months, so we’ve not had a book reach the end of its contract, meaning we aren’t able to produce an average payout for potential authors. Our top authors are approaching $1000 earned in royalties.

Since we don’t accept returns, sell-through rate is 100%.

4) I see that an advance is offered, but how do you come up with the numbers? “Dev Jarrett” is not a household name (yet), but I’d think that a lot of your other authors begin in the same boat.

For novels, the advance is $300-$500. The low end would go to the Dev Jarretts of the world. The $500 would go toward the more established writers. These numbers were chosen based on what the company can afford to pay.

5) After the rights run out, how often do you renegotiate to extend the rights–or do the authors generally attmept to sell the reprint rights elsewhere?

Our contracts grant us exclusive rights for two years. After two years, we retain those rights until the author tells us in writing that they want to end the terms of the contract. Since we use POD, there’s no point in killing off the long tail voluntarily.

As mentioned earlier, we’re only 15 months into the business so I don’t know yet what folks like Jen Pelland and Matt Wallace will decide. Obviously, I hope they let us keep the rights, but it is completely their decision.

I’d like to add that we did publish a number of books prior to Unwelcome Bodies. There were two anthologies, collections by Lavie Tidhar and Steven Savile, and a book of poetry from Brandy Schwan. They have different contract structures mainly because at the time we signed them, book publishing was not our focus so we didn’t have a standard contract…just informal agreements. Fortunately, these fine authors have been content to continue selling their book through Apex and earning cashola.

Thank you, Dev, for your fine questions!

Effectively immediately, Apex Magazine is going on hiatus. We’ve reached a point where myself and the other people involved with Apex Publications felt it best that we put our focus and energies into the side of the business that makes the money: the books.

This decision should be in no means seen as a statement of how we feel about Apex Magazine. It’s a beloved entity around these parts. We’re all proud of the work we’ve done on the magazine and for me, it has always been the most rewarding aspect of this publishing company–from way back in November, 2005 through today. This made the decision to go on hiatus all the more difficult.

But here’s the thing: I believe it is only temporary. For now, the hiatus will definitely last at least three months…it might go on six months, a year, but when the resources are there to bring it back, it will be brought back.

The May issue of Apex Magazine will be published on May 4th, per the norm.

The small handful of digital subscribers will be refunded for the remainder of their subscription. There will be no ‘ebook’ version of the magazine for May.

Even though the magazine is taking a breather, other aspects of ApexBookCompany.com will only push forward with renewed vigor. The Apex blog will become center stage for all the action. We’ll be bringing you more unique content such as essays, chats with authors, discussions about books & culture, and, of course, my ever-present hawking of wares. Apex Books will be the focus of our attention. Not only do we want to sale you books, we also want to share with you the work of awesomely talented people like Jennifer Pelland, Fran Friel, Paul Jessup, Nate Kenyon, and more. Stars of Here & Now, as I like to say. We also will continue to bring you work from established stars like Michael A. Burstein, Gene O’Neill, and Liz Engstrom.

I’m saddened that Apex Magazine is taking a well-deserved rest. Yet, I can barely contain my enthusiasm for the future of Apex Books.

Be on the watch…many more great things are coming from the depths of Apex…

You know and I know that the blessed editorial team here at Apex Publications is the very definition of a perfect machine. We efficiently send those rejection letters out to the stories and novels we don’t need while writing poetic acceptance letters that have been known to bring tears to the coldest, most jaded-hearted writers.

I won’t lie. We LOVE writing acceptance letters. It’s the rejections that cause us the most agony. When your story is poorly written, we sincerely hope that you become a better writer. When your story is one of those that walks that thin line of being good enough to publish and being not quite good enough, we always look forward to seeing your next submission.

Even though Mari Adkins is called the “Rejectivator” around the offices, she does care. And so do I.

With this in mind, I asked each of our editors to share with me the top three annoying traits they find in the Apex slush (both short story and novel). I hope you find their answers to be enlightening and entertaining.

Gill Ainsworth (Senior Editor, Apex Magazine)
1) Bad grammar, particularly the misuse of the verb ‘to lay’; it hinders the reader’s comprehension and adds to the editor’s workload.

2) Non-professional cover letters; at the very least, they don’t give a good impression.

3) Exposition–it’s almost guaranteed to stop people page-turning.

Deb Taber (Senior Editor, Apex Book Company)
1) People who argue with or send rude replies to rejections (it’s amazing how much has been written on this topic, yet people still do it).

2) Submissions from people who clearly have not fully read the guidelines. This may include:

• Sending submissions to the wrong address (please, send ONLY to the address listed in the guidelines; sending directly to an editor will hurt your chances, not help them, unless that editor has specifically told you otherwise)
• Sending stories that are not right for our market (we are a dark SF market; sending mainstream thrillers, happy endings, or heroic fantasy will just waste everyone’s time)
• Sending submissions outside the state word count, especially if they either contain a note saying “I know it’s against your guidelines but…” or if they have a false word count on the manuscript (trust me, editors can spot a 12,000 word story even if you put “approximately 6000 words” at the top)

3) Hard sells in cover letters, especially when the author compares his/her story to movies (turn off the DVD player and read for a while, please). Your cover letter should be a simple, professional introduction, not a cry for attention.

Mari Adkins (Submissions Editor, Apex Magazine)
1) No query letter.

2) Starting sentences with “It was.”

3) Overuse of dialogue—with no attribution and no actual storytelling.

Sarah Brandel (Submissions Editor and Copy Editor, Apex Book Company & Apex Magazine)
1) Dialog tags describe how the dialog is spoken. If there is nothing to indicate speech in the preceding or following tag, it isn’t a dialog tag.
Incorrect: He ran around the room, “I can’t take this!”
Correct: He ran around the room screaming, “I can’t take this!”

People do not giggle, laugh, smile, or smirk dialog.
Incorrect: “You’ve always been so kind,” Jane smiled.
Correct: “You’ve always been so kind,” Jane said, smiling.

Hissing is questionable as a dialog tag, especially if there are no sibilant sounds (“s” or soft “c”) in the words being used.

2) It’s “its,” not “it’s.”
It’s = a contraction of “it is”
Its = belonging to it

The easiest way to remember this is think of “his” and “hers.” These possessive pronouns both end in “s” and do not use an apostrophe. Remember that, in this case, the apostrophe is the sign of a contraction, not ownership.

3) Stories beginning with the main character waking up.

Most books on writing would advise you to start a story (especially a short story) in the middle of the action. That said, since when is waking up and looking around the room (or waking up, eating breakfast, brushing your teeth…) high drama? Waking up to amnesia (“Who am I? Where am I?”) and
waking up from a nightmare have been overused–as have amnesia as a plot device and nightmares as a horror element. Unless you have a really original idea, you might want to try something else.

Maggie Jamison (Submissions Editor, Apex Magazine)
1) Arrogant and/or posturing cover letters. I won’t reject a story because of an irritating cover letter, but it puts me in a bad mood before I start reading, so your story better be damn good. (Side note: I also hate it when the cover letter explains the story. Some magazines might like a summary in their cover letters, but it ruins the fun of reading for me.)

2) Submissions of the wrong genre. We’re a sci-fi magazine, people. Specifically a dark sci-fi magazine. Read our guidelines on our web site. If you can submit your story by email, you can access our web site. Don’t send me fluffy high-fantasy. I love it in other magazines, but you’ll just make me mad submitting it here.

3) Talking back to a rejection: it’s a lose/lose situation for you. It will never make things better for you; it will never get your story reconsidered. The only thing it will do is get you banned from our magazine. It may make you feel better at the time, but seriously, it’s not worth it.

Jennifer Brozek (Submissions Editor, Apex Magazine)
1) Not reading the guidelines and sending in stories that don’t fit what I need. In fact, it pisses me off even more if it is a well-written story because, now, I know you can write but either you cannot comprehend or you don’t give a damn about what I want and you are just tossing your story out to willy-nilly without researching your market.

2) Angry, snotty replies back to me for my rejection with the assumption that I am incompetent, malicious, or unable to see the beauty of your submission. Angry, curse-laden replies to my rejections actually do hurt. I am a person. I am not a machine. Dear gods and little fishes… I want to publish you. All I want in return is a well written story that fits the theme, genre, and word count that I’m looking for.

3) Receiving a good story in the nascent stages of editing. You’ve got the theme and genre and word count down but if I can see two spelling errors, one dropped word, and a misplaced comma in the first three paragraphs I’m going to sigh and give out a rejection. Always have someone else look over your story for technical mistakes. Technical mistakes jar the reader (me) out of the story. A poorly edited manuscript makes me grit my teeth and wonder if the extra work is worth taking the story. Most of the time, it isn’t.

Next week, the Apex authors get a chance to air their grievances. I’m almost afraid to ask…

Congratulations to Andrew Albert J. Ty, winner of this week’s free book contest. He wins a signed copy of Beauty and Dynamite by Alethea Kontis!

Be sure to check back this coming Sunday for our next book giveaway contest.

Certified Apex Agents have uncovered a great opportunity for fans of UNWELCOME BODIES and everything Jennifer Pelland in general! On May 8th at Jeannie’s Book Emporium in Northborough, Massachusetts, Jennifer Pelland will be taking part in the Broad Universe reading. She will be joined by fellow authors Elaine Isaak, Morven Westfield, Trish Wooldridge, Justine Graykin, and Phoebe Wray.  

Find out more about the reading here!

Read “Captive Girl” from UNWELCOME BODIES.

Visit Jennifer Pelland’s website!

Scott Sigler is crazy.

Matt Wallace had this to say about the video:

This is why I created THE NEXT FIX; to cause all those uppity best-selling author fucks to O.D. and die a slow, convulsing death.

Get The Next Fix on the Kindle.

The weather has finally turned here in the Bluegrass and it’s put the Apex team in a great mood to celebrate. In honor of Fran Friel’s Stoker nomination, we’re having a big ol’ Mama’s Boy and Other Dark Tales sale!

Update: The hardcovers are now sold out. This sale is good through Friday.
There are only five hardcovers remaining from the original print run of 100 and we’ve slashed their prices in half. We’ve also knocked down the price of the TPB to $10.00. We’re also looking to do some ‘Spring Cleaning’ and move out some older inventory.

Mama’s Boy and Other Dark Tales
HC – $17.50 (sold out!)
TPB – $10.00

Aegri Somnia
HC – $14.00
TPB – $7.00 (both half price!)

Gratia Placenti
HC – $14.00
TPB – $8.00 (both half price!)

Orgy of Souls
HC – $15.00
TPB – $10.00

Catacombs & Photographs (print run of 100)
Chapbook – $5.00 (half price!)

I spent the weekend volunteering at MicroCon, one of the two conventions that the Midwest Comic Book Association puts on every year. As I wandered the floor, I found myself wondering how the medium (just words, words and pictures, or just pictures; or moving pictures with sound vs. static words and pictures) affected people’s experiences of the basic story. In college, I took a number of classes in which I was told “the medium is the message.” In other words, the medium in which a message is sent (or in which a story is told) affects how it is perceived. How, then, can authors (and other creative types) determine which medium is best to use for a particular story/message?

I’ve been watching a lot of anime, recently, though I usually read an episode or two of the manga beforehand to get a sense of what the series is about. Comics or manga, compared to a novel or short story, are able to use the pictures as a shorthand for paragraphs of description of characters (including their physiques, actions, dress, and expressions), descriptions of scenery, and even tastes (by the food displayed), smells (by the types of plants, settings, or foods shown), and sensations (hot or cold via the weather, soft or rough or sharp depending on what a character is holding, etc.) These are all things that ground the story in the world, real or otherwise. They also require less of the reader (the reader no longer has to visualize everything that’s going on), making comics or manga a quicker read.

Taking it a step further, anime (or other types of animation or film adaptations, such as books adapted into movies or TV series) provides even more detail and information. Everything is shown, down to the character’s voices and mannerisms. The characters move through a highly detailed world. Film scores or soundtracks provide more auditory and emotional depth. Both anime and manga also use an additional level of visual shorthand for character emotions that can be picked up by noting changes in the way a character is drawn.

Moving along the spectrum from just words to words and pictures to moving pictures, the experience often becomes more compressed, time-wise. And, at the same time, it can provide more of an impact to the senses. Does this make movies or animation “better” than just words? They are definitely different, and the visual artistry (the style of drawing, camera angles, or special effects) can add another level to the story. But because of the time constraints, movies and animation based on a story or comic/manga often need to leave out pieces of the story, such as certain conversations, minor subplots, and many the characters’ inner thoughts. Sometimes, this can make the characters and the stories seem more superficial, especially if the audience hasn’t previously been exposed to these characters/stories in another medium.

How does all of this relate back to the original question? Well, what I’ve been wondering is what types of stories (based on subject matter, scope, or genre) might be best served by each medium, depending on the level of audience participation necessary. Movies are often referred to as “mindless entertainment” because engagement with the content (or mental engagement in general) isn’t required. Words without pictures (novels, short stories, etc.), on the other hand, require the reader to construct the images in his or her own head, while pictures without words (wordless comics or picture books) require the viewer to construct a story while viewing. Both of these require a higher level of engagement. So, what types of stories might be served best by each medium (just words, words and pictures, just pictures; static words and pictures vs. moving pictures)? Thoughts?

Last week’s giveaway of Mama’s Boy and Other Dark Tales went rather well. So let’s do another!

This week we’re giving away a SIGNED copy of Beauty and Dynamite by Alethea Kontis.

To win, all you have to do is answer the following question:
What is the complete text of the final flash of words before the cover appears in the Beauty and Dynamite book trailer?

Hint: Here is the book trailer.

Email your answer to jason@apexbookcompany.com. One winner with the correct answer will be chosen. The rest wins a cool consolation prize.

Contest ends Tuesday night.

We’ve secured an amazing piece of art to adorn the cover of Descended From Darkness: Apex Magazine Vol. I. It’s by Vitaly S. Alexius.

(Click image for full size)

Our cover designer Justin Stewart will be doing his magic so we should have a near-final draft of the cover soon.

We encourage you to visit Vitaly S. Alexius’s deviantART page to see more outstanding works of art.