The Outlaws Almanac: Issue 1

By J.C. Hulsey

What's really going on with the book industry? This new almanac will attempt to spread some light on how other authors are making their dreams a reality! Filled with interviews, promotional tips and opportunities... This is one almanac no author should be without.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Outlaws Publishing LLC
• Release date: May 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533730183

Book preview

BY OUTLAWS PUBLISHING

http://outlawspublishing.com

––––––––

PUBLISHING INFO:

J.C. HULSEY – FOUNDER/CHAIRMAN

NICK WALE – CHIEF PUBLICITY OFFICER

PUBLISHED BY:

OUTLAWS PUBLISHING

Copyright © 2016 by OUTLAWS PUBLISHING LLC.

U.K., U.S.A., Canada

Kindle Edition License Notes

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

Welcome To The West

Howdy, It’s J.C. Hulsey

Foreword by Cliff Roberts

An Interview with Frank F. Fiore

An Interview with Dennis Gager

An Interview with Paul L. Thompson

An Interview with Jeff Breland

An Interview with J.C. Hulsey

An Interview with Cliff Roberts

An Interview with Paul Provo

An Interview with John D. Fie. Jr

An Interview with Bruce G. Bennett

An Interview with Seth Nation

An Interview with Bob Rundell

An Interview with Chimp Robertson

An Interview with Deborah Chelette-Wilson

An Interview with Stone Wallace

An Interview with A.H. Holt

An Interview with Travis McGaughey

An Interview with Kenneth S. Pratt

An Interview with Debbie Reid

The Promotion Corner

What The Narrators Are Saying

Get Involved!

Howdy, It’s J.C. Hulsey

Dear Readers,

Sometimes it’s shocking when I realize how far this company has come in the last few months. We started out as an itty-bitty little publishing company, and we have grown to become one of the foremost publishers of western literature. We have signed many talented authors, but authors who may have found themselves shut out by the regular publishing world. We have sold many books, but books that may have been discarded by the careless actions of agents and publishers around the world. We strongly believe that the western reader is alive, and well. He may be a retiree, or just a plain cowboy working on a ranch—but he is alive and well.

So, as you read through this almanac and you read interviews with authors like Jeff Breland, John D. Fie. Jr, Cliff Roberts. Frank F. Fiore, and many others you will be discovering, perhaps for the first time, that there are authors beyond those we see on TV, or read about in magazines. There are successful, creative authors who you may find to be a thrill lingering around in your neighborhood—perhaps even in the house next to your own, and even though the movie industry, and the publishing business at large say the western is dead—they are wrong—because the western will live on forever, and western readers deserve all the new stories we can give them.

I present to you the Outlaws Almanac. A free book that will show you the way towards great, new westerns that you will enjoy.

J.C. Hulsey

Chairman of Outlaws Publishing

A Foreword

by

Cliff Roberts

Dear Readers,

It’s been a few weeks, but never fear, Cliff Roberts is never too far away. In fact, since we last sat round the campfire and swapped lies, I’ve done something that I have stated in the past, I wasn’t inclined to do and even recommended whole heartedly, you didn’t do it either. If you’ve followed my blogging at all, you may recall, I have been a big proponent of self-publishing. I’ve turned down a half dozen contracts, three from name brand publishers, because they have been one sided rip offs. In my opinion, signing a publishing contract with any publisher, was the worst thing an author could do to himself.

The current publishing contract, this is in general, is a one sided document, designed solely to ensure the publisher the best possible chance of making money. The publisher isn’t concerned with whether or not you make any money. In other words, it’s for the benefit of the publisher only. They control the money and thus control the author and his work.

Most contracts today, provide nothing in the way of an advance. They only obligate the publisher to make a good faith effort in the sale of your book. They don’t make any promise to market your work. That is left entirely up to you, the author, to promote the book. Same as if, you’ve self-published the book. They provide nothing in the way of promotional materials, banners, business cards, postcards, ad copy, book covers, or editing. Nothing. It is up to the author to create and make it all happen. They don’t even provide the setup of book signings through their contacts, it too is up to you the author.

What the publisher does do, is take the lion’s share of the royalty. The average publishing contract pays the author in the neighborhood of 12%. If they do give you an advance, they require that you repay it before any other royalty comes your way. The contract also allows them to recoup their costs, whatever that means, it’s not spelled out what they can claim as costs, leaving you the author open to their interpretation of costs. They take 88% of the royalty, do nothing but provide basic distribution and the printing of paperbacks, on demand and perhaps hard covers, after achieving a certain level of sales. The cost of editing is yours as the author as well as the cover costs, formatting and returns. Yes, there are returns to deal with. Bookstores want to be guaranteed their money back if your book doesn’t sell. It happens. It happens a lot. When self-publishing you have all the same costs but you get 70% of the royalty, with which to offset those expenses. There is no reason you should do all the work and get the short end of the stick for your effort.

But I have