The assignment is to research an INDEPENDENT book publisher DUE SUN 6/14/15 3PM EST

[Assignment Title]

Page 1

Creative Writing Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Program

ECW3953 Publishing & Distribution A3 - Research an Independent

Objective:

To  gain  experience  evaluating  a  book  publisher  and  determining  if  your  work  is  a  proper  fit.       Introduction:   The  assignment  is  to  research  an  INDEPENDENT  book  publisher  and  report  what  you  learn   to  me  and  share  it  with  the  class  (on  a  discussion  board).    This  assignment  will  help  you   determine  what  type  of  information  to  look  for  when  evaluating  a  potential  company  to  work   with  and  expose  you  to  what  Independents  have  to  offer.  By  sharing  your  report  with  the   class  (on  a  discussion  board)  you  will  help  us  all  gain  knowledge  about  several  different   Independent  companies.     Between the Big Five book publishers and simply publishing a book yourself (self- publishing) are The Independents.   The  terms  "  independent,"  "indie  publisher,"  and  "small  press"  are  often  defined  as   producers  that  are  not  part  of  large  conglomerates  or  multinational  corporations.     And  there  is  a  range  of  independents.  The  bigger,  more  distinguished  independents  are  long   established  and  have  solid  reputations.    The  mid-­‐sized  independents  have  some  solid   successes,  but  are  still  building  their  reputations.  The  smaller  independents  are  just  starting   up.       Many  Independents  rely  on  specialization  in  certain  industry  niches.       Step One: Choose an Independent Book Publisher You  may  find  an  Independent  on  your  own  or  choose  one  from  the  lists  below.    If  you  find   one  on  your  own,  make  sure  it  is  an  INDEPENDENT  company  and  not  a  subsidiary  owned  by   one  of  the  major  industry  companies.       The  big  question  you  are  trying  to  answer  with  this  is:  Is  this  company  a  good  fit  for  you   and  your  work?  Not  only  would  they  be  interested  in  what  you  write,  but  also,  would   you  want  them  to  handle  your  work?        

[Assignment Title]

Page 2

Creative Writing Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Program

You  can  find  lists  of  Independent  Book  Publishers  on  the  following  sites:         New  Pages       www.newpages.com/book-­‐publishers/       Every  Writers  Resource  (Great  Category  Lists)     http://www.everywritersresource.com/bookpublishers/       Science  Fiction,  Horror,  Fantasy  Book  Publishers  -­‐     http://www.everywritersresource.com/sciencefictionbookpublishers.html       Poets  &  Writers:    (Has  search  filters)     http://www.pw.org/small_presses       Duotrope:    (Great  search  filters,  but  only  offers  a  7-­‐day  free  trial  before  you  pay)     https://duotrope.com/       Step Two: Research the Independent Film/TV Production Company, Game Developer, or Book/Comic Publisher   Do  your  best  to  find  the  answers  to  the  following  questions.  You  might  not  be  able  to  find   answers  for  them  all,  but  search  far  and  wide  and  do  your  best.       Use  the  company’s  website  as  your  primary  source,  but  also  research  the  publisher  on   Wikipedia,  blogs,  and  discussion  boards,  and  industry  websites.  Using  only  the   company's  website  for  information  will  tell  you  only  what  they  want  you  to  know.  Using   other  websites  to  learn  about  the  publisher  and  their  reputation  might  reveal  issues  or   problems  or  even  reveal  they  are  somehow  a  scam  and  out  to  rip  you  off.     Name  of  the  company?  

Date/Year  established?    

Approximate  number  of  titles  (books)?  

What  type  of  material  do  they  produce?  (Type,  Genre/Niche,  Style)?  

Do  you  like  the  genre/subject  matter  of  their  other  products?    

How  do  they  distribute  their  products?  

Where  can  you  buy  their  products?    

Do  you  like  the  art  work  (promotional  materials,  photos,  covers,  layouts)  for  their  

products?  

Would  you  read  them?  Which  ones?  

[Assignment Title]

Page 3

Creative Writing Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Program

What  kind  of  Marketing  and  Publicity  support  do  they  offer  for  their  products?    

(Search  on  a  Title  and  see  what  you  find.  Reviews?  Trailers?  Ads?  Web  Sites?  

Interviews?)  

Are  there  any  positive/negative  comments/articles  about  them  on-­‐line?  Any  angry  

employees  or  writers?    (check  them  out  on  

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/index.htm)  Any  chatter  about  them  on  blogs  or  

discussion  boards?  

Do  they  work  with  new  writers?    

Does  it  say  if  you  need  to  contact  them  through  an  agent?  

Is  the  company  currently  open  to  Submissions?    If  not,  when?  

What  is  their  submission  process?  How  do  they  want  you  to  submit  it?  

What  kind  of  package  do  they  want  you  to  submit  to  them?  

Is  there  a  word  count  requirement?    

What  is  their  expected  response  time?  

Any  contract/terms  details?  

Is  this  company  a  good  fit  for  you  and  your  work?  Not  only  would  they  be  interested  in  

what  you  write,  but  also,  would  you  want  them  to  handle  your  work?  

   

Step Three: Prepare Your Research as a "Company Profile" you could submit to industry magazines or industry blogs.

1. Prepare  your  research  as  a  short  feature  article  (double-­‐spaced  document  and  APA   formatted  references).  DO  NOT  simply  list  the  questions  and  answers.  Cite  your   sources  and  include  a  reference  page.       The  tone  should  be  conversational  –  not  too  formal  or  too  casual.  I  want  a  professional   conversational  tone  like  you  would  use  with  colleagues  at  a  conference,  rather  than  a   stiff  and  formal  report.  When  you  talk  with  other  people  in  your  industry,  you  need  to   have  a  basic  knowledge  of  the  companies  you  are  interested  in  and  be  able  to  discuss   them.  (Not  only  is  it  good  info  for  you  to  know,  but  writers  give  these  little  informal   reports  to  each  other  all  the  time.  It's  how  we  learn  about  other  companies  and   publications.  "I  submitted  to  XYZ."  "Really,  I  haven't  heard  of  them."  "Oh,  they  are   great.  Blah,  blah,  blah...")  But  do  cite  your  sources!  

  2. Include  a  cover  page  with  your  name,  the  class,  the  title  of  the  assignment,  and  

the  date.    

[Assignment Title]

Page 4

Creative Writing Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Program

3. Include  a  reference  page  listing  your  sources.         Step Four: Save, Export, and Upload your Work to TurnItIn—Due Before Sunday at 11:59pm ET

  Submit  the  double-­‐spaced  document  and  APA  formatted  references  into  TurnItIn.     Label  your  file  as:  “YourLastName_IndieResearch.doc”.    

  HAVE  A  PROBLEM?  CALL  TURN  IT  IN  SUPPORT  866-­‐816-­‐5046  X  241     Please  upload  all  assignments  to  Turn  It  In  as  Word  Documents.     Step Five: Share Your Research With the Class.   Sharing  your  research  with  the  class  will  help  us  all  gain  knowledge  about  several  different   Independent  companies.    

1. Post  your  report  on  the  “Independents  Research”  discussion  board  to  share  your   research  with  your  fellow  students.    

  Review the Rubric attached below to understand how you will be graded.

This assignment is worth 7 points.

[Assignment Title]

Page 5

Creative Writing Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Program

Criterion Superior 4 Points

Above Average

3 Points

Average 2 Points

Below Average

1 Point

Failing 0 Points

Quality of Content 20 %

• Exceeded expectations • Insightful, fresh, stimulating perspectives • Richly detailed & creative

• Met expectations • A few original ideas • Adequately detailed

• Merely repeated information from resources • A few original ideas • Missing details

• Revealed little understanding of objective or requirements • Missing detail

• Did not complete

Research & Resources 20 %

• Included several sources • Sources highly relevant • Sources thoroughly cited with quotation marks, in-text citation, and a reference

• Included a few sources • Sources relevant • Sources cited with quotation marks, in-text citations, and a reference

• Included two sources, but not useful or appropriate • Sources not properly cited consistently with quotation marks, in-text citations, and a reference

• Included only 1 source • Sources are not cited correctly or consistently • Sources are not cited correctly on Reference Page

• Did not complete

Script 20 %

• Information flows logically and naturally. •Presented with authority. • Reference Page included

• Information flow is mostly logical and natural. • Reference Page included

• Information flow is in a prose format. • Reference Page included

• Information is presented as a Q&A list of details. • Sources are not cited correctly on Reference Page

• Did not complete • No reference page

Presentation 20 %

• Professionally polished • All APA Guidelines are followed

• Professionally polished with one minor error • All APA Guidelines are followed

• Somewhat polished with 2 or 3 errors in presentation • APA Guidelines were attempted

• Sloppy presentation • APA Guidelines were not attempted

• Did not complete

Technical 20 %

• No technical errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, etc. • Work shows mastery of writing

• Minor technical errors that do not interfere with writing flow • Work shows understanding of writing

• Minor technical errors that do not interfere with writing flow • Work shows basic understanding of writing

• Technical errors to the point of distraction •Work shows little understanding of writing

• Did not complete