Does anyone know any good sci-fi publishers?

[Anonymous]

Trying to find a good publisher or agent that deals with adult sci-fi novels that doesnt charge is a nightmare, and that accepts email submissions also. If anyone could reccomend any it would be greatly appreciated. Have tried a couple already, one would have accepted but charged a bleedin fortune, and waiting to hear back from another uk based one.

Thanks folks

xx

[xidrep]

Dear Ms Smith,

I know it could be just as pricey in the short term, but how about self-publishing? It doesn't have to be in the 'vanity publishing' vein - particularly if you have used an editor and subjected the work to some disinterested criticism (not your mum!). Quite a lot of authors self-publish now, and the benefits are the increased (virtually total) control you keep over your work, and the size of any print runs, etc. The technology available means that you can do 95% of the work at home and basically 'just' pay for the actual physical production of the book. Of course, you have to sort out your own distribution and marketing - but all the profit (haha) will be yours too! There was a very good piece on self-publishing on Radio 4 (God I'm getting old...) last year, which might be still available to download, but I'm sure most of the writing mag's will have done a piece on it.
We published a quite glossy book in A4 paperback format, 100+ pages, back in 1991 about our Mongolian Expedition - a bit niche market but it didn't work out as too expensive, and the finish was extremely professional - and that was nearly all done on a 386 PC with photos too! The programmes available now (esp for Mac) mean that you can get your manuscript into pretty good shape before it goes off to your 'manufacturers'.
I think the main point of the company publishing vs. self-publishing issue is that the publisher isn't going to touch anything that doesn't look like it's going to be commercial. It's the same with photography - it doesn't matter how good the material is technically or imaginitively; if the publisher/ magazine editor/ etc doesn't think it will appeal sufficiently to their target market, it won't get published by them! They cannot afford to do otherwise, for the most part. Self-publishing, like 'web publishing', means that at least some good stuff gets an airing that would otherwise remain utterly obscure. And that's got to be a good thing. If you look at some of the poop that does get published, and sells in millions, it makes even more sense! :D

Best of luck!

Darren Perdix

[Jeffrey Stadt]

For the most up to date and exhaustive listings of SF/F related publishers, large, small, print and e-books, check out Ralen.com. Highly recommended.

http://www.ralan.com/

And it's absolutely FREE. No subsciption needed.

Short stories, novels, etc.

It's what I use these days.

Best,

Jeff Stadt
http://www.geocities.com/flamelicker/[/url]