Salt Publishing

Why selling points matter

Most books have less than a minute to sell themselves to booksellers. A buyer in a store tends to ask a small range of vital questions. Have I heard of this writer? What’s special about this book? Why would anyone buy it? A sales rep will need some answers to these questions: ten second answers before they move on to the next title in the catalogue. Writers should spend time answering those questions, too. A ‘selling point’ is a compelling reason why a bookseller should stock your book against thousands of others. It’s rarely about the quality of the writing.

tags: 100 words of advice, getting published,

The gatekeeper’s three questions

There are three questions I always ask myself when considering a new writer. 1. Is this work any good? 2. Can I sell this book? 3. Can I work with the writer. The answer to the first question is a given. The second question asks whether this great bit of writing has a market. The last question is the most important, life is too short to work with difficult people, so I will pass over a great book I can sell if I think the writer will take up more time than I can afford. Social skills really do matter.

tags: 100 words of advice, getting published,

Publicity is the art of remembering your choices

Great writing doesn’t always make for great books. Lots of great books fail. In fact, commercially, most books fail. But some don’t. Those that don’t often have shared characteristics. The author has an anonymous audience (i.e. she or he doesn’t know everyone who reads them), the book is publicisable (i.e. it has hooks which people can remember) and it has zeitgeist (i.e. it feels it’s part of today’s world). Only one thing can be effectively managed there, the publicity. Three things about your book will be enough to sell it. Knowing what they are is the key to getting published.

tags: 100 words of advice, getting published,

Beat the slush pile

The best way to beat the slush pile is to avoid it in the first place. Unsolicited submissions are the worst way to reach an editor, less than 1% succeed. Most editors are receptive to recommendations (some ask their writers to be on the look out for talent). In a people business like publishing, who you know really matters. Writing is social. A couple of recommendations from the right people will open doors for your writing. It reveals two things: firstly, other published writers think you’re worth investing in, and secondly, you are already building your profile and finding readers.

tags: 100 words of advice, getting published,

Alex Pryce — Diary of a Salt Intern

Author photo © Susan Collins

Monday 25th May

The fact that the rest of the UK is enjoying a sunny bank holiday makes me feel slightly apprehensive as I dutifully present myself at the door to the Salt offices in Fulbourn at 9.30 a.m. Chris is most welcoming, and once we are settled down with a cup of tea (milk, no sugar, I note) he explains the basic structure of a publishing business. Much of this is new to me as an English student, but Chris makes it very easy to understand and soon the office whiteboard is full of graphs to do with front and back list sales projections. Chris makes it quite clear that Salt have struggled financially, and that the Just One Book campaign (which I’m already up to date on through Twitter and Facebook) is a very serious part of keeping the business afloat.

Chris and I had already decided that we wanted to work on audio production — something I know about from my project PoetCasting. I settle down to some real work and rustle up some guidelines to help Salt authors to produce podcasts of their own work. I’m suitably pleased with a productive first day at work, and I’m excited about the rest of the week.

Tuesday 26th May

I arrive by bus to Fulbourn and am pleased to see the office peopled this morning by Tom, Charlotte, Jen and Chris. Having made my introductions we set about approaching the direct website UK sales. Again, this is entirely new to me but I quickly find my way around the online sales details and the boxes in the store room. It is all hands on deck pretty much all day to hand pick, write and pack each of the orders, but I can’t think of a better way to familiarise myself with the Salt list. I’m pleased to see some of my favourite Salt books (The Ambulance Box, A Fold in the Map and Me and the Dead) are selling well.

This afternoon, Kirsty arrives in the office to give us a hand. She helps by writing the hand written notes for each package and we all end up giggling. Aside from the direct sales impact, the viral campaign has been attracting some very welcome press attention too and we are pleased to hear that Chris (who is currently working from home) will be heading down to London tomorrow for an interview for Newsnight Review. In the office, we wonder what he will wear …

Wednesday 27th May

Chris sets me to some database work this morning. I’m not totally unfamiliar with the concepts having studied the theory at A Level, but I feel a certain burden of responsibility – what if I accidentally delete the entire thing? Thankfully, I don’t — but I do email all the Salt authors (a considerable number!) to ask them to confirm their contact details and keep them informed of plans for Salt’s future. It is quite inspiring to see that despite the economic concerns, Salt are still innovating and looking forward.

A very positive post on the Just One Book campaign has appeared in The Guardian Books Blog — as well as hundreds of other places on the net. In literary terms, it seems Just One Book may be the largest and most successful viral on the net yet.

After I’ve completed this I continue with the packing of orders — although it is frustrating that some can’t be completed because the books have to come from the printers. Tom, Charlotte and I are climbing over the mounds of packages as we have run out of franking stickers — although they will arrive tomorrow.

Thursday 28th May

In the morning I update the author details that have been returned by email. I am initially tentative about the database (not least because I am using a Mac for the first time in years) but I soon come to grips with it. There are lots of messages of support landing in the inbox, and I email off some thank you notes too. Everyone is very touched by the support the Just One Book campaign has generated.

The franking labels have arrived, so the mountains of post can finally be moved — although it takes several sweaty and out of breath runs to the Fulbourn Post Office before we can see the office carpet. Books, even poetry books, weigh a lot in volume!

Andrea Porter, a Salt poet, arrives at lunchtime to read some of her poems into my microphone both for PoetCasting and her Salt author page. She brings cake too, and Jen and I heroically tuck in as it simply must not go to waste! Andrea records 10 poems from her collection A Season of Small Insanities.

Friday 29th May

Today is my last day with Salt, and I am sorry that my week has been so short! I didn’t end up making the coffee or doing photocopying; I was welcomed into the team and took a hands on role in a manically busy week.

Jen has brought her small woollen friends Travis and Lily to visit before Travis starts his world tour. We leave them alone for 5 minutes and find that they have caused havoc with the mail, climbing all over it. Jen also pursues me around the office with her camera until I relent and grudgingly smile — it seems I am much less photogenic than Travis.

We fill what orders we can, although we are eagerly expecting a delivery of paperbacks needed to complete lots of orders. Everyone heads across to the pub for a well earned lunch before heading back for one last push now the paperbacks have arrived. We spread them out and get through loads of orders in the final dying hours of the working week. There is no space for clock watching at Salt. I am satisfied by the piles of post I have left behind me, and the order screens seem largely completed.

I make my exit, accompanied by Cameron and Chris to catch my train home from the flat fens of Cambridgeshire to Leicester.

Tom Shapcott

I'm sitting on the steps of Federation Square, flicking through the pages of my notebook. Dark clouds lower upon me and the rain begins. The sizeable scattering of tourists and students dwindles as they attempt to escape the downpour.

I spot a man walking into the Time Out cafe. He has a walking stick and white beard. I recognise him from this photograph. I canter through the increasing rain and enter the cafe just behind him. He turns and I introduce myself.

'Nice to meet you Lee. Judith will be along shortly.' I shake Tom's hand and we sit at a table. He is married to poet Judith Rodriguez, who has kindly agreed to come along and share her thoughts. Since suffering a stroke, Tom has been left with speech difficulties. He tells me it's frustrating to not be able to read his poetry aloud.

Before Judith arrives, we discuss Salt's financial difficulties. He asks me if Andrew Taylor's book is still due for June. I tell him that I don't know, and that it's been difficult to contact the office when everyone's so busy. He tells me that he has given John Kinsella a manuscript, but seems unhopeful of a release date before 2011.

Judith pushes her small shopping trolley through the doorway. She sits down and struggles to catch the waiter's attention. 'Can I have a long black please?' She is very keen to inform me of the many opportunities Melbourne offers for the poetry lover. The National Poetry Centre, the three separate writers' festivals and a whole array of readings. 'As long as we have your email address, we'll keep you well informed.'

I'm glad of their hospitality. They appear to know a great number of poets in Melbourne, and every name I mention is accompanied by a 'yes, we've got their book somewhere at home' from Tom. But when it comes to British poets, a different story emerges.

I reel off a number of Salt authors - Tobias Hill, Luke Kennard amongst a few. 'I'll have a look out for those names' is Judith's response. It seems that UK poets tend not to travel as far as Australia. And the same goes for Australian poets in the UK. I wonder if that relationship could be improved.

We talk about Andrew Motion. Judith wants to see 'Duffy' (Carol Ann) come to Australia, and is looking forward to her take on a William and Kate wedding. This somehow leads us on to education.

I admit that I would like to see more contemporary British poetry taught in schools. Judith asks me if any of our texts appear on curriculums. I don't think so. But I would like to see them on one.

Tom and Judith order some cake, and encourage me to 'have a nibble'. They're both extremely charming, and again I am bombarded with useful information. I'm not quite sure what to do with it all.

After an intriguing hour of conversation, I leave them both and step out into the rain. My thoughts are swimming in coffee, and I just want to get home to contemplate the day.

Hopefully I will hear good news from Salt HQ this week, and I can start laying down my ideas in a positive direction.

Salt survival and Michael Farrell

What do you say to an author when you're not quite sure what's going on?

Back in the Fulbourn office, everyone has been busy dispatching orders and doing their best to save the business. I feel a little guilty being so far away, unable to get my hands dirty with packaging and taking calls.

It seems my author meetings have fallen at a rather awkward time. I want to feel more prepared to answer the inevitable questions - will Salt survive? Is this book still being published? What about my manuscript?.........I calm myself into believing that not even Chris or Jen know the answers to these questions. Well, not at least until they have chance to recover from the onslaught of new orders generated by the Buy One Book campaign.

I go into the day thinking of ways to bat away these awkward questions. Nothing comes to mind, so I decide to be honest, and tell people that I haven't had chance to get in touch with the office, and I know very little about Salt's immediate plans.

I have an interview with Tom Shapcott at 3.30pm. I'm sitting at the laptop doing some research on 'one of Australia's most important poets', when my phone rings. It's Michael Farrell. He wants to know if I'm free this afternoon. We agree to meet at Collected Works at 1.30. It's now 12.50 so I stop my research and walk to the train station. (I wanted to see Kris Hemensley at Collected Works this week anyway, so this is a chance to cross both off the list.)

I've not had time to research Michael's work. I've read the sample of Ode Ode on the Salt website, but feel unprepared and in a hurry. The train takes forever, and I arrive at the bookstore five minutes late.

Michael and Kris are talking at the counter. Michael's just bought a Salt book - his contribution to the campaign. I introduce myself to both of them, tell Kris I will talk with him another time, and head off along Swanston Street with Michael.

It's a warm day and we sit outside a cafe. I tell him my plans for Melbourne. It seems a little strange to say I'm researching the Melbourne poetry market, when back home Salt is struggling to pull through the year.

But Michael tells me Salt has made a big impact in Australia. 'When Salt first appeared over here, it was greatly needed.'

We agree that Salt's confidence in publishing lesser-known poets has prompted a number of small presses in Australia to do the same thing. He writes me a list of publishers to research - some I've heard of, others I haven't.

I ask him about poetry readings, and he says he doesn't like to perform at public events. He invites me to a private reading he attends. Michael comes across as a reserved man, a little bewildered at the popularity of spoken-word sessions.

We speak for about an hour. In that time, Michael tells me he thinks poetry books could be cheaper, but it's hard for indie presses to discount and survive. He has an idea that authors should be obliged to buy a significant number of their books to take to readings. An incentive for self promotion, and something that would relieve all parties the last-minute stress of mailing copies to readings.

It's been a successful meeting. I've a lot to take away from what Michael has told me. I want to write things down and unload my brain. But I've got Tom to meet in 30 mins. A few scribbles, but the rest will have to wait.

A conversation with David McCooey

It's 1pm when the phone rings. 'Hi it's David here, how you going?' I tell him I'm well, and explain what I'm doing in Melbourne. We talk about Salt's financial troubles, and he seems a little surprised at how bad it is. I tell him we hope to pull through, and that some new ideas in the pipeline should help.

David tells me that he's interested in multimedia poetry - accompanying printed text with audio and video recordings. His Salt page has a few examples of his Blister Pack recordings - check them out.

We discuss Salt's creative approach to selling poetry, and he tells me that he thinks we do a great job in reaching new audiences. We talk about the possibility of recording some of our Melbourne-based Salt poets for the website. This is something that I'd like to look into.

David admits that living and working in Geelong (a coastal town about 70km west of Melbourne) means he doesn't get to see as many Melbourne readings as he would like. Plus with a four month old baby, he has his hands full at home.

David tells me that it's great to have a Salt representative in Australia. Email communication sometimes isn't the most effective means of contacting us, and to be able to speak to someone in person is a great help. I tell him that I will report our conversation back to Salt HQ and throw around a few ideas.

Hopefully good things will come of this.

In other news, I have a meeting planned with Tom Shapcott on Monday, and expect to speak to Kris Hemensley from the Collected Works Bookshop too.

The Spinning Room

It's a quiet Tuesday evening. A man walks out of the noodle bar, cars drift past, and the remaining city workers arrive home late once more. In the upstairs room of a south Melbourne bar a small, black lectern waits nervously. Red walls and sporadic seating emerge as the lights flick on. It's 8pm, and The Spinning Room awakens.

An assortment of Melbourne's brightest poets converge on ET's Hotel. An evening of free lyrical luxury awaits them. They stock up on house red and run through last-minute lines. First up is the open-mic.


MC Anthony O'Sullivan hosts an hour of superb two-minute readings. It reassures me that I'm in good company. Josephine Rowe tries out a new poem. Regular faces, returning travellers and first appearances follow. It's amazing to see such a variety of new poetry. From the surreal to the witty. Michael Reynolds captures my attention:

A poet in the back bar
Packs the front bar

I even get chance to read a couple of my own poems. (Find out more). Geoff Lemon is the feature poet tonight. Unfortunately I'm unable to stay to see him, but I'm sure his performance is as awesome as ever.

Melbourne hosts a number of regular poetry gigs. The city is thriving with poetic talent, and is a great place for Salt to show what we have to offer.

The Spinning Room is held every Tuesday evening, 8pm at ET's Hotel, High St, Prahran.

All photographs provided gratefully with permission by Michael Reynolds.

Salt's Australian adventure

I'm Lee. I've been working at Salt for a while now. But the Fulbourn office has finally got the better of me.

Rainy tea-drinking mornings, Chris and Jen's excessive coffee-making demands, and a less-than-dependable wireless connection forced me to consider extending the Salt empire to a more exotic location.

I'm in Melbourne for the next four months. But rather than spending my days discovering laneways and landmarks, I've decided to get to know some of Salt's Australian authors.

Over the following weeks I'll be chatting with poets, going to readings and festivals, and generally finding out what our Australian writers have been up to.

I'll update the Office Life blog every week or so. Expect to find videos, interviews and updates from myself and the good people of Melbourne.

Until next time.