With my usual disregard for the ridiculous, I’m getting ready to take that long-resisted step I’ve been putting off for years now: while Simplicissimus Book Farm strives, and indeed succeeds, in providing digital publishers with the best tools of the trade for producing and distributing ebooks all over the world, I myself am about to become a publisher: I find no better way to respond with facts, and not just words anymore, to all those who continue to accuse me of being against publishers, or of being good at preaching because I don’t understand the problems etc.
Today marks the beginning of Antonio Tombolini Editore. And be it as it may, no one will be able to say that I didn’t stand publicly behind my views.
Here’s how it works:
- I will always publish the new books in digital format, and possibly, in some cases, on paper as well, using digital printing.
- The publisher’s choice (mine, that is) will not be made on the books, and not even on the authors, but on the editors and editorial directors to whom I will assign assorted series of various genre and themes. I believe that the greatness of the great Italian publishers (the real ones we’ve had) consists not in a particular instinct in choosing books or authors, but in choosing the editorial directors who are assigned to manage the series with remarkable latitude.
- This is why there is no point in writing to me or sending me manuscripts to look at: I will have no say in the matter of publication choices. It’s a bit like a soccer team: I choose the coach, and he’ll take care of the line-up
- Editorial directors and authors will all be paid substantially higher royalties, not only higher than conventional paper publishing, but also with respect to current standards on the ebook market (not 25% of the publisher’s net proceeds, but 50%). But no advances.
- It begins immediately with Vaporteppa, a steampunk series assigned to Marco Carrara aka il Duca, which will be followed at the end of February by Penale.it, a series of studies on criminal law assigned to the lawyer Daniele Minotti. Of course both are long-time friends of mine whom I admire greatly.
- Then shortly afterwards, in March, other series will follow which I will announce as we go. The editorial and publication plans of each series will be published by the respective directors on the respective sites.
- Antonio Tombolini Editore will be one of Simplicissimus Book Farm’s customers: it will use the conversion and production services (BackTypo) and distribution platform (STEALTH), it will print with BookMaker and search for the professionals it needs in the marketplace (FootWings). And it will take a look at the self-publishers of Narcissus.me, just in case some talent emerges.
- Antonio Tombolini Editore will not enjoy any privilege over all the other publisher customers of Simplicissimus and, if anything, it will be a never-ending pain in the neck for Simplicissimus: I will be the most unappeasable and demanding customer, in order to push to improve those services further for everyone.
I’m gonna be a publisher these days. Come on, wish me luck! 🙂
