Heidi Lampietti, Editor and Owner. Heidi has a LiveJournal blog (heidi_lampietti) with weekly RedJack updates (note that you have to be a registered LiveJournal user to access this blog). Heidi is an associate member of SFWA.
Bonnie Cyr, Manager
And most importantly, about a dozen very talented and lovely authors and artists that have
thoughtfully supplied us with their work to publish.
Any or all of us can be reached at:
RedJack
P.O. Box 633
Bayside, CA 95524
redjackbooks at gmail dot com
Quick Links:
Submission Policy
RedJack on the Road
Resources for Reviewers
Resources for Bookstores
Affiliate Program
Resources for Authors
Submission Policy
RedJack is currently closed to unsolicited submissions. However, feel free to check back often, as things do change. In addition, keep an eye out for Heidi at the conventions (see schedule below), and stop by and say "hello" if you have a chance. Nearly all of our books have come about as a result of meeting authors at conventions. Just FYI.
RedJack on the Road
Heidi will be at the following conventions:
FiestaCon (Westercon 62) in Tempe, Arizona, July 2-5, 2009
World Science Fiction Convention in Montreal, Quebec, August 6-10, 2009
World Fantasy Convention in San Jose, California, Oct 29 - Nov. 1, 2009
If you are a reviewer, and would like a copy of one of our books for the purpose of a review, please send us a request via email. Be sure to include the titles you are requesting, your shipping address, and a link to the site (or the site for the publication) where the review will appear. Also, be sure to put "Request for Review Copy" as the subject line of the email. Note that we have an affiliate program (see below for details), which would allow a reviewing site to earn a percentage of any sales that come from a click-through from the site.
If you are a bookstore that would like to carry RedJack books, there are two ways to do it. You can order through our distributor, Baker & Taylor. Note that Baker & Taylor does not keep our books in inventory, so it takes a couple of weeks (at least) to get books this way.
You can also order directly from RedJack by using this order form. Ordering directly from us means that you will get the books in under a week. Also note that we have an affiliate program (see below for details), for bookstores that have an online presence.
RedJack has an affiliate program that gives anyone with a website the potential to earn a percentage from sales that are directed to us through links placed on the affiliate site. This could include bookstores, reviewers and review sites, online bookstores, authors, fans, etc. Affiliates earn a 10% commission on sales that are generated through the affiliate site.
To become an affiliate, Join Now. Note that all applicants must be approved by RedJack. This allows us to make sure that the applicant's site is an appropriate venue for our books. We reserve the sole right to make this determination.
Existing affiliates, Check Your Account. Affiliates are paid out quarterly, as long as the balance is at least $5.00. All accounts are paid out yearly, regardless of the balance.
Resources for Authors
Most of these resources were created specifically for authors who have books with us, but anyone who finds them helpful is welcome to use them. This section is always under development, so check back periodically to see what's new.
Five Fun and Effective Ways to Find Your Audience:
- Do Good Work. As obvious at it seems, there are actually a lot of things that get in the way of doing good work. I know this from (sometimes painful) experience. Being in a hurry to get the work out there; trying too hard to find the thing that's going to be the big "hit"; spending too much time promoting and not enough working; forgetting that art for communication (as opposed to just self-expression) is as difficult as it is fun and fulfilling, and requires constant learning, awareness of the goal, a belief in the value of the editorial process, and practice practice practice practice. All of these things keep a person from doing her very best work, and if the work is no good...You can fill in the rest. If you are a RedJack author reading this, then I'm preaching to the choir. But know that I feel the same way about any "promotional" activity. I believe that the work itself is the best advertisement, and any supplementary activity should always be about finding an audience, in a way that is also truly reflective of your work and who you are. And that's what I have to say about that.
- Have a Web Presence. It could be a web page, a blog, anything that allows your audience to find out about you and your work on the internet. My recommendation is that it be about quality, not volume -- which is contrary to the popular wisdom about web content (more! different! all the time!). But again, this presence should be truly reflective of you and your work, and your goals as an artist. So do what is comfortable and right for you. RedJack authors, be sure to let me know of any updates in this area, so I can keep our links up-to-date. Also keep in mind the affiliate program. If you feel it's appropriate to your site, you can use the affiliate program to earn another 10% (on top of your royalty -- such a deal!).
- Go to Conventions. Seriously, that face-to-face contact with your peers, audience, professionals in all areas of the field is invaluable for too many reasons to list here. I'm talking mainly about the genre conventions (World Con, etc), as opposed to the huge book fairs (ABA, etc.). It's also just plain fun, and can be very creatively stimulating. Again, do what's comfortable to you, but even if you do only one convention a year, it's well worth your time. When you go, be sure to sign up for panels, readings, book signings, and whatever else sounds fun. RedJack authors, let me know if you are planning to attend a convention; we have materials available for you, including copies of your own books (See the Author Order Form for details).
- Learn to Read. I mean, learn to become a skilled reader (as in, "out loud") of your own work. It is a skill that needs to be learned, and an extremely important one, if you plan to do readings at conventions, or bookstore signings, or whatever. I'm currently looking for a good resource for learning this skill, which I will post as soon as I've found it.
- Explore the Possibilities. There are about a million and one books and websites out there proclaiming to help you sell yourself and your work in about a billion different ways. I encourage you to explore them, and choose very carefully. I deliberately headed this list with the words "Find Your Audience," because I believe that thinking about it that way will keep you sane, artistically sound, and financially healthy. Being an artist will never be a get-rich-quick (or even slowly, for 99% of us) scheme. Do the work that means the most to you, to the very best of your ability, and then set about finding an audience for it in a way that is comfortable (financially and emotionally) and sincere. Success will follow naturally. Okay, since you asked: I have found John Kremer's book 1001 Ways to Market Your Books to be a good source. Not all of the ideas are appropriate to everybody, but just about everybody will find at least some of it pretty useful. RedJack authors, feel free at any time to contact me regarding ideas you have or that you have run across that you believe would help us to find your audience. I can't guarantee that we will do it, but I promise to listen with an open mind.
Links to Flyers:
These links open PDF files, which you are free to print and/or photocopy.
Goodreads