Bacon Press Books

12/31/2024

Wishing everyone a good year for writing and publishing

08/17/2024

When it comes to AI, I'm all in. I'll try just about anything. So when I found out about Mojo, I couldn't pass it up. It's free.

08/09/2024

With so many talents to work with, I had to ask our new Editorial Director why he wanted to jump into publishing. He gave me his top 5 reasons.
If you know any “artsy types” – then you probably know creative people who have bounced around a lot. Actors waiting tables. Authors tutoring undergrads. Artists walking dogs. It’s not that they can’t keep a job; it’s just that there are so many things they want to do, and their chosen career doesn’t pay much.

Meet the poster boy (person) for the winding road that is often an artist’s path –
Seth Rosenberg, the new Editorial Director of Bacon Press Books.

As a visual artist, his metal sculptures have been featured in galleries in Soho and restaurants in San Juan. As a chef, he’s worked in top restaurants in New York City and Washington, DC. And then he spent a few years as a private chef on yachts cruising the Bahamas and the South Pacific. He started a successful handyman business in NYC and transferred that to DC.

So I had to ask – Why publishing? It’s not the easiest business to get into.

Here are his top 5 reasons:

1 – Do What You Love
The unifying thread throughout my entire career has been working in fields I love. Reading has been a constant in my life, and I grew up in a literary household. Writing is a lot like other creative fields; it takes a lot more discipline and effort than people imagine, and a good book is a team effort. I like being on that team; there is a tremendous satisfaction to holding and reading a finished work.
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​2 – Fascinated by Stories
Our stories are our history. Reading is the closest thing we have to sharing a thought—it’s easy to forget just how incredible that is. Ideas and experiences can be preserved and relived, transporting readers to any place and allowing them to live as anyone. Writing is where people take the time to hone their words into the narratives they want to tell. Good stories can become great reading.
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​3 – Staying Hopeful
One of my favorite aspects of working with writers is that it’s always forward-facing, even when the topic is the past. Books allow us to understand other ways of thinking and different cultures. They can also provide a sense of community and support from like-minded individuals. Reading about the past reminds us that we’ve been through challenges before, making the future feel more hopeful.
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4 – Creative Work
I’ve spent my life working in creative fields, and we creatives operate differently. Many of us feel like we don’t have a choice if we want to stay sane; we need to process our thoughts through our art. There’s a unique language and vocabulary among creatives when discussing their work, which might not make sense to everyone, but it’s how we support each other and develop ideas. I believe spending an afternoon figuring out the exact wording to describe the scent of an apricot is time well spent. I love working with people who understand that.
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​5 -The Personal Connection
Writing is incredibly difficult and deeply personal. Ultimately, it’s the author’s name on the work, and whether it’s fact or fiction, there’s vulnerability in sharing ideas. Working with people on their stories is a privilege I think about all the time. It’s not like any other kind of work. Reading stories and helping shape them into finished books is a dream job.

07/17/2024

A new chapter for Bacon Press Books - from Handyman to Editorial Director, please meet Seth Rosenberg

My career path has taken me through various roles, from artist to private chef and handyman to several other interesting jobs. Each position had its own challenges and rewards, but none have felt as right as my latest role: Editorial Director at Bacon Press Books.

I’ve been involved behind the scenes at Bacon Press Books for some time. I chose to assume this role officially because of my love of books. There is something deeply gratifying about assisting artists in bringing their visions to life and then seeing those visions in the hands of readers.

The publishing world today is dynamic and exciting. While major players dominate the field, smaller presses have significant opportunities to make an impact. Smaller presses, like Bacon Press Books, have a unique advantage. We can deliver professional, high-quality books in a more affordable and accessible manner. Our mission is to democratize literature, one beautifully crafted book at a time.

As Editorial Director, I aim to cultivate a creative environment where writers feel supported, and their stories can thrive. I'll work closely with authors, helping them shape their narratives and refine their manuscripts until they shine. There is a particular joy in that collaborative process, in witnessing a rough draft transform into a finished work of art.

There is an enduring quality to books that resonates deeply with me. In an age where digital content can be fleeting, the permanence of a physical book is profoundly comforting. Books have the power to transcend time, to be discovered and rediscovered by future generations. They hold stories and knowledge that can inspire, educate, and entertain long after their initial publication. At Bacon Press Books, we are not just creating products; we are crafting lasting legacies.

So, here’s to a new chapter—both literally and figuratively. I am thrilled to embrace this role at Bacon Press Books and eagerly anticipate what we can accomplish together. To all the writers and readers out there, let’s make some magic happen. Cheers!

07/15/2024

We're back and better than ever.
Yup. Bacon Press Books is ready to dive back into the world of micro-publishing.
We’re still committed to:
Putting authors first
Setting reasonable fees
Offering personal support through all of it
Giving you a beautiful, professional-quality book
And getting it to market on a timetable that works for everyone involved

We’ve added some top talent. A new editorial director and a website consultant. We’re going to offer some new services. And with any luck, we’ll still have the terrific freelance artists we’ve worked with to publish our first 15 books.

Before you say, “Do we really need another publisher who’s going to ask writers to contribute money as well as their time?”

My answer is what it was when I first started Bacon Press Books in 2012: “Yes.”

Here’s my thinking:
I’ve seen way too many authors with very good books scramble for years to get an agent and/or a publisher. I’ve seen authors, a year or two into the querying process, slip into self-doubt and despair. Too often, they just give up.

Would they rather get the big advance, the book tour, and the rave reviews instead of sharing the cost of bringing their book to readers? Do I even need to answer that?

But getting a book published has always been tough. Some say it’s getting harder. The most common statistic is that 1%-2% of all books submitted to agents and publishers get published.

I’m not great with statistics. When my first novel came out, I was told the odds were 80,000 to 1. So I figured – well, someone’s got to be the 1.

Still, it’s good to know if you’ve been rejected that it’s not you. It’s just tough out there.

Which is why I believe in partnership publishing, hybrid publishing, and self-publishing. The one thing I know to be true is that readers don’t care who published a book if it’s good.

Readers don’t care if you got a big advance or no advance. If you paid for marketing or someone else paid.

I was set to relaunch Bacon Press Books, but then the pandemic started, and I had to step back. I couldn’t see getting caught up in the publishing world when everyone was facing so many more serious, life-changing events.

I always wished I had someone to work with—not because it’s so hard, but because it’s more fun to work with someone. I still believe publishing a book and​ getting your book published should be fun. And now I have an editorial director who can do developmental editing, beta reading, and a little marketing consulting, and​ a website consultant who can help authors with their websites.

So stay tuned. More announcements to come.

And if you want to see a really good run down on statistics – check out 21 Debut Author Statistics: The Real Odds of Getting Published by Natalie Harris-Spencer on Aspiring Author

06/24/2024

When the pandemic hit, I paused Bacon Press Books, now I'm ready to start again

05/31/2024

I often get requests from writers looking for Beta Readers - here's something new

New editorial services outfit

02/09/2024

Writers: Treat yourself to some knowledge this Valentine’s day, Feb. 14 (noon ET), and join Bold Story Press's FREE publishing webinar led by former McGraw Hill Editor in Chief Emily Barrosse. Learn how to identify a market for your book, how to develop a writing habit, and much more.

Participant praise:

“Amazing webinar on the publishing process. Detailed description of the book-publishing life cycle from soup to nuts; great insight from a very experienced publishing professional. Gave me hope that I could do it, while giving me a reality check that it wouldn't be a cakewalk. Thank you!”
~ Shawn

“It was a terrific webinar, which broke the information down to clear and easily understood segments. I learned what I needed to know but was hungry to learn more. Ms. Barrosse answered the participants' questions patiently.”
~ Barbara
Register now while seats are available http://tinyurl.com/58254stk

12/30/2023