1. Where did the name "23 House" come from?
It's a long story. Don't ask.
2. How do I submit a proposal to 23 House?
Read the guidelines page. Please read the guidelines page. It contains exactly what we're looking for at any given time, so let that be your guide. If it says that we want supernatural non-fiction, don't pitch a romance novel to us. Some proposals are so far off-base that it's obvious that the author didn't bother to read the guidelines, and we usually don't have time to even respond to those. If you have something within the bounds of our current needs, though, simply email a query and we'll go from there.
3. Why does your guidelines page talk about a marketing proposal?
Because that's as important as your book outline. It's a strange world, and an even stranger economy right now. Although our distributor can place books into Barnes & Noble and other huge chains, many authors simply aren't doing well in that environment today. Many of our authors make most of their royalties from specialty shops and smaller stores that carry their books and focus on their topics. Deciding how - and where - to sell your book is critical to its success.
4. I notice that 23 House did a book called "23" - is that where the name comes from?
Enough with the publishing house name! And no, the two aren't related, just a coincidence. An interesting one, granted, but a coincidence nonetheless.
5. Where is 23 House located?
Another tough question. The main office is in a historic 1861 home built by W. Frank Stilley in Jefferson, Texas, and the books are warehoused in a stand-alone, modern, climate-controlled building across town (it's a small town, which means about ten blocks away). The people who do work for 23 House telecommute, however, which allows us to keep office costs down, and also draw from a pool of talent literally spread around the country. If an artist is sending a cover illustration to an editor and attaches it to an email, it doesn't matter if they're down the hall from each other or across the country. Meetings take place by teleconference, and it's easier than you'd think to keep things operating smoothly - technology is wonderful. There are literally 23 House folks who work together in producing a book although they have never met in real life... although they know each others kids' and spouses' names, their birthdays, etc.
6. Why don't you list a contact phone number on your website?
The easy answer is to see #5 above - because everyone is spread around, it's just not practical. Communicating by email also gives us a written record of everything, making it much easier to track deadlines, progress, commitments, etc. Finally, if you do work for 23 House you can set your own hours. The main goal is to hit deadlines, which means someone may be editing a book at 2 AM, someone else could be doing cover design on a Sunday afternoon, etc. We even have part-time and as-needed folks that have other jobs as well.
7. That sounds wonderful - can I work for 23 House?
We get that a lot, and receive resumes every week. Everyone has come from a first-hand recommendation, though. At this point no one has joined the team by submitting a blind resume. We also have no turnover - it's such a great arrangement that no one wants to leave.
8. I found a phone number and called it... and got a recording about something called The Grove. So what exactly is this Grove thing?
Remember the 1861 home mentioned above? It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the Dept. of the Interior, and is also a Registered Texas Historic Landmark. The official name of the structure is the "Stilley-Young House," but it is also known as "The Grove" because of the grove of Native Texas Pecan trees that surround the house. It is open for tours on weekends, where the history of the place is shared with visitors... along with a few ghost stories. The founder of 23 House and his wife live there, as well. Come visit The Grove for a tour!
9. Didn't 23 House do a couple of books for charity?
Absolutely, and they are still available. We did three anthologies several years ago, with the profits all going to specified charities. One was Make-a-Wish foundation, another was UNICEF, the third was World Vision, and all profits have gone to those charities. When sales of the books waned after a few years, as books always do, we then combined the profits from all three into one charity: World Vision, which helps to feed the children of impoverished villages around the world, while teaching the people skills to be self-sustaining. Over a thousand dollars has gone to the charities.
10. Does 23 House pay advances?
No, we don't; in fact, most small presses don't. That doesn't mean you're missing out on any money as an author, though. The way that advances work is simple, as you'll see with this example. Suppose that you are given a $5000.00 advance on a book. You won't be paid the first $5000 in royalties, since they're applied against the advance you received. Think of it as a loan from the publisher to the author. So after six months, let's say that your book earned $500.00 in royalties - you won't get that check, it is applied to the advance, and your "advance balance" would then be $4500.00. Six months later, if your book had earned $1000, then it would be applied as well... still no check for the author, though, and the balance would be $3500. This keeps going until the book has "earned back" the $5000 advance, and then - only then - does the author start getting royalty checks. While you might get a little money up front with an advance, it could be a few years before you saw another cent. 23 House has had books that sold like gangbusters, and others that don't move at all, and in the latter case it would be a problem for the publishing house. Random House can afford to write off a big loss - small presses can't. We therefore pay royalties religiously, and we don't make money unless the author does, and vice versa. It's a fair deal for everyone involved.
11. Do you require agent representation?
No; we take submissions from individual authors as well as agents, and give them the exact same consideration. An author that we want to work with is presented the exact same contract whether that author has an agent or not. Our contract is very straightforward and simple, and is not open to a lot of wheeling and dealing. Think about it - would be we an honorable business if we gave you a higher royalty if you came in with an agent, rather than if you didn't? That would mean that we were being dishonest with the non-agented authors in that case, and since most of the people associated with 23 House are authors (and some have had one or more books published by the house), it would be the height of hypocrisy. Bottom line? Whether you are an agent or an author, feel free to submit within our guidelines. We'll be fair with you.
12. What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
What do you mean? An African or European swallow? (Okay, so we're Monty Python fans...)
