Doug R.
Two Things to Note
There's two things to note here. One is the quality of the work Atmosphere's people do. I would call it matchless. I've published two books with them, and both editors were absolutely fantastic at getting what I was trying to do (which was strange, and not easily grasped) and helping me to do it better. Ronaldo the cover designer deserves all the awards in the business; especially the second cover he designed for me (for Insecticide: check it out yourself if you think I'm making this up) was the greatest cover design I have EVER seen. Their publicity people got me five reviews (all glowing--a pleasant surprise for me) and two interviews, and got me set up on Goodreads. (The home-town bookstore book launch fell through, but not for lack of Atmosphere's trying.) The other thing is the money. If you're a struggling author trying to write on a shoestring, and trying to support yourself with your writing, Atmosphere may not be the place for you. My situation is different: I'm not wealthy but comfortable enough to afford the subvention, and even to pay for the book-boost publicity. And my big need is to get past the editors at tiny presses wading through hundreds of manuscripts in search of that little domestic drama or adventure story that might sell enough to make it worth a small press's while. My stuff is weird. To me it's the only really enjoyable way to write, but I'm told my writing is an acquired taste--and the way the book publishing biz works, maybe always has worked, is that nobody has time to acquire tastes for independently published books. It's instant gratification or nothing. So it is enough for me to get published and get read by maybe a few hundred people--and the ecstatic reviews Atmosphere got me have been instant gratification FOR ME!
Response from Atmosphere PressOct 25, 2024
Thank you for your detailed feedback, Doug! We're thrilled that you found the quality of our team's work to be unmatched and that both editors understood your unique vision so well. Ronaldo’s cover design for Insecticide truly is remarkable, and we appreciate your kind words about his talent. It's fantastic to know that our publicity team secured five glowing reviews and two interviews for you. I'm, of course, sorry the hometown bookstore launch was a hurdle we couldn't clear, and we appreciate your understanding. Your perspective on the publishing landscape is insightful, and we’re glad you’ve found value in being published and getting your work into the hands of readers. Here's hoping we'll get the chance to support another one of your creative works soon!




