or, The Method to Our Madness
What we buy
The Mercury Retrograde imprint publishes novel-length works, in series or stand-alone, of 100,000 words or more per volume.
The Hermes imprint publishes series and collections of novellas and light novels (20,000 - 80,000 words per volume).
How we publish
Books released under the Mercury Retrograde imprint are published in Trade Paperback and eBook formats.
Most Hermes books are published as eBooks; select Hermes collections are released in Omnibus Trade editions when complete.
Our Development Process
After a book is accepted for publication, we assign it a tentative publication date, an editor, and a project administrator (who may or may not be the same person as the editor). The editor and writer establish a timetable for the editorial process and begin working together to refine the writer's work. Because every book is different and every editor and writer has his own style, this process varies from project to project. Editorial involvement runs the gamut from relatively light copyediting to down-to-the-bone story development. In every case the editor's primary functions are giving the writer fresh perspective on the way the reader receives the work as it stands on the page and providing the tools she needs to refine the work until it matches or surpasses the original conception. Because we are firm believers in giving books and artists the time and resources they need to fully develop, any schedules assigned to this phase are tentative.
When content is stable, book design begins. By this time dates are firm and final publication dates can be assigned with confidence. The project administrator works with the book designer (who may or may not be the same person), the editor (ditto), artists, the cover designer, and the writer to turn the story into books of various formats. This is a relatively quiet period for the writer, who functions as a consultant rather than performing deliverable tasks during this phase.
Publication
Once a book is complete, we work with regular press, online SFF outlets, and blogger-reviewers to get the word out--and work with our distribution partners to get the book into bookstores. We help writers book appearances and support them when they appear at cons. If all this seems vague, that's because each step of this process is tailored to each book, and each book has its own potential markets and needs. More information on our distribution partners is available here, and those interested in a taste of the appearances we're booking and supporting can visit individual author pages and our blog.
