3 Lessons I Learned After My Publisher Went Out of Business

It's no secret that breaking into traditional publishing is hard, but I didn't realize just what a roller coaster of a business it is until my publisher abruptly shut down.

(I Got 8 Agent Offers; Then, My Book Died on Sub.)

My turbulent experience began with the high of a two-book deal in May 2022 when Agora Books acquired my Domingo the Bounty Hunter series. It was the culmination of more than two decades of writing fiction without literary representation.

My first two published novels, acquired by two different small presses, brought me a hard-earned “yes” in an industry full of “no.” They helped me gain a foothold in traditional publishing but not much else. I didn’t receive book advance or marketing support for either book.

Publication, however, motivated me to persist, which led to my signing with a literary agent— Maria Napolitano of KT Literary—which led to my two-book deal with Agora Books. Publishing with an imprint known for its inclusive vision felt special.

In 2013, publishing veteran Jason Pinter founded Polis Books, which specialized in crime fiction. Chantelle Aimée Osman, another publishing veteran, pitched him the idea of Agora Books, which was launched in 2019 as an imprint of Polis Books. Pinter and Osman, who ran Agora Books as editor, did what other publishers often say they want to do but never quite do—to publish diverse authors and new voices.

Explaining Agora Books’s mission at a Crime Writers of Color webinar in May 2024, Osman said, “I was tired of seeing the same viewpoint expressed over and over. There are so many viewpoints and stories out there that need to be in the mainstream as well.”

Agora Books was the bridge that took writers of color like me inside the arguably exclusivist and elitist traditional publishing industry. This is not to say that my publishing journey became easier.

By the time Multo, book one of my series, was published in September 2023, I had weathered a critical disruption. Osman, who acquired my series, left Agora Books for another publishing house, which meant I changed editors in midstream. Such job changes are common in an industry always in a state of flux.

I rode out the stresses of the editing process and unexpected developments by focusing on what was ahead of me—marketing and promotion of Multo. I was fully aware that I had to do the heavy lifting.

Agora Books, like most independent presses, didn’t have a PR person, so I hired my own publicist. Even before Multo was launched, I spoke at writing conferences and book events. After it was published, I wrote articles for media outlets and gave interviews to podcasters and book bloggers. Before the end of 2023, my agent submitted book two of my series with an eye on publication in 2024.

For the next few months after publication, I was immersed in book promotion while waiting for my publisher to decide when book two would be published. The decision never came. In March 2024—six months after Multo was published—Polis Books and Agora Books went out of business. In hindsight, there were telltale signs of problems at Agora Books, but I chose not to dwell on them.

In a complete reversal of fortune, Osman, who was then an editor at Amazon Publishing, acquired my series for Thomas & Mercer three months after Agora Books closed. Looking at my experience in the rearview mirror, I can say honestly that it has taught me valuable lessons that made me a stronger person.

Aspiring writers often ask me if it’s worth the time, effort, and heartache to find an agent. If you want a career in traditional publishing, the answer is an unequivocal yes.

I felt defeated when Agora Books closed. I don’t know how I would have survived such a loss without my agent. While I wallowed in a slurry of grief and self-pity, a publishing pro like Napolitano simply got to work, which leads us to the second lesson below.

Before Napolitano represented me, my only concern was to get published. I didn’t negotiate with my previous publishers because I didn’t know how. Indeed, bare-bones publication was all I got in my initial foray into traditional publishing.

Having Napolitano in my corner meant a better contract from the get-go and receiving a book advance for the first time. When Agora Books shuttered, my agent was already in a good place to pick up the pieces. Napolitano and her team at KT Literary helped me revert my rights to the series.

Pinter worked hard to find new publishers for his authors, rehoming most of his company’s title backlist. My agent and I were among the few who struck out on our own, landing at Thomas & Mercer, thanks to Osman. Today Pinter and Osman work at Simon Maverick as VP/editorial director and senior editor, respectively.

Apart from the incredibly good luck of having Osman as my editor, it helped that book two of my series was ready for submission. Thomas & Mercer had a new title to bank on in addition to re-issuing book one. My new publisher re-edited book one, now called Danger No Problem, and decided to publish it simultaneously with book two, Sunday or the Highway.

I went from basement low when Agora Books shuttered to a dizzying high when Thomas & Mercer saved my series. Sailing into the sunset rarely happens in publishing, but at least I’m now moving like a ship in full sail, brimming with purpose and hope.

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And after finishing that, check out Sunday or the Highway here:

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