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But what if there were yet another alternative, some middle ground between these two extremes -- the ease of e-publishing with the quality control of traditional publishing? That's where Cantarabooks comes in -- a relatively new independent publishing house. I found them in the spring of 2007 when I'd written a 30,000-word novella. It was too long to publish as a short story and too short to publish as a novel. If I were a more established author, I could probably publish it in a collection with other stories, but nobody was going to offer me such a contract at that point in my career. Through a simple internet search, I happened across the Cantarabooks website, and I found that they were seeking unsolicited submissions of novellas, as well as short story collections and long essays.

Assessing the Company
Before submitting to a press one has never heard of, it makes sense to do a little research. One of the first things I noticed about Cantarabooks was that several of their publications were written by their senior editor, Michael Matheny. Michael's life partner, Cantara Christopher, is the publisher. So, this is a small family business. But they also had titles available from other authors, including a book of poetry by Stephen Gyllenhaal (father of movie stars Jake and Maggie).

Christopher also publishes a quarterly literary magazine, Cantaraville, which features excerpts from Cantarabooks authors, as well as poetry, short stories, and essays from other writers. Like many of the publications from Cantarabooks, Cantaraville is published electronically, in PDF form. Christopher says that she and Matheny "actively cultivate writers from Cantaraville so that they can send us longer works to consider for digital and paperback publication by Cantarabooks."

Their standard ebook and paperback contracts are available for perusal directly on their website, and I could see right away that this would not cost me anything. It didn't appear to be a scam, vanity press, or DIY "portal". It struck me as a chance I could afford to take with a manuscript that couldn't find a home anywhere else, and I submitted my novella to them for consideration.

Who They Publish
Cantara Christopher considers her book press and magazine press to be "of a piece". So when she discusses Cantarabooks authors, she includes those who have been published in Cantaraville. Many of the writers she has published had no previous publication history. To her knowledge, only one -- Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author John Grant -- actually makes his living as a writer. A few others have won awards from Pushcart, Glimmer Train, and other prominent contests. There are also some celebrities: Gyllenhaal (mentioned above), Sundance film director Gary Walkow, veteran underground artist Trina Robbins, and Emmy-winning comedian Buzz Belmondo. One Cantarabooks author, Hannah Moskowitz, was a high school student when she signed with the their press.

The work they publish spans a wide range, including poetry, fiction, and literary essays. By chance more than by choice, the longer work they've published seems to be falling into a niche. Christopher says, "What seems to be happening in Cantarabooks is that much of the book-length work we're acquiring is falling into two general classifications, one being fiction collections by Americans, the other being works of international literature."

The real winning argument is the increased possibility of seeing your book in print by a publisher who is not you.

The Deal with the Ebook
A few weeks after I submitted my novella to Cantarabooks, they offered me a contract to publish it as an ebook, sold exclusively on their website as a PDF file. The contract specifies that they will offer me a paperback contract once the ebook sells above a certain threshold, indicating that my readership is wide enough to justify the cost of printing. The terms are generous; because of the ebook format, they have little overhead, and I make a 20 percent royalty on all sales. The publisher retains rights for two years (renewable). The terms of their standard paperback contract are basically the same.

And that's essentially what separates them from many ebook publishers. They pay royalties, and they don't charge any fees to the authors. In addition, they distribute sample copies to agents, editors, reviewers, and film producers. They properly edited and designed my book as respectably as any indie or mainstream publisher would.

Graduating to Paperback
Although the ebook format is becoming more popular and more accepted, many writers still don't feel legitimized until they see their work on paper, preferably on a shelf in a bookstore. Many POD portals can sell books through book sites like Amazon.com, but that doesn't always offset the stigma of having paid for your own publication.

According to the standard Cantarabooks agreement, when an ebook has sold 150 copies, they will automatically offer the author a paperback contract. For pre-publication review copies and bound galleys, they use Lulu.com, a popular POD website. For the main printing, Christopher works with a printer that specializes in short runs and, according to her, is a "secret weapon" for many micropresses in the know. In the tradition of the late author Grace Paley's press, Glad Day Books, Cantarabooks begins with a short run of 200 copies and prints more as needed.

Once the book is in paperback, of course, it can be sold on websites other than the publisher's site, as well as in brick-and-mortar bookstores. You will then have actual copies to sell at your readings (or out of a backpack on the subway if that's how you roll).

The Business Model
Although their approach is unusual, it is not exactly unique. The first general-interest ebook publisher on the internet, according to Christopher, was Electron Press, begun by Philip Harris in 1997. Christopher actually worked for Harris for a time before beginning her own press, and that is where she learned much of what she knows about the business.

Since then, a handful of similar companies has sprouted up, some seeking general-interest work, others devoted to specific genres, such as Ellora's Cave (erotica) and Zumaya (mystery and sci-fi).

The Bottom Line
Will this be the next phase of indie publishing? The biggest downside is that ebooks are still not an easy sell. People are confused about the format and think they will need a special ebook reader for it (they don't; it's a standard PDF that can be read on any computer and many hand-held devices). Many people just don't want to read a book-length work on a screen and also aren't willing to print out that many pages.

On the plus side, for many writers, a general interest ebook publisher like Cantarabooks can be a very good fit. This is especially true if you're an up-and coming writer who can't get a break from a traditional publishing house, but you're not willing to take the plunge into self-publishing for any number of reasons. It can also be a good venue for more experienced writers with experimental pieces or work that is otherwise outside the mainstream.

But the real winning argument is the increased possibility of seeing your book in print by a publisher who is not you. The low overhead of the ebook platform means that they can afford to take a chance on an author that more traditional presses might pass on, and that's a big deal. In addition, the ebook serves as a kind of trial run. If you can sell a couple of hundred ebooks, it's an indicator that a paperback run will be worth the investment. And the money earned from ebook sales can be used to help bankroll the printing. That works out well for publisher and author alike.