What is a Book Packager?
(Disclaimer—there are a lot of packagers out there, in and out of genre. My take on the role of packagers is not the same as many of them. My description of packaging is probably not the same one you would get from some of them. )
Packagers produce books that are worth publishing, but are too much trouble for overworked editors at mainstream publishing houses to shepherd into print. Many collectibles guides and travel guides, for instance (with their thousands of pictures for which permissions must be obtained and references which must be meticulously cross-checked) are produced by packagers.
Basically, a packager comes up with an idea for a book or a series of books. He or she then sells that idea to a publisher, and delivers to that publisher completed, edited books. The packager hires writers, artists, book designers, typesetters, copyeditors, proofreaders, etc.; in theory, none of that work will have to be done by the publisher. (In practice, most publishers maintain enough oversight to be certain that the packager can and does deliver the goods.)
In many cases, writers and artists hired by packagers are doing work-for-hire. In other words, they are writing to someone else's specifications, and have no ownership or control of the final product. The packager retains the copyright. The writer may get a flat fee or may get an advance against royalties—the packager pays the writer out of the royalties the packager is getting from the publisher. Swordsmith generally does not work that way. Since a writer cannot produce his or her best work without some equity in a project, most Swordsmith projects are jointly developed with writers brought in very early and having a say in the direction of the project. Whenever possible, the artist is brought in at the beginning as well, so we can be certain the artist and writer (and editors) are all in sync.
It is important to remember though, that PACKAGERS ARE NOT AGENTS. Because writers we hire are working with our ideas and projects (albeit with significant contributions of their own) they are getting a flat fee or a split of the royalties. If you have an idea for a project that you want to (and can) do yourself, you probably shouldn't take it to a packager. A packager is usually a full-service provider (there are exceptions to this) and has to take a significant share to cover the cost of providing those services to a publisher. If all you want to do is sell a project, take it to an agent, or directly to publishers. We generally don't take on projects which we don't have a significant role in developing.
To inquire about services, contact information@swordsmith.com.