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Author funded publishing - a good deal?

jglendjglend
edited October 2010 in - Writing Problems
I am a first time novelist and have been offered a publishing deal where I part-fund the publication. The publishers tell me that this is an increasingly common agreement for first-time writers, but what do you all think? It's not a vanity press publisher. Any advice you could give me on this will be most welcome.

Comments

  • heatherheather
    edited October 2010
    Have a look at this blogpost and then see what you think

    http://howpublishingreallyworks.com/?p=1167

    In my opinion, this is not a 'common agreement for first time writers' - not the sort offered by a respectable publishing house anyway. I would steer clear if I were you, though I know that will be disappointing.
  • flyingtartflyingtart
    Hello jglend and welcome to Talkback. Who are the publishers you are talking about? It's generally dodgy if they ask for money up front so you're right to check them out.
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    edited October 2010
    Have you Googled the publisher? And checked Editors & Preditors (or it might be the other way round) to see if there have been any adverse comments? Why isn't is a vanity publisher? It certainly sounds like one. You could mention their name on a private section of this forum and see if anyone's heard of them.
  • CarolCarol
    edited October 2010
    Not good jglend, it is just another form of vanity publishing.
    We've talked about this previously. I'll dig the post out if I can find it, and put the link on here.

    Had a look but couldn't find the thread I was looking for.

    It is not common practice for first-time authors, so avoid like the plague.

    And hello...:)
  • dorothyddorothyd
    don't go there. NO ONE pays a proportion, you either fund the entire thing (self publishing) or they pay you (as my publishers do.) You're onto a bad thing there.
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    This thread may help. Don't know if it's the one Carol was thinking about. Welcome to Talkback!

    http://www.writersnews.co.uk/writers_talkback/comments.php?DiscussionID=162532
  • StirlingStirling
    edited October 2010
    No it's not for common for first time writers. I know a lot of first time writers with decent publishing deals. Check out our Col, he's just been signed to a top New York agent.

    This is what is known as 'subsidy publishing.' As I don't know the publisher, I can't comment on whether they are a vanity publisher or not. Some of the better 'self-publishing' companies do this. Troubador are a commercial publisher, but have a self-publishing arm called Matador. Now if you self-publish and provide decent sales they'll offer you either a subsidy contract or even a 'traditional' publishing deal.

    How many publishers and agents have you subbed too? Do you have many rejections or is this one of the first that you've approached?
  • jglendjglend
    thank you so much - you have all given me useful information. I think that it is a vanity publisher after all - the little tinkers - thanks for the heads-up, and the welcome.
  • StirlingStirling
    If you are thinking of self-publishing check out:

    http://www.societyofauthors.org/self-publishing

    They will also vet the contract.
  • jglendjglend
    Stirling:
    this was around the sixth publisher i sent off to.
    I've had rejects from around 8-10 agents.
  • StirlingStirling
    That's not a dip in the ocean then.

    I have friends who received 100+ rejections before landing a publishing deal.
  • KJKJ
    Check out the previous work of any publisher who you submit to. If the work appears not to have been professionally edited, RUN AWAY.
  • dorothyddorothyd
    jglend, check out my 'handling rejection' thread and know that the book I was promoting at a Literary Festival in Dorset at the weekend had 50 rejections before I found a publisher. The whole thread is about handling rejection and fighting your way onward. Take a look!
  • CarolCarol
    We've got a number of threads on self-publishing, so just use the search box. You'll find lots of info in there.
    But your rejections have been limited, so keep on trying before you go any other route.
  • kadokado
    Hi and welcome jglend

    I am pleased you found out about the publishers before you signed with them. What excellent advice you have been given in the above posts.

    If anyone tells me they are a published writer I always ask, ‘Who with?’ my next question is usually, ‘Do you mind me asking how much you had to pay?’
  • StirlingStirling
    [quote=kado]If anyone tells me they are a published writer I always ask, ‘Who with?’ my next question is usually, ‘Do you mind me asking how much you had to pay?’ [/quote]

    That's a bit cynical isn't it? There are plenty of us out here that get paid BY the publisher. I know the answer you would get if you asked me that!
  • Baggy BooksBaggy Books
    Who are you published by, Stirling?
  • dorothyddorothyd
    I can see the sense in Kado's question. When I asked for memories of seeing Helen Duncan (when I was going to write her story, it got suspended for some reason or other) someone called me to tell me about the biography of her. She asked if I knew Regent Publishing, I said no. She said, with a snort, 'they're so big, I cannot believe a writer has not heard of them!' They were big, giant vanity publishers.
  • StirlingStirling
    edited October 2010
    Now that is under wraps. It's an academic publisher, a piece in a journal on the vigilante in Gothic fiction.

    I'm also working on a different book that only Dorothy knows about.
  • StirlingStirling
    I agree there is some sense in the question, but it's a massive generalisation.
  • dorothyddorothyd
    yes, agree, but - so many people are now going the self publishing route - I get a lot of them wanting to advertise in my magazine.
    I had a meeting last week with the salesperson for Barrington Hall. He had received a telephone call from someone asking for help to market the 5000 expensive hardbacks he had arranged to be printed ...
  • kadokado
    [quote=Stirling]kado wrote: If anyone tells me they are a published writer I always ask, ‘Who with?’ my next question is usually, ‘Do you mind me asking how much you had to pay?’

    That's a bit cynical isn't it? There are plenty of us out here that get paid BY the publisher. I know the answer you would get if you asked me that! [/quote]


    I think my post was a little too ambiguous; I didn’t intend it to be cynical. Because I am interested in creative writing I always ask who the publisher is. If I recognise it as a vanity publisher I ask how much they had to pay.
    This happened recently, turned out it was an American outfit which is black listed on P and E.
    Hope this clears up any misunderstanding.
  • StirlingStirling
    Didn't happen to be Publish America did it?

    The sad thing is that the authors that fall for that one truly believe they have been "commercially published."

    P.S No misunderstanding, just found it odd. :D
  • dorothyddorothyd
    I had one Publish America book, if only it had been edited properly ... the book itself, pages, cover, etc. was excellent. The rest was rubbish. (Sold it on...)
  • kadokado
    Stirling, you are spot on!

    Unbelievable isn't it.
  • StirlingStirling
    I've been around the block a few times now. :D

    What's the going rate with PA? A dollar?
  • CarolCarol
    Sadly there are too many people who rush into this without understanding.
    I know someone who has recently had her book published- it's a biography in story form, and the profits(!!!!) she intends to go to a particular charity.
    Having warned her about vanity publishing some time ago, we were shocked when she recently admitted she had not read and understood the terms of the contract she had signed with the publisher of her book...
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