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Author funded publishing - a good deal?
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
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.
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...:)
http://www.writersnews.co.uk/writers_talkback/comments.php?DiscussionID=162532
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?
http://www.societyofauthors.org/self-publishing
They will also vet the contract.
this was around the sixth publisher i sent off to.
I've had rejects from around 8-10 agents.
I have friends who received 100+ rejections before landing a publishing deal.
But your rejections have been limited, so keep on trying before you go any other route.
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?
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!
I'm also working on a different book that only Dorothy knows about.
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 ...
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 didnt 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.
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
Unbelievable isn't it.
What's the going rate with PA? A dollar?
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...