Hi all,
It's lovely to meet you all here. I have recently digitally self published my book on Amazon and have submitted my manuscript to a few publishers. 3 of them came back to me (Novum, Olympia and Austin McCauley) with the interest to publish my book on a 'contribution based contract'. They are talking about few thousand pounds. I'm not sure this is normal. After having done some research on these publishers they are placed in the category as 'vanity publishers'. I'm therefore not sure what sort of risk I'm taking if I were to go with them. Any comments and advice is very much appreciated. Many thanks. Kind regards, Melinda
Hi Melinda, I just wonder if you finally published your book at one of these publishers. In general, I think it’s quite usual to invest a bit into your own book – this will boost quality and people on the market will get to know you better. If your manuscript is convincing enough, you might have good chances to be accepted for further books in future. Has already one of you managed to get accepted by a publisher with his/her first book? Or is it more common to self publish the first book? Cheers.
Self-publishing is really a good approach for some authors. But not for everyone. You have to remember that it's a long way from a manuscript to a good book. Of course, you can do without editing, a graphic designer and so on. But that won't get you a high-quality book. If you just want to somehow publish something you've written yourself, you can do that. Or you can get together the various service providers that are needed to make the book really good. I think that service providers like Novum Publishing can be a professional option if you don't have time for the time-consuming process of self-publishing yourself. You also have to remember with self-publishing that you also have to pay for all the services you use.
I think it's most important to have realistic expectations before publishing a book and to compare the different ways you can publish a book. Not all options fit equally well for every author. And before signing a contract, it makes sense to read it thoroughly and consider whether the terms suit you. As a new author, you will practically never be able to get a contract with a traditional publisher, so in my opinion it makes sense to consider whether there are any alternatives, and if so, which ones.
In reply to by l.breite_66729
I too have just today received the same contribution-based offer of a contract. "Contribution" aside, there is no way I will agree to editing changes and deletions of my book - I agree. As I read it through, a really bad negative feeling enveloped me... and I have learned to follow my instincts where contracts are concerned.
I have just had exactly the same thing from olympia and have had to look into them. I have been told that publishers would not ask up-front payment and would take a cut of the profit of your book when sold.
I have quickly gone off the idea of using them, even though they liked my manuscript. It sounds like they like everyones