Hi Everyone,
I have recently completed my first children's book and am thrilled about sharing it with the world.
I've received offers from both Pegasus Publishers and Austin Macauley Publishers, and I'm currently evaluating their proposals. The proposed investment, approximately 2600 euros, including illustrations for my book, seems reasonable, especially considering the costs I would incur if I were to pursue self-publishing and hire an illustrator independently, which would likely double this amount.
However, despite these promising offers, I have encountered concerning reviews about both publishers during my extensive online research. This has understandably left me feeling uncertain and discouraged.
Has anyone had a positive experience with either publisher?
I would greatly appreciate any insights or advice on how to navigate this situation and effectively bring my work to the public while ensuring a fair and reputable partnership.
Krystal
The 'Writer Beware' blog is an indispensable guide to what to look out for when searching for a publisher: https://writerbeware.blog/
Hi Krystal,
Congratulations on completing your first book! That's a huge achievement, however I completley understand your concerns about doing due diligence before making a decision.
Over the years, we have talked to many writers who've had mixed experiences with Pegasus Publishers and Austin Macauley. Firstly, I would recommend sharing your concerns with either publishers and seeing what they respond with? I think it's entirely fair for you to ask questions as it's not an insignificant amount of money! They should be more than happy to answer any questions you might have. And if they're not...that might influence your decision!
I would also recommend getting a contract specialist/legal expert to look over the contract/proposal. The Alliance of Independent Authors have incredibly useful resources and are a great community: https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/
A specialist can check for any hidden costs and ensure that your contract is effectively up to scratch.
All best,
Clare
W&A
Could you try Pearson Education or Oxford University Press? These are the publishers that provide books to schools as reading schemes and produce the learn to read books we have used in the library. I don’t know if they accept unsolicited manuscripts though. Good luck 🤞 x