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Self-publishing, POD and e-publishing
Started by maracam at 07-11-2005 12:05 PM. Topic has 12 replies.
  
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 07-11-2005, 12:05 PM
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maracam
Joined on 10-14-2004
Posts 65
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Is this true???
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I recently read somewhere that "money flows to the author," not the other way around. Agents are supposed to get a percentage after you get paid and that if publishing companies work differently, they are most likely stealing from you.
If anyone has gone down that route, could you let us know whether this is true or not?
I have been receiveing newsletters from a publishing company that charges to print books. Your feed back would be greatly appreciated.
Maracam
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07-11-2005, 4:34 PM
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Linda Adams
 
Joined on 05-13-2001
USA
Posts 474
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RE: Is this true???
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Yes, money should always flow to the author. An agent who, for instance, charges a reading fee has a huge conflict of interest. Since he's already making money off you, there's no reason for him to even try to make an effort to sell your book.
Victoria Strauss' excellent Web site Writer Beware http://www.sfwa.org/beware/ will give you a lot of good information about this.
Also, for more in depth information about how agents and publishers work, read Peter Rubie's book Writers Market FAQs. It's done in a Q&A format and breaks everything down.
Linda Adams
Member of International Thriller Writers and Washington Independent Writers
http://www.hackman-adams.com
http://garridon.blogspot.com/
Contributing Author:
http://www.hackman-adams.com/linda/credits.htm
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07-11-2005, 7:33 PM
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veinglory
Joined on 12-06-2004
Posts 164
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If the charge and publish all comers then they are probably more a printer (just makes the book) than a publisher (edits, prints, promotes and distributes the book widely).
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07-11-2005, 9:11 PM
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gojiragrrl
Joined on 06-06-2005
Posts 13
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RE: Is this true???
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QUOTE: Originally posted by maracam
I recently read somewhere that "money flows to the author," not the other way around. Agents are supposed to get a percentage after you get paid and that if publishing companies work differently, they are most likely stealing from you.
If anyone has gone down that route, could you let us know whether this is true or not?
Maracam
Hi, I'm not sure I understand the question. Could you be more specific?
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07-11-2005, 9:19 PM
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glynis
Joined on 05-21-2005
Massachusetts
Posts 344
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RE: Is this true???
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I think the point is that an agent acts as a sales person for your work. They solicit interest in your work and act as a business partner when negotiating a contract with a publisher. When you sign with an agent they will give you a contract that outlines the percentage they take from your overall return from a publisher.
Any publisher (or agent) asking you to pay them is taking advantage of your desire to publish.
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07-11-2005, 9:51 PM
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gojiragrrl
Joined on 06-06-2005
Posts 13
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Generally, a publisher asking you to pay them would be a subsidy, or vanity, publisher. Although some authors have partnered with very small presses, kicking in for the print run, etc., and then have been repaid out of sales. That's not unheard of, and it can work out for both parties. An agent who asks reading fees, IMHO, is one to stay away from. You're right; the agent makes $$ from the sale, not from fees charged the author.
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07-11-2005, 11:42 PM
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Jamesaritchie
Joined on 04-11-2002
Posts 3,588
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The pubisher should pay you. Period. Money flows to writer. When it flows away form the writer for any reasom, run away.
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07-12-2005, 9:54 AM
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maracam
Joined on 10-14-2004
Posts 65
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Thanks for the information, everyone.
I was wondering about it, because I have been receiving a newsletter from a supposed "Publishing company," promising that my books will be sold in Barnes and Nobles, Amazon, etc, for a certain fee ( charged per word). They also promise distribution, editing, etc.
Maracam
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07-12-2005, 10:02 AM
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mammamaia
Joined on 10-22-2002
island of tinian [northern marianas]
Posts 1,876
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that's not a publisher, it's a pod, vanity press, or worse... don't even bother replying, unless you're willing to pay for the privilege of seeing your book in print and don't care that you won't be considered 'published' by those in the legit industry...
for 100% free help/mentoring:
www.saysmom.com
"You must BE the change you wish to see in the world." Gandhi
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07-12-2005, 10:10 AM
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Jamesaritchie
Joined on 04-11-2002
Posts 3,588
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RE: RE: Is this true???
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QUOTE: Originally posted by maracam
Thanks for the information, everyone.
I was wondering about it, because I have been receiving a newsletter from a supposed "Publishing company," promising that my books will be sold in Barnes and Nobles, Amazon, etc, for a certain fee ( charged per word). They also promise distribution, editing, etc.
Maracam
I don't even know what it means to be sold in Barnes & Noble "for a certain fee." Bookstores do not take books because the author pays the publisher. Bookstores only take books that come in from their distributors.
Now, it's likely that someone would be able to orer the book FROM Barnes & Noble, but the book won't actually be in the store. And even a subsidy publisher shouldn't charge you for this. That's a real rip-off.
This is a subsidy publisher, pure and simple. They're after your money. Don't give it to them. Real publishers pay you, and actually get your book in all the bookstores for free. It's how they make their money.
As long as there are people with money there will be other people who want to take that money. And as long as there are people, there will be those who fall for such schemes.
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07-12-2005, 11:54 AM
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WordedWrite
Joined on 06-09-2005
Peoria, AZ
Posts 38
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QUOTE: Originally posted by maracam
I recently read somewhere that "money flows to the author," not the other way around. Agents are supposed to get a percentage after you get paid and that if publishing companies work differently, they are most likely stealing from you.
If anyone has gone down that route, could you let us know whether this is true or not?
I have been receiveing newsletters from a publishing company that charges to print books. Your feed back would be greatly appreciated.
Maracam
Hi Maracam,
Do you have two different questions here? I'm not sure why you posted the question concerning agents and payments in the self-publishing forum. When you work with "traditional" publishers through an agent, the publisher may pay your royalties to your agent who takes her/his percentage and then sends your royalties to you, or the publisher may pay the author and the agent separately. It depends on the agent's arrangements with the publisher and the capability of the publisher's accounting systems.
The expression "money flows to the author" is about something unrelated to agents. It's usually said to indicate the difference between being published by a "traditional" publisher and a vanity or POD publisher, or yourself as a self-publisher. With a "traditional" publisher, you get paid by the publisher for the rights to publish your work—there are no out-of-pocket charges to the author: "money flows to the author." With self, vanity or POD publishing, you pay to have your work published: "money flows away from the author" at first, and then money flows back to the author later when the book starts selling and the author collects royalties. The difference is in whether another company makes the initial financial investment in your book or whether you make the initial financial investment in your book.
The fee-charging company that is contacting you is probably offering you the opportunity to pay to be published (make your own financial investment in publishing your book). If you decide to go that route (as I have), here's a site that can help you begin to investigate the company: http://booksandtales.com/pod/index.html
Scroll down to mid-page and look for the section: "Publishers' Reviews."
And here's a helpful article, too:
http://www.finetuning.com/articles/291-how-to-choose-a-print-on-demand-publisher.html
Good luck!
Writing that gets results!
http://www.wordedwrite.com; http://www.bigbadboss.com; http://www.lulu.com/content/531796
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07-12-2005, 12:03 PM
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maracam
Joined on 10-14-2004
Posts 65
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To WordedWrite,
You see, I did not know the difference. I have just been receiving these newsletters and when I started to do some research, I fell upon a comment in a forum stating that "money flows to the author." I was not aware there were two different ways of publishing your book. I am a freelance writer and currently write fiction as a hobby. I was just curious about the publishing world, as it is all new to me.
But thank you for the information. I'll check those sites out.
Maracam
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07-12-2005, 12:09 PM
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WordedWrite
Joined on 06-09-2005
Peoria, AZ
Posts 38
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RE: RE: Is this true???
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QUOTE: Originally posted by maracam
To WordedWrite,
You see, I did not know the difference. I have just been receiving these newsletters and when I started to do some research, I fell upon a comment in a forum stating that "money flows to the author." I was not aware there were two different ways of publishing your book. I am a freelance writer and currently write fiction as a hobby. I was just curious about the publishing world, as it is all new to me.
But thank you for the information. I'll check those sites out.
Maracam
Sorry if I took this in the wrong direction! You're welcome!
(I just corrected the first link.)
Writing that gets results!
http://www.wordedwrite.com; http://www.bigbadboss.com; http://www.lulu.com/content/531796
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