[edwest]

Using an Established Publisher


You are dying to publish history and after years, many years, of hard work, time and likely, spending money on photos and documents, the last thing you want to hear from any established publisher is no. So you go to the next publisher, and keep trying. (Where would George Lucas and Star Wars be today if he gave up after his first few rejections?)

You then send them a summary of what you want to publish and you request a copy of their writer's guidelines. Then, you actually talk to someone. E-mail is nice and cheap, but you will have to talk to someone. Assuming your subject matter is compelling, and the publisher thinks he can sell enough copies, you will likely send in the first chapter for quality review and then the rest. Some publishers will handle combining the text with the photos and handle final layout and design for you. Some won't.

Pluses: Somebody else is paying for printing, distribution and at least a little promotion. The reputation of the author(s) and the publishing company are likely to increase sales. I'm more likely to buy from an established publisher than from No Name Press, but, if there is positive buzz on the internet, and it contains what I want, I am likely to take a chance.

You are likely to get a contract outlining terms and conditions plus payment to you. But get a lawyer. Sorry, but you might get a contract for European Rights only, which means your book cannot be sold outside of Europe or you might get a contract for global rights. But, be careful, you must look for anything that talks about "digital rights." Those should be an additional monetary agreement on top of the print rights. If you're not concerned about that, one way or the other, it's your choice. And make sure any original photos or documents get returned to you and that it's written into your contract

Minuses: Your page count might be arbitrarily limited, and additional material should not be excluded. I would not want to see 10 pages cut from my years of hard work.