There is one question that not only comes up frequently, it is sometimes even posed in the email introducing the author to us – our very first exchange!  The question is: “I already have a cover created.  How much will this reduce the fee that you charge?”  Well, this is just about the only question we get asked where the answer is maybe not what the author wanted to hear.  The answer is, unfortunately, it will not reduce our fee.

How can this be?  After all, part of the Telemachus Press fee is the creation of a cover for the eBook or Print-on-Demand book or both.  If you show up with a manuscript and a fully developed cover, doesn’t that drastically reduce the workload?  Actually, no.  Amazingly, no.  In fact, it adds to our workload.  We have tracked many development efforts and have the actual data to back this up.

As much as we are pleased to work with your cover artist and receive what they have created on your behalf, it does not reduce our labor in any way and here’s why.

In our normal process, we work with the author in a back-and-forth process to create a cover using commercially available imagery that the author then licenses.  By the way, the license fees are very inexpensive and provide the author with the ability to legally use, after selecting from an amazingly large pool, professionally taken photographs, drawings, line art, cartoons, etc. for their book covers.  The process is a lot of fun and we like having our authors involved.

As I mentioned above, when the author brings us a cover, or has a pro build one and then deliver it to us, our workload goes up.  The cover is invariably gorgeous and the artist worked hard on behalf of the author.  The problem is that the interaction back and forth with the artists always takes more time than we would have spent building the cover ourselves.  The files we get will need to be sent back for resizing.  We won’t get all of the layers (or they won’t be “flattened”) of the Photoshop rendering.  The bleed lines won’t be right.  The spine will be incorrectly sized.  And on and on and on.  This happens even when we provide a tech spec up front.  All of this eventually gets fixed and we learn how to individually communicate with each artist.  And, all of the author-supplied artists have worked hard with us to get to the finish line – good people all!  But as for reducing our workload – not a prayer.  Not even a chance of a prayer!

So, we hope that after reading this you understand it when we cannot offer a discount if you bring your own cover design, no matter who built it or how complete it is.

The contract might reference the fact that you continue to own your copyright, it will always be yours and lead you to believe that this by itself is all the intellectual property protection that you will ever need.  In other parts of the contract you will note, if you give the document a careful read, that you might very well be (and almost definitely will be) granting to the self-publishing company your publishing rights.  The agreement might vaguely reference “General Publication Rights” in different media and different geographies or it may specifically include “Primary Rights,” “Trade Edition Rights,” “Mass Market Reprint Rights,” “Book Club Rights,” “Transcription Rights,” “Direct Mail Rights,” “Secondary Rights,” “Dramatic Rights,” “Movie Rights,” “Television Rights,” “Foreign Language Rights” and my all time favorite, “All rights not specifically granted herein.”  You really need to seek competent legal counsel to understand just what you are giving away.  Are you really locking your book up with this company and under their control forever?  The implications of this are very, very significant.

When John Locke decided to pursue a relationship and a major publishing deal with Simon and Schuster, he was free to do so because of his existing publishing agreement with Telemachus Press.  As many of you know, not only do you keep 100% of your royalties in our self-publishing model, but even more importantly, we make no claims against any of your publishing rights.  Not a one of them!

Here’s what all of this means.  Let’s say that you self publish and have enough success selling your book that you come to the attention of a traditional publisher.  If you are in any way locked up (Not John-Locked-up as he published with us!) with someone else controlling any of your publishing rights, you are dead in the water!  You must go on bended knee to your self-publishing provider and request a “reversion of rights.”  If you have shown even the smallest number of book sales, this will be expensive.  If you had any measurable amount of success, you will never get released.  You and your book are indentured servants.

Don’t let this happen to you.  Come with Telemachus Press.  Look at our Publishing Services Agreement.  Should you ever need to move on to a larger opportunity, we will not stand in your way.  We will, instead, applaud your success and facilitate the transfer of your eBook and POD files to your new publisher.

At Telemachus Press, we value our author relationships and pride ourselves in being completely upfront about what it will be like to work with us.  We want you to know about all aspects of our upcoming relationship, especially what the actual cost will be to publish your book.  Just so you know, there are only three places where you can spend money with us.  Only three – no surprises.

The first is our publishing services fee.  For eBooks it is $1,495 and for a Print-on-Demand Soft Cover, the fee is $2,495.  If you are interested in both eBook and POD, the total fee is $3,795.

The second is editing/proofreading services.  We charge two cents per word.

And the third is the license of cover art for your cover.  Most of our authors spend between $25 and $50 for the rights to use imagery for a great cover.  We help them in the selection process.

That’s it.  Only three cost areas to consider when deciding whether or not to engage Telemachus Press.  If your work has been edited and if you have cover art that you would like to use, then all you will pay is the publishing services fee.  We ask for a 50% deposit to get started and don’t ask for a penny more until we are finished with your book.  We don’t take a penny of your royalties, you own everything we create for you and you keep all of your publishing rights in all media in all geographies.

We promise, all of us here at Telemachus Press, never to surprise you with any additional costs – ever!

In future blogs, I will expand on what you get in each of these three areas.

Archer Falcon manages to maintain a successful law practice but in her private life she feels inept, especially when it comes to her adopted son, Rory who has been diagnosed with both bipolar disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome.

Rory is a teenage boy struggling in a world that doesn’t understand him. He is intelligent, witty and creative as he is destructive. Like all teenagers he seeks a sense of belonging and decides that his birth parents might just understand him better.

Wicked Good is part drama, part mystery…with a dose of humor. The authors take us on an emotional rollercoaster as we journey with their flawed-by-loveable characters, weaving in social issues and bits of New England’s history to make an entertaining read. Along the way we find ourselves gaining a better understanding of Rory’s world and the love shared between mother and son.
Amazon.com  Barnes & Noble.com

 ABOUT THE AUTHORS

It was a chilly day in Maine when Amy received the call from her sister, Joanne, “Wanna write a book together?” Amy said yes and the journey began.

Amy is the older sister who loves her 2 sons and newphew, dogs, volunteering at the Bangor Human Society, running, hiking, snowshoeing, surfing the web, her brown poodle Teddy, Lola, writing reading, cycling, going to bed early, spending time with her friends and family, being outdoors when it’s nice outside and indoors when it’s not, and editing Joanne’s writing. She is a lawyer in Maine.

Joanne is the younger sister who loves her 3 nephews, her grey poodle Frisco, writing, hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, cooking, traveling, Florence Italy, anything to do with the Italian Renaissance, Michaelangelo, spending time with her friends and family, and being edited by Amy. She is a lawyer in Florida.

Two sisters, both attorneys; as sisters, Amy and Joanne have learned to play each others strengths — an important lesson for any co-authors.

Visit their websites:
http://www.amyandjoanne.com
http://www.wickedgoodthebook.blogspot.com

NEW YORK, August 22—John Locke, the New York Times bestselling author and the first self-published author in history to sell 1 million ebooks, has entered an exclusive agreement with Simon & Schuster for the sales and distribution of physical editions of his popular Donovan Creed novels. The novels will be published by John Locke Books and will be available for purchase wherever physical books are sold beginning February 2012.

While the million-plus sales of his digital editions put him in the company of a few select well-known, traditionally published authors such as Michael Connelly, Stieg Larsson, James Patterson and Nora Roberts, the agreement with Simon & Schuster marks the first time physical editions of Locke’s Donovan Creed titles will be widely available in both brick and mortar and online outlets. To date, there have been eight novels in the Donovan Creed series, all of which will be available under the distribution agreement, with more titles to follow.

“Not only does John Locke write terrific novels, he clearly knows his audience and has a deep understanding of how to reach them,” said Stephen Black, Vice President, Client Publisher Services for Simon & Schuster. “We are very excited that we can now help to expand John’s readership to include those millions of readers who still savor the joys of sitting down for a few hours of entertainment with a traditional paperback book. It is a win-win for all concerned.”

“There are many paths from author to reader,” John Locke said, “and any path that puts the reader first will be successful. This agreement represents anexciting departure from the norm, and I applaud Simon & Schuster’s incredible vision, and their willingness to provide a vehicle that allows all readers traditional access to my books. I’m proud to be associated with this outstanding company.”

John Locke was represented in the agreement by his agent, Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

Donovan Creed Books by John Locke:
Lethal People, Lethal Experiment, Saving Rachel, Now & Then, Wish List, A Girl Like You, Vegas Moon, and The Love You Crave.

Emmett Love Westerns by John Love:
Follow the Stone, Don’t Poke the Bear! and Emmett & Gentry. 

ABOUT JOHN LOCKE — John Locke is the international best-selling author of eight Donovan Creed novels, all of which have made the Amazon/Kindle Top 20 Best Seller’s List! Saving Rachel held the #1 spot for more than three weeks and remains one of the all-time best selling ebooks in history! Locke has had four books in the Top 10 at the same time, including #1 and #2, and six in the Top 20!

VISIT HIS WEBSITE -  http://DonovanCreed.com

TELEMACHUS PRESS — Telemachus Press will continue to publish the electronic books for the Donovan Creed Series and both paperback and eBooks for the Emmett Love Westerns.

ABOUT SIMON & SCHUSTER — Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom.

John Locke passes 1 Million Kindle books sold using Kindle Direct Publishing: SEATTLE, Jun 20, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — (NASDAQ: AMZN) – Amazon.com today announced that John Locke has become the eighth author to sell over 1 million Kindle books, becoming the newest member of the “Kindle Million Club,” and the first independently published author to receive this distinction. As of yesterday, John Locke has sold 1,010,370 Kindle books using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Kindle Direct Publishing is a fast and easy way for publishers and authors to start selling to Kindle customers worldwide via Kindle, Kindle 3G, Kindle with Special Offers, Kindle 3G with Special Offers, Kindle DX, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac and Android-based devices. The Kindle Million Club recognizes authors whose books have sold over 1 million paid copies in the Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore). Locke joins Stieg Larsson, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Charlaine Harris, Lee Child, Suzanne Collins and Michael Connelly in the Kindle Million Club.

“It’s so exciting that self-publishing has allowed John Locke to achieve a milestone like this,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. “We’re happy to see Kindle Direct Publishing succeeding for both authors and customers and are proud to welcome him to the Kindle Million Club.”

“Kindle Direct Publishing has provided an opportunity for independent authors to compete on a level playing field with the giants of the book selling industry,” said John Locke. “Not only did KDP give me a chance, they helped at every turn. Quite simply, KDP is the greatest friend an author can have.”

John Locke, of Louisville, KY., is the internationally bestselling author of nine novels including “Vegas Moon,” “Wish List,” “A Girl Like You,” “Follow the Stone,” “Don’t Poke the Bear!” and the New York Times bestselling eBook, “Saving Rachel.” Locke’s latest book, “How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months,” is a how-to marketing guide for self-published authors.

To find out more about John Locke, visit his website:

http://www.DonovanCreed.com

]]> http://telemachuspress.com/2011/06/kindle-million-club-congratulations-john/feed/ 2 http://telemachuspress.com/2011/04/traditional-press-vs-vanity-press-vs/ http://telemachuspress.com/2011/04/traditional-press-vs-vanity-press-vs/#comments Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:57:32 +0000 Steve http://telemachuspress.com/?p=732 Continue reading →]]> Telemachus Press is a “work for hire” author services company — a new delivery model in the publishing world that stands fully apart from the the traditional publishing houses and the realm of the vanity press. To better understand where we fit in the publishing world, neither a traditional house nor a vanity press, authors, agents and publishers need to open their minds to a new and exciting avenue for both new authors and for authors bringing back traditionally published material that had gone out of print.

Historically, a hopeful author who had not been successful in either directly getting the attention of a publisher or landing a literary agent, might consider approaching a vanity press to have some number of books printed for personal distribution. This approach was only available to authors with significant resource as it was easy to spend $10,000 to $20,000 on a short run of books. At the same time, the traditional publishing world was still a tightly controlled funnel guarded by literary agents with divine powers selecting authors based upon one page query letters. Given the track record of these very same agents at picking winners, these heavenly bestowed powers have always seemed questionable. Irrespective of the mechanism employed, one truism remains. Only good books sell in numbers of any significance.

The advent of print-on-demand and eBooks has upset this dichotomy. A third path has become available that is neither fish nor fowl. New, and some not so new, authors can now make their works available to the masses with but a small expenditure. And, I’m not talking about a run of several hundred books. This new supply chain from writer to reader makes their work available to millions of people. The marketplace, not an agent now determines commerciality. That same truism mentioned above is alive and well – only good books sell in numbers of any significance. This new channel is nothing but a tool allowing the marketplace to examine a work, and if well received, blogs (new age word of mouth, and reviews hoist the work to a place of prominence).

Given this, is the self-publishing author services company like John Locke’s publisher, Telemachus Press, a vanity press. No. Mr. Locke did not need $20,000 to print a short run of books. His investment was much less and that found in an arena where many, many authors can participate. Mr. Locke simply availed himself of a new tool, a new model. He maintained control over his work from pricing to cover art to promotion. His is a world of hard work, not vanity. But most importantly, he writes really good books.

(Originally posted October 2010 but deserves repeating)

Things are finally changing for self-published authors. Well, maybe not everywhere.  Not yet.  Certain book stores and publishing houses still look down their noses at us, and maybe some of our snooty friends are still arching a brow and sneering, ”So…you’re SELF-published?”

Well, don’t fault them for it. There will always be those who fail to spot trends. IBM squandered the chance to buy Microsoft for peanuts.  Microsoft blew the chance to buy Apple.  And Decca Records turned down the Beatles, going so far as to say “The Beatles have no future in show business.”  Instead, they signed The Tremeloes, who auditioned the same day.  (Who?)

It only takes two words to explain why self-published authors are the wave of the future: Electronic Books.

In July, Amazon.com reported eBooks were outselling hardcovers nearly two to one!  And why not?  They’re cheaper, they’re environmentally friendly, they don’t require a trip to the bookstore, you can download them in seconds, free of postage, and you can carry hundreds of them onto an airplane without adding an ounce of weight!

Plain and simple, there has never been a better time in history for the self-published author to compete against the big boys and girls. But before I show you how, let me tell you a quick story:

In March, 1963, I was 12 years old, living in Shreveport, Louisiana.  Early one Saturday morning, I rode a bus downtown and visited Stan’s Record Shop on Texas Street, and bought a brand new record called Walk Like A Man, by the Four Seasons. Ever hear of it? I paid ONE DOLLAR for that record, and it was exactly…two minutes and seventeen seconds long. NOW, 47 YEARS LATER, you can download my entire book, Saving Rachel, on your Kindle or PC or iPad…for only 99 cents!

Now tell me truly: how can you POSSIBLY beat a deal like that?

Owners of eBook readers are as dedicated a group of readers as can be found anywhere in the world.  After having spent hundreds of dollars to acquire their Kindle or Nook or iPad, they’re eager to load up their electronic libraries with great books.  And never before in history have a major group of book buyers been more willing to take a chance on books written by self-published authors.  They can buy an established author’s eBook for $10, or they can buy TEN books by ten different independent authors for the same price!

I’ve received wonderful comments from these ebook buyers.  Like how they enjoy “discovering” new talent.  In the old days they wouldn’t have plunked down $25 for a hardcover or $15 for a paperback written by a self-published author.  Now they have a reason to sample our wares, because 99 cents is an afterthought!  This group of readers understands something most publishing houses and bookstores have forgotten:

Every best-selling author in the world was at one time—a non-published author!

What I’m saying, Kindle and iPad book buyers will give you a chance! Your books have to be good, of course, because content is king.  But if you’ve got a good product, price is a HUGE factor, and gets your toe in the door.

Bargains are everywhere! Right now, Saving Rachel isn’t even a blip on the publishing houses’ radar.  But guess what: it WILL be, because sales have started growing like crazy!  And there’s more:  my new books, Now & Then and Wish List are also available as eBooks!  Scroll up a bit and look at the screen to the right of this page and click on the pictures in the VIDEO BAR to watch my book trailers.  If you see something that cranks your tractor, you can buy it for 99 cents by clicking on theLINKS to BOOKS section.

Wanna know something else?  It’s not just me! I know LOTS of authors who are offering similar bargains, like Winslow Eliot’s Heaven Falls, and Steve Jackson’s Death of a Cure. Claude Bouchard and Luke Romyn and a host of other well-known Twitter authors have used eBooks to build up a following, and God bless them for doing so!  Because as a Kindle, Nook and iPad owner, I also enjoy having this incredible opportunity to discover new talent and acquire excellent books at bargain-basement prices!

John Locke is the author of the international best-selling Donovan Creed series of novels, including Saving Rachel, Wish List, Lethal People, Lethal Experiment, Now & Then, and A Girl Like You, and also the #1 Western adventure, Follow the Stone. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where he is working on his next Donovan Creed novel, Vegas Moon.

The book trailers that we produce are about the books.  Below are few examples:

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