Clear answer to a confused market
Publishing:
Traditionally, a publishing house presented books into the market, taking full responsibility for whatever was between the covers, and indeed on the cover. The author if successfully accepted and contracted, one or two years later would receive 5% or 10% in royalties bi-annually. In most cases, these professional publishing houses could be trusted by the book trade and by authors.
Hopefuls that were not accepted for publication called for more flexibility and vanity presses sprang up. An author or entrepreneur could pay a sum of money and the press would turn out a box of books, taking no responsibility for the quality of the publication. The book trade however was very wary, and it became hard for general market vanity authors to find an audience. Bookshops prefer to take stock from respected professional publishers. However authors wanted their voice to be heard and so the wave of self-publishing stormed the market. Amazon provided the creative space and the point of sale in one package. Anyone could become a published author. Depending on how savvy they were with marketing, they could even begin to sell their own books.
Changes:
The publishing market has changed radically in the last ten years. Traditional publishers unwilling or unable to meet the changing demands have been bought up or gone. Vanity presses have been fading out and self-publishing has become widely accepted by authors as a means of presenting their content to their fans. Social media with FaceBook, blogs and Vlogs, can provide a platform for everyone with something to say, to present themselves online and now everyone has the opportunity to make themselves heard with whatever is on their mind today. Tomorrow they might want to take that drunken rave down.
Integrity:
The book trade is confused. Bookshop chains as well as smaller independent bookshops, have depended on the reputation of traditional publishers to provide integrity of content. For them, knowledge that the publisher has invested in fact-checking, editors, quality indexing professionally designed covers and a hefty promotions budget, assures them that their own investment in the new title, will bring returns. To buy stock from vanity presses or self-published authors, means the bookshop must take on the risk that the title will satisfy readers, that it has not been plagiarised, or that it will not incite riots. Most bookshops are not willing to take that risk.
Clarity demanded:
The flood of online and digital publishing has caused many bookshops to close; print books will never disappear completely, but electronic publishing such as eBooks, Vlooks and audiobooks, has made a significant impact on the market. Prices swing daily, digital rights are addressed and readdressed regularly and authors must either become expert in everything the former traditional publishers arranged, or face having egg on their faces over a very substandard publication out there for all to see and something perhaps no one wants to read. Ultimately, it is the readers who demand clarity in the market.
Hybrid publishing.
As the name suggests, hybrid publishing amalgamates the different types of publishing into one clear service. A hybrid publisher takes responsibility, offering editorial and fact-checking procedures as well as allowing the author to self-publish, retaining all rights to their intellectual property. A fee for services rendered is required. There is no publishing contract but normally there should be a service agreement outlining the procedure. The author has control of their project and receives more substantial royalties, usually around 50%. Promotion is vital to the success of any project and the publisher should be able to guide their author-client to successful visibility channels.
The ePublishify hybrid group offers the author:
- professional guidance and project management, professional editors and designers
- electronic publications: eBooks; ebooks; Audiobooks
- Print on demand publication
- speed of delivery
- distribution without fuss - for those outside the USA, taxes are taken care of.
- monthly royalties at a very competitive 80% of sales value
- a clear voice in the market
The list is Humanities and includes businesses, academics and general trade such as children’s books novels and cookbooks. A no-obligation assessment form is available to send in your copy and receive a quote and personal contact.
For more information visit the website https://www.epublishify.com