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Bill Park (Unregistered Guest)
Work-in-progress guest
Posted From: 66.140.85.73
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 12:58 pm: |   |
As we're well aware, the number one obstacle to getting our books stocked by bookstores is any publisher's policy of not accepting returns. In the January 2004 issue of Writer's Digest...Infinity Publishing announced that they would now accept bookstore returns. I've just learned that 1stBooks Library will announce the same policy this January.
Will Publish American be far behind? Yeah, right! Dream on! I need more eggnog. |
Todd Hunter
Unity Member
Post Number:
1013
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 03:47 pm: | |
If it means people will be flocking to other presses, and taking their money with them, I don't doubt they'll change...but then I've since given up on trying to figure out what makes PA management tick...too much wasted effort... |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
763
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 10:41 pm: | |
It would be nice if PA were to change on the policy. It would help a lot of us, me thinks.... maybe make some of our books available in places where they only would take consignment. And just maybe it might help us set up signings and stuff.
Claudia
(Message edited by Cltvcoyote on December 17, 2003) |
Fred Dungan
Hsympothai Member
Post Number:
459
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 12:02 am: | |
The closer that PublishAmerica comes to the proven standard publishing industry business model, the better for them and for us. Innovation is fine, but it must be accomplished within commonly accepted parameters to be successful. In other words, this pirate nonsense needs to be put to rest.
http://www.fdungan.com/publish.htm |
Todd Hunter
Unity Member
Post Number:
1016
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 05:25 am: | |
I agree it would help us to set up signings (sure, order 30 for a signing...if they don't sell, you send them back)...and thinking along those lines, I don't see how PA could change the policy and still stay in business (I also don't see how the vanity presses you mentioned could stay in business, as they make no money on books returned)...unless they capped the number of books a particular avenue (such as a bookstore or wholesaler) could order and return, limiting their risk exposure...
Who knows? By the time it happens, I hope to be plugging book two through another publisher... |
Gloria Marlow
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
519
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 06:45 am: | |
Todd, I looked into opening a book store a few years ago and from what I gathered from Ingrams and some other distributor I talked to, there is a cap on how many books can be returned per order. I want to say it was like 10%, maybe 20 or 30%, of an order can be returned or something like that. Of course, there are people here who know more than me and I am only trying to remember something from several years ago. |
Victoria Strauss
Awareness Member
Post Number:
6
Registered: 11-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 08:14 am: | |
Returnability may make it easier for authors to persuade booksellers to stock their books...but because of Infinity's and 1st Books' nonexistent marketing and distribution, the author is still going to have to do exactly what s/he did before: go door to door and handsell.
I suspect the companies may see this as a reasonable financial gamble, because I'm sure only a minority of their sales come from stores. I'd also guess that they will impose pretty strict conditions on returnability, which may at least partly negate the benefit--a la PA with its Independence Books program.
I also wonder if this is a sign that the self-pub market is topping out, and the companies are feeling the pinch--hence the adding of services attractive to authors. Make no mistake, this is not an effort to appease booksellers: it's a way of competing with other fee-based PODs for clients. |
Brian T. Seifrit
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
611
Registered: 03-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 10:07 am: | |
Thanx for that info Victoria. I agree with what has been posted here, that it would likely benefit PA authors, that is if they followed suit. It's not likely PA will. And as Victoria says its just another way for 'fee based PODs to pull in clients'. I've actually noticed that there are a few non-feepaying PODs that have return policies with the exception of course(PA), I mean really look at the free websight they offer authors, it's not even up and running yet. Even if PA decided to offer a return policy, they'd still be 'PA'... I have a question tho' to anyone who can answer it. Recently I had a request for one of my titles published by PA, they (PA) emailed me back and said 'they do not own film rights and that I was free to proceed at my own discretion'. However a week earlier they sent a copy of my title "Flesh Craves" to a New York producer at my request... whats up with that? Anyone...Do they or do they not own film rights? I seem to recall a few posts kicking around where PA authors were having difficulties in getting PA to even consider letting an author retain the film rights of his/her book. Now all of a sudden they (PA) doesn't own the film rights... Confusing I'd say... Talk to ya...
Brian T.
http://seifrit.ineedabook.net |
Bill Park (Unregistered Guest)
Work-in-progress guest
Posted From: 64.216.142.72
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 01:18 pm: | |
Brian...the only thing I got out of PA besides a hard time...was the film rights. They would not let me out of the contract but relinquished their hold on tv/film rights. |
Brian T. Seifrit
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
612
Registered: 03-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 03:11 pm: | |
I see, thanx Bill. So they get to keep the print rights and electronic rights, but will revert the film rights such as FF, MOW, and TV. That doesn't seem so bad...hmmm. I know I retained my electronic rights for one title of mine they published. Well, It's good to know that they'll give the film rights up willingly... six more years for the rest...lol. Talk to you, and thanx.
Brian T.
http://seifrit.ineedabook.net |
Victoria Strauss
Awareness Member
Post Number:
7
Registered: 11-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 19, 2003 - 08:37 am: | |
Brian, it depends on the contract. The older contracts did take film, TV, etc. rights. The newer ones take them only if you give them authorization in writing. See Clause 20.
- Victoria
http://www.victoriastrauss.com
http://www.writerbeware.com |
Brian T. Seifrit
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
613
Registered: 03-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 19, 2003 - 09:43 am: | |
Thanx Victoria, once I find the contracts I'll check that clause out. Talk to ya...
Brian T.
http://seifrit.ineedabook.net |
D.R. Bennett (Unregistered Guest)
Work-in-progress guest
Posted From: 68.99.210.104
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 02:26 pm: | |
So, if I wanted to get just 100 copies of my book from PA, and I sold all of them, how much would it cost me in the long run? |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
836
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 02:52 pm: | |
right now they have a special on for 40% off on 50-100 books, so you would be better off getting 101 and getting a bigger discount, and then that price they have attached to your book as RETAIL is the price from which the discount is taken. If your book retails at 16.95, and you get the 100 books, you will only get a 40%, if you can do 101, you get 45%, so you can do the math, but add in $3.00 for shipping and $.50 per book for all but the ist one..... just remember that the price is from the RETAIL of you book.
Claudia |
Todd Hunter
Unity Member
Post Number:
1116
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 09, 2004 - 03:54 pm: | |
To clarify those shipping charges, it's $3 for the first book, and $0.50 for each additional...
So, for a $16.95 book, 101 copies (to get the 45% discount), the breakdown would be as such:
books: $941.57
shipping: $53.00
total cost: $994.57
In the long run, it's best to wait until they have a good deal on orders of 21 copies or so...unless you're a marketing maniac, and a born salesperson, getting rid of 100+ books takes quite a while...but then if you have $1000 in petty cash lying around......
(send it to me... :-P ) |
Laurel Johnson
Unity Member
Post Number:
2586
Registered: 01-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 09, 2004 - 06:12 pm: | |
I still have not found out what happened with the woman who ordered ONE copy of my 108 page book and paid eight dollars shipping and handling. No explanation. The three dollars for the first book rule did not hold true with her. |
Fred Dungan
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
529
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 12:12 am: | |
Publish America's high prices irk me to no end. They have their prices jacked up so high that even with a 40 or 50 percent discount you will still be paying retail.
According to the regulations, when someone gouges, the referee is supposed to declare a foul and assess a penalty. That is exactly how it is done in 49 states. Maryland, however, had to be different. The way they play in Maryland is when someone gets gouged, the officials all turn their backs and look the other way.
http://www.fdungan.com/publish.htm |
Todd Hunter
Unity Member
Post Number:
1117
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 05:27 am: | |
Laurel, I have to wonder if there was something special about the shipment in question...I've always wondered about that (since you've mentioned the $8 charge to me before)...
Does she live overseas, or in another country?
Did she somehow get the book special shipped to her (i.e., next day, three day, etc)?
Both of these would incur special charges... |
Steven Shrewsbury
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
514
Registered: 04-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 05:28 am: | |
Perhaps that is why Maryland was chose to be Mecca.
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