Elderberry Press, Inc.
BOOKS WITH SOMETHING TO SAY
Elderberry Press, Inc.
1393 Old Homestead Road
Oakland, OR 97462
ph: (541) 459-6043
fax: (888) 259-5484
editor
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Have questions? We've listed our most often asked questions here.
- Who, where, what and why is Elderberry Press?
- We are a small, feisty independent press located in Oakland, Oregon, a small town some compare to Carmel. Formed five years ago by a nationally reviewed author to publish both his own and other writers' books which were being ignored by New York publishing conglomerates. I've been where you are now. I've poured my life's blood into a book and sent it off to be ignored by publishers too busy to be bothered even to read it. It's frustrating. It's heartbreaking. It's a dead end for most beginning writers. It's no longer the only option. My novels were rejected by fifty agents and publishers, and now they are selling worldwide, reviewed by Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and NPR, among others. Now I get letters and orders from libraries and readers across the US and UK.
- Why would I want to pay a publisher to publish my book?
- Let me answer by asking you a question: If you could cover the cost of a large publisher (Random House, Bantam, or Harper, say) publishing your book, would you?
If it were possible, if you could hire the talents and expertise of a reputable publisher to turn your manuscript into a book as attractive as any on Borders' shelves, would you?
For me the answer was an emphatic yes. One problem, it couldn't be done. Without connections in the literary world I couldn't get an agent and without an agent I couldn't get my book read by a publisher. Sound familiar? It was a classic catch-22 and there was no way out. That is why I formed Elderberry Press, to do the next best thing, produce a quality book and promote it professionally, giving authors an alternative to the Scylla and Charybdis of either being ignored by big publishing or wasting their money (and dreams) by publishing through a vanity press. Now, at last there is an alternative to tossing your MS into the sock drawer. Isn't it about time? Are you ready to be read? - Isn't vanity publishing a waste of money?
- Often it is. That's why after contacting many subsidy presses and thinking long and hard I formed my own company to do the job right for myself and for my authors---to publish, distribute and promote books the way they should be at a fraction of the cost. More services at a third of the cost. A better product for less money. A book that looks every bit as good as one from Random House or Simon and Schuster. A book we both can be proud of. That's what Elderberry Press is about. Vanity presses have a bad reputation---in many cases deservedly so---but independent publishers are gaining good reputations as the quality of their books increase. If the book looks good, feels good and reads well, that's what counts. An author's arrangements with his publisher are a private matter. Some authors choose to reveal them and some do not.
- How does Elderberry get books reviewed?
- A properly prepared review letter sent with a galley will do much to gain a reviewer's interest. Over the years I have discovered how to write letters that grab reviewers' attention, and to satisfy the idiosyncratic requirements of various reviewers. Our results speak for themselves. Can I guarantee reviews? Of course not. No one can.
- Will the public buy books published by independent publishers like Elderberry?
- They have bought thousands in the last five years. Every quarter we mail out royalty checks to our authors totaling thousands of dollars. Few people look for a publisher's imprint before they buy. If the book looks worth reading they will buy it. The same goes for library buyers.
- How is Elderberry Press different from vanity presses like Durance, Trafford and Vantage?
Although I do enter into joint publishing ventures with my authors, that is the only similarity. The differences are these:
- We are selective. We offer to publish less than 20% of our submissions---only the best.
- Lower costs: usually a third to a half of vanity press costs, with many times the promotion.
- Quality books printed, promoted, reviewed, distributed and sold internationally, and authors interviewed on talk radio across the nation.
- Our authors enjoy a close professional relationship with their editor. I spend time with each of our authors to tailor our services to their needs.
We are often in daily contact over the course of the year of publication. Unusual in today's publishing world, but that's the way we do business. Bigger is seldom better.
- What if I'm no salesman?
- That's the beauty of it. Elderberry authors don't have to be. Reviews, talk radio interviews, 5000 color inserts in Book Clearinghouse orders, print ads in newspapers and magazines and 1000 color postcard mailings put your book out in the marketplace. Of course, there is no substitute for author promotion, and I can give you some hints and contacts along these lines if you need them.
- Can you guarantee me a bestseller and an appearance on Oprah?
- No publisher can. What we do guarantee you is that you will have published a book you can be proud of, that looks like those on the racks of any bookstore inside and out, a book distributed and publicized nationally. With nearly a thousand books published every day, I can almost guarantee you won't be scheduled on Oprah. In fact you have a better chance of being struck by lightning on a clear day. But that's no reason not to try!
- Will I earn back what it cost me to publish?
- Perhaps, but no assurances. We have several authors who have recovered their investment and more who are nearing that goal, but this is a very tight market. The facts are that most books published by the big houses lose money. I have heard that nine out of ten new books lose money and I believe it. In an age of growing illiteracy and the internet, the market share for written entertainment is barely holding its own. In fact, the average all-time royalty paid by X-Libris (an online vanity press) is $147. That's right, $147. Ours is higher, of course, due to our selectivity, but our authors aren't rolling in C notes either. Am I trying to discourage you? Not on your life. I am leveling with you. That is one difference you will notice between Elderberry and other subsidy publishers. No hard sell. No pie in the sky. Instead: the truth---are you ready to hear it? If so, let's talk.
- I have heard about web publishers who are free or very cheap. Why are you more expensive?
- Because we spend the time to get to know our authors and their books. We show our authors the respect they deserve. I read each submission myself and contact each author with my reaction within days of receiving it. I answer our author's calls personally.
It goes without saying that our services are not for everyone and I will often refer writers to other publishers if I think their needs will be better served by them. I try to treat our authors the way I would have wanted to have been treated when I was actively writing and submitting my own work.
If working closely with an experienced author and publisher to produce a book with professional appearance and marketing is your goal, we might be a match for you. - Will you work with me if I must put myself at financial risk to pay your fees?
- I'm sorry, but I often must pass on publishing books when the writers tell me that paying our fees will put them in financial jeopardy. I am in business to make a living, but I've been a writer myself and if publishing a book will give a writer sleepless nights of worry over bills, I refer them to a free publisher like publishamerica.com or lulu.com.
- Who will print and distribute my book?
- Your book will be printed on demand by Lightning Source Inc., a subsidiary of Ingram Book Company. POD (print on demand) books are printed one at a time...as they are sold. Unthinkable only a decade ago, POD is opening up new dimensions in publishing. Someday soon every major bookstore will print on site and hand books to readers still warm from the press, filling orders instantly. A dream? No... only the logical progression as POD technology drops in price. Remember, you read it here first. Your book will be distributed in the US by Ingram Book Company and in the UK by Bertram's.
- Where can people order my book?
At their favorite bookstore (for 72 hour delivery), Barnes and Noble, Borders, B.Dalton's, Waldens, on the web at amazon.com., B&N.com, borders.com., or 24 hours a day from our toll free order line: (800) 431-1579, where they may pay with any card. They will receive their book in 72 hours. your explanation concise: Visitors to this page will want to find the answers they need quickly! You might consider including images if they help illustrate the information you're providing.
- Do I keep my rights?
- You keep all rights and may elect to remove your book from our system at any time.
- Do you pay royalties?
- We pay royalties of 10-25% of retail price dependent upon page count. We profit from the sale of your book. Thus, we have a stake in the success of your book and, we are encouraged to make it the best it can be.
- Do you ever refuse a manuscript?
- Often. In fact we have turned down one MS by an author only to publish a subsequent MS. We do not publish plagiarous, racist, hateful, graphic or libelous material, or anything that leaves the world a poorer place for it having been published. That we leave to the big publishers.
- May I contact your authors?
- We hope you will. We are happy to furnish dozens of our authors as references. From them you may learn what it is like to work closely with us. Our authors are more than happy to share their experiences. They are a great bunch of people, both talented and generous with their time and expertise. I advise writers to talk to authors and look at the books of a publisher before considering retaining their services.
- How much does your service cost?
Many publishers play coy here, requiring a writer to send in their manuscript for an "evaluation" before telling them how much publishing will cost. Slick salesmanship, but not the way we do business.
Our fees are about what you would pay for printing 1000 books at a local print shop.
- Adult books: $5900 plus 2¢ per word all inclusive.
- Children's color books: $7200 including illustration by our award winning illustrators.
Expensive? Though our fees are a fraction of the fees of vanity publishers, our services are not within reach of all new authors. We do our best to provide value for our authors' investment in their books. For authors on a limited budget we recommend these reputable, large, inexpensive publishers: lulu.com or i-universe.com.
- How are your fees payable? and are they tax deductible?
To assure of your safety and satisfaction, publishing fees are payable in three installments: One third with signed contract. One third when final proof of text and cover are approved. One third when sample book is approved. We often arrange for 12 monthly payments at zero percent interest.
As for tax questions, your CPA can best answer them for you. What I can say is that many of our authors have structured their book publishing enterprises as a small business and are thus able to deduct 100% of their expenses involved in publishing, and so reducing their out of pocket expenses by as much as a third. Consult your CPA for details.
- Have radio interviews been successful in promoting your authors and selling their books?
- Successful beyond our expectations. We have had several authors invited onto national radio shows for as long as four hours to speak about their books. Sales have been respectable. Some authors have spoken on dozens of shows. We have yet to have one author who has not garnered at least a few interviews on radio.
If you still have questions, please email or call me and I will do my best to answer them honestly and realistically. Dave St.John Executive Editor
Elderberry Press, Inc.
1393 Old Homestead Road
Oakland, OR 97462
ph: (541) 459-6043
fax: (888) 259-5484
editor
