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Monday, July 2, 2012

Would you like to compare notes?

From time to time, I check in on the industry and ask for feedback. For those of you who are self-publishing, you’re welcome to weigh in with your opinions and facts as well.

The questions of the day:

Where are you published?

How often does your current publisher pay their royalties?

Do you earn an advance?

When choosing a publisher for your submissions do you look for publishers offering unconditional or conditional advances?

Do you search for publishers paying monthly or quarterly? Do you pay attention to their payment schedule?

How satisfied are you with your current publisher or publishers?

When you receive your statements are you finding you see more sales from the publisher’s website or third party retail sites? Can you share examples of publisher site sales? *Remember, some publishers do not want this information released*

Any other comments about your favorite publishers or publishing methods are welcome!

To let you know in advance, it may take a couple of hours to approve messages. I’m working from an iPhone Hotspot and the connection isn’t that great here in Lewisburg, TN. ;)


I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,
Destiny

15 comments:

James L. Hatch said...

Hi Destiny. Eternal Press and Solstice Publishing have been very punctual and faithful in posting royalties in accordance with their contracts.

Colette said...

Hi Destiny!
Here are my answers:

Where are you published?
Secret Cravings Publishing for one title (and my daughter published the other)

How often does your current publisher pay their royalties?
Monthly, 90 days out.

Do you earn an advance? No

When choosing a publisher for your submissions do you look for publishers offering unconditional or conditional advances? No

Do you search for publishers paying monthly or quarterly? Do you pay attention to their payment schedule? Not at all

How satisfied are you with your current publisher or publishers?
I love them. They are young, but I think they are going to be quite successful.

When you receive your statements are you finding you see more sales from the publisher’s website or third party retail sites?
I have not yet received a statement because my novel only went on sale in May, but I was told that is selling far more on third party sites.

I hope these are helpful!

Colette Saucier

Colette said...

Hi Destiny - It looks like after I signed in, my comment was deleted, so I apologize if this is a repost.

Here are my answers:

Where are you published?
Secret Cravings Publishing (and my daughter published one of my novels)

How often does your current publisher pay their royalties?
Monthly, 90 days out

Do you earn an advance? No

When choosing a publisher for your submissions do you look for publishers offering unconditional or conditional advances? No

Do you search for publishers paying monthly or quarterly? Do you pay attention to their payment schedule? No

How satisfied are you with your current publisher or publishers?
I love them. They are young, but I think they will be quite successful.

When you receive your statements are you finding you see more sales from the publisher’s website or third party retail sites?
I haven't received a statement yet, but I was told it is selling much better on 3rd party sites.

Thanks!
Colette Saucier

Lindsay Townsend said...

Hi Destiny,

I've had advances but prefer the non-advance publishing model, because then I don't feel I'm in debt and I can start earning right away.

My publishers - Kensington Zebra, Siren-Bookstrand, Muse it Up, Ellora's Cave, AudioLark - have all paid on time. I get paid six monthly by Kensington, quarterly by SirenBookstrand, Muse and Audio Lark.

I've been very happy with all my publishers.

Sarah J. McNeal said...

Where are you published?
I've had several publisher's along the way but the one I am most satisfied with is my present publisher:
Rebecca J. Vickery Publishing and their Western Trail Blazer line

How often does your current publisher pay their royalties?
quarterly

Do you earn an advance?
No. I believe only traditional publishers pay an advance.

When choosing a publisher for your submissions do you look for publishers offering unconditional or conditional advances?
No. I choose a publisher that fits my body of work and the ethical values I have regarding writing.

Do you search for publishers paying monthly or quarterly? Do you pay attention to their payment schedule?
I’ve been paid monthly by a publisher as well as quarterly. I really don’t choose the publisher based on type of payment. I do pay attention to the payment schedule because I must take responsibility for all aspects of my career.

How satisfied are you with your current publisher or publishers?
I am very satisfied with my publisher. I appreciate that communication is open and timely. I also like that my publisher is curtious, thoughtful and supportive of all the authors.

When you receive your statements are you finding you see more sales from the publisher’s website or third party retail sites? Can you share examples of publisher site sales? *Remember, some publishers do not want this information released*
Most of my royalties come from a third party. It’s not that the publisher’s site has a fault in this regard, but that readers like to go to one source to do their shopping. Also, most authors have more than one publisher and that can be somewhat confusing to readers so they go to bookstore central rather than search around for a book title.

Any other comments about your favorite publishers or publishing methods are welcome!
There are so many things to consider in choosing a publisher besides money or method of payment. How the publisher treats its authors, length of contract, exclusive rights or not, good communication and decent editing are among the things I look for in a publisher.

Stacey said...

Hi Destiny,
I'm published with The Wild Rose Press, Five Star, Champagne Books, and also self-published on Amazon. I received an advance from Five Star. I'm paid quarterly from all publishers, except for with Amazon, which is typically more often, depending on sales. I see more sales with third party sites than via publisher websites. Five Star only distributes to libraries. I sought them out because of the advance, but will not submit again because an author must wait one year before being given the right to publish an electronic version of the book, and I make far more sales on Kindle with all my other books than any other format and feel I'm missing out on a year's worth of sales on that particular book because it's not on Kindle right now.

Julie Lynn Hayes said...

Hi Destiny!

Where are you published?

Dreamspinner, Silver, Romance First, No Boundaries, and soon Muse it Up

How often does your current publisher pay their royalties?

quarterly

Do you earn an advance?

Dreamspinner pays those, if the work qualifies for one.

When choosing a publisher for your submissions do you look for publishers offering unconditional or conditional advances?

I don't care about advances at all, not an issue.

Do you search for publishers paying monthly or quarterly? Do you pay attention to their payment schedule?

I don't let their payment schedule influence me.

How satisfied are you with your current publisher or publishers?

Some more than others, 'nuff said there. Some am very unhappy with.


When you receive your statements are you finding you see more sales from the publisher’s website or third party retail sites? Can you share examples of publisher site sales? *Remember, some publishers do not want this information released*

I should compare the numbers, but I generally don't, so I'm not sure how they weigh out.


Any other comments about your favorite publishers or publishing methods are welcome!

Before you publish, thoroughly check a publisher out. If possible, talk to the current and past authors.

Diana Castilleja said...

Where are you published?
PURPLE SWORD PUBLICATIONS
TEASE PUBLISHING
ETOPIA EPRESS
MLR PRESS
SELF-PUBBED (HAPPY ENDING PRESS)
EXCLUSIVES THROUGH ARE

How often does your current publisher pay their royalties?
MOST ARE QUARTERLY, ONE IS MONTHLY

Do you earn an advance?
NO

When choosing a publisher for your submissions do you look for publishers offering unconditional or conditional advances?
NO

Do you search for publishers paying monthly or quarterly? Do you pay attention to their payment schedule?
I LIKE TO KNOW THEIR SCHEDULES TO MANAGE MY FINANCES. I DON'T LOOK FOR PUBLISHERS THAT FOLLOW A CERTAIN SCHEDULE, RATHER SEEING IT AS A BONUS IS THEY PAY MORE FREQUENTLY.

How satisfied are you with your current publisher or publishers?
I AM VERY SATISFIED WITH MY PRIMARY PUBLISHERS.

When you receive your statements are you finding you see more sales from the publisher’s website or third party retail sites? Can you share examples of publisher site sales? *Remember, some publishers do not want this information released*
THE MAJORITY OF MY SALES ARE 3RD PARTY.

Any other comments about your favorite publishers or publishing methods are welcome!
I DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS I GET FROM MY PUBLISHERS.

Diana Castilleja said...

Where are you published?
TEASE PUBLISHING
ARE EXCLUSIVES
SELF-PUBBED (HAPPY ENDING PRESS)
MLR PRESS
PURPLE SWORD PUBLICATIONS

How often does your current publisher pay their royalties?
QUARTERLY

Do you earn an advance?
NO

When choosing a publisher for your submissions do you look for publishers offering unconditional or conditional advances?
NO

Do you search for publishers paying monthly or quarterly?

NO

Do you pay attention to their payment schedule?
I LIKE TO KNOW THEIR SCHEDULE, BUT IT'S NOT A LARGE DECIDING FACTOR.

How satisfied are you with your current publisher or publishers?
VERY SATISFIED.

When you receive your statements are you finding you see more sales from the publisher’s website or third party retail sites?
3RD PARTY

Berengaria Brown said...

Hi Destiny,
Where are you published? Siren BookStrand, Ellora's Cave, Breathless Press, Silver Publishing, Evernight Publishing, Torquere Press.

How often does your current publisher pay their royalties? Ellora's Cave monthly, the others quarterly.

Do you earn an advance? No.

When choosing a publisher for your submissions do you look for publishers offering unconditional or conditional advances? No. I look for publishers I trust to do their best with my book.

Do you search for publishers paying monthly or quarterly? Do you pay attention to their payment schedule? No, but I avoid publishers I've heard bad things about.

How satisfied are you with your current publisher or publishers? I'm happy with them all.

When you receive your statements are you finding you see more sales from the publisher’s website or third party retail sites? Can you share examples of publisher site sales? *Remember, some publishers do not want this information released* With Siren and EC there's big sales for the first month or so, but then its third party as many readers like to one-stop shop.

Berengaria Brown

D. Renee Bagby said...

Where are you published?
** As D. Renee Bagby, I'm published with Samhain Publishing and Siren Publishing.
** As Zenobia Renquist, I'm published with Changeling Press and Ellora's Cave.

How often does your current publisher pay their royalties?
** Samhain, Changeling and EC are all monthly. Siren is quarterly.

Do you earn an advance?
** At Samhain yes. The others no.

When choosing a publisher for your submissions do you look for publishers offering unconditional or conditional advances?
** I look for publishers who fit my genre, have a wide reader following (which means more sales) and have a good reputation amongst authors. An advance would be nice, but I prefer strong sales and not being screwed over better.

Do you search for publishers paying monthly or quarterly?
** So long as they pay me, I'm not picky. I prefer monthly because that means I see my money sooner, but I'm not going to pass up a publisher if they pay quarterly.

Do you pay attention to their payment schedule?
** Always. I need to know when I'm getting paid so I can pay my bills. If the payment is going to be late, I at least want a head's up so I can adjust my finances accordingly.

How satisfied are you with your current publisher or publishers?
** Very. Every one of them has their merits and they fit a certain niche that I needed for the books to succeed.

When you receive your statements are you finding you see more sales from the publisher’s website or third party retail sites?
** For me, it's about equal. There's a huge spike when books first show up on both the publisher site and the 3rd party sites and then they both even out.

--
D. Reneé Bagby
Building New Realms of Passion...
http://about.me/dreneebagby

Zenobia Renquist
Discover Different and Unique Romance
http://about.me/zenobiarenquist

Elysa said...

Hi,

I'm published with ImaJinn Books and recently have started self-publishing. I've also been published with Hard Shell Word Factory (now a part of Mundania Press) and Dorchester.

ImaJinn pays every six months. I see money from my self-published titles every month. Never saw anything beyond my advances from Dorchester. My annual royalties from Hard Shell Word Factory took us out to MacDonalds.

ImaJinn pays a small advance. Half on acceptance, the other half on publication.

Since I've started self-publishing I haven't really been looking for a traditional publisher, but when I do I'll be more interested in how quickly they'll publish, the royalty percentage, marketing/promotion, and other contract items then how large an advance they offer. Of course, if the advance is large enough (six figures to the left of the decimal point) we'll talk.

Self-publishing has spoiled me. Monthly payment is great. Makes it much easier to keep track of sales and know what promotional efforts are working.

I love writing for ImaJinn Books, Linda Kichline (owner/editor) is fabulous to work with. Working with Chris Keeslar at Dorchester was a dream come true, but the rest was pretty much a nightmare. My other publisher - ME - is a tough task master.

Most of my self-publishing sales come from Amazon. My ImaJinn statements don't break down sales by vendor. And I rarely saw a royalty statement from Dorchester, so I have no idea what sold where.

Self-publishing has shaken up publishing industry/world. It's changing every day and will continue to change in ways we can't predict. It's a terrifying, exciting time to be a writer, but it's also a great time. There are more opportunities for a writer to get their work out to the people who matter most - READERS.

Anonymous said...

Hellow, Destiny! Hope your 4th was great.

Right now I am publishe by Phaze Books, Under the Moon (one novella and three stories in three different anthologies) and MojoCastle press (a story in an anthology). All pay royalties--quarterly and do pay them. The antholgoies by Under th Moon paid 5 cents a word for the stories. I am published under another name as I write non-romance, and one is a traditional print-only for now it seems nonfiction publisher-Schiffer Publshing--that pays royalties every six months and always does, plus the others pay royalties or when story is published in anthology or in zine. I am also querying to traditional publisher allowing it and agents for a urban fantasy now. My opinion: fingers in all the pies. I hope to do indie publishing too.

I am satisfied wirh current publishers.

Third party sells more than at the publishers by the royaty reports, but I figured that would with people heading more to B&N, Amazon, and Fictionwise.

Laura Tolomei said...

The questions of the day:
Where are you published?
eXtasy Books, WCPT, Romance Divine.
How often does your current publisher pay their royalties?
eXtasy: every month provided I earn more than $25/month.
WCPT: every six months
Romance Divine: every three months
Do you earn an advance?
No
When choosing a publisher for your submissions do you look for publishers offering unconditional or conditional advances?
No
Do you search for publishers paying monthly or quarterly? Do you pay attention to their payment schedule?
Absolutely not! Were I in this business for the money, I’d have given it up long ago. I write for the pleasure, MY PLEASURE, to write stories, invent plats, make up real-life characters. Money is the last thing on my mind when I submit to a publisher. I only hope they like the story and decide to publish it.
How satisfied are you with your current publisher or publishers?
I’m extremely satisfied of my publishers, all of them. I have only words of thanks and praise for eXtasy and its team of editors and managers ‘cause they helped me grow as a writer. I enjoyed working with WCPT because they have their own method. I liked the personal relationship with the editor and publisher of Romance Divine, especially the patrience he showed when dealing with as difficult a book as Re-Scue.

Destiny Blaine said...

Thank you for your comments. You’re appreciated!!!

I’ll answer my own questions since we’re sharing information. ;)

Writing as Destiny Blaine, I’m currently published by Siren-Bookstrand, eXtasy Books, Passion in Print, and Resplendence Publishing. I also self-publish my own backlist and have plans to release several new titles by the end of the year.

As for publisher information:
One publisher pays the pen name Destiny Blaine an advance. I recently spoke out about advances. My opinion about them changed slightly. An advance is a loan against future royalties and I'm not crazy about the idea of being in debt to a publisher, but there's another way to look at the advance option, too.

Last month, due to a variety of reasons, I saw the advantages of an advance again. It’s nice to have the cash in hand on the chance a publisher later closes. Sooooooo…I stand corrected. With advances, you know you’ve been paid. Plus, if you’re like me, you know how to gauge whether you’re biting off more than you can chew in an offered advance.

One thing I recently discovered is that I actually work harder with an advance. It’s a challenge to see how quickly my book earns out its advance. As for the conditional advances—I’m not working on conditional advances at this time. I have in the past.

With one exception, I now look for publishers paying monthly royalties. Current publishers pay monthly, quarterly, and twice a year. Due to the number of times I’ve been caught in unexpected publisher closings, I prefer once a month.

I’m very satisfied with third party sales from Amazon, ARE, Bookstrand, and Barnes and Noble. I wish more of my publishers loaded to FW right out of the gate. I’m looking for a publisher with a strong presence on Fictionwise because sales there are better than average. No, I didn’t always feel that strongly about Fictionwise but since FW became a Barnes and Noble company, sales have improved.

Note to all publishers: If you’re actively recruiting authors and you have a strong presence at Fictionwise, I’d love to hear from you. I'm not searching out new publishers at this time but would definitely submit to your house if you're willing to negotiate a quick release at Fictionwise.

Thanks again for stopping by to post!

Love and hugs,
Destiny

Welcome to Destiny Blaine's Online Journal

Welcome to Destiny Blaine's Online Journal
"An Award Winning Bestselling International E-book and Paperback Author, Destiny Blaine and her pseudonyms top the charts at Amazon, Bookstrand, Barnes and Noble, ARE, Mobipocket, and other retailers online and off. Scroll down for a list of available titles, works in progress, and coming soon dates for debut titles.”

Author Bio

An award-winning, international bestselling erotic romance author, Destiny Blaine writes under several pen names. She lives in East Tennessee and spends a lot of time in Connecticut and Virginia, where her granddoll resides.