When I first started writing in the 1990s there weren’t many viable options for authors wanting to self-publish. Back then, Amazon was barely a glimmer in Bezos' eyes. If you didn’t want to be published by a traditional publisher (or couldn’t land one) you had only two options: 1. use a local printer and produce the books yourself; or 2. roll the dice and take your chances with a vanity press.
'Vanity publishing', 'subsidy publishing' and 'vanity press' are old-fashioned terms that refer to a certain type of publisher that invites authors to send in their manuscripts and then charges them a fee or co-payment to assess and/or publish their books.
Using a local printer wasn’t a bad arrangement for a newbie author. If you printed enough copies of your book to keep the “per book cost” to a minimum you could make a decent profit. Readers tended to prefer something with a handmade feel, it set your books apart. Books I published this way actually sold fairly well but the process was difficult to scale. You had to wear all the hats. Assembling books myself was so much work that it cannibalized a lot of the time that I would normally use for writing. Even if you hired some of the work out the books had to be stored somewhere and whomever you hired had to be paid.
Vanity publishers, as I quickly learned, were a different demon altogether. I published my first children’s book, “If I Had Thumbs Like People Do” in 2003 with a vanity press (who, surprisingly, is still in business).
In the beginning it was a fairly painless process, I think I paid $350 for the “book design fee” (which was a LOT of money for me in 2003) and in a few months, voila, my book was available on the publisher's online store. If you wanted any other assistance from the publisher, as in marketing, SEO, or any other kind of professional consultation you had to pay them more money. Oh, and they took most of the profit of each book sale. I didn’t have many other options and felt desperate so I was okay with this. In my youthful enthusiasm I thought I could make the arrangement work to my advantage. Blind hope, sprinkled with lots of enthusiasm, and a dash of inexperience is always a recipe for a huge let down.
A few years after I published “Thumbs” my life changed drastically. I went through a divorce, moved into a new apartment, and was focused on rebuilding my life. That children’s book was the furthest thing from my mind. The last royalty check I received was mailed to me in early 2005. Time marched on and the publisher apparently lost track of me.
Fast-forward eighteen years and, as fate would have it, someone I know found the book online and ordered a copy. Yes, it’s still for sale on the publisher’s site. I held a copy of this book in my hands for the first time in almost two decades and it got me reminiscing. It also made me think about how many copies were sold since I received my last royalty check in 2005.
Curious, I tried logging onto the publisher’s website to update my address and inquire about past unpaid royalties but the email address I used to sign-up was deactivated long ago so I couldn’t reset my password. I contacted the publisher for assistance with logging on and I requested a report of my book sales over the past eighteen years. Although they initially seemed eager to help, in the five days I’ve been working with them they’ve just given me the runaround. An attorney letter will be the next step if there’s no cooperation.
Then I started thinking, even if I were able to log in I have no access to book sales reports so I can’t even verify how many books have been sold. All of the power is in the publisher’s hands. I couldn’t help but think what a good example this predicament was of the perils of centralization. Even today there are so many third-parties, in almost every sector of our society, who exploit millions of people for profit every day. Typically the targets are the most vulnerable among us. The young, the old, and the desperate. Most of us have been targets at some point in our lives and we're either bitter about it or chalk it up to experience, If we're lucky, never have to make the mistake again.
Each one of these parasitic situations is the perfect opportunity for decentralization. We now have the tools at our disposal to provide humanity with better choices and more freedom. If developers want to know how to use blockchain to make the world a better place they need only ferret out the corners of our world where this exploitation occurs.
Despite how dark the world seems right now (and it, at times, does seem bleak) I’ve never been more excited for the future. Our world is being reshaped before our eyes, one project at a time. We have more options than ever to free ourselves from the grips of exploitation. Our mistakes can, more easily then ever, be transformed into great opportunities. The only limit is our collective imaginations.
Thanks for reading! All for now. Remember…trust your instincts, invest in you, live boldly, and take chances.
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Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive.
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Also an economic freedom we can create from such tools, as HIVE ;)
Absolutely!
I knew that you had done poems on commission, also that you had done comics and other books, but I didn't know that you had done a children's book. And I didn't know that you had gone through all that odyssey with the publisher and the editor. There are people who leave their profession very badly. Just last week they proposed me to publish my stories that I have made HIVE. I have to select and polish them. We haven't talked about money yet, although from what you say, I should put that "subject" on the table. It's a rainy Sunday here and it's slow going. Hope you have a restful Sunday, Eric. Hugs
This was the first book I ever published. I had met an artist while vacationing in Mexico and we collaborated on the project. We made all the mistakes that could be made, as most people do with their first project. : )
How exciting for you, congratulations! Yes, make sure you check them out very carefully to make sure they're reputable. The rule of thumb is if they as for even a dime up front it's usually not worth it. You can publish on Amazon now for free with global reach and it's better to spend that money on a book designer and publish yourself versus paying a publisher to produce your book. I hope you had a wonderful weekend Nancy!
Thank you for such excellent advice, my friend. Hugs and successful week.
You're welcome! Thank you and enjoy the week!
The power of decentralization is the beginning of freedom. I'm glad to be here, to witness and be part of the evolution that is happening.
Power is not longer in the hands of a selected few but in everyone's hands.
So sorry you had to pass through all that in the hands of your publisher, I do hope that somehow you may still be able to get a helpful response from them and recover your profit.
So true! The tides are changing and the old world is slowly fading away.
Thanks but it was my fault too, I take ownership of the mistake. I thought it was a good example of how many more options we have at our disposal now. It's hard to believe these kinds of vanity publishers are still in business.
It can only take time but they will fade away eventually.
I think so too.
I think Robert Kiyosaki started similarly with his now best selling Rich Dad Poor Dad. He asked the owners of local gas stations to put 3-4 samples of his book on the shelves at the entrance. I've self-published a few business books on Amazon and you know they make a lot of money with us authors too. We definitely need decentralized options where we can interact directly with our readers. Similar to you, despite the dark clouds covering the sky I do see a lot of good happening too.
I love that story! You're right, Amazon still does make the majority of the royalty-profit when you publish with them. The only advantage with them is their global outreach and the fact they don't charge fees for publishing. The industry is so ripe for someone to create a better option!
Wow, that is crazy. It would be interesting to see how many sales you have had, but they could just lie and say it has sold zero copies and keep all the profits instead of just a large portion of them. Do they hold all the rights or can you publish the book again through a different company?
It is crazy! There are still quite a few of these companies out there but they're better at disguising themselves now. They can declare pretty much anything for sales and I wouldn't be any the wiser. I can cancel the book and republish elsewhere but I'm going to see if I can get the back royalties before I do that. I'd like to bring this one to Amazon but color books are tough to publish because production costs are so high.
Ah okay, that makes sense. Just another thing where blockchain would make a huge difference in showing the transparency of what is actually sold. That whole open ledger thing could go a long way towards keeping businesses like this more honest!
I absolutely agree! This would be another wonderful use-case for blockchain!
Your experience opened my eyes about the likes of a writer. It turns out that living life as a writer is not as easy as I thought. However, I think you have succeeded as a history writer and now you just have to enjoy the results. Have a nice day, Eric.
It's a real struggle before you find success and the industry changes so quickly you have to be sure to change with it. Thanks Eliana. Have a wonderful week!
It sucks that you had to go that route back then, but all told, it dealt you a valuable lesson. You are now much more savvy and more polished in your writing so you can take advantage of the oportunities that present themselves.
I hear people bemoaning the current state of affairs and I agree, it is a terrible state that our world is in. That's looking at it from behind the 8 ball, so to speak. Looking at things from the opportunity side, it's a big wide world of chances to advance your position. Just can't be afraid to take those chances.
It was a valuable lesson, and a mistake my friend and I never made again!
So true, our reality depends so much on how we frame it. Just like the financial markets, there is great opportunity in volatility. I think we just happen to be living through a very low point in our civilization's history but it's also a time of transition and better things are coming.
I hope that you will have joy with that crooked publisher Eric. It's so true that many of us are taken for a ride every now and then, and it's an empty dream that a stop to it will ever materialize.
!BEER
Thank you! They certainly gave me a lesson. My plan is to just get them to cut a check for whatever back royalties they say I'm owed then cancel the book with them. I may decide to republish it down the road.
Pleasure and you plan looks very good. It is to get them to play ball that matters and the mention of reserving your legal rights, might drag them to the negotiating table.
!BEER
Thanks! The amount of royalties can't be all that much because they don't advertise the books they publish. Just cutting ties and republishing will be the best route. I hope you have a wonderful week!
Thank you and it's only fair that you should receive the royalties for your work, regardless of the amount. Once that it is done, then you can wipe their dust off your feet.
May the week also be kind to you.
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Jeez, they sound more than a tad scammy. Good thing the world's changed, eh? I'm glad you're pursuing it (though hopefully don't get too caught up in it), as it's your right, your work, and so on. What a wonderful tale. Honestly, three hundred fifty bucks still seems like a ton today, but your cover is lovely. I love the funky title, too.
While I know self-publishing has changed a ton, not everyone seems to. Everyone keeps asking me if they can buy my book directly from me. As if I stay up at night, just typing and printing new copies. xD
Yes. So so important to keep this in mind. Always. For all the crap that seems to be pouring, we are at such an unprecedented, exciting point in history. So much changing so fast. And so much toward the better. Might it not be a coincidence that our attention is purposefully focused to everything not changing towards the good? :D
Oh they are. Once you were published with them they constantly would try to upsell you with their "marketing packages" and other services. My plan is to just get whatever back royalties they say I'm owed then cancel the book with them. I have the right to republish after that. I'm so glad we have other choices and am waiting for a truly decentralized publishing option. Amazon is 2/3rds of the way there but still take a large chunk of royalties. Thank you! We had so much fun producing that book. The artist worked so hard on it!
I get people asking me that all the time too! I usually keep 4-5 copies of each of my titles around for face-to-face sales but will only send books directly to people occasionally. I usually tell them they can order from Amazon. I'm doing a new thing that I'll be writing about in a week or so. I have nice cedar cigar boxes with my Venmo QR code on them and will be placing my books titles in them in a few different local businesses. I'm going to try the "pay as you wish" pricing with these to see how it goes. I love to experiment like this.
I think we're living in such a time of transition but don't think we'll be able to see the big picture of it all until we're through it. I see, everywhere around the world, there's a major disconnect between the leadership decisions and the will of the average person. When there's this major of a disconnect between the two substantive societal change is never far behind. I still have hope!
As I heard, they are still doing this. At least in my country (in Hungary). I heard about book writers, who do regular work besides writing. So writing a book is rather a hobby for them, than making a living. Szakács Eszter is one of them. Nowadays she is one of my favourite fantasy writers. She have an eight hours per day job. She can still write a complete book in two or two and a half years.
How is this possible? I thought that there is a proper two-way communication between the writer and the publisher. Can you contact them by telephone or by postal mail?
I can completely understand that. The publisher is holding (withholding) your royalty checks.
Yes, this is true even in the case of traditional publishers. Authors will usually make around $1 per copy in these situations, if they're lucky. Writing books, sadly, is more of a hobby than a money maker for most authors unless you're really exceptional at marketing.
My phone number changed, my physical address changed, and they made no effort to find me. I just recently contacted them via email and they told me they reset their password log-in credentials with my current email address but it's still not working. They've now stopped responding to emails. I'll try calling them this week. I'm nothing if not persistent. : )
I agree that decentralization has the potential to empower individuals and protect them from exploitation. it empowered me so i'm the living proof of it.
It's encouraging to hear your optimism about the future, despite the challenges we face. I share your belief that technology has the power to create a better world, and I'm excited to see how it will be used to address issues like exploitation and inequality.
That's wonderful! Decentralization has had a tremendous impact on my life as well. I think that we've only begun to scratch the surface of the benefits of blockchain (transparency being at the top of the list). A.I. will help with that.
The future is Decentralization but my biggest fear is whether Decentralization can be sustained for so long or the vision of what it stand for might be changed in the future.
Truly the beginning freedom is Decentralization
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Well it's great. Hoping for something more new
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Your mistakes are actually a lesson and reminder for you to learn from your mistakes and do good in the future.