Please note: In the event of any conflict between the below and your traditional publishing agreement, whatever is included in your agreement will prevail. Therefore, it will be to your advantage to consult your agreement first to see if the answer you are seeking is in there. Also, due to a lot of overlap of questions I get, if you do not find the answer you're looking for here, please consult the other FAQ sections before asking me your question(s).
Will you negotiate the terms of our traditional publishing agreement?
Although I do highly recommend consulting an attorney to ensure that you understand all the provisions in the agreement, retaining one to negotiate changes to the agreement will not be financially beneficial to you. I will read and consider any requested agreement revisions, but other than perhaps increasing the royalty rate if warranted pursuant to additional information from your original submission, the chances of me agreeing to them are very small. The agreement I use is a standard agreement revised to be very detailed as to the timeline, etc. It has already been through several iterations, so the chances of someone suggesting something I am willing to change is very small. If I disagree with a revision you may request, I will not have the time to discuss it further, and it is highly unlikely that I'll change my mind. I truly want what's best for you and your book, so if you cannot agree to anything in the agreement, you should seek publication elsewhere. Please note that I say "agree to" the terms, not "agree with"; it is entirely possible that though you don't agree with any certain provision, you are willing to agree to it and abide by it.
What are my options for pre-publication reviews?
Your traditional publication agreement will contain a provision regarding providing Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs), also referred to as Galleys, for you to attempt to obtain pre-publication reviews. You will be provided with a PDF ARC or Galley to submit to reviewers as well as the option to request print ARCs or Galleys. If you request print ARCs/Galleys, you will agree to reimburse for the printing costs plus shipping and handling and any taxes. Authors are responsible for identifying reviewers and submitting ARCs/Galleys to them. The only exception to this is if a reviewer requires that the request comes from the publisher; in that case, we will submit it for you provided we receive all the required information and reimbursement for any out-of-pocket costs. Whether an author chooses to submit PDF or print ARCs/Galleys to reviewers should be decided on an individual basis; if there are any factors that might make a review more likely, such as a connection to a current topic in the media or personal connections to reviewers, we recommend that authors do submit for pre-publication reviews. If none of those factors exist, it will not hurt a book to submit and may help, but since there are costs involved, we leave this up to the author to decide. Though a positive pre-publication review never hurts, authors published by such a small traditional publisher as LBP should keep in mind that book promotion and marketing can be described by the cliche "it's a marathon, not a sprint," because, unlike the largest traditional publishing houses, we are not going to pull your book from print if it doesn't do well in the first few weeks, which provides time to more slowly build momentum regarding reviews and sales. The decision of whether to send a reviewer a PDF or print ARC/Galley will be made by the author according to his or her preferences and the reviewers' specifications, preferences, and/or requirements. Note that this is only referring to pre-publication reviews where certain reviewers (mostly large publications) require ARCs or Galleys three to six months prior to publication. Seeking post-publication reviews is highly recommended in every circumstance.
Provision 4C states that the Publisher can deem that the materials delivered by Author are unacceptable and request Author correct any defects. Does this mean that I have no control over the manuscript, i.e. that you can rewrite the entire manuscript if you find it “unacceptable”?
LBP wouldn’t rewrite the manuscript for many reasons, including that we don't have the time or inclination to do so. This is included in case for some reason the author makes sweeping changes that weren’t expected and acceptable.
How flexible is the timeline that is included in the agreement?
This is just a proposed timeline and a way to keep us both on track to getting the book published. We will change any timeline item by agreement or by necessity should there be some unanticipated delay beyond one or both of our control (such as a pandemic). Please note that if you do not meet a deadline, the rest of the timeline will be delayed until the next available slot in our publishing schedule. The only exception to this is moving up the publication date, which is rarely possible due to LBP's traditional publication release schedule and the steps involved in the traditional publication process.
The agreement mentions that out-of-pocket expenses will be deducted from any royalties owed to me. Does this include my Author copies?
You are not required to purchase any Author copies, but if you do, these will need to be paid for at the rate of cost plus the percentage stated in your agreement and will not be deducted from royalties. You will be invoiced for the books when they are ordered, with payment due within 14 days, with penalties applied if the invoice isn't paid within that time frame.
Since you mention both Amazon e-books (Kindle) and Draft 2 Digital and only Amazon and IngramSpark paperback does this mean that your focus as a publisher is on digital, and that is your strength and expertise vs. print copy?
No, not at all. When you publish print on Amazon it goes everywhere, but when you publish an e-book on Amazon it’s only available on Kindle. Publishing the e-book on Draft 2 Digital makes it available for Nook, Kobi, iBooks, and the other e-book platforms.
What is the 55% discount to retailers; is it 55% off the retail price? If so, how much money do I make? Regarding accepting returns (which I understand many retailers require or certainly find as an incentive to carry the book) and “assuming the cost therein,” how much would the cost per book be?
Yes, the 55% is discounted from the retail price and it is what retailers require to carry paperback books, with some also requiring allowing returns. I don’t know what the exact royalty will be for each book as that depends on the platforms, but your part would probably be a lot less than you’d hope (around $0.50 per $11.99 book sold). This just applies to books sold wholesale to bookstores. There will be higher royalties for books sold directly by Amazon, etc., and that amount varies.
How much marketing will I have to do? What if I can't complete the marketing tasks I included with my submission?
You will find with all publishers, including traditional publishers like LBP, that the author is responsible for all marketing. Unfortunately, those of us without a name like Stephen King don’t get marketing support from our traditional publishers. Please see the “what's included” page on this website for more details on what will be included if you traditionally publish with LBP. The agreement states that you will complete the marketing activities outlined in your submission to the best of your abilities, so you will not be penalized if you aren't able to complete all of the tasks.
Regarding the provision stating the Author retains all profits from bookstores that he/she has placed books in, the profit is after the amount to print the book and the additional percentage on top of this cost paid to Legacy Book Press. Is this correct? And does this section imply that LBP will not place my book in bookstores and that LBP does not deal with book distributors that bookstores order from like Ingram, etc.?
You will pay the cost plus our agreed-on additional percentage and pay nothing further to LBP. So if you sell a book directly for $10 and the cost-plus figure is $6, you’ll make about $4 per book. I do not directly place books in bookstores. The book will be available from Ingram, so it will be available to any bookstore that wishes to order it, but I don’t have the resources to pursue the bookstores.
Why would there be changes to the book after publication? And does the $10 per page cost to make changes include re-pagination, so if the content change is adding a paragraph on page one, and the rest of the book re-paginates, is the charge $10 or $10 times all the pages in the book? And is the $10 for every new book printed?
This is there to encourage the author to carefully review the book during the regular proofing process and not request excessive changes after the book is published. Invariably, the book will not be 100% perfect when published, which occasionally happens even in the big traditional publishing houses that have many people who review the book before publication. The $10 per page would include the repagination if required. And if it is an obvious error like a typo, I will make the change without charging you; the $10 per page will only be charged for "desired" as opposed to "required" changes (i.e. only you think it's not 100% perfect), and I have the ultimate discretion to determine what is "desired" vs. "required."
Does LBP determine the book’s price?
Ultimately, yes, but considering the author’s opinion. For example, I’m not going to charge $20 for your book because nobody would buy it at that price, nor am I going to charge $5 because it would not cover the production cost.
How much control will I have over the book's title and cover?
Ultimately, as with all traditional publishers, the final decision on title, cover, and all other aspects is made by the Publisher. However, I am very flexible and believe that there are several ways to do something "right." Unless it's way "out there," I will agree to pretty much any title you like, which can be changed up until the time that the book is assigned an ISBN number. For the cover, I'll actually depend on you to provide ideas and any artwork (with permission) if you have it. Otherwise, you or the cover designer will locate stock images. If you have a cover designer in mind that you'd like to work with, I'm certainly open to that, for which you would cover the cost, and any such payment to your chosen cover designer is to be negotiated between the two of you.
Why is the provision stating the book will be published within eighteen months of the initial delivery date needed if dates are indicated in other provisions?
This is typical of publishing contracts, including traditional publishing contracts like those with LPB. It is a protection for you in case the other timeline (which is more compressed) gets delayed. Of course, this would apply to delays created by the publisher and not the author; for example, you can't hold on to your printed proof for several months and expect it to be published by the eighteen-month deadline.
“Advertising, Promotion, and other exploitation” are vague terms. Can you please provide details of what advertising and promotion LBP is committing to for my book? And the cost of obtaining an ISBN number and registration at the Library of Congress are borne by me, not LBP?
This is listed on the what's included page on the website; it is essentially the press release, a listing on the website, and promotion of other events/news on social media (mainly Facebook and/or Twitter) when you provide the information and time permits. Traditional publishing means that you don’t pay anything upfront, not that you don’t pay anything. These are out-of-pocket expenses.
What does it mean by the percentage of royalty paid of the publisher's NET REVENUES?
Net Revenues means what the books sell for minus the cost, which is essentially the royalties Amazon or whoever pays LBP. This amount varies so you will receive our agreed percentage of whatever Legacy Book Press gets per copy sold. I will provide an itemization of this with your royalty check. I also want to be upfront with you that bookselling is a tough road and unless you can really hustle with your marketing, you will likely receive just one royalty check per year. If you can find a traditional publisher to pay higher royalties and do significant marketing for you, I encourage you to go with that publisher and wish you all the luck in the world.
As related to the question above, can you quantify net revenue on my book’s retail price?
I’m sorry that I cannot. This means, however, that if a bookstore purchases copies of your book but later returns them (and allowing this is required by many booksellers), then that chargeback for the returned book will be deducted from the royalties you are owed.
I think the provision stating that if LBP goes bankrupt the rights shall revert to Author upon payment of $100 and the agreement would terminate without notice means that if LBP goes bankrupt or liquidates, $100 would be the “fair market value” in order to receive the right of publication. And since you are a one-person company with one-person resources, what about illness, or major distraction of a personal nature in addition to bankruptcy and liquidation?
Yes, $100 would be the “fair market value.” Honestly, if I go bankrupt, I would most likely just give the files to you along with the rights to republish as you wish because your $100 would be the least of my worries. Yes, you are taking a chance since I’m a one-person operation so that’s something you just need to decide if it’s worth it for you or not.
Who determines the original cost of production? And I don't understand the reference to “the plates” because from what I understand, there’s only Amazon and digital distribution on-demand printing rather than mechanical printing.
This is a standard traditional publishing agreement with standard language; that’s why it says “or.” There would be no plates and would just be the digital files, which are used to publish the print and e-books.
Do you publish books by individuals outside of the United States?
Yes, I am open to this. Something to be aware of, however, is that the license you will be granting to me will be for your print and e-book in English worldwide. I do publish print books via Amazon so it would get into all of Amazon’s stores in the various countries, but you will need to check to see if your country is serviced by Amazon. For wholesale orders, I believe Ingram will ship to other countries, but it will undoubtedly increase the cost and decrease royalties, and again, you will need to check to see if Ingram services your country. For e-books, I publish through Amazon for Kindle and Draft 2 Digital for every other platform, and I don’t know which of those, if any, service your country, so you will need to determine that as well. If your country isn’t serviced by Amazon and I need to ship the hard copy printed proof to you myself, you will need to reimburse me for the extra shipping charges.
Am I able to decide whether I would like to do a charity later? And after I designate a charity, can I change it? Can you suggest a charity?
Yes, you can decide later to donate to a charity. I just need to know prior to publication so I can start allocating royalties properly. At the time you choose a charity, we will sign an addendum to our original traditional publishing agreement regarding the new allocation of royalties. You can change your charity designation, but it will only take effect in the next calendar year. If you would like to do this, please let me know around the end of November prior to the calendar year in which you want the change to be effective, so I can prepare to make the change. I don’t allow changing the designated charity mid-year because I want to keep my bookkeeper happy. I am open to pretty much any charity or non-profit outside of hate groups or groups who are against any other group of people. My go-to charity is either the Midwest Writing Center if your book is in the geographic area this organization serves or NAMI if your book deals with mental health issues. You might consider a local food bank, homeless shelter, domestic abuse survivor organization, or animal shelter.
Regarding citations/references, the publishing agreement says: "Citations to any references used regarding scientific, statistical, or other data outside of the Author’s personal knowledge inserted into the Work as footnotes, endnotes, or whatever manner the Author deems appropriate as long as such reference citations are attached to the data in the manuscript (i.e. not a general resource list at the end)." Currently, my manuscript has a chapter-by-chapter bibliography at the very end, with full bibliographical information for each book/source mentioned. Is that all right?
Yes, that’s fine for the citations.
The agreement says that LBP will handle pre-orders if I provide you with an HTML code for ordering through PayPal or another similar provider. When the time comes, will you be able to explain to me how I obtain such a code? Would I get it from PayPal?
Yes, you would get that from your PayPal account (or another provider's account) and send me the HTML code. However, you will need to learn how to obtain that code on your own, but I would assume PayPal has instructions on its website.
Will you think less of me if I don’t choose a charity?
No problem at all and no judgment from me. Only a handful of authors have opted for the charity, and I just assume the others give elsewhere.
What does the part of the agreement that says “as well as accept returns and assume the cost incurred therein” mean? Will the books be returned directly to me or do I have to pay for shipping them to you and then to me? On average, how many books get returned per year per author, and what do you think those shipping costs would amount to per book?
The returns come to me, with the cost coming out of your royalties. I can either send those books to you right away if you reimburse for the shipping costs, or I can hang on to them, and then if/when you want to order more author copies, I’ll send those to you if you reimburse me for the shipping costs as well. On most other books, I’ve received between zero and three returned; in two instances, the bookstores where events were being held overestimated how many books they would sell, which led to the returns. There is no way for me to predict how many of yours might be returned, but I would encourage any bookstore you talk to about carrying it or having an event, to tell them to be conservative in their sales estimates – I’d say no more than 10 to 25 books depending on their usual turnout from such events and how many people you think you might attract who would purchase books.
If your marketing strategy does not include trying to get bookstores to carry the book by ordering them wholesale and you just plan on focusing on selling books to bookstores directly or via other means wherein placing them in bookstores (especially larger bookstores) is irrelevant, we can mark them as “no returns.” Just let me know if you want to do this and explain why it will be beneficial for your book to not accept returns.
Why does the agreement say that the price of the book will be such that it “will net at least $3 in royalties in the event of a return, if applicable”?
For wholesale orders, if a book is returned, we are charged $3 each, so if the total royalty is less than $3, obviously that will result in a loss, which we need to minimize if not eliminate. “As applicable” means that you may opt to not allow returns in order to keep your book’s retail price lower; however, you will need to keep in mind that this will reduce the likelihood that bookstores, especially larger bookstores, will carry your book.
How long is this agreement binding?
The agreement is binding until one of us terminates it via the applicable provisions in the agreement.
Is it possible to stop taking returns or increase the book’s price in the future to one that nets at least $3 in the event of a return?
Our agreement can be changed at any time by mutual agreement. I would most likely be fine if you wanted to stop taking returns or start taking returns and increase the book’s price in the future.
If the retail price needs to increase, how will that impact the price I have to pay for my author copies?
Your cost would be the same regardless of the retail price. Your cost will be the print and shipping cost plus the percentage that is listed in our traditional publishing agreement. I can give that to you before I hit the “submit order” button, but it will add a bit more time before I can place the order.
I have made some minor updates and corrections to the text since I sent it to you, and I have an additional section that I may or may not want to use. When should I send you the revised version and the additional text? What additional editing will be done to my book? What about the cover and interior formatting, how is that handled?
In the agreement, you will be given an “initial delivery date,” which will be the deadline to provide your latest manuscript as well as acknowledgments, dedication, etc. There will also be a deadline for me to do a first edit of the book, which you will have the opportunity to review, and we will discuss any of my suggestions with which you disagree (I almost always defer to the author). You can make your own additional edits at this time, too, if you choose to do so. After that, you will be provided with a formatted digital proof of the interior, where you can again request additional changes. You and I will also proofread the printed proof. So after you provide your initial file, you will have three opportunities to request changes, keeping in mind that I basically have “veto” power over these requests; however, unless there is an exorbitant number of requests, I will typically make the requested changes.
I have a book designer who will create a cover based on your ideas (the more detailed your ideas, the better) and format the interior; she has a graphic design degree, works another full-time job as a graphic designer, and happens to be my daughter. 😊 Though I will have the final say as the publisher, you will be involved in all these processes, and we will consider, and most likely agree to follow your suggestions and ideas. It’s very much a collaborative process.
Regarding the Grant of Publishing Rights provision: If the work were translated into other languages would this agreement apply?
It is correct that you are free to publish the book in any language besides English. You are also free to pursue publishing an audio version of your book or pursuing TV, film, and stage rights.
Regarding Provision 1)ii) that states, “The Author shall execute and deliver to the Publisher...the rights granted in this Agreement” after review by the Author. What does that mean? Is this asking me to sign something I have not reviewed?
This provision is not asking you to sign anything; it is saying you will provide any items necessary to publish the book – you would necessarily have to review anything you provide in order to provide it.
I am not sure I agree with the Author Warranties and Indemnity provision, i) and would like to revise it as follows: “The Author agrees to hold the Publisher harmless against any third-party damages, including reasonable attorney’s fees, finally sustained in any suit involving the Publisher or its licensees by reason of a violation of any of these warranties except to the extent arising out of Publisher’s breach, negligence, or willful misconduct.”
I disagree with adding “third-party” because if you breach those warranties listed in that provision, I would be entitled to damages, whether incurred directly or by action by a third party. Please note that this sentence only applies to those warranties listed. “Reasonable” attorney’s fees would need to be negotiated and litigated by you and the attorney; as I have no control over any of your attorney’s fees, I can’t guarantee that they are reasonable. Additionally, if you are holding me harmless, you would hire your own attorney and would be responsible for negotiating attorney’s fees. Since these are warranties you are making to me, there is no way I could create a breach, negligence, or willful misconduct, so the last addition is irrelevant.
Can you give examples of minor revisions to the cover design?
It would be changes to wording, font, size of the text, adjustments in image placement, etc. This provision is in here because I’ve had authors, after they’ve given their detailed ideas (which is crucial to getting a cover the author likes), and the cover was finished, they decided they wanted something completely different or they decided they wanted to use a completely new image, which may seem like it would be a simple change, but since the text is created based on the image, it usually requires a complete reformatting.
I propose stating that the Author intends to hire a PR firm to conduct a PR campaign for the book, but in the event that the firm is not available to do the campaign in the time frame of the book publication, the author’s royalty will be reduced by ten (or another number) percent.
I can add this if you want, but this would actually be detrimental to you because I’m not requiring you to hire any PR firm – the provision states “to the best of Author’s abilities” so if the firm isn’t available, that would be outside your control.
Regarding the Competing Works provision, I am working on another project where some material may overlap with the book LBP is publishing. Would that be considered competing?
No, I don’t believe it would be competing – I think that project would actually enhance the book you submitted to LBP. If you are in doubt, please feel free to contact me, describing the other project.
Regarding the Force Majeure provision, i): Is there a time limit? I suggest six months or less.
If you mean delaying the publication date to less than six months, I don’t agree to this because those items (restrictions of government agencies, labor disputes, or inability to obtain the materials necessary…or any other reason beyond Publisher’s or Author’s control) are beyond our control, so if they’re beyond my or your control, we can’t control the delay to six months or less.
I would like to revise this provision, Royalties, Payments, Costs, Audits – i) d), to say "'Net Revenues,' as used in this Agreement…after deduction of reasonable and necessary shipping, customs, insurance, currency exchange discounts, and costs of collection."
I don’t set the shipping, customs, etc. so I can’t control nor have the qualifications to deem if they’re “reasonable and necessary,” and since I presume you’re not in the shipping, customs, etc. business, I wouldn’t think you’d be able to deem if they’re “reasonable and necessary” either.
The Delivery of Work Manuscript provision says I will need to clear the formatting in my manuscript. My version of Word is different from the one referred to in your FAQ document (“How do I clear my manuscript of formatting?”). The only way my Word program can clear formatting is if I highlight the text, and then, under the Edit Menu, choose Clear/Clear formatting. Would it be okay if I used that procedure in my manuscript? To indicate a new scene within a chapter, I’ve inserted two returns between paragraphs. Would I delete both returns and replace them with a hard page break by pushing the CTRL and ENTER/RETURN keys at the same time? Would I leave the single returns at the ends of paragraphs (within a scene)?
That would work fine for preparing the document for publishing. The most important things are that you let the paragraphs wrap instead of pressing return at the end of each line and inserting hard page breaks when you want something to appear at the top of the following page rather than pressing return/enter until you get there. You do insert the hard page break by pressing CTRL & ENTER/RETURN at the same time. Basically, you’re breaking any old habits you may have left over from the typewriter days. LOL! 😊 Don’t worry about it too much.
The Agreement mentions written Authorizations and permissions. I plan to hire a cover artist (at my own expense). Do I need to get written authorization from the cover artist? Also, would I send my idea for the book cover to you (and get your permission to use it) before I send it to the cover artist?
No, you won’t need to send me any permissions from the cover artist, though I do recommend that you have some sort of written agreement with the cover artist, even if it’s an email, to keep for your own protection in case something goes awry. My question for you about this is: Do you plan to have your cover artist create the whole print-ready cover file with the front, back, and spine or is the cover artist just creating the cover art and my designer will need to format it with the text, spine, etc.? If your person is doing the whole thing, I will need to revise the agreement to reflect that. We will also likely need it earlier than reflected in the current agreement draft because my interior designer coordinates the interior with the cover.
Would I be able to order author copies of the book from you on an ongoing basis (which I would sell at local bookstores)? Also, how would I pay you (PayPal or some other method)?
Yes, you can order any quantity you would like at any time, keeping in mind that the more you order, the less they will cost as the shipping fees are spread out among more books. My system allows payment by ACH, PayPal, credit card, or personal check.
When the ebook is published, would you give me a free copy of it? I would send it to the people who have agreed to review my book and might also offer the ebook in contests (e.g., giveaway book draws). Would that be okay?
Sure. I can provide a final PDF that has the front, interior, and cover at the very end when it's totally complete. Just please remind me when the time comes. Per our agreement, I will provide a complete PDF of the book at the printed proof stage so you can send it to reviewers, but you will need to tell reviewers it’s the unedited version.
Regarding the Marketing provision: “The author would pursue the marketing activities described in her/his submission documents.” Do you want me to pursue all of the activities in the marketing plan I submitted to you?
Ideally, yes, but I realize things happen and things change. I don’t pull out your submission and compare it to what you do to market your book; so long as you make your best effort, that’s good enough for me. Please also note the provision also says to the best of your abilities.
Everyone else to whom I submitted my book rejected it; why are you willing to take a chance on it?
My goal with LBP as a traditonal publishing company is not to make a bunch of money. Though I would like to earn a livable income, my primary goal is getting important, well-written stories that entertain, inspire, motivate, and/or encourage out into the world with a traditional publishing business model. As an author, I know how difficult that can be (to get a traditional publisher or self-publish), so I want to be here to help. That’s why I’m so willing to work with authors to incorporate their preferences and make sure they are as happy as possible with their work. I know an author isn’t going to promote their own work unless they believe in it. Also, wanting what’s best for an author and an author’s book is something I truly live by, even if that means an author publishes elsewhere.
I don’t understand how the royalty payments are determined. Are you deducting $50 from the royalties?
Here are some examples that I hope will illustrate how the royalties are paid.
Let’s say your book is published on September 23, 2023. If you earn $43 in royalties between when your book was published and 12/31/23, you will receive $43 in royalties by 2/15/24 (or 3/15/24 in more recent agreements)
After that:
- If you earn $43 in royalties between 1/1/24 and 6/30/24, you will not receive any royalties by 9/15/24.
- If you earn $65 in royalties between 1/1/24 and 6/30/24, you will receive $65 in royalties by 9/15/24.
- If you earn $43 in royalties between 1/1/24 and 6/30/24 and then another $24 in royalties between 7/1/24 and 12/31/24, you will not receive any royalties by 9/15/24 but you will receive $67 in royalties by 2/15/25
- If you earn $22 in royalties between 1/1/24 and 6/30/24 and then another $12 in royalties between 7/1/24 and 12/31/24, you will not receive any royalties by 9/15/24 but you will receive $34 in royalties by 2/15/25.
What do we need to do regarding song lyrics quoted in my book?
I’m not exactly sure what is considered “significant”, but I believe if anything other than a few lines is quoted, permission from whoever holds the license for the song, usually the singer/band, I believe, is required. If it’s only a few lines here or there, we just need to include the name of the song and the artist.
Is it okay for me to get you the artwork for the cover prior to the deadline listed in Section 4 (v) of the agreement? Can I get someone to do the entire book, cover, and interior, on my own?
Getting the artwork early is fine; however, it won't speed up the process or move up the publication date any due to my publishing schedule and work in the queue before your book. If your designer can do the entire book, that is completely fine (and probably easiest if they’re doing the cover), but it won’t speed up publication. The date I would need the interior back would be around a month or so before the date when it says I’ll order printed proofs, in case there are any issues. You will want to make sure that your designer will be available to make any changes to the file as needed, such as after the printed proof is reviewed and if there are any issues when I go to upload it to the distributors. In the alternative (or as well), he or she can send the InDesign files to me as I can make some changes but sometimes need help for things beyond my skill set, for which I can probably get my designer to tackle as well. Regardless, at or just after publication, I will need the InDesign files in case any changes need to be made to them down the road that your designer is unavailable to do (no charges for these changes after publication except pursuant to the after-publication provision revisions in the agreement).
If I get the cover, do you have veto power over the cover design?
Technically, I do have veto power over the cover design; however, I can assure you that unless it is way off the mark or contains something graphic or trademarked or something to that effect, I will not object.
Regarding Section 4 (ix), I’m confused about ARCs. How many reviewers can I line up? What about blurbs/testimonials from well-known authors/thought leaders?
If you want a blurb on the cover, I will need to receive it by the time you return your responses to my first edits. However, if you are expecting a blurb from someone really well-known or a really great blurb, but you haven’t received it yet, then please let me know so the cover designer can just leave the space for it using filler text so the blurb can be added when it is received. For the inside, I would at least need to know if there will be blurbs and approximately how many at the same time you send me your responses to my first edits because shortly after that, I will be sending the files to my designer to start working on formatting the interior. I can also put reviews on the book description or on the website, and you can add them as editorial reviews on Amazon via your Author Central page.
What will the print ARCs cost me? If we receive a favorable review or comment, do we place those in/on the book?
You can line up as many reviews as you like and the cost of the print ARCS will be approximately $6 to $10, depending on how many print ARCs you want (you can also just do strictly PDF ARCs if you like, for which there is no charge); I won’t know the cost until I go to order the printed proofs.
Regarding Section 4 (ix): Must I give every bookstore a 55% discount?
Most bookstores require a 55% discount and the ability to return them to carry the books, so except for other circumstances that may warrant a lesser discount (we can discuss this), 55% is necessary.
Regarding Section 4 (xv): Do I run my marketing plans/activities by you so we’re not duplicating? I assume I’ll have to pay for all I do on my own?
The marketing plans/activities LBP does are enumerated in the traditional publishing agreement, which you do not have to pay for. You will be responsible for expenses on any other marketing you do, except if you like, we can later form another agreement whereby if you do an advertising campaign that results in a profit in royalties (the sales during the period of the campaign minus what you paid for the campaign), I will share the cost of the campaign with you. You do not have to run what you’re doing by me; however, it will usually benefit you to let me know when or after something is up so that I can share it on the book’s page on the LBP website and/or LBP social media. I don’t think there is any danger of us duplicating, at least to any extent that would matter.
Is Section 4 (xviii) guaranteeing me at least $3 on every book sold?
Please see other FAQs. This would, I don’t quite want to say “guarantee,” net $3 in royalty from each print book sold; however, regardless, you would get your royalty percentage, not the whole $3.
How do Section 7 (i) & (ii) regarding marketing activities differ from Section 4 (xv)?
Section 4 (xv) says what marketing activities I’ll do and when; Sections 7 (i) & (ii) give me permission to do those activities using things such as your author photo, parts of the book, etc.
Realistically, how many royalties will I make? If I front all the design costs and Legacy Book Press pays for all the printing, paperwork, administration, etc., what’s my royalty? What if I sell books directly to individuals and not through a bookstore?
I cannot begin to even guess how much you’ll make; though one day I hope (and plan for, universe 😊) for books I publish to hit it big, so far, the authors I have published have netted anywhere from nothing with a negative royalty balance (due to covering returns) to around $1,000. However, keep in mind that I don’t know the expenses for any marketing activities done to get to that figure (i.e. that there was actually a profit), and I don’t know what was made selling author copies directly (which would add to the author’s profit). There’s an FAQ on bookstore sales, but basically, you have already paid for author books at the rate of cost plus the percentage in our agreement, so you keep anything you earn by selling them directly to anyone.
Concerning ARCs/Galleys, I am a little unclear as to where I find the reviewers and how the process works.
You are not required to send out ARCs/Galleys, but finding reviewers is essentially the same as finding publishers. If you decide to do it, I’m sure you can find many resources online to help you. If you are on Facebook, you will be invited to join the LBP author’s group where you can ask other LBP authors about it as well.
Can I give some thought to how many author copies to order prior to signing the agreement?
You can, but ordering author copies (or not) is not required and, other than the procedure, is not included in our agreement. If you want an initial order of author copies prior to publication, you won’t need to tell me how many copies you’d like to order until about six weeks before publication.
Is it customary for authors to go directly to bookstores and ask them if they will carry their books? I assume the author's copies can be used in that manner and that they are distributed by the publisher.
Yes, authors need to contact bookstores to carry their books. The author copies can be used if the store takes the books on consignment or you sell books directly to the store, in which case you would deliver the books to them. Bookstores may also order the books wholesale from Ingram, in which case you would not have to supply copies as they would be delivered directly to the store, and those sales would add to your royalties.
Is it possible for me to add a dedication page? Or Acknowledgements? Or a preface, epilogue, author note, etc.?
Sure; please provide this information with or include it in your initial delivery of your final manuscript.
Can we discuss whether I should change the ending (or intro, or a certain chapter, etc.)?
When I edit your book, I will consider everything and let you know if I think something might need to be changed. Please keep in mind, however, that I don’t accept books for publication that I think require any significant revisions or editing. If I have offered to publish your book, unless I’ve said otherwise, I essentially like it the way that it is.