STORY MERCHANT BOOKS FAQ
Q. What are the relative pros and cons of traditional publishing vs direct publishing via Story Merchant Books:
A.
Traditional Publishing
3-12 months response time.
All publishing rights to publisher in perpetuity.
You retain dramatic rights.
Print and ebook.
1-2 year time lag between start and publication.
0-Low advance, unless 4-5 publishers are bidding.
All marketing dependent on you.
You lose control of cover design.
You have no control over you book's epage.
No ability to revise or alter once published.
No control of retail pricing.
After 2 years, royalties reported/paid every 6 months.
No interaction between you & publisher on marketing.
You need to work through a publicist to market.
Direct Publishing from Story Merchant Books
1 month maximum response time.
You retain all publishing rights.
You retain dramatic rights.
Print and ebook.
1-4 month time lag between start and publication.
No advance.
All marketing dependent on you (with SM advice).
You retain control of cover design.
SM's special relationship with the estores allows us to add enhancements to your page.
Full ability to rise or alter once published.
Full control of retail pricing.
After 90 days, royalties reported/paid every three months and update on request.
SM advises you on marketing.
SM Book Marketing Service eliminate the need for a publicist.
Q. What IS Story Merchant Books?
A. Story Merchant Books is a literary-commercial incubator whereby authors at all stages of their careers can test the waters of publishing through epublication and Print-on-Demand (P.O.D.). When a Story Merchant book reaches the "level of visibility" its access to traditional publishers and entertainment companies can take it to the next level of success.
Q. How much of the sales price do I receive if I publish through Story Merchant Books?
A. You receive 70% of the sales price if your book is on amazon.com, 65% if on barnesandnoble.com--as long as your book is priced between $2.99 and $9.99. Outside that pricing window, you will receive 35% of the sales price. For administering your book, Story Merchant receives 10% of what you receive.
Q. What kind of promotion will amazon offer my book is I give them a 12-month exclusive?
A. Although this may vary from book to book, your book will receive most if not all of the following:
Each promotion runs solidly for 30 days, then intermittently afterwards.
Q. What kind of promotion will barnesandnoble.com offer my book if I give them a 30-day exclusive?
A. Although this may vary from book to book, your book will receive most if not all of the following:
Q. Do I sign with Kindle Direct or Pubit if I work through Story Merchant?
A. No, you need only sign a representation agreement with Story Merchant. You can review KindleDirect's standard agreement, which is what Story Merchant is bound by, at:
https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=APILE934L348N
You can review Pubit's standard agreement at:
http://pubit.barnesandnoble.com/pubit_app/bn?t=reg_terms_print
Q. Can I track my sales directly through Story Merchant?
A. Only Story Merchant has direct access to your book's sales reports on both e-stores. At your request, we will send you a direct screen-printout of your sales totals (but no more than once a week, please).
Q. How does Story Merchant assist me in marketing my book?
A. Story Merchant assists in many ways, including the following:
- Its White Glove relationship with the two major e-stores ensures that those stores will automatically promote your book, as long as we've given them an exclusive.
- It will put you in touch with qualified and tested book trailer creators, blog and Facebook book page builders, Facebook "Like" enhancers, and publicists.
- Story Merchant will also refer you to its preferred cover artists and interior layout artists, as well as digitizers to prepare your book for epublication.
- Story Merchant will provide you with a "marketing plan" that will enable you to promote your own e-books.
- Story Merchant will use its 25 years of connections in the literary and entertainment world to promote your book opportunistically, with a goal to increase its visibility, lead to attention from traditional publishers and to Hollywood entertainment companies.
Q. What are my upfront costs for working with Story Merchant Books?
A. Story Merchant charges a modest "oversight fee" to shepherd your book to publication—which fee is an advance against Story Merchant's ten percent (10%) commission on your sales.
Q. Is Story Merchant no longer representing books to traditional publishers?
A. Story Merchant, on an extremely selective basis, will still represent a book to the traditional publishers if, in consultation with you, it believes this is the best way to launch your book. For most first-time fiction authors who are not household names, epublication is generally the best launch strategy available today. But if your platform is visible enough, whether for nonfiction or fiction, that may not be the case.
Q. How do I get started with Story Merchant?
A. Send an email to DrK@storymerchant.com and tell us your book's title, one-paragraph pitch, one paragraph on you, and the status of its rights. We will reply with "how to get started."
Q. How does Story Merchant Dr. Ken Atchity feel about Story Merchant Books?
A. He has not been this excited about the world of publishing for years! Finally the storyteller has control over his own fate!
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