[ePublisher] Booktrope (formerly Libertary)

cmhbob · Sep 21, 2015

Here's a nice piece about the Booktrope model:
http://425business.com/booktrope-champions-a-new-publishing-model/

Vince524 · Sep 27, 2015

ethantribal said:
I'm pretty happy with Booktrope. When I started out they were a much smaller outfit and now they are really ramping up the promotion and marketing departments.

How happy?

I've just gotten an acceptance email from them for a book I was planning on self publishing. I've had it edited and made a cover for it. (See my avie for the cover)

It's not out yet, but I've got it set for preorder on October 9th.

Are you happy with sales? Can I ask how many sales you've gotten?

And what kind of marketing do they do? That's my big reason for thinking about going with them.

If you don't want to discuss all of that in an open forum, please feel free to PM me or even email me

[email protected]

Jrubas · Oct 6, 2015

I'm no longer with Booktrope (personal reasons...nothing really to do with them), but technically you DO have to pay.

From the "Author FAQ" sent to me after my novel was accepted:

We do not charge up-front fees, meaning, you are not asked to pay us to produce your book. We also do
not have a minimum (or maximum) amount of print books which you are required to purchase. We do
“charge back”, meaning deduct before paying royalties, the set-up fees to the entire team, with the
rates shown below. This is in order to ensure we are able continue to publish books as cost-effectively as
possible. Please note that Booktrope does not recoup our entire expense, and we certainly don’t profit
from this!

Set-up fees at present are (these are subject to change):
 Ebook - $50
 Paperback - $99.50
 Paperback and ebook - $149.50
 Republishing of existing title - $80 (i.e. content update at author request)
 And with our new Frequent Flyer program for repeat authors set up is $75 for both titles (details
in Teamtrope).

I don't know if that's standard practice or not, but you ARE being charged.

Vince524 · Oct 6, 2015

Jrubas said:
I'm no longer with Booktrope (personal reasons...nothing really to do with them), but technically you DO have to pay.

From the "Author FAQ" sent to me after my novel was accepted:

We do not charge up-front fees, meaning, you are not asked to pay us to produce your book. We also do
not have a minimum (or maximum) amount of print books which you are required to purchase. We do
“charge back”, meaning deduct before paying royalties, the set-up fees to the entire team, with the
rates shown below. This is in order to ensure we are able continue to publish books as cost-effectively as
possible. Please note that Booktrope does not recoup our entire expense, and we certainly don’t profit
from this!

Set-up fees at present are (these are subject to change):
 Ebook - $50
 Paperback - $99.50
 Paperback and ebook - $149.50
 Republishing of existing title - $80 (i.e. content update at author request)
 And with our new Frequent Flyer program for repeat authors set up is $75 for both titles (details
in Teamtrope).

I don't know if that's standard practice or not, but you ARE being charged.

So in other words, you have to make that amount in profits before they send you any royalty checks?

Nuh huh. That's not how even a small press works. I'm part of a small press for my vision series. The only thing they charge me for is if I want copies of my own print book beyond the 10 they provide free of charge based on my contract. And then they only charge me based on production. $5 and change plus shipping and handling.

Jrubas · Oct 12, 2015

Once you make that amount THEN you start seeing some return. And considering you have to build a team and everyone gets a little slice, the author gets even less. It might work for a cover designer who works on multiple projects at once, but not for a writer with a single book, or even a series.

ClarissaJohal · Nov 13, 2015

As of June 1, 2015, Booktrope no longer charges set-up fees, FYI. They posted that in Teamtrope

Jrubas · Nov 24, 2015

Well, that's something.

SpotlessMind · Dec 5, 2015

As far as I know they still make authors pay a percentage of marketing costs. Maybe this has changed too?

Vince524 · Dec 5, 2015

I sent something to them and they sent me an acceptance, but I had some questions. So I emailed them. Never heard back.

Eva Lefoy · Jan 24, 2016

Are you talking about this?

"please note that actual book setup costs and marketing costs may be deducted before revenue is allocated to the Creative Team."

it's point #2 https://booktrope.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Attachment-A-to-creative-team-agreement-v3_2-for-website.png

Jrubas · Jan 27, 2016

I suspect they're an acceptance mill. Anyone, any time.

cmhbob · Jan 27, 2016

Jrubas said:
I suspect they're an acceptance mill. Anyone, any time.

They're not. What are you basing that suspicion on?

eternalised · Jan 28, 2016

Yeah, they certainly don't accept everyone. I know several people who got rejections.

JayliaDarkness · Feb 16, 2016

A critique partner suggested I submit one of my stories to them. I just did, and haven't heard back yet. I was a little suspicious because it said in the automatic reply that if I am rejected and then build up my fan base, I should resubmit. Do they look at the story or just at the author?

BeautifulChaos · Mar 20, 2016

JayliaDarkness said:
A critique partner suggested I submit one of my stories to them. I just did, and haven't heard back yet. I was a little suspicious because it said in the automatic reply that if I am rejected and then build up my fan base, I should resubmit. Do they look at the story or just at the author?

I submitted December 14th 2016. The automatic email I received stated their turn-around time for responses had increased from 6 weeks to 12 temporarily. After 12 weeks passed, a friend of mine who is published with them suggested I follow up as they have recently lost one of their CEOs and everything has been rather chaotic.
I followed up and was sent an email on March 1st saying they were still backlogged and that I should receive a response to my submission soon.
I have yet to hear anything, and my email asking if they were responding to all queries or just those accepted went unanswered.

SpotlessMind · Mar 22, 2016

I'm not surprised people aren't hearing back from them. One of the big issues I've had with them is poor communication. For instance, I was not told when my book was released. I had to hear it from my mother. Other attempts to contact people when problems arose were met with total silence. This has been going on for years. It is not merely an issue with current, temporary circumstances.

cmhbob · Apr 29, 2016

Booktrope is closing down effective 31 May 2016. Quoting some of the message that went out today:

We are deeply saddened to share the news that Booktrope will be ceasing business effective May 31, 2016. This decision was not reached lightly and we will share as much as we can with the community over the next few weeks. Please bear with us as we navigate this shutdown. We wanted to communicate this message to our community as soon as possible and there will be a series of blog posts explaining how this works over the next week.

Much has been accomplished by Booktrope and our community over the past six years. But even with a collection of excellent books and with very strong contributions by creative teams who’ve provided editing, design and marketing services, Booktrope books have not generated sufficient revenues to make the business viable. We have helped hundreds of authors get over 4 million copies of their books into readers’ hands through sales and giveaways. We’re proud that our creative teams have produced almost 1000 terrific books using our platform. We want to express our appreciation for the contributions of all the creative team members and Booktrope staff who have built our technologies, provide production services, done layouts, managed distribution channels and royalty tracking, and provided marketing support. We want to express our gratitude to all of you.

Ken Shear
Jen Gilbert
Andy Roberts

tiakall · Apr 29, 2016

One of my friends just released a book with them earlier this month, has barely had a chance to get started. Man, I hurt for her, cause it's a really great book too.

Vince524 · Apr 29, 2016

tiakall said:
One of my friends just released a book with them earlier this month, has barely had a chance to get started. Man, I hurt for her, cause it's a really great book too.

Make sure she get's a revision of rights letter. She can self pub if nobody wants it. May need to either pay for the cover for the rights or get a new one.

cmhbob · Apr 29, 2016

What we're hearing so far is that rights will revert on 1 June, and we should be able to use the existing covers subsequent to editing out any Booktrope references (logos, barcodes, etc.)

SpotlessMind · May 2, 2016

They can use the cover if they pay the designer.

SpotlessMind · May 2, 2016

In order for authors to be able to use their books, they now have to basically pay off their editors, proofreaders, and cover artists for the rights to use their work. Many authors (myself included) cannot afford to do this, so many authors are abandoning the idea of even trying to self-publish. I certainly sympathize with the cover artists and editors...they deserve to be compensated for their work...but a great financial burden is now being shoved onto the authors.

cmhbob · May 2, 2016

Spotless, a great many team members are absolving their authors of anything after the last royalty payment. My BM/proofreader and editor have both done so, and my artist only wants $50 to fix the cover. Have you touched base with your team?

For that matter, I'm not sure that BT's interpretation of the CTA is correct.

Hutching · May 3, 2016

Thought this looked worth following up only to discover that Booktrope is ceasing business at 31st May.

SpotlessMind · May 3, 2016

The fun just keeps coming.

Now Booktrope is telling authors that even if we do not use the cover and edits from the Booktrope editions when we re-publish, we still have to pay the cover designer and editors. In other words, authors who self-published their books before having them picked up by Booktrope cannot re-self-publish the exact books they previously self-published without paying a percentage to a cover designer whose work they're not using and to an editor who had nothing to do with their previously self-published book.

[ePublisher] Booktrope (formerly Libertary)

Did...did I do that?

Are you gonna finish that bacon?

Frankensteinian patchwork

Are you gonna finish that bacon?

Frankensteinian patchwork

Don't talk to me while I'm writing

Frankensteinian patchwork

Are you gonna finish that bacon?

practical experience, FTW

Frankensteinian patchwork

Did...did I do that?

practical experience, FTW

Stepping through the Shadows

Did...did I do that?

*lurk*

Are you gonna finish that bacon?

Did...did I do that?

Did...did I do that?

lurk