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Austin Macauley Publishers, Ltd. (formerly Austin & Macauley)

MickRooney

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The FAQ/Help pages on this publishers site, which previously gave an indication they were a vanity press are no longer available.

It would be interesting to know if they are still using the 'bait & switch' ploy with authors, or whether they are trying to pass themselves off as a legitimate UK publisher.

Have any authors had any recent encounters with them?
 

victoriastrauss

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It would be interesting to know if they are still using the 'bait & switch' ploy with authors, or whether they are trying to pass themselves off as a legitimate UK publisher.

They are still doing the bait-and-switch. I've gotten several recent reports.

- Victoria
 

Momento Mori

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Hi, ben2010, and welcome to AW.

ben2010:
The production office is elsewhere, though, which is where I used to work. I have to say since the take-over they have turned their priority into selling and promoting books. The staff now are extremely focussed on that aspect of selling books with lots of good ideas, and I know they are selling books as ebooks too.

That's good to know.

I notice that although they talk about offering "Traditional Mainstream and Partnership Opportunities" on their website. Are you able to share whether A&M now pays advances to authors?

Also, can you say what the terms and conditions are for the "partnership opportunities"? This usually means that the author has to pay to play (which in itself, makes one question whether the publisher is motivated to sell their books as they will already have their expenses covered) but there's no information on the website about likely fees.

What concerns me is that if A&M are now focusing on selling books, why does their submissions page state that they are open to receiving:

Austin & Macauley Website:
Fiction, Non-Fiction, war and reference books together with mystery, science fiction, autobiographical and biographical, fantasy, humour, erotica, gardening, motor sports, lifestyle, horror, travel and tourism, law, IT, political, women's fiction, suspense, thrillers, romance, children's, young reader, teen fiction, sports and leisure, educational, geographical, collections of poetry.

i.e. they accept everything and things like poetry collections are not likely to sell? Do they have particular books that they focus on selling and is there a difference between their efforts for "Traditional Mainstream" authors and those who've taken up their "Partnership Opportunity"?

ben2010:
I have know of authors who have got a conventional publishing deal due to the fact that they are published and have sold a few thousand copies.

Can you share who those authors are and do you know if they personally sold thousands of copies or were they helped by Austin & Macauley (and if so, then how were they assisted)?

MM
 

Momento Mori

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waylander:
Hi Ben.
Some of your phrases look very familiar. I wonder where I've heard them before?

Could it be here? http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum...-dumbed-5.html

Are you familiar with the term sockpuppet?

:sigh:

Just once I'd like to see someone comes across with genuine new information rather than sockpuppet mushiness.

MM
 

jack army

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new clear advice no dilly dallyers

hello first of all. this is my first thread. dont expect me to weave a tapestry. i found this site by chancing upon article on austin and mcauley. ok switch off those alarm bells i read a lot of the articles with a sinking heart.

i too have sent off my complete maunscript after a positive reply and am in that limbo stage of awaiting a reply. i dont need to hear any of the old negatives regarding this company i was hoping you experienced writers (crawl crawl) could chuck me some positives, so here goes.
1. has anyone here ever had anything published by this company?
2. why do the writers handbook list them if they are vanity publishers?
3. having read that 38000 words is more of a novella please encourage me as im thinking of padding it out by having a character quote war and peace verbatim.
4. how good are the self publishing websites and how on earth did lulu get involved, i sent my last offering to cilla and she said i had a lorra lorra typos.

i will judge all replies in the style of simon cowell and the least interesting will be put in the stocks.

riddle me this - why did the chicken cross the road?
because he didn't think his policeman salary was worth intervening in a mugging.
 

Smish

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There's an Austin and Macauley thread in the Bewares and Background section of AW.

:welcome: to AW.
 
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Alessandra Kelley

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Welcome.

Yes, do have a look at the thread Smish recommended.

You're probably better off posting a thread on the Bewares, Recommendations & Background Check forum, as this one is mainly for plain introductions.

The reason The Writers' Handbook lists vanity presses along with legitimate ones is simple. They don't care. They fill their pages with a lot of listings, and it matters not one jot to them how well those listings do their job, so long as they have a nice thick reference book.

This is why it's always good to research companies.
 

jack army

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thanks for the advice - i will come back off the ledge

love your art by the way - it must be great to have clear proof of your talent (deep sigh)

good health and happiness
 

regdog

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Moving thread to Bewares and Backgrounds
Please keep your hands and feet inside the thread while it's in motion. Thank you
 

Paul

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'3. having read that 38000 words is more of a novella please encourage me as im thinking of padding it out by having a character quote war and peace verbatim.'

Wouldn't a cut n paste be quicker?
 

Terie

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Might I suggest that this thread really doesn't belong in BR&BC after all, being as how most of the points raised in the OP aren't about a specific publisher?
 

Momento Mori

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Hi, Jack, and welcome to AW.

jack army:
i dont need to hear any of the old negatives regarding this company i was hoping you experienced writers (crawl crawl) could chuck me some positives

I understand why you'd want to hear some positives, but I haven't personally come across anyone who's submitted to Austin & Macauley and not been asked for a fee of some kind. We had a sockpuppet of theirs on this site earlier in the year who wasn't able (or didn't want) to confirm whether advances were now being paid. The company says that they are (and I have no reason to doubt that some authors are paid) but there are still reports of others being asked to make a contribution.

While it's always hard to accept that something may not be on the up and up, it's better to find out before paying money rather than after.

jack army:
why do the writers handbook list them if they are vanity publishers?

The Writer's & Artist's Yearbook lists anyone who applies and pays. It's no different to the Yellow Pages. That's why, although it's a great starting place to find a publisher, you still have to do a lot of research on them afterwards.

Taking out a subscription to agentquery or publishersmarketplace can be more worthwhile because it tells you what's happening in your genre and who the movers and shakers are.

If you're writing fiction, then my personal recommendation would be to go down the agent route first before applying to publishers direct because agents can get you a better deal.

jack army:
having read that 38000 words is more of a novella please encourage me as im thinking of padding it out by having a character quote war and peace verbatim.

38,000 words is on the short-side, but that doesn't automatically mean that a publisher won't take it. It all depends on what genre you're writing in (e.g. 38,000 is an easier sell for children's fiction or YA fiction and if you're writing SF/F/horror, then there are a lot of small publishers out there like PS Publishing that release novellas and shorter works on limited print runs for advances.

jack army:
how good are the self publishing websites and how on earth did lulu get involved, i sent my last offering to cilla and she said i had a lorra lorra typos.

Lulu got into it because of Twiggy and now all she wants to do is shout about it ... [/bad 60s references]

Terie:
Might I suggest that this thread really doesn't belong in BR&BC after all

I cower beneath the will of the Modly Overlords, but given that there is a question there about Austin & Macauley and it seems they may be up to their old tricks, it should at least get merged into that thread.

MM
 
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CaoPaux

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:e2seesaw: Merging, since the non-specific questions illuminate how folks wind up with this sort of publisher.
 

jack army

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hello - thanks for all your comments

please excuse my parking in the wrong spaces, im sure i have a blue badge somewhere (or a white badge and a colouring pencil).

i'm ready for the inevitable demand and at very least it encouraged me to get my head down for a weeks, special thanks to memento mori for the kind words, i'll pull the manuscript out of the fire.

good health and happiness to all

and i'll try keep my post in the write mail box
 

Catherine Greenall

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Austin MaCauley (merged into existing thread in BR&BC)

Has anyone got any recent experience of publishing with Austin Macauley?

I had an offer from them to publish my book and want to make sure it will get properly distributed and marketed worlwide.

Thanks!
 

aliceshortcake

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From their website:


It is important for new authors to be able to get on the publishing ladder and attain success with their books. We have taken on a large number of new writers through Traditional Mainstream and Traditional Partnership Agreements.

Initially our editors look at every new manuscript with a view to offer a Traditional Mainstream publishing deal. Once our editors have reviewed the work thoroughly, only then will we be able to decide which avenue would be more suitable for each individual book.
A Traditional Partnership Agreement entails the same benefits as a Mainstream Agreement. However, you as the writer may be asked to cover part of the cost of publishing the book. We follow all Traditional Mainstream etiquettes with regards to the promotion and marketing as well as all other avenues involved in the process.

I'm not sure what 'all Taditional Mainstream etiquettes' are, but I wouldn't want my book to bear the imprint of a press that also prints what A&M clearly insinuate is sub-par vanity stuff.
 

Old Hack

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I've seen no evidence which suggests they are no longer a vanity press. And as far as I know their books don't get into bookshops, don't hit any useful best-seller lists, and don't get the sort of marketing which is effective.

In my opinion there are many much better presses for you to submit to.
 

aliceshortcake

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After a perusal of the book covers and blurbs on A&M's website I think I can hazard a pretty good guess at which are the 'legit' titles and which are pay-to-play. There's a very noticeable difference in quality.
 

Old Hack

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Alice, I've never heard of A&M publishing any books without the author paying them a big fat cheque first. As far as I know they are ALL pay-to-play.
 

aliceshortcake

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Ah, I stand corrected. All I can say is that some A&M authors drew the short straw when it came to cover design!
 

Old Hack

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Ah, I stand corrected. All I can say is that some A&M authors drew the short straw when it came to cover design!

Perhaps some of them bought a more expensive package.