Ink Brush Press Website:
Carroll Wilson and Jerry Craven, publishing writers and long-time friends, decided early in 2009 to establish a press to publish manuscripts we like by writers we respect.
It's only been operating since 2009 (at the earliest) - it's usually better to wait at least 2 years to see how the company's running before signing up with a start-up.
Jerry Craven's publishing experience is limited to having had books published with:
- Slough Press (never heard of them but appear to be run through the English Department at Texas A&M University)
- TCU Press (never heard of them but appear to be another academic press)
- Texas A&M University Press (again, an academic press)
- VAC Poetry (never heard of them but appears to be a collective that doesn't pay advances but doesn't charge either)
- JelmMountain Press (never heard of them and Google doesn't turn up anything about their submissions criteria) and
- John M Hardy Press (never heard of them seems to be a niche small publisher though).
There's nothing to indicate that he's ever worked for a commercial publishing company on his website.
Carroll Wilson's experience seems to be on the news side of things, which is not the same as getting experience in a commercial publishing company.
Ink Brush Press Website:
We knew many talented writers who struggle with the difficulties of publishing in presses driven by commercial interests.
That's because commercial interests dictate that you publish books you think you can make money from. This suggest to me that Ink Brush isn't publishing to make money.
Ink Brush Press Website:
The staff is composed of people who love books. We value education, and many of us have accumulated numerous university degrees. We work as educators, journalists, editors, designers, and writers. All of us have expertise in various computer programs, and we spend much of our lives reading.
This is all great, but doesn't double for actual publishing experience - i.e. running a commercial publishing venture.
Ink Brush Press Website:
All of us at Ink Brush Press have day jobs. We give time to the press because we believe in its mission: getting outstanding books into print and helping with distribution. Perhaps one day the press will make a profit, but profit is far from being the driving force behind our work.
If they're not planning on making money for themselves, you have to ask whether they have any motivation to make money for their authors - i.e. by getting books properly out onto the market in order to make sales to readers not related to the author.
At best, they're hobbyists - keen amateurs.
Ink Brush Press Website:
We are also optimists, for we believe enough in the reading public to think a substantial number of readers will one day embrace some of our outstanding books.
If readers don't know about your books because you don't know how to market them, can't get them into stores etc, then how can they embrace them?
Assuming that Ink Brush's contract is the same as Four Genres, I'd make the following comments:
Four Genres Press Contract:
W grants 4GP the exclusive rights to print, publish, distribute, sell and license the rights to any
and all editions and/or formats of NT, in whole or in part, in the English language throughout the
world.
This is a rights grab. If they're only operating a POD operation, then they should only be taking print publishing rights and it should be limited to the United States. If they can't sell throughout the world, they shouldn't get those rights.
Four Genres Press Contract:
Said rights are granted to the 4GP for a period of five (5) years from date of this agreement.
Fixed term contracts can be both a good and bad thing - some books are slow burners and need more time to sell as people become familiar with other work of that author and seek the back catalogue.
If you're going to have a fixed term project, then the provisions on termination need to be very clear.
Four Genres Press Contract:
W will have approval over the promotion of NT. W will decide when and if W tours as well as
where and how. W has the right to approve how 4GP describes NT in publicity materials.
Publicity and promotion isn't limited to author appearances - the fact that this is specifically mentioned would raise questions for me as to how they envisage doing marketing and promotion.
Four Genres Press Contract:
4GP will pay W royalties based on net receipts for NT as defined below.
25% of net receipts for all copies sold over 500 except for copies purchased by W.
Net Receipts shall mean 100% of all gross sums received by or credited to 4GP from sales of NT,
less the direct costs. Direct costs shall mean the costs actually incurred by 4GP; these costs are
(a) the setup fees charged by the printer, Lightning Source
(b) the fees charged by Lightning Source for printing and binding NT
(c) the annual fee for keeping NT in the Lightning Source computers
(d) cost of ISBN for NT
(e) cost to 4GP if there is an introduction written by a third party
(f) any shipping fees for books ordered by 4GP to be shipped from Lightning Source to W
(g) costs for preparing and mailing publicity and promotional materials; publicity
and promotional expenses be agreed upon by 4GP and W before
incurring such expenses.
4GP shall be entitled to retain a reasonable reserve for returnable copies of NT.
Others have already identified why this sucks. I'd also point out that author copies are excluded from royalties - if the author ends up having to buy copies of their own book to sell on, then they'll need to buy them at a discount to make any money in an uplift.
Additionally, given that it's a POD operation and they already make it clear that royalties aren't paid until 500 copies are sold, I don't see why they need a reserve against returns clause.
Four Genres Press Contract:
W has the right to purchase copies of NT at the same 55% discount from listed retail price as
granted to bookstores; W will also pay the cost of shipping books ordered by W.
Check out what the shipping fees are - e.g. Publish America make a lot of money from charging exhorbitant shipping costs which more than makes up for any discount. Shipping would also need to be factored in to the price that the author sells own-bought copies for.
Four Genres Press Contract:
This agreement may be assigned by 4GP as part of the sale or transfer of all or substantially all of
4GP’s business or as part of a merger or consolidation of 4GP with another company. This
agreement may also be assigned by 4GP to any subsidiary or affiliate or any company or entity under
I'd want this amended so that they can't assign without the author's consent and where consent is not given, the author has the right to terminate. Some publishers (and I'm not suggesting this is one) use assignment clauses to keep manuscripts that aren't selling and shift them to new companies that they set up.
Lmc71775:
but that will cost me if I go the self-pub way. This won't. It would at least get my name out there more.
No, it won't get your name out there. Your book won't be stocked in stores and (from the looks of it) the marketing/promotion that Ink Brush will do is pitiful. All you're doing is tying your poems up to a sucky 5 year contract, losing first publishing rights on all those poems and getting zip back unless/until you sell 500 copies (which is very unlikely).
You are better off submitting your poems to magazines that accept poetry - some of them pay a nominal sum, others that don't have a good reputation. Duotrope has a list of publications that you can check out.
Lmc71775:
I have a novel coming out too...maybe that will boost it somehow?
How will it boost it? Unless your novel is coming out with a company with bookstore distribution, chances are few people will know of it and thus no one will know about your poetry.
MM
