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The Wild Rose Press / Wildflowers Books

mellybell

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I currently have a partial in the hands of an editor at TWRP. She said she was very excited about my query and the synopsis and hopes to have the partial read within the next two weeks. For those who have been published by TWRP, is this a good thing that I have made it this far? They have been amazing when it comes to staying in touch with me.
Thank you for any info!
Mellybell
 

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I currently have a partial in the hands of an editor at TWRP. She said she was very excited about my query and the synopsis and hopes to have the partial read within the next two weeks. For those who have been published by TWRP, is this a good thing that I have made it this far? They have been amazing when it comes to staying in touch with me.
Thank you for any info!
Mellybell

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mellybell

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Read the whole thread. Just seeking out more RECENT reviews of TWRP. Thank you! :)
 

marielong

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There was a recent talk in a writer loop I'm in about TWRP. The consensus seems to be that the entire staff is very nice and cordial to their authors, but you make diddly squat in royalties.
 

mellybell

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There was a recent talk in a writer loop I'm in about TWRP. The consensus seems to be that the entire staff is very nice and cordial to their authors, but you make diddly squat in royalties.

Which writer loop?
Thank you!
 

mellybell

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I have now been asked for a full MS and was told I should have a response within 90 days. Very excited about the request! Now the nail biting begins....
 

zmethos

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Congrats, mellybell! I've also heard good things about Wild Rose, though I've never personally submitted to them. (My MIL has a friend who has some 20 books with them and seems quite happy.)
 

mellybell

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Congrats, mellybell! I've also heard good things about Wild Rose, though I've never personally submitted to them. (My MIL has a friend who has some 20 books with them and seems quite happy.)

Thank you! 20 books??? That's fantastic!!
 

mellybell

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My journey thus far with TWP. :)
3/21 Queried
3/24 Response from Editor in Chief: "I am in receipt of your query and have forwarded it to the Senior Editor on the Champagne Rose Line. She will review it and assign it to someone in her department. You should hear back from an editor within 45 days."
4/10 Request for partial
5/1 Request for Full I was told it could take up to 90 days for review.
Excellent communication and very timely responses.
7/11 Positive feedback throughout the waiting process and an email from the editor saying she is interested in contracting my novel. !!!!!! :) :)
10/30 Offer of contract. Signed and working on edits now. :)
 
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kssmith626

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Thought I'd add my stats since I keep obsessively googling TWRP. Might as well help out someone else who's out there checking on them.

Beginning Nov- subbed
Mid Nov- full MS request
Beginning Jan- MS sent to Senior Editor for contract evaluation (the editor made sure to emphasize that it could still be rejected, but that this was one step closer)
 

Verlin

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kssmith626:
Me too, as of this morning. Identical story -- a mystery.
One agent is still reading a partial and Solstice previously offered a contract.
I'm pondering. Any experiences to share that might be helpful?
And congratulations.
Verlin
 

Wesley_S_Lewis

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They sent a contract today. I'm pondering.
v.

Verlin, can you give us some details about the contract? Is it "nonnegotiable," as described by previous authors? Does it require you to turn over all subsidiary rights, including performance rights, etc?

I just got a full request from TWRP, but I'm having second thoughts about submitting.

As I described in a post on the "Ask the Editor" forum, they want me to remove all trademarked names from my manuscript, which would seriously undercut the story's verisimilitude.
 
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Verlin

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Well, I'm no expert about contracts, but I asked and was told that it was non-negotiable. It does seem that Wild Rose hangs on to all subsidiary rights, including film. I intend to ask about that. Also, the royalty percentages seem to be based on wholesale cost. I would be uncomfortable sharing more details than that since I wouldn't want me to if I were a publisher.

I was given a phone number to discuss contract stuff and I have no doubt that this person will be responsive. Every communication has been timely and kind from all concerned and I've emailed with 4 different people because my initial editor had a family emergency and I had an offer pending from another, less desirable publisher that expires next week.

My perspective is that you don't have anything to lose by submitting and then perusing a contract if that's where it leads you. At the stage you find yourself, you don't really have a decision to make yet, right? I'm guessing that it's a psychological boost to be offered a contract, regardless of your final choice. And for me, I never know how the landscape might change by the time decision-making comes around.

I hope that helps. As you might have noticed, I started on this thread to get info since I'm a bit of an idiot about the business side of things, so please take all this with a grain of salt.

v.
.
 

Wesley_S_Lewis

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I’m waiting for the editor to get back to me with clarification on the instruction that “all copyrighted/trademarked items must be removed.” As I mentioned in the other thread, the more I look through my manuscript for trademarked names, the more it dawns on me how this request undermines the authenticity of my story. I did a lot of research into what type of gun or airplane would be needed for a required task or what building is located at a certain intersection, but those are trademarked names, which means I would need to discard the fruits of that research, in favor of fictional makes, models, companies, etc.

The publisher’s refusal to negotiate on subsidiary rights is probably a deal breaker for me. From what I can tell, most of the books published by TWRP sell no more than a few hundred copies and earn the author no more than a few hundred dollars. Therefore, being published by TWRP is unlikely to get my story noticed and optioned by a producer but likely to deprive me of the right to turn the story into a screenplay and shop it to agents and producers myself. (Before I was a struggling novelist, I was a struggling screenwriter, so I like having the option of reworking a story intended for one medium, to work for the other.) Given that TWRP appears to be staffed almost entirely by freelancers, I seriously doubt they have a department dedicated to promoting and negotiating the sale of subsidiary rights, so this type of rights grab strikes me as a red flag.

I guess I’ve pretty much made up my mind, but I’ll wait until I hear back from the editor, in case there has been some sort of misunderstanding.
 

Wesley_S_Lewis

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Cross-posted from my "Ask the Agent" thread:

I sent the following question to the editor:

Would the requirement to remove all trademarked items also apply to the makes and models of cars characters drive, the brands of soda or liquor they drink, and the types of airplanes they fly in? Also, what about the makes/models of guns (e.g., “chrome-plated Beretta” or “Glock 19”) or characters saying they’re making a supply run to Walmart?

She confirmed that using trademarked makes, models, or brands in the aforementioned examples would not be allowed. She copied and pasted this explanation from some sort of internal FAQ (I say "internal" because I can't find it on their website):

<<Why we don’t use trademarks or copyrights in our stories:

Any use of trademarks or copyrighted names or references can result in liable action against you by the companies or persons you have referenced. None of the liability rests with The Wild Rose Press, Inc. Any fines or monies involved will rest solely on you, the author.

In the past, something of a similar nature occurred with one of our authors, but thankfully, the company in question agreed to a settlement with no legal action. We stood by her and aided in any way we could, but in the end the liability rested with her as we do not write the words, we only have rights to publish the work.>>

My response:

Thanks for the prompt response, XXXXXX.

Unfortunately, this requirement and its explanation are a little too far outside traditional publishing norms for me to feel comfortable proceeding with TWRP. I do, however, appreciate the time and consideration afforded my manuscript.
 
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semantica

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Do they accept simultaneous submissions? I can't find anything about that on their website.
 

gabi.pit

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Hello everybody. Here's my very long journey with TWP in short:

10/6/17 I queried
10/12/17 I received confirmation from Editor in Chief that she’s in receipt of my query
10/17/17 I received a request for partial
12/3/17 I received an r&r
12/31/17 I resubmitted full manuscript as requested
2/8/18 We had a discussion about the plot
2/24/18 I received another r&r, so the story would fit more to TWRP
4/20/18 I resubmitted with all the requested changes
4/21/18 I received a quick reply from the editor that the manuscript might be too long for them
4/22/18 I assured I was willing to shorten the story and asked if the word count was a strict rule; the editor answered it wasn’t, and promised to find out more about it
6/7/18 Too long. R.

The whole thing ended in a very polite manner, as we both wished each other all the best.

I hope this was helpful, and I wish you all best of luck in publishing your book.
 
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Sonya Heaney

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Does anybody know if they have always had a vanity publishing section? I didn't think so, because in the past (before I signed with my current publisher) I had them in mind to submit to. They started the careers of a few of my favourite authors, including two who went on to write for Big Five publishers. I think they put out some great books.

However, I looked them up again today when I was updating a list, and... https://www.thewildrosepress.com/publishingprograms

Now, listed alongside "traditional publishing", they also offer "assisted publishing" and "audio publishing", and they say:

Assisted Publishing

If you already have a finished book, but don’t have a way to sell it worldwide, then our Assisted Publishing program is for you.

Audio Distribution

Have a finished book, but can’t get it into Audio? This is the program for you. Choose from our stable of professional narrators and we’ll handle the rest.

The audiobook option is probably really helpful for self-published authors, but I'm not so sure about the "assisted publishing" thing. Do they also get called "Wild Rose Press" authors?
 

chracatoa

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I'm an author published by The Wild Rose Press (TWRP). Authors that are helped by the assisted publishing are not considered TWRP authors. They just help with the publishing and distribution.