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[Publisher] Foundations, LLC

C Alberts

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Well, I randomly chose one author and looked his books up. On Amazon, the ebooks are listed with the publisher's name, but the paperbacks are listed as Createspace. I checked Ingram, and it lists hardcovers with Lulu as the publisher and paperbacks with Createspace (both short discount and nonreturnable).

I would be concerned that they aren't using their own ISBNs for print editions - that seems strange.

I also noticed on their submissions page that they do not accept stories with M/M or W/W. They say it is because they don't have anyone on staff with a 'point of reference' about it. I'm not sure what to make of that. I understand that there are publishers who specialize in LGBT but I don't know if it is common for a publisher to avoid anything LGBT....?
 

veinglory

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I think it is a case of over-explaining in an effort to not offend and ending up back at offensive--by implying gay people are more incomprehensible to them than aliens or elves.
 

Thedrellum

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They lost me at "Where the Author Comes First." Makes them sound like they don't care about selling books, since they are selling themselves to authors first and foremost.
 

shadowsminder

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Our mission is to exceed the expectations of our authors and the reading community
with an uncompromising commitment to quality, individualism and personal pride.

Foundation is not exceeding my expectations with its website. Who created that awful menu? The image sizes and semi-hidden text... ugh. The bio photo for the "Award Winning Cover Designer" is creepy. The vibe overall is unprofessional.

Bigger Issues of Concern

The range of genres is too broad for a new publisher:
- Romance
- Thriller/Suspense
- Paranormal
- Horror
- Science Fiction
- Fantasy
- Young Adult
- Children's
- Sports [non-fiction?]
- Christian
- Poetry

The following is not standard practice, as far as I'm aware. (The bolding is mine.)
When submitting a children's manuscript for consideration, illustrations must already be in place. Stories without illustrations will be considered only if the author has a sample of the artwork by their chosen illustrator. The cost for illustrations will not be the responsibility of Foundations.

Nothing is said of payment other that what isn't offered--no compensation for children's illustrations and no advance.

I'm not impressed by the covers, excerpts, or categorization. (The focus appears to be on Romance through most of the genre listings.)

Plus, what's already been mentioned above.
 

ctripp

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aspirit, totally agree! Putting the financial responsibility for PB Illustration, as well as entrusting the writer to choose a good Illustrator for the project, is NOT standard practice for a true Commercial Publisher. In fact, submitting a PB manuscript WITH an Illustrator's art (when the Illustrator is NOT the writer themselves) is usually the first mistake a new kid lit writer makes and the fastest way to rejection.
 

Barbara R.

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This one appears new: https://www.foundationsbooks.net/

Thoughts?

They claim they don't hit writers up for money, but I have my doubts. The principals don't have much in the way of publishing experience and sound more like --sorry--wannabe writers. They pay no advances, which means no agents will submit to them. Since they won't have access to agented writers, they're choosing titles from agents' slush piles, assuming they're choosing at all and not just taking on all comers. The thing about kids' book writers having to provide their own illustrations is unprofessional. They're wooing writers as customers: hence all the palavar about serving writers first. There's nothing I could see on the site about how they distribute. One would have to see a contract to know what exactly the deal is, but there's nothing promising here on the face of it.
 
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Not a Newbie

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Anyone know anything new about this publisher? Any recent experience?
 

Maryn

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I'd be surprised if any of our members submitted to them, considering the content of this thread. But I'll keep you company for a while, see if anything pops up.

Maryn, sharing coffee
 

Not a Newbie

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Thank you, Maryn!

I did some asking around with their authors and the results were not great. Taking 2+ years for release, no editing to speak of, out-of-pocket for marketing in a big way. Guess I thought perhaps things might have improved from what was reported above with some experience. What was I thinking??
 
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Maryn

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IIRC, the saying is translated from Russian: They say hope is the last to die.
 
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