Bluewood Publishing Ltd.

[kct webber]

I found this company posted at http://www.kiwiwriters.org/my/forum/announcements/1121.html

Here's a direct link: http://www.bluewoodpublishing.com/

And a link to a sample contract: http://www.bluewoodpublishing.com/SampleContract.html

How do these guys look to the gurus among us?

 

[rejectME]

I'm obviously not a guru of any sort on here, but I'll certainly give an answer that I'm pretty sure others would echo - the website is geared to writers and publishing, not towards people visiting in the hopes of buying books.

Right at the top of the page: "Working with you for a successful book." I think that says it all, but furthermore, they make the statement that they are NOT a vanity press. The fact that they feel the need to point this out, provides little comfort!

 

[Bartholomew]

From their website:

Bluewood Publishing are an international full royalty paying publisher. We do NOT charge you, the author, for our services. Providing your manuscript meets our submission, quality and content criteria we will edit it with you, design a cover, and publish it on all the major e-book websites. All we ask is that you actively promote your book and we will even help you to do this.

If they had a copy-editor, he or she may have noticed some missing hyphens. While this may seem nit-picky, I think that any publishing firm worth it's beans would be very interested in having a well-edited front page.

That said, their need to mention that they're a "royalty paying" publisher smacks entirely too much of Publish America when they call themselves a "traditional publisher."

That's a big red flag for me.

Still, it doesn't mean that they're not legit. It just means that they have an oddly worded web-page.

They've been around since the middle of 2009, and they've already put out more than 20 books. How much individual attention was each of those books given? How big is their editing department? From reading their website, I very much get the impression that they are a two-man operation.

They also appear to only sell e-books.

 

[Stacia Kane]

How are they "publish"ing books on "all the major e-book websites"? The biggest ebook sites are publishers themselves or retailers who do not publish books. Neither makes any sense in that context at all.

ETA: More red flags, from their "About" page:

Bluewood Publishing Ltd was formed in mid 2009 by two authors, one a New Zealander, one English, to try to provide publishing services, particularly to brand new authors.

Both of us initially had enormous difficulty in being accepted by a publisher and getting our books out there.
Over the months that followed we became friends, and realised we both had the ambition, drive and talents to move into the publishing field. Bluewood Publishing Ltd is the result.

1. "Brand new authors." Sigh

2. "We have no experience in publishing at all, not even as writers."

They also claim their "contracts either match or beat those of any other bona fide professional publisher out there," which a quick perusal of the contract terms proves to be untrue. They pay on net, which is not standard for epublishing.

You have to register to look at their Bookshop. Um, no thanks.

You have to register in order to see how much any of the books actually cost.

At least one book is 3,000 words long in its entirety, if I read the site correctly.

Googling their authors and titles shows no outlets for sale of the titles save the publisher's own website.

 

[veinglory]

I imagine the mean ebook vendors such as Omnilit, Fictionwise, Kindle etc.

 

[Stacia Kane]

I imagine the mean ebook vendors such as Omnilit, Fictionwise, Kindle etc.

Oh, I figured that's what they meant, but the fact that they think "publish" is the appropriate word for listing the books with a retailer is a big RF for me.

 

[colealpaugh]

Their name sounds dirty.

 

[James D. Macdonald]

<Pinches bridge of nose and shakes head>

See if they're still in business two years from now before you even consider submitting to them.

 

[kct webber]

I suspected as much. Too young a company for me, certainly. And I noticed the typos and the royalties on net thing too. I was equally concerned that they had to state on every page how they're "NOT A VANITY PUBLISHER!" Seems like they're preemptively defending themselves a bit, yeah? Maybe they're not, but that doesn't inspire confidence.

I mainly wanted to make sure they got some light over here. Thanks all.

 

[Gillhoughly]

I don't like this clause in the contract:

This Agreement shall be for a minimum of two (2) years from the date of publication, with automatic monthly renewal at the end of the two-year period.

In my contracts the agreement lasts until sales dip to the point where they declare my book out of print. While the above one is not as horrible as the PublishAmerica contract, I'd give it a pass.

I'm underwhelmed by the amateurish looking covers, too.

Have you tried submitting to the biggest publisher you can find?

In publishing you start submitting at the top and work your way down. This group is so far down you need a rope and a bullhorn.

Do what Uncle Jim says. Back off for two years.

Send your work to an advance paying commercial house.

The biggest you can find!

 

[kct webber]

Oh, I plan to start with the big guys, believe me. I have no intention of submitting to these guys. I just wanted to make sure a new publisher got the light of AW Bewares and Background Checks shined upon it.

 

[veinglory]

It seems to me that whether you call it 'vanity' or not they are an ebook self-publishing service, they don't have the identity, brand or direct readership to be a publisher.

 

[Sargentodiaz]

To reserect this thread - it's 2011 and they're still in business. They have an impressive list of books on a number of sites like Amazon, B&N and some others.

 

[veinglory]

They have some books out but the sales ranks are on the high ( low sales) side at least on amazon.

 

[Sargentodiaz]

They have some books out but the sales ranks are on the high ( low sales) side at least on amazon.

I wonder if it's because there's not a big publicity push.
In that case, they're gonna get a whole lot of feedback and pushing from me.

 

[veinglory]

There is no way to know why for sure. But in order to look like a baseline serious publisher they will need at least one book that sells 'well' somewhere -- that is true for any press. Then the question moves to who will do well by publishing with them, not whether it us even possible.

 

[Sargentodiaz]

As I posted elsewhere, Bluewood has, at long last, upgraded its website to be far more friendly to readers - as well as its authors.

I don't know how much my prodding, suggesting, and giving out information played a part, but they are now providing features to make themselves far more user-friendly.

I am most pleased with their blog. Their first post gave an awesome view of their selection and publishing program.

They also made another - to me - smart move by moving their "racy" titles to a subjection.

As to being "author friendly" they now have a Google group just for authors to share information and get to know one another.

Hope you all will check it out. I'd like to read your comments.

Oh yeah - I'm certain someone on their staff keeps an eye open here for their name.

 

[CaoPaux]

So, how have sales been for you? Your first book came out in February, and your second in October, yes?

 

[Sargentodiaz]

So, how have sales been for you? Your first book came out in February, and your second in October, yes?

Well, to be honest - they're slow. Part of the reason is that Bluewood leaves the publicizing to the authors. The best way is to get reviews and that isn't all that easy.

I get disheartened now and then but have to realize that J.K.Rowling spent years having her work ignored and turned down.

It's a matter of having your name become known.

As I've often said, writing and researching is the easy part. Selling yourself and your work is the hard part.

 

[veinglory]

In my experience what sells book for the most part is not someone running around doing publicity. It is how the work is presented, where it is distributed, and (for many genres) brand reputation of the publisher. You might expect author brand to be important but in my experience, not so much.

My advice would be to rethink the blurb and cover. The cover is hard to interpret and the font use is not great. The blurb gives a lot away. I feel like I already know most of what will happen which ruins any suspense.

 

[triceretops]

In my experience what sells book for the most part is not someone running around doing publicity. It is how the work is presented, where it is distributed, and (for many genres) brand reputation of the publisher. You might expect author brand to be important but in my experience, not so much.

My advice would be to rethink the blurb and cover. The cover is hard to interpret and the font use is not great. The blurb gives a lot away. I feel like I already know most of what will happen which ruins any suspense.

This plus 2.

 

[Sargentodiaz]

To date, I seem to be more successful in selling the novels face-to-face with individuals. I am very hopeful they will provide reviews so others will know whether or not they are worth buying.

As for covers and fonts I had little choice in the matter and took what I felt to be the best.

Again, there is little suspense to the story as it's historical. What else can it be?

I think the biggest thing I've done is put the dry history into the viewpoint of individuals that brings it alive to the reader.