Mischievous Muse Press

[KyraDune]

I was thinking of submitting my novella to Mischevious Muse Press. Everything I can find looks good, but I was wondering if anyone has dealt with them or knows anything about them.

 

[Sydewinder]

http://www.worldnouveau.com/

These guys?

 

[KTC]

Mischievous Muse is an environmentally friendly "green" alternative to traditional publishing. Utilizing Print On Demand as our primary printing source,

books are only printed when purchased, thus

saving paper, trees, and other valuable resources. Here are some other aspects of Mischievous Muse Press to consider:

* Global distribution of high quality books (refundable)

* Faster publishing turnaround time

* Books released in hard-bound and paperback simultaneously to reach a wider demographic

* Author involvement in the decision making process

* Contract can be terminated any time (3 month notice required)

* Indefinite circulation --your book never goes out of print and will never get "dropped" due to low sales.

* Author retains copyright

* Custom Book Cover Art/ Dust Jacket Design

* Experienced Professional Editors

* All writers are treated with respect

* We work with the author to: Publish as well

as promote the book, get hard cover & trade paperback copies on the shelf in bookstores (A Level), create a marketing plan and boost public awareness of the book through the creation of publicity tools such as bookmarks, posters and shelf-talkers, readings and signings (A Level)

1. *Mischievous Muse also represents the writer when larger publishing companies become interested in purchasing the book for mass market potential. Authors are encouraged to continue their journey to the "best-seller list" if a better opportunity presents itself.
   

 

[jennontheisland]

They

represent authors to larger publishing companies...We ask 20% if our efforts result in a sale to a larger company

Um, are they a publisher or an agent? Most agents only want 15%.

"We do not buy the rights to your work and therefore offer no advances."

Huh? How do they publish your work if they have no rights to it?

"Created by writers, for writers"

Ah, well that explains things. They have no experience being publishers.

 

[Sydewinder]

I was thinking of submitting my novella to Mischevious Muse Press. Everything I can find looks good, but I was wondering if anyone has dealt with them or knows anything about them.

I'd be very interested in knowing what you thought looked good.

ETA: what I mean to say is, while they may be legit (I don't know), they make statements that make me cringe. All but maybe 3 or 4 of their covers are terribly amateurish. I can't find any of their books on Amazon (only seem to be available on Lulu) --I don't even find another point of sale if I google the titles (so their marketing is not good)--and they don't seem to give any indication of who's behind the company. So far, I haven't seen anything "good."

ETA2: they do have a spot where it has links to who's behind the company. "Contacting the Mischief makers" I'll take a look when I have more time.

 

[veinglory]

No matter what I click I can't get to their 'what is a publishing partnership' page.

 

[Sydewinder]

It works for me. I'd paste it in here for you but I can't since it's an image file.

It's pretty much a list of statements that are entirely misleading about what makes them a better option than bigger publishers.

 

[veinglory]

Ah, it is working now. Love the line that says they don't buy rights but there is a contract where you grant them rights. Why all as an image? Weirder and weirderer.

 

[Sydewinder]

Oh, Oh, Oh, did you all notice the book-fostering program they have??? I can "Foster" a book for just $1,000 to $5,000. You know, I always wanted a book. But the good lord just didn't see fit to give me the opportunity. It's so nice that now I can foster one--perhaps an adoption program isn't too far away.

It's a great deal, too. I pay for the production and in return I get 1.00 a book . . . until 2011 when I only get $0.25 a book. But that's hardly an investment I can refuse. I mean, you can buy their books at LULU so you know they're going to be selling thousands of copies.

Excuse me a moment, my cute little foster-book just vomited on my shoes . . . I have to go get a mop.

 

[michael_b]

Oh, Oh, Oh, did you all notice the book-fostering program they have??? I can "Foster" a book for just $1,000 to $5,000. You know, I always wanted a book. But the good lord just didn't see fit to give me the opportunity. It's so nice that now I can foster one--perhaps an adoption program isn't too far away.

It's a great deal, too. I pay for the production and in return I get 1.00 a book . . . until 2011 when I only get $0.25 a book. But that's hardly an investment I can refuse. I mean, you can buy their books at LULU so you know they're going to be selling thousands of copies.

Excuse me a moment, my cute little foster-book just vomited on my shoes . . . I have to go get a mop.

Wow, where do we all sign up for this great investment opportunity?

 

[Sydewinder]

Wow, where do we all sign up for this great investment opportunity?

I'd add a link but I can't since they have such a peculiar website with only one address regardless of what page you're on.

 

[michael_b]

I'd add a link but I can't since they have such a peculiar website with only one address regardless of what page you're on.

Yeah I noticed that. Odd, very odd.

 

[Adobedragon]

They claim they are not a vanity press and that they charge no fees. Yet...

We work with the author to: Publish as well as promote the book, get hard cover & trade paperback copies on the shelf in bookstores (A Level), create a marketing plan and boost public awareness of the book through the creation of publicity tools such as bookmarks, posters and shelf-talkers, readings and signings (A Level)

So what's up with the "A Level" in parenthesis, above? It gives the impression that they are offering different levels or publishing packages to their authors. I.e., a vanity press.

The following claim seems dubious or at least, naive:

The editor who chose to publish your book will never move to another publishing company forcing your book into "literary limbo" (a common problem with larger publishing companies), because your contract is with MMP and the editors/writers/artists own the company.

Uh, that's a rather tall order. I mean, even owners leave or sell their businesses. Or they may have a partner buy them out of the business. You can't keep people from leaving a business, even the owners.

Ah, it is working now. Love the line that says they don't buy rights but there is a contract where you grant them rights.

I think they are confusing "copyright" with the assignment of primary and subsidiary rights, e.g. "print rights" et al.

 

[CaoPaux]

I'd add a link but I can't since they have such a peculiar website with only one address regardless of what page you're on.

For sites like that, right-click on the button for the page you want, and Copy Link Location. E.g., here's the What is a Publishing Partnership page: http://web.mac.com/origingraphics/Mischievous_Muse/What_is_a_Pub_Par.html

 

[nkkingston]

So what's up with the "A Level" in parenthesis, above? It gives the impression that they are offering different levels or publishing packages to their authors. I.e., a vanity press.

That or they're offering a UK academic qualification in Signings...

 

[KyraDune]

*Blushes* Well, maybe they don't sound so good after all.

 

[M.R.J. Le Blanc]

Better now than after signing.

 

[EdainH]

I read about this company in The Writer (current issue) and checked out their website. I understood things a little differently than what was cut and pasted above (like about the microinvestment thing, that isn't for their writers, it's for actual investors, writers don't pay anything). Has anyone who posted above had any REAL contact or does anyone have any REAL knowledge about the company or is everyone just guessing? I was going to submit and still want to but everyone who posted above made me nervous about it.

 

[veinglory]

The quotes direct from their website aren't just guesses. When it comes to new small presses, giving benefit of the doubt is a fraught practice. If they have sold books, I see little evidence of it yet. If they can and will, the website casts little light on how. By selling only via Lulu.com? Via their own website (PR=1)?

 

[victoriastrauss]

I wish I had a dollar for every small publisher that claims its business model is New! Different!! Better Than!!! the traditional one, but is really just dressing up POD and ignorance in the emperor's new clothes.

Feh.

- Victoria

 

[jennontheisland]

I read about this company in The Writer (current issue) and checked out their website. I understood things a little differently than what was cut and pasted above (like about the microinvestment thing, that isn't for their writers, it's for actual investors, writers don't pay anything). Has anyone who posted above had any REAL contact or does anyone have any REAL knowledge about the company or is everyone just guessing? I was going to submit and still want to but everyone who posted above made me nervous about it.

No one is guessing at anything. That's all directly from their website. Stated by them.

As for the investment thing, if they didn't have enough funds to operate and manage the business, they should have thought of that before they opened the doors. Most solid business plans include raising any capital investment prior to the first day of operations.

Regardless of who they're looking for money from, it doesn't make them look good.

 

[Jamiekswriter]

EdainH - what do you want a publisher to do for your book? Make a list and then ask them if they can provide that for you.

If it were me, I want a publisher to pay me a competitive advance. (Between $500 - $5,000 depending on the other services offered.) I would like them to put my book in chain stores (Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Walden Books, etc.), in addition to online. I would like them to have a decent return policy so my local bookstores feel comfortable about ordering from them. (Just being in bed with Ingram's doesn't matter.) I would want them to provide me with a professional cover. I would want them to put my book on their website and feel comfortable that they're driving traffic to their own website. I do not want to have to pay in anyway to get these services. I would like to get paid for any royalties on sales quarterly or at least have the ability to check on quarterly royalty sales figures. And I wouldn't want a minimum dollar amount to be reached before payment of royalties. (For example some publishers won't pay your royalties until it reaches $100.) I'd like to talk to other authors to see how the publisher marketed their books. I'd like to see the publishers annual sales figures.

I'd want an author friendly contract that is negotiable. In fact, all of the above things are negotiable. I want to feel that this publisher is experienced in the publishing world and that I'm not giving away my first publication rights for nothing.

I know how to use Amazon's create-a-space to publish my own POD books. I would get 100% of the royalties in that case. I would want to know what the publisher does to earn his portion of the royalties and decide if it's worth giving up 60% of my profit for it.

But that's just me

 

[veinglory]

My equivalent e/POD wishlist, should that be your thing, would be:

I would like the book to make at least $1000 within 2 years
I would expect them to list at online vendors including Borders, Amazon and Omnilit
I would like the POD offered with deep discount and unlimited returns so it will get into at least some chain stores
I would want them to provide me with a professional cover.
I would want them to put my book on a fast loading, customer friendly website with direct links to trusted points of sale (see above)
I do not want to have to pay in anyway to get these services.
I would like to get paid for any royalties on sales monthly with a detailed royalty report
I wouldn't want a minimum dollar amount to be reached before payment of royalties.
I would like, by some mechanism, to be able to estimate their ballpark average per title sales volume.

That was fun. I think most writers would benefit from knowing their a priori expectations and making them explicit.

 

[Sydewinder]

My equivalent e/POD wishlist, should that be you thing, would be:

I would like the book to make at least $1000 within 2 years
I would expect them to list at online vendors including Borders, Amazon and Omnilit
I would like the POD offered with deep discount and unlimited returns so it will get into at least some chain stores
I would want them to provide me with a professional cover.
I would want them to put my book on a fast loading, customer friendly website with direct links to trusted points of sale (see above)
I do not want to have to pay in anyway to get these services.
I would like to get paid for any royalties on sales monthly with a detailed royalty report
I wouldn't want a minimum dollar amount to be reached before payment of royalties.
I would like, by some mechanism, to be able to estimate their ballpark average per title sales volume.

That was fun. I think most writers would benefit from knowing their a priori expectations and making them explicit.

YEA! * But we should add, that we want the manuscript run through the gauntlet of professional editing.

 

[EdainH]

All of the above sounds like good advice and those are smart lists to go by. I really appreciate that because I hadn't thought of a lot of that stuff to consider when trying to get a publishing deal. The Writer Magazine made them seem legit, but they are a new company too so maybe they just aren't on the map yet. Time will tell!