Chapter One of the sequel in my series

Good read.

... but I hope Pedro’s not dead. :-(

121 posted on 07/12/2025 2:02:58 PM PDT by generally ( Don't be stupid. We have politicians for that.)

... but I hope Pedro’s not dead. :-(

... hate to break it to ya....

... but there are plenty of people that stay alive in my first title!

122 posted on 07/12/2025 2:06:53 PM PDT by Lazamataz (I'm so on fire that I feel the need to stop, drop, and roll!)

Love it. Are you a Benjamin Wallace fan?

123 posted on 07/12/2025 2:40:48 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (TDS much?)

I have not heard of the man. Should I learn of him?

124 posted on 07/12/2025 2:50:34 PM PDT by Lazamataz (I'm so on fire that I feel the need to stop, drop, and roll!)

It’s a mixed bag, on publisher. We went with Page Publishing. It has mixed reviews, but have seemed pretty legit. They likely don’t turn too many away; but the contract is very straightforward. I get the sense that some go into these deals thinking they’re the next Stephen King and when their books don’t sell, or they are not getting accolades, they leave bad reviews.

My wife and I have a marketing plan (this is me using my MBA, it might come in handy. Maybe... With a lot of luck).

We went hybrid publishing for the convenience in using their network. They work with book design, cover art (though we are using our own cover design), distribution, marketing, audio books, etc.

With both my wife and I working full-time, and running a separate LLC, having to do all the other legwork for the novelette, welikely would have never gotten it off the ground.

125 posted on 07/12/2025 2:53:16 PM PDT by snork55 (theirs is not to wonder why, theirs is but to do or die... )

To: snork55; piytar

Regarding Page Publishing: If you have not sent them money yet, I’d steer clear.

What I read was not good. This is from ChatGPT:

Page Publishing is a legally registered, fee-based publishing service headquartered in Meadville, PA. It does deliver the product it promises—a printed and digital book distributed to the major online retailers—but nearly every independent watchdog classifies it as a vanity press rather than a traditional or author-friendly hybrid publisher. Up-front costs can run into the low five figures; watchdogs cite opaque upsells, aggressive telemarketing, and poor post-launch sales for most titles. Authors do occasionally report smooth experiences, and the company holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, yet overall consumer ratings, professional assessments, and the sales record of its catalog all point to a “buyer-beware”

There is much more, but it is poorly formatted for Free Republic.

I also work a full time job, but I still make time for DIY publishing and for marketing.

126 posted on 07/12/2025 3:10:19 PM PDT by Lazamataz (I'm so on fire that I feel the need to stop, drop, and roll!)

127 posted on 07/12/2025 3:18:33 PM PDT by Fledermaus ("It turns out all we really needed was a new President!")

128 posted on 07/12/2025 3:22:38 PM PDT by Lazamataz (I'm so on fire that I feel the need to stop, drop, and roll!)

Not near as bad as that. We did an option that covers 6k in fees that works the distribution design, and other services I indicated previously. The basic runs about 3k.

Author Royalties: Publisher shall pay to Author all funds Publisher receives from the respective vendors for sales of the printed and digital copies of the Work, less a 20 cent commission/administrative fee per copy sold. Quarterly accounting reports listing all sales from each distribution outlet and all net profit generated, as per each respective outlet’s most recent
terms and conditions, will be provided to Author by Publisher.

Recoupment of Author’s Investment: Publisher shall not be entitled to any commission/administrative fee as defined above until such time that Author has received a sum total of print and eBook book sales revenue equal to the amount invested by Author under this Agreement.

Without going to all the other services, the contract was fair.

This is the issue. Whether our novelette falls in this category or not, if the book does so poorly you never recoupment the amount invested, which goes first to the author before Page Publishing gets their cuts, people would be disgruntled. The investment saves me time, which is a commodity, and allows me to focus on writing, my LLC, and my full-time job. Oh and my hobby of whiskey making 😀. NOTE: Legally done at a local Distillery.

If our book does well, we get paid back first, whereas a traditional Publisher might give and advance, but then, they get paid first and the Royalties are, maybe 20%. With Page, the Royalties are in the 70% plus range.

To date, I do not have reason to believe they are dishonest. As a former federal agent, I am not easy to trust and scrutinize most everything.

129 posted on 07/12/2025 5:07:39 PM PDT by snork55 (theirs is not to wonder why, theirs is but to do or die... )

Ok. Sounds like you did youe homework. Let me know how it works out, and stay in touch.

130 posted on 07/12/2025 5:10:01 PM PDT by Lazamataz (I'm so on fire that I feel the need to stop, drop, and roll!)

Absolutely. Who knows, this could all go south 🤔 👀 for all I know, and lesson learned.

I ordered your paperback and am looking forward to the read.

I will be more than happy to tell you about our journey with Page.

131 posted on 07/12/2025 5:48:35 PM PDT by snork55 (theirs is not to wonder why, theirs is but to do or die... )

To: alexander_busek

I was aware of this wobble but figured it wasn't very much. Thanks for the update.

132 posted on 07/12/2025 11:42:24 PM PDT by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)

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