Disappointed that my query letter to agents and publishers re. my completed novel yielded no takers, I was nonplussed to receive – months later – an acceptance letter, contract, and promise of an advance. After picking myself up from the floor, I reread the contract, and realised that it was nothing of the sort. In fact, I had been ‘selected’ to avail myself of the editing and marketing services of the publishing house for a not inconsiderable sum (£3,500). Has anyone else received such an ‘offer’? If so, was it more than an upmarket form of vanity publishing? It probably goes without saying that I don’t have the readies required. My wife suggested creating a Kickstarter campaign to cover the cost. Would this be considered bad crowd-funding form? Thanks in advance for any advice offered. Regards, falparsi
Run away now. If the company is asking for your money, it's vanity. No reputable publisher will do that.
It's a vanity publisher out to extract money from you. Unless you want some copies of your opus to give out to f&f as gifts, bin that letter.
yep don't walk away, run... in a trad deal money goes from the publisher to the author not the other way round... editing and marketing is part of what they do in return for 90% of your royalties. also if you were foolish enough to take it up I wouldn't expect either the marketing or editing to be any good, because they make their money selling services to authors, not selling books to readers and even if you do want copies to give out as gifts there are far cheaper ways put that litter in the cats litter tray where it belongs
Thanks for the replies, guys, and gif (my wife loved it!). The contract has been carefully filed in our blue bin.
