Publishing: Electronic Publishing
March 12, 2009 by B J Keltz
Electronic publishers (EPubs) are companies who purchase manuscripts for electronic publishing formats. EPubs accept submissions the same way traditional publishing houses do. They work with authors on edits and revisions, create cover art, produce formats for various electronic readers and software, and market their books on line. They are in the business of making money, just as the New York houses are, but generally have lower overhead and lower cover prices.
Submission guidelines are every bit as strict; some EPubs even require agents. However, the end product is digital, though several EPubs offer tree book options through PoD outsourcing. Publishing Central has a list of EPubs with links to individual sites. View the submission guidelines, and remember, a real EPub never asks the author for money. Ever. For an example of submission guidelines from an award-winning EPub, here’s the link to Ellora’s Cave Author Information Guide. (please note, although the link is a .PDF file appropriate for all ages, the site itself is not appropriate for children…this is the home of the trademarked Romantica and Exotika imprints). This publisher sells around 65,000 EBooks a month with cover costs below $6.99.
The reasons EPubs are successful are easy to identify. In a nation of instant gratification, you can browse books, read their cover copy, excerpts and blurbs, place an order, download, and be reading, all in a matter of minutes, from any place you have internet access. With a variety of formats available, you can find books for your reader easily.
The other part of this picture is cost. Ebooks at Ellora’s Cave vary in length and are priced accordingly, as mentioned above. Foremost Press, like Ellora’s Cave, frequently offers tree books in addition to EBooks. Most EBooks are $2.97-$6.97. Compare that to a newly released hard cover book at $15-$35 each. The quality is no different from the tree book counterparts, and a whole new generation of book buyers is more than open to electronic formats.
A few EPubs pay advances. Many do not. Generally, EPubs are more generous with royalties than TPubs. A popular book can potentially net the author as much or more than a typical first time author advance. Add in the PoD portion of the electronic business (for those of us addicted to holding 200 plus pages in our hands) and everyone is happy. PoD books are produced only when ordered, so there is no waste, few if any remainders, and no overhead for storage. That allows for the reduced cost over a new release hardcover or trade paperback tree book.
Several traditional publishers are following suit, making their books available electronically after going to press. This model works well for Harlequin, as they can continue to sell a ttile after it is out of print in paperback. More New York houses are releasing tree and EBooks simultaneously to garner sales to Kindle and E-Reader owners, though the formats are available to anyone with a computer.
The primary difference is that TPubs are primarily in the tree book business while EPubs are primarily in the EBook business. In order to please the majority, each must include the other format as well. At this stage, EPubs have the capability to be flexible and operate with fewer losses. It is entirely possible that EPubs could emerge unscathed if the New York houses fell down.
A viable avenue for aspiring authors, we believe electronic publishing will continue to grow and expand, especially given their ability to adapt and keep pace with advances in technology. A few things you should remember: a true publisher does not ask the author for money. As the old saying goes, money flows TO the author, not away. Do not be fooled. If a publisher is asking you for money, walk away. Another thing to watch for are the rights you are expected to give to the publisher. Ellora’s Cave expects your digital, audio, translation and secondary/subsidiary rights. An agent might be able to negotiate better terms, and the New York houses often will not require an author to give up rights that the author could sell elsewhere (subsidiary rights includes, for example, your ability to sell the movie rights). An author might expect to give up digital and print rights to an EPub. The others should be negotiable. We cannot say if they are, as the contracts are only presented upon offer. Our best recommendation is to find an agent experienced with EPubs and have them negotiate your contract.
