Brighton Publishing FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. There are so many publishers; it's confusing and difficult to make a decision. How do I decide?

A. There are many companies providing just about every service a writer could imagine. Some are good, and some are not. Some are merely print shops. No publisher takes
everything that comes through the door. To begin with, they couldn't afford to fund them. Even if they could, their reputation would suffer. If a publisher establishes a reputation
for producing poor quality literary works, distributors, retailers, book reviewers and other industry professionals would be reluctant to handle their products (your book.) It's
important that your publisher has the ability to handle all aspects of publishing your work, from editing to final production and distribution for sale. Do they have their own staff
of administrative personnel, editors, graphic designers, marketing, etc? Do they accept book returns? Do they offer standard retailer discounts? Are they members of
professional associations?

One issue that writers need to be aware of, is the definition of the word “Publisher.” Not every company with the word “Publisher/ing” at the end of their name is a regular
publisher. The primary difference is whether the publisher has a vested financial interest in the success of your work. If a company has no vested financial interest in the success
of your work, they are probably a publishing services company, not a regular publisher. A Publishing services company may provide programs and/or services needed to get your
manuscript into print, but they are generally companies assisting authors in self-publishing under their company name. A regular trade publisher has a substantial financial
investment in the success of the authors work and makes their profit from their share of the income derived from the public sale of the work.

When determining what type of publisher is best for your particular work, the best advice, is to proceed with due diligence. You should choose a publisher that fits your specific
business needs. Treating your writing as a business is the most intelligent path to success. Whether it's a traditional publisher, subsidy publisher, vanity or self-publisher, it
should be a business decision. It's not a moral or artistic decision, it's a business decision that should fit your particular circumstance and goals. No one type is inherently best for
every author, as one size doesn't fit all in the publishing industry.

With any publisher, it's wise to make sure you have full disclosure, in writing, as to what are your responsibilities, and what are the responsibilities of the publisher. Overly broad
and vague agreements can result in misinterpretations and misunderstandings. Royalties is another significant issue in publishing agreements. Is the royalty schedule clear and
concise, or is it a vague extraction of some complex formula? Sometimes a royalty of 15% provides the author with more money than a 50% royalty. What is the basis for the
royalty calculation? When working with a subsidy publisher, if they fail to perform, can you cancel your agreement and receive a refund of your investment? You should always
consult an attorney and accountant before signing any agreement. These are just a few of the questions that should be asked and defined in the agreement.

Although it would sound romantic for us to say, "We fulfill your dreams to become a published author," that's not what we do. Publishing is a business, and we're in the business
of publishing, and marketing your book to readers who will buy it. We hope your dreams will be fulfilled by receiving a handsome royalty check when your book sells well.

Q. What is the time frame to get my book into print?

A. From submission to public release is typically nine to twelve months or longer depending upon the particular work. "The Publishing Process" link on the home page explains
this in more detail.

Q. Do you offer royalty advances, and when are they paid?

A. Yes. If we accept your manuscript to publish in a traditional format, we pay fifty percent upon acceptance, and fifty percent when the book is offered for sale. Royalties from
sales are paid quarterly.

Q. You state you offer 21st Century options in publishing. Can you clarify that?

A. We prefer the term "Traditional Publisher" or "Commercial Trade Publisher" as we believe it more clearly defines what we do. We offer publishing in two formats.

1. In our traditional publishing format, we provide a royalty advance and the author has no financial investment whatsoever. We bear all costs in the production and marketing
of the book. The author is paid royalties on sales. This format is generally offered to professional authors with exceptional manuscripts, prominent well known individuals with a
platform, or previously published authors who have a readership following and record of sales.

2. In our subsidy publishing format, if we believe the author has a viable work that we feel is marketable, we invest in publishing it. This means, we ask the author for an
investment of approximately fifteen percent and we make an investment of approximately eighty five percent. The percentages and amounts may vary depending on the specific
work. The author's investment is refunded after a specific number of books have been sold. Subsidy publishing is not a lesser format, and we publish and market the book in the
same manner as in our traditional publishing format. The author is paid royalties on sales. In the subsidy publishing format, the author retains more rights and has the option to
cancel the publishing agreement and receive a refund at any time, for any reason. The validity of subsidy publishing is evidenced by the fact that Random, Hay House, Thomas
Nelson, Harlequin, Lifeway and other major publishers all have subsidy imprints.

What we offer, is an opportunity to achieve success through our company. No smoke or mirrors, no unrealistic promises or guarantees, no inflated offerings. We offer a realistic
approach to become published with transparency and disclosure in an open and ethical manner. We're not the only ones doing what we do, but we believe we're a little different,
and believe that difference, makes the difference in our mutual success.

Q. You state your books are available through book stores. Does this mean your books are physically in these stores?

A. The answer is yes and no. Realistically, it would impossible for stores to stock every published book. The store would have to be the size of a small state to physically
accommodate them. Anyone who says their books are stocked in every store is being less than candid. Some stores are reluctant to physically inventory self-published, vanity or
subsidy published books. Whether a book is returnable, and the retailer's discounts are important factors considered in stocking books. A publisher's reputation also plays an
important role. Most of the books on the shelves of book stores, particularly the larger chains, are produced by large traditional publishing houses. Retailers are aware these
publishers are generally more selective in what they publish and may provide a higher quality product. This is not to say small publisher's books will not be stocked. Stores may
order them as they would any other book, because they are listed in the same distributor/wholesaler catalogs. Think of it as being analogous to a clothing retailer. Most of their
clothing is purchased from large clothing manufacturers with a lesser amount purchased from smaller manufacturers. Most companies also allow store managers flexibility in
ordering, allowing them to stock a number of books of their choice. Any published book in print with an ISBN number, including ours, not physically on the shelves of these
stores, can be easily ordered and purchased.

Q. So, what are the chances of my book being stocked?

A. Understanding the retail bookstore business provides some insight into how stores select titles for in-store stock. Ten years ago, the American Bookstores Association (ABA)
had around 3,200 members; today they have roughly half that number. The bookstores which have survived are downsizing and looking at the new format “Coffee Bar style”
store. These new stores will have the latest e-book technology, fewer in-stock titles, and most purchases will be ordered or printed on site with the new Espresso Book Machine.
What this means to publishers and authors is fewer, smaller bookstores, and greater competition for shelf-space. The typical big-box retail store stocks around 200,000 books.
Most of these books are from major publishing houses offering known or best-selling authors. Considering well over a thousand books are released into the market every 24
hours, 365 days a year, and Bowker’s set a record by issuing 3.5 million ISBN’s in 2010, obviously bookstores cannot stock every title in print. One important point to remember
is that for every customer browsing in a brick and mortar bookstore, there are thousands of customers browsing for books online.

By necessity, in order to survive in the present climate, bookstores are more risk adverse than ever and are not stocking many titles from unknown authors. Add to this mix the
fact that most titles from small publishers are non-returnable print on demand from unknown authors with debut offerings, the odds are pretty much against any bookstore
having your book on the shelf. Just like the millions of other available books not on the shelf, your book can be purchased at any retail bookstore and delivered to the store or
your doorstep within days of the purchase.

Q. Am I a published author if I publish with Brighton?

A. If you are published under the Brighton Publishing name, you are a legitimate published author.

Q. Does Brighton maintain my information in confidence?

A. We do not release any information about an author without the author's consent. This applies to pen names, personal information, publishing formats, contract terms or any
other area of our relationship with an author.

Q. You state you do not take every manuscript. How many do you accept?

A. We accept about five percent of the manuscripts we receive for follow up consideration, and offer publishing contracts for only a small portion of that percentage.

Q. I notice some publishers offer websites for free. Do you provide that service?

A. We looked at the option of offering websites, and found it is simply not viable. We're not in the website business. Some publishers offer websites for free initially, but there is
usually a catch. The website may be free as long as the book is being handled by them, with free hosting, but sometimes changes must be uploaded through them. Hosting fees
are sometimes charged after the initial year. These free websites clearly belong to the publisher and are filled with their advertising links, banner ads and other marketing
designed to benefit them. If you're going to have a website, make it yours, promoting yourself and your book. You can then charge others for links, banner ads, and advertising.
If you need a free website and don't mind a few banner ads, there are some free website companies such as www.webnode.com, weebly.com and www.webs.com. These companies
offer free websites with site building programs at no cost.

Websites can also be obtained through companies like Yahoo and others for as little as $9.95 a month including hosting and domain name registration. They provide the software
with hundreds of templates to choose from, free updates and 24/7 unlimited content changes. These features are included in their base monthly charge. Our website, for example,
is constructed by a family member using a basic Sitebuilder program.

Q. Some publishers offer video trailers of author's books. Do you offer that service?

A. Video trailers have not shown to be one of the most productive advertising mediums. The cost when professionally contracted, generally outweighs any potential profits that
may be derived from the trailer. Some books, especially ones that are difficult to describe can benefit from trailers. We do produce trailers at no cost to our authors for many of
our books, and are part of a comprehensive marketing program.

Q. I've heard that some vanity, subsidy and self-publishers are scams. Is there any truth in that?

A. There is some truth in that. It's no different than saying some independent auto repair shops are disreputable compared to factory dealerships (which also have their issues).
Many independent auto repair shops are far superior in workmanship, quality and pricing to factory dealerships.

Those who paint the various types of publishers with a broad brush, blending them together as if they were the same, are patently incorrect and doing writers a disservice. These
individuals clearly have their own motives for muddling the waters and convoluting the issues. These are distinctly different types of publishing, each having their own advantages
and disadvantages. Some vanity, subsidy and self-publishing companies have, in fact, given these types of publishers reason to be more carefully scrutinized before signing on the
dotted line. It's interesting to note some writers websites that rally against anything but traditional publishing, accept and are supported by ad revenues from the very publishers
they rally against. Clearly, an example of putting profit over principle.

There are many excellent publishers in every area of publishing providing legitimate alternatives to traditional publishing. A number of the most highly reputable large
traditional publishers also operate or have investments in subsidy imprints: Hay House, Thomas Nelson, Harlequin, Lifeway and Random House, are just a few.

Q. Do you have your own graphic designers and editors, or do you send it out?

A. We have our own in-house graphic designers and editors.

Q. Do you provide my book as an e-book on CD that I can sell?

A. We provide you with a master PDF of your book. You can make copies on your own computer, or we can make them for you. Your book in PDF format can be uploaded to
Kindle's, Nook's, etc. It can also be read on any computer for those without a portable e-reader.

The advantage of having your book on CD, is you can offer it for sale with your print book. Generally, locations such as a book signing, speeches, professional functions, book
clubs or anywhere people gather, are excellent for e-book sales. Because your e-book on CD is less expensive than your paper book, sales at some locations are sometimes much
better. You should offer your book in both formats, paper and e-book, whenever possible. Your net profit on a CD is substantially higher than a printed book. This could turn a
moderately profitable event into excellent profits.

Q. What do you think about social networking?

A. Social networking in today's market is essential for promoting your book. As we work with you, we'll go into detail about promoting your book through Twitter, Facebook,
MySpace and other sites. We'll show you the tips, tricks, and techniques of posting on message boards, social networking sites and getting your information out to the world
through the Internet. These marketing mediums help to create excitement about your new book.

Q. Do I really need editing? Isn't this something I can do myself instead of spending money for a professional?

A. When sending your work for queries or submissions, it's not necessary to have it professionally edited. Agents and publishers are generally more concerned with content than
with a few errors. Legitimate traditional and subsidy publishers provide professional editing as part of the publishing process at no additional expense to the author. If a company
requires your work be professionally edited as a condition of acceptance, this should raise suspicion. When self-publishing, professional editing is always recommended. Your self-
published book should be the best it can be, and reflect your best work. There are numerous professional editors offering their services on the Internet. If self-publishing, we
suggest you educate yourself first; then shop and make decisions.

It is acceptable to perform the initial edit of your manuscript if you have a strong command of language, including grammar, punctuation and spelling. Otherwise, employ the
services of a professional editor. Professional editing deals with more than just grammar. Substantive editing deals with story line and structure, character and plot development,
clarity, improper use of words, and much more. Even the best writers many times need the impartiality of an editor to correct their mistakes. The chance of an author catching all
the errors in their manuscript is slim. Keep in mind, the writer is the one who introduced the errors in the first place. If they were aware of the errors, they wouldn't be there.

Next to the storyline, editing is probably the single most important element in a good book. Poorly edited books make the author look like an amateur. Poor editing can hurt a
book before it has a chance of success. If a professional book reviewer is taking their valuable time to review a book and finds a glut of distracting errors, it might end up in the
trash without being read. The glut of poorly edited self-published books has created a bad reputation in the industry and reluctance by some professionals to take them seriously.
If you're going to be a professional writer, be professional, by using professionals. New writers who do all of their own editing are, in many cases, being penny-wise and pound-
foolish.

Q. What are my chances of being successful and becoming a best selling author?

A. Obviously, your best chance to become a successful, best selling author is in having your work picked up by a large traditional house.
What we offer, is an opportunity for success for those authors who have not had that opportunity. Additionally, it depends on your definition of "success," and "best selling
author." Success means different things to different people. The odds of becoming a rich and famous author are about the same as getting off a bus in Hollywood and becoming a
movie star. Although it may sound discouraging, many people are writing every day, hoping to have their work published and make a respectable income. A few make it to the
top, achieving fame and fortune.

There are many authors, although not rich and famous, who make a comfortable income by writing. These mid-list writers produce books on a regular basis, and although never
achieving status as a best selling author, they make a handsome living. They are similar to character actors in movies. Most people may not know their name, but they have roles
in many movies. These actors may never have a star on Hollywood's "Walk of Fame" but make substantial incomes, achieving success in their craft.

Success as a writer should be viewed as a process, not an event. It's rare for a writer to achieve instant success on their first work. Many famous writers have re-released their
previously unsuccessful early works that become best sellers.

For a number of years, we operated a small local literary agency specializing in academic and niche markets. Some of those authors defined success as being published and
receiving professional recognition from their peers. Financial gain was not their goal. Others, achieved modest financial returns and considered that to be a success. A
numismatist whose book on ancient coins was published and achieved local popularity, provided the author a return of a few thousand dollars profit. That particular author,
defined the meager return as "wildly successful." Another author, with a niche market book received a profit of a few thousand dollars and was totally disheartened, considering
his book a complete failure. Two authors with almost identical financial returns, yet opposite definitions of success.

Q. Some publishers offering publishing in formats other than traditional, are viewed as making their profits by selling authors their own books.
Where do you make your profits?

A. There is no need or requirement for an author to purchase any books. In our traditional and subsidy formats, we provide books sent to reviewers and others. We also provide
the author an ample supply of their books at no cost. Should the author wish to purchase additional books for their own sales or any other reason, they may purchase their books
at 40 to 50% off retail. We make our money from our author's books being sold to the public.

For example, in our subsidy publishing format, we invest in the author's work by providing editing, copyright, design, registrations, marketing and advertising, in addition to
everything else needed to actually produce the book. The author, provides a subsidy investment which only covers a fraction of our costs. Just crunching the numbers shows that
when we do what we promise in our agreement, the author's investment alone wouldn't come close to covering those costs. If the author independently contracted the services we
provide in our subsidy format, it would cost many times what we ask as an author investment. If the book doesn't sell well, we've both lost a return on our investment. Because
we only make a return on our investment if the book does sell well, common sense dictates that we would make our best effort to make it successful.

Q. Are the books you produce, the same quality as other publishers?

A. Our books are manufactured to professional industry standards. They are produced on the latest high technology equipment, and are top quality commercially produced
books. Our books are completed to the highest standards in both content and design. They are the same quality as books produced by the largest publishing houses.

Q. Do I need to protect my manuscript with a copyright, before sending it to publishers?

A. If a publisher agrees to publish a work, copyright protection is always included.

Some new writers, believe their manuscript might be stolen if they send it to a publisher or agent. This is so rare, as to be practically non-existent. We have no knowledge of this
ever happening. It is basically an urban myth. This does not mean that it's safe to post your work on writers websites, blogs or other on-line locations viewed by millions of
anonymous people. Writers who post on such sites, are usually providing their work for a peer critique of their manuscript. This is in some cases unwise, and they are increasing
the likelihood that someone may steal their idea, story, characters or the manuscript in its entirety.

A work is automatically copyrighted by law the moment it is put into a tangible medium. No registration or use of the copyright symbol (©) is needed. In the unlikely event of
theft, most writers could easily prove they are the original author of their work. Computer files, handwritten notes, original drafts, e-mails, printed manuscripts, statements of
those having read the manuscript, are evidence in support of authorship.

Some writers, will place a copyright symbol on their work in the belief it may deter theft. In some cases this may be unwise, as a quick check for copyright through www.copyright.
gov may show it is not copyrighted. It's poor protection to place a copyright symbol on work that is not copyrighted. Additionally, it's disingenuous, fraudulent, and makes the
writer look like an amateur.

Q. When should I offer my work to an agent or publisher?

A. A work should only be offered to an agent or publisher when it's finished. If only the first three chapters have been completed or the work is incomplete in any way, it should
be clearly stated in the submission. Unless the work is time sensitive and/or clearly understood it's incomplete or in rough draft form, it should always reflect the author's best
efforts, without excuse or qualifiers. Excuse or qualifier, means an explanation of why the work doesn't meet literary standards or identifying negative issues with the work. A
good analogy would be a food critic evaluating a chef's signature dish and being told, "It's a little under cooked, but with proper cooking and a little more seasoning, it would
really taste good." It's doubtful the signature dish would receive a favorable review. A work doesn't necessarily need to be perfect, but it should not be filled with distracting,
obvious errors. The job of an agent or publisher is not to select work that may have potential if properly written, but to select well written work that meets literary standards with
market potential.

Q. Should I use profanity and street language in my book?

A. This is a question that is often asked. There is no definitive answer. Profanity in a book is similar to profanity in a movie. From a marketing standpoint, there is no question
that profanity may limit the market for a book. Some authors believe it adds realism to the characters, others believe it is unnecessary and denigrates the literary quality. The
decision is solely up to the author and publisher, but should be made with a realistic understanding of the possible consequences in marketing and selling the book.

Q. In what format should I submit my manuscript to publishers?

A. Your manuscript should be submitted in a plain document with as little formatting as possible. Don't use fancy or unusual fonts or configure your manuscript to look like a
book. Publishers are interested in the content, not the author's interior layout design talent. The standard for submission is a MS Word document, 12 point Times New Roman or
Arial font. Don't send your manuscript in multiple files. In other words, if each chapter is contained in one file, don't send them individually. Combine the files into one
document. If you wish to be viewed as a professional, learn to use the tools of your trade like a professional. Learning to use MS Word properly is essential. Considering that MS
Word is the definitive tool of the trade in writing, an author with a poor understanding of how to use the program properly might be viewed as unprofessional.

The format should be based upon the specific guidelines as outlined in the publisher's "Submissions" requirements. Publishers do pay attention to who does and does not follow the
guidelines. It should be professionally worded as one professional communicating with another professional. Statements such as, "I am giving you a chance to pick up the next
best seller," and similar statements indicate to the publisher they may be dealing with someone who has unrealistic expectations. The relationship between a publisher and an
author is a professional business relationship that continues for a number of years. No publisher wishes to deal with an author who is unrealistic or exhibits an immature attitude.

Q. Do you allow your authors to sell their own books and keep the total revenue?

A. Yes. Our authors can order their books from us at wholesale and sell them at retail in any venue that does not directly compete with our marketing efforts. Our attitude is
this accomplishes two things. First it allows the author to promote their book and we view it as marketing. Secondly, it allows the author in a subsidy format to recoup a
substantial amount of their author investment in addition to the other regular distributor retail sales royalties. In a traditional format, it allows the author to literally be paid for
their own marketing efforts in addition to the other regular retail sales royalties. We've had authors sell hundreds of books netting thousands of dollars in as little as two book
signings. Other authors have attended events where books can be sold and have done equally well.

To our knowledge we are the only publisher who provides this benefit.

Q. Why do publishers request the manuscript in MS Word instead of a PDF which provides more protection for the author?

A. Actually a PDF provides no protection of a work sent to a publisher. Publishers have sophisticated programs that convert PDF's to Word documents in a single click.
Unfortunately that conversion deletes the hidden formatting and converts it into the settings of the new word document. By having the original Word document, a publisher is
able to determine if they have an author with a twelve year old version of Word or a newer version. It allows a review of the hidden formatting to see everything that has been
done to the document including word count, characters, fonts, editing, changes and a multitude of other things. It additionally allows us to see if the writer has a command of the
program. If a writer is not using the Word settings such as paragraph spacing, indents and so forth and is using the keyboard to manipulate text, it allows us the opportunity to
instruct the writer in the proper use of the program prior to submitting the final manuscript. This saves the editorial staff many hours in not having to undo everything in the
manuscript and completely reformat it with new settings. Considering that our editing is done in a collaborative effort with the author using the track changes feature and a
number of other features, we can work with the author in learning the program to expedite the editing process.

Have questions? Drop us a note on the "Contact Us" page.

©2010 Brighton Publishing LLC