Thread by @Soc_of_Authors

Gather round, everyone. We need to talk about widespread bad practice among companies that charge writers for publication. This is a long thread, but it’s important. So read on. Share. And be very concerned.

#IsItASteal

To clarify, we are not talking about self-publishing services. We are talking about publishing deals where the writer not only pays thousands for publication but also hands over rights in their work.

#IsItASteal

Some of these companies call themselves ‘hybrid’ publishers, others ‘contributory’, ‘subsidy’, or ‘partnership’ publishers. In the past they might have been called ‘vanity’ publishers.

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Many prey on the vulnerability of writers who are desperate to be published but who have little understanding of this complex industry. Many position themselves as traditional publishers.

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Many of the contracts we see often have opaque terms, with too many rights taken and vague commitments that are never followed through.

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We see marketing tactics used to promote publishing services which promise loads - but the reality is often high fees followed by appalling aftersales treatment.

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In recent years, as we received more and more queries from members about this type of publishing deal, we became increasingly concerned.

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Too many writers were paying thousands (far more than self-publishing would cost) to publish books, only to be let down by these ‘hybrid’ / paid-for publishers, selling just a handful of copies.

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So, we ran a survey last year with our friends at @TheWritersGuild (supported by @ALCS_UK) to find out more. This is what it told us…

SPOILER: gloomy facts to follow.

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94% of writers lost money with this type of deal, typically in the thousands. Let’s replay that. 94% lost money.

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The average loss was £1,861 with some writers reporting losses as high as £9,900.

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The median cost of publication was £2,000. A median of only 67 books were sold per deal, resulting in royalties of just £68. (That’s not the net figure after costs - it's actual receipts including sales to friends and family).

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Only 30% of writers said they were informed of their Consumer Rights and given clear notice that they could cancel within 14 days.

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Survey respondents reported aggressive marketing tactics by ‘hybrid’ / paid-for publishers in their approaches to writers, with manipulative sales approaches, unclear contracts, obscure publishing processes and services that fell far short of expectations and value.

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As one writer told us, ‘After four months of unsuccessfully trying to get more support from the company, I gave up trying to contact them. My first royalty statement shows earnings of £30. I see the £2,000 I paid them as lost.’

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And another who in return for £2,300 ‘received the ebook, 25 physical copies, 10 posters, 25 postcards, 100 flyers and 50 bookmarks – after which I believe the company washed its hands of me’.

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And another who paid £5,000 and said the process ‘completely destroyed my faith in their ability to produce a book and market it effectively, and the experience has dented my confidence in publishing in general’.

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This is not OK. It’s time for change.

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Today, we call on all publishers to commit to 15 key publishing principles, designed to promote transparency, fairness and professionalism. We have written to many already and we look forward to engaging with them to see how practices can be improved.

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We have also written to trade bodies, including @PublishersAssoc and @ipghq who include some of these companies in their memberships. We urge them to only accept as members those companies that can commit to the 15 key publishing principles.

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And finally, advice for authors – the next five tweets might be the most important you read today…

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1) The publishing industry is complex. Do your research. For starters, download our free guide ‘What type of deal is that?’ for a no-nonsense introduction to the pros, cons and gotchas of five publishing approaches. www2.societyofauthors.org/download/what-…

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2) Consider carefully what you want from publication. If you are considering a ‘hybrid’ / paid-for publishing deal, are you sure it is really a better option than self-publishing? (Usually our advice is that it isn’t).

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3) Look closely at the detail of the deal you’re being offered and research the company that has offered it to you, but be wary of highly targeted advertising. If a publishing service is prominently advertised in google searches but seems opaque, think twice.

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4) ALWAYS have your contract vetted before you sign – this is a free service for all @Soc_of_Authors and @TheWritersGuild members. You should do this regardless of the type of deal you’re being offered.

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5) And visit societyofauthors.org/IsItASteal to download the full report ‘Is it a Steal?’, read about writers’ experiences, and sign our open letter to companies to urge them to follow the 15 key publishing principles.

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Thank you to everyone who completed the survey and shared their experiences with us, and to @DavidGaughran, @victoriastrauss and @JohnDoppler for helping us strengthen the report.