What does Outskirts Press do?
- We offer turnkey publishing services. Specifically, we publish
premium quality paperback, hardback, and electronic format books
by writers just like you. Simply register
free for your own Author's Center to submit a manuscript.
We will publish it and make it available worldwide to book retailers
including, Amazon.com, BN.com, and Borders.com via distribution
databases like Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and others.
How do I submit a manuscript?
Who maintains the copyright of my book?
How do I register my copyright ?
- Here is a quote from the US Copyright Office: "Copyright
is secured automatically when the work is created, and a work
is 'created' when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the
first time. 'Copies' are material objects from which a work
can be read or visually perceived either directly or with the
aid of a machine or device, such as books, manuscripts, sheet
music, film, videotape, or microfilm. 'Phonorecords' are material
objects embodying fixations of sounds (excluding, by statutory
definition, motion picture soundtracks), such as cassette tapes,
CDs, or LPs. Thus, for example, a song (the 'work') can be fixed
in sheet music ('copies') or in phonograph disks ('phonorecords'),
or both. If a work is prepared over a period of time, the part
of the work that is fixed on a particular date constitutes the
created work as of that date."
- In other words, officially registering a copyright with the
US Copyright office is not mandatory or necessary unless you
are entering into a copyright infringement suit.
- If you want us to handle the registration process for you,
we offer that service for Ruby, Diamond, and Pearl authors for
an optional $99 service fee.
What are the contractual processes?
- At the time of initial submission you declare that anything
you submit to us (including word documents, graphic files, or
photographic images) is original and does not infringe upon
any copyrights and that you maintain all rights to the work.
This includes all images you submit. Be aware that the photographer
of an image maintains rights to the image, even if the image
is of you. Once your manuscript is accepted, our legal
contract requires your signature prior to publication.
What are the fees?
- We will publish your high-quality paperback for as little
as $199. Additional services and options are available depending
upon your needs, including unique ISBN registration, distribution
via Ingram, and availability worldwide to retailers like Amazon.com,
BN.com, and Borders.com. Review all our Publishing Packages,
services, options, and applicable fees here.
- We also require a yearly storage/hosting fee of $18 to maintain
the version of your book in our database for retailers and wholesalers
to order.
How do I pay you?
- You may begin the process for as little as $35 as an optional
partial payment for your package. You may expedite the process
by paying securely online, or you may submit a check or money
order. If your manuscript is rejected based upon content or
format, your payment is refunded in full. Why would
it be rejected?
Is online payment safe?
- Absolutely. In fact, it's safer than giving your credit card
to a waiter in a restaurant. A computer validates your number,
so a human being doesn't even see your credit card information!
- Of course, you are always free to mail your payment in at
no extra charge.
Is submitting a manuscript the same as getting
published?
- We publish books that demonstrate a certain level of quality
(in terms of language, punctuation, character, and plot, etc.),
so while we encourage you to submit your manuscript for consideration,
that does not guarantee publication. However, due to our digital
technology, we publish a very high number of books each year,
so your chances are better than with typical publishers.
How soon will I know if my manuscript has
been accepted?
- After you electronically submit your manuscript, we typically
notify you via email within 2-5 business days. You can review
the full timeline here.
Why was my manuscript rejected?
- We cannot accept books that are pornographic or infringe upon
copyrights or trademarks. They also must be of adequate length.
Even if your manuscript is rejected, your Author's
Center account is yours to keep as you work to improve your
book for future submission.
What are the cover choices?
- All of our publishing packages offer professionally designed
cover choices to make the sometimes confusing prospect of cover
design as easy as possible. The higher your level of package,
the more choices you have. Our Sapphire, Ruby, and Diamond packages
also offer the option of Custom Cover Design. To review the
cover choices that are available for each package, click
here. If you are interested in our custom cover option as
a Ruby, Diamond, or Pearl author, you will have the opportunity
to select that option during the pre-production steps.
What are my royalties?
- You set your own royalties within the parameters of our pricing
calculator. You can play with the pricing calculator for each
publishing package to set your Book Profit and Retail Margin.
Based upon those numbers, and your book length, the calculator
will inform you of your wholesale and retail price. You can
change the numbers to your liking prior to publication. Experiment
with your book's pricing by clicking
here.
Will I get any copies of my book?
- Yes, all packages except the Emerald include unlimited printed
copies for retailers and wholesalers on-demand. In addition,
you will personally receive a number of free author's copies
when your book is published. Diamond authors receive 10, Ruby
authors receive 6, Pearl authors receive 5, Sapphire authors
receive 3, and Emerald authors receive 1.
Why do I need to register?
- Registering grants you access to the Author's
Center, where you receive immediate resources valuable for
writers. If you elect to submit a manuscript for publication,
your Author's Center helps you through the process at your convenience.
Register free now.
I have forgotten my login information.
What is the Author's Referral Bonus or
Affiliate Program?
- Our affiliate program enables both published authors and our
other visitors to earn a referral bonus for every author they
send our way who publishes with us. You earn a 10% finder's
fee. The details are here.
Sign up to be an affiliate today.
What kind of control do I have over the final
version of my book?
- In a word, unprecedented. We provide the most options in the
industry. A full run-down of all our options is available here.
What format of e-books do you support?
- Adobe Acrobat .PDF format is the internet standard for compatibility
and security of e-book files, so that is the format we offer.
Authors earn a 50% royalty on e-book sales that originate from
your Outskirts Press webpage.
How long does it take to get a book published?
- This length of time depends upon various factors including
the length of your book and the specifications you requested,
but it typically takes 10-13 weeks after you authorize production
to begin on your book.
When is my free webpage available?
- Your webpage is created once your book is officially PUBLISHED
and your author's copies are on their way to you. You can browse
our author webpages within our bookstore.
Will I get a chance to review my book during
the production phase?
- Yes. Prior to final setting, we provide you with digital author's
proofs which you must examine and approve, or return to us with
any corrections.
How will people buy my book?
- Depending upon the publishing package you select, your book
will be available to order from just about everywhere. We submit
your unique ISBN number to the Ingram database and "Books in
Print," both of which provide instant availability to retailers
worldwide in addition to online sites such as Borders.com, Barnes
& Noble, and Amazon.com. Additionally, your book will be available
for immediate purchase from your very own webpage. The wholesale
price you set for your book plays a large part in your book's
ultimate availability. Typical retail margins are between 35-40%
of your book's cover price, which requires a 50-55% trade discount
to conform to industy standards. Of course, online sales require
a much lower trade discount. Keep this in mind when setting
the price for your book.
What marketing materials and services do
you provide?
- While there is no substitute for an aggressive author when
it comes to marketing a book, we strive to provide you as many
tools and resources as we can. Your success breeds our success
so we go to great lengths to help you promote your book. You've
probably already read about our exclusive webpages for each
published book, but we also provide a host of other services,
including turnkey Marketing Packages that offer custom book
marks, postcards, and business cards. We also offer press release
writing and/or press release distribution services. For Ruby,
Diamond, and Pearl authors, we offer an exciting CD Media/Press
kit and the exclusive Marketing COACH. You can learn about it,
and all our marketing options by clicking
here.
How much will one copy of my book cost?
- Your Base Price (that is, the cost for you to buy one of your
books from us) depends upon format and number of pages. We set
your Base Price.
- You set all the other prices, including book profit, distributor
discount, and suggested retail price. The discounted price must
be equal to or higher than the Base Price. The retail price
must be between 20% - 55% higher than the wholesale price if
you want distribution for your book.
- Only at Outskirts Press can you set the trade discount and
retail price yourself. Give it a try on our exclusive price
calculator.
How and when do I get paid?
- Our authors receive their Book Profit payments within ninety
(90) days after the end of the quarter in which the book sales
took place. Payments are mailed via First Class postage.
Submission Process
- Once you have registered for free to enter the Author's
Center by submitting your email address and password, you
will see all of the tools and resources made available to you.
Some are only available if you submit a manuscript, but others
are available immediately.
- Depending upon the publishing package and options you select
your total cost will be calculated, but only a small deposit
is due up front. You may elect to pay via check, money order,
or credit card. After your payment is approved online or received
in the mail, you may continue the submission at your convenience
by providing information about yourself and your book. Finally,
you will submit your finalized manuscript, preferably in Microsoft
Word format. Emails will be sent to you throughout this process,
confirming receipt, and keeping you informed.
- Outskirts Press does not automatically accept all manuscripts.
If your submission is outside the scope of what we can publish,
we will notify you and refund your money in full. Once your
manuscript has been accepted, your Author's Center will be fully
customized for you and your book. You may re-enter it at any
time using your login information. Your personal Author's Center
will keep you constantly up-to-date on the progress of your
project, including the book's cover and interior, and your personal
webpage.
- Since you have the flexibility to add-on services at any time,
your balance is also presented here, with a way to pay online,
safely and securely. The full process is outlined in
our publishing guide here. Our entire publishing process
typically takes between 40 and 90 days. Sometimes it's shorter
and sometimes it is longer, depending upon the time it takes
to receive proof confirmation and all the materials from you.
Your personal Author Representative will work at your pace.
- View our manuscript submission
guidelines here.
Publication Restrictions
- Outskirts Press cannot publish manuscripts that violate or
infringe upon any personal or proprietary rights, including,
without limitation: copyrights, trademark rights, trade secret
rights, contract rights, privacy rights, or publicity rights
of any other persons. We also cannot publish any manuscript
that is defamatory or pornographic or obscene to a degree that
it would not be carried by a traditional bookstore. Manuscripts
cannot in any way be illegal or injurious to any reader, user,
or third person. All of this is outlined in legal detail in
the contract.
- All Emerald, Sapphire,
Ruby, and Diamond
books must be at least 40 pages long when published, or about
10,000 words.
- All Pearl books must be
at least 4 pages long.Pearl books shorter than 48 pages when
published will be saddle stitched. Pearl books longer than 48
pages when published will be perfect bound.
Submission Requirements
- Your submission process will go the smoothest if you provide
a manuscript within MS Word format for Windows. If you have
Word Perfect or Works, or some other form of word processor,
attempt to save your document as a MS Word file for submission.
The only way we can accept a PDF file is if it has already been
designed to our specifications, including appropriate trim sizes,
margins, and pagination. If you are unsure about support of
a particular program, contact us. Read
our submission guidelines here.
Proofing Requirements
- You are ultimately responsible for the proofing of your manuscript.
Once your manuscript is submitted, you will receive a final
electronic proof to review at your convenience. 25 minor typographical
modifications are allowed to this final proof for free. Additional
corrections are billed at .50 each. Minor corrections include
missing or misspelled words and incorrect punctuation, words,
or numbers. Each individual instance will count as 1 correction.
Once you have reviewed your electronic proof and returned the
edit form, your changes are made. You will receive another galley
proof to review and approve. If you approve this version, your
book proceeds directly to print. If you wish to add additional
changes or revisions, there is a $49 galley revision fee plus
a per-edit fee of 50 cents.
- You also have the option of paying for editing services. You
may select this option for 1.4 cents per word during the Options
Selection phase (step 5 in the 10-step pre-production process).
Graphic Requirements
- You may submit digital images, graphics, or tables for your
book's interior. If you submit them digitally, there is a $49
fee for each block of 10 interior elements. If you submit them
through the mail where they must be scanned, there is a $99
fee for each block of 10.
Images include graphs, charts, screen shots, line drawings,
and photographs, but you must be the sole rights holder of every
image you submit. As outlined in our contract, authors must
have permission or own the legal copyright to the graphics.
Outskirts Press is not responsible for license infringement
and reserves the right to refuse graphic images that appear
to come from copyrighted sources unless accompanied by written
permission.
The same restrictions and policies hold true for images provided
for use within the cover.
Talk with your Author Representative about the preferred method
of delivering your graphics. The method of delivery will depend
upon the type and amount of graphics. Graphics should be at
least 300 dpi (high-resolution). Failure to delivery the appropriate
quality may require the services of our graphic specialist as
$50/hour.
Refund Policy
- If your manuscript does not meet our minimum acceptance requirements
(due to either length or content), your submitted fee is refunded
in full. Once a manuscript is accepted, submission fees are
non-refundable. Once you approve production to begin, all fees
are non-refundable.
Publication Timeline (Approximate)
- Manuscript Acceptance - Approximately 1 Week
Your manuscript will be reviewed to ensure acceptable length,
format, and content. This part of the process includes a publisher's
evaluation.
- Pre-Production Steps 1 - 10
This timeframe is almost entirely up to the author. Some author
complete all ten steps in 2 days. Others take 2 weeks and some
take 2 months.
- Design - Approximately 3 Weeks
This timeframe begins once you authorize production to begin
on the book, which signifies that we have received all the correct,
necessary materials.
- Author Proofs - Author's Discretion
You have as long as you want to review the digital proofs provided
via .PDF format. The sooner you provide your corrections, the
sooner the process continues. We recommend completion within
14 days.
- Revisions - Approximately 3 Weeks
Revisions are made to your cover and manuscript as you specified
during the Author Proofing stage.
- Publication & Distribution* - Approximately 3 Weeks
Submission of your ISBN number to all available databases we
are partners with, including Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon,
Barnes & Noble, etc. You are now a published writer!
Congratulations!
- Free Webpage* - Approximately 10 Business Days
Author's copies are produced and delivered. Your personal webpage
is created and made available worldwide at approximately the
same time.
- National & International Availability* - Approximately
20-30 Days
This is a timeframe that is out of our control. This is the
amount of time it often takes for the Ingram listings to reach
Amazon.com, BN.com, and the other database and website listings.
Upon being listed, each book is checked and modified to ensure
proper information. Once they are listed, the author should
invite all friends and family to submit positive reviews of
the published book. Additional hints and suggestions for maximizing
exposure on some of these sites are available in the Author's
Center.
Cover Pricing
- One of the distinct advantages offered to Outskirts Press
authors is the opportunity to control the cover price. Your
cover price is calculated based upon your book length, format,
requested profit, and requested retail margin. You can explore
different possibilities with the price
calculator here.
Marketing Materials*
Read about all the optional marketing services we provide for
each package, along with their costs, by clicking
here.
*Not Available with all Publishing
Packages
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