Black Rose Writing Submission Guidelines and Templates
Frequently Asked Questions...
How much does it cost the author to publish through Black Rose Writing?
The author pays no fees, and no money for any of our services... ever! Black Rose Writing handles all the costs of editing, design, printing, and promotional. The only time there is ever an option for cost is during the cover design, where Black Rose Writing allows the author the choice to use our independent, freelance artist, Cristan Hellen. She will draw a signature, custom cover for the said book. But that is only a featured option, not a requirement by any means.
What kind of royalties does Black Rose Writing pay?
We've read about numerous publishing companies paying "above-average" royalties, beginning at 8%. We start our authors off at 10% on the first 5,000 sold, with the rate rising to 12.5% on the next 10,000 sold, and then again to 15%. Where does that put Black Rose Writing, higher than the "above-average" we suppose.
What kind of discount does the author receive when ordering copies?
The author will get 15% off in retail price for any orders of 49 or less copies. If he or she orders 50 or more, they will receive a 25% discount. And of course, any money made by the author on their own sales is 100% theirs to keep. Other promotional discounts are available from Black Rose Writing at even greater rates.
What kind of distribution does Black Rose Writing have?
Every published book will have its own Black Rose Writing ISBN # and be distributed to Ingram, Amazon, B&N, Books-A-Million, etc... Black Rose Writing promises to dedicate everything it can to help the authors put their books on the shelves. We will promote right alongside the author; after all, we make money when copies sell too. We aren't the publishing house that produces the book and then leaves the authors high and dry, trying to do everything on their own.
What kind of promotion does Black Rose Writing do?
We distribute press releases to all of our connected affiliates (newspaper, magazines, reviewers, etc...). We list the author's new release in our newsletter, which reaches a vast amount of readers via friends and networking. We also carry our authors' books to our publishing/promotional booths for display, selling copies in person and speaking on behalf of our authors' books. We send out a discretionary-based amount of review copies to potential hits from reviewers to libraries. We promote on our website and create SEO (search engine optimization) cards for easy search and find on the web. We give our authors' guidance and assist them with following-up their leads by adding relevance as a publishing house supporting its authors.
Who does the printing for Black Rose Writing?
Black Rose Writing's printing is done on demand by Lightning Source, which is owned by the Ingram Book Company. When your title is available at Lightning Source, it will also be available to our customers for order at more than 800 Barnes & Noble stores and online at Barnes & Noble.com.
ABOUT LIGHTNING SOURCE
Lightning Source Inc. is an Ingram Content company. Together with Ingram Book Group and Ingram Digital, the Ingram Content companies provide a broad range of physical and digital services to the book industry. Lightning Source has printed over 50,000,000 books for over 5,000 publishers around the world.
Will Black Rose Writing allow bookstores to return unsold books?
The simple answer... yes. Our authors may freely tell their local bookstores that Black Rose Writing will buy back those books collecting dust, proving the stores have no risks or worries.
What does the author have to do to get published through Black Rose Writing?
The author needs to do his or her best to follow the Black Rose Writing Submission Guidelines and Templates. There is an example on writing a good query letter; and also, a submission guideline form that will help the author submit the right way the first time. We receive many submissions, and when they are queried correctly, it alleviates our end of the process and creates a better chance for the author to get considered for publishing.
If the author is given the green light for submitting an entire manuscript, their part is finished for now. Please allow 3-4 weeks for a response, even though Black Rose Writing's return time has been much faster.
If I'm a Black Rose Writing author, how do I order my books with the discount?
It's quite simple. You can e-mail us with your order and tell us the amount of copies you need. We will send you an invoice via e-mail that you will be able to pay for the copies and approve that everything is correct first. You can even just leave us a messge with the amount of copies you need, and we will invoice you, the author can pay for their purchase at their convenience!
What is IBPA?
IBPA, the Independent Book Publishers Association is a trade association of independent publishers. Founded in 1983, it serves book, audio, and video publishers located in the United States and around the world. Its mission is to advance the professional interests of independent publishers. To this end, IBPA provides cooperative marketing programs, education and advocacy within the publishing industry. IBPA's membership of more than 4,000 publishers continues to grow. It is governed by a voluntary board of directors that meets regularly to discuss and plan the association's business. Board members reflect the varied membership and serve two- to four-year terms. IBPA offers beneficial programs and information to all member publishers, regardless of their size or experience.
