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Micro Publishing
What Is Micro-publishing?
How Can Micro-Publishing help you?
How Does Micro-Publishing work?
Micro-Publishing....the guidelines and submission info.
The Micro-Publishing packages.
>>
E-Books
Coming soon....
Contact Publishing was launched in February 2003 as an independent press whose mission is to encourage fresh young talent to deliver literary work and original, inspirational or practical ideas in written word to the public arena. The publishing industry is poised for a revolution in the coming decade and we believe the way in which people can reach their intended audience will continue to expand. So, whilst we do traditional publishing and micro-publishing,
a new method for specialist books, our vision is firmly on the future of e-publishing.
About Us
Anne Mortensen - Founder and Chief Commissioning Editor. Believes the key to quality creative work is produced by a close relationship between the author, editor and the publisher, giving each author individual personalised attention.
Vineet Vijh - Co-owner and Operations Director. A social scientist specialising in Technology, Media and consumer behaviour, believes innovation is not about creating new things but about finding better and more efficient means of packaging what consumers need.
Grant - Publishing Assistant and Chief Manuscript Reader. A reader and lover of books his whole life, Grant believes that a good quality manuscript is should be brought to every reader's attention.
Job and Experience Opportunities: Here at Contact Publishing, we like to offer enthusiastic and passionate people and oppounity to increase their work experience, and to help bring new authors to market. If you are interested, please see:
PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS
GRADUATE / INTERNSHIPS
FREELANCE / PART-TIME
Contact Us
manuscript submissions
submission _ contact-publishing.com
Publisher: Anne Kontoyannis
annek _ contact-publishing.com
micro-publishing
micro _ contact-publishing.com
Publisher:Vineet Vijh
vineetv _ contact-publishing.com
general information or questions
info _ contact-publishing.com
Manuscript Reader: Grant
grantc _ contact-publishing.com
Address:
1 Rosemont Road
London
NW3 6NG
UK
Tel: +44207 193 1782
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Why Choose Us
Put simply... proven experience, quality service, honest and fair! Also, we speciallise in first-time authors.....
1. Proven publishing expertise at your service.
We are a traditional publishing house located in the literature capital of Europe - London. We have the ability to fulfil every step of the publishing process from design to distribution. Our contemporary structure allows us to minimize costs and control quality throughout the process.
2. A truly personalised service.
Contact Publishing works on a shared partnership between author and publisher. If we decide to make an offer of publication you will have access to the Commissioning Editor at every step of the publication process. Your manuscript will be assigned to one of our experienced editors and you will receive proofs (hardcopy or electronic) detailing their corrections and suggestions. As the author, your ideas are encouraged and our production and designers will endeavour to incorporate them.
3. Professional and modern production and design to make your book stand out from the crowd.
Contact Publishing uses only the best printing and binding techniques to produce your book. Our designers will present you with a choice of professional cover designs for your consideration. Again, your ideas and suggestions are welcomed here. Our publications are of the highest standard and are suitable for stocking in bookshops and libraries, online and as ebooks.
4. Professional marketing and promotion service.
If you decide to publish with us you will benefit from our fully customised and inclusive marketing. Our marketing team will work with you to ensure your book realises its full commercial potential.
5. The very best distribution for your book.
As an established publisher, your book is shipped through major book wholesalers such as Gardners, making your book available to bookshops across the country as well as internationally. Your book will also be available online via a suitable ebook website.
6. Royalty structure that favours the author.
As we work on the premise of shared partnership between author and publisher we are able to offer extremely favourable royalty rates. Our authors typically receive 50% royalties for the subsidiary rights of their book sold.
Submission Guidelines
Genres
Submit
We accept unsolicited manuscripts from first time and seasoned authors in the following genres:Literary FictionGeneral FictionTravel and AdventureThriller/MysteryGenerational /Family/Cultural SagasSelf Improvement and LifestyleAny other genres and special interest publications - see micro-publishing
We accept unsolicited manuscripts from first time and seasoned authors in the following genres:
Literary Fiction
General Fiction
Travel and Adventure
Thriller/Mystery
Generational /Family/Cultural Sagas
Self Improvement and Lifestyle
Any other genres and special interest publications -
see micro-publishing
Please submit a synopsis of the work, brief author biography and three sample chapters. We accept only email submissions as .doc or .pdf files.Work submitted for consideration to Contact Publishing can be emailed to: submission_contact-publishing.co.ukEvery manuscript is read and every effort is made to respond to submissions within one month of receipt, though periodic backlog can result in delays to response times. We regret that due to the quantity of manuscripts Contact receives, we are unable to enter into detailed correspondence concerning individual submissions.
Please submit a synopsis of the work, brief author biography and three sample chapters. We accept only email submissions as .doc or .pdf files.
Work submitted for consideration to Contact Publishing can be emailed to:
submission_contact-publishing.co.uk
Every manuscript is read and every effort is made to respond to submissions within one month of receipt, though periodic backlog can result in delays to response times. We regret that due to the quantity of manuscripts Contact receives, we are unable to enter into detailed correspondence concerning individual submissions.
Info and FAQ
A Writer's Life
Publishing FAQ
You are a first-time author, or maybe an old hand in writing.
The publishing process is long and people outside the industry often ask, "Why does it take a year to get a book to print?"
Or, often authors say, "My book is a bestseller, if only it had more marketing behind it."
We've attempted to answer many of the questions that authors, particularly new authors, have about the process of publishing in the FAQ to the right. It also attempts to set expectations at a realistic level.
Contact Publishing publishes innovative ideas in fiction and non-fiction. We are in a business that is an ever-growing market, and most of us are in this business because we love books and are fascinated by the challenge of developing products that enrich creativity and present new approaches in writing. It is the creative partnership between author and publisher that makes this possible.
1. What factors does Contact Publishing take into account when deciding to publishing a manuscript?
2. What happens to my book after it is accepted for publication? (The Editorial Process)
3. Copyright and Permissions, how does that work?
4. What if my book has illustrations?
5. What about the printing of the book? (the Printing Process)
6. So, my book is at the printers, what do I do now? (marketing and sales)
7. Six months have passed since my book was printed, sales are going well, what should I expect not?
Catalogues
Click to download:
Full Catalogue
Fiction
Self-Help Non-Ficiton
Travel
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What is Micro-Publishing?
To date, there are have been mainly two kinds of publishing: traditional publishing, which have large print runs for established authors, or self-publishing, which is sometimes referred to as vanity publishing. But now, there is a third type that we have created called micro-publishing.
Micro-publishing is a cross between traditional publishing and vanity publishing. It is a form of self-publishing in which quality and sales is actually very important. Micro-publishing gives a platform to the authors of special interest publications who want their work published to a high standard, where design and production, marketing and sales are part of the package . It's like self-publishing your own book, but with an experienced and guiding hand that puts quality first; we can give you realistic and helpful advice along the way and walk with you on the path of publishing.
Contact Publishing has deliberately established itself at the quality end of the self-publishing market by concentrating on quality of content, design, production and distribution. Most authors who take the micro-publishing route are serious about their self-publishing, wanting either a high quality book or a serious chance at getting their work widely distributed and read.
For authors whose work we are happy to publish, we undertake as much or as little of the publishing process - you decide. Consultation and editing, design, typesetting, printing, marketing and distribution, one of our packages will be suitable. If not, we can tailor make a package to suit your requirements.
Contact Publishing has its own commercial publishing programme with respected book lists and is also a member of the Independent Publishing Guild. Our micro-publishing authors thus have the guarantee that their book is in the hands of a professional publishing house.
Details of the micro-publishing process is outlined in detail at
How does Micro-Publishing Work?
How Can Micro-Pubilshing Help You?
We have found that a great deal of worthy and highly credible authors are having a difficult time out there, scrambling to get published. However, our traditional genres just do not apply to a great deal of the genres that exist. Or, perhaps you have several years experience in your chosen field and have developed your own innovative ideas in:
Children's Books
Cookbooks
Young Adult
Fantasy and Science Fiction
and more....
Micro-publishing gives you access to professional publishing, by following a clear-cut set of criteria which ensures that the quality of books that comes from micro-publishing is of a high standard. Additional benefits include:
* The book is a genuine publication by a recognised publisher, not a self-published work
* You retain control of your work, and are involved in every stage of the publishing process
* All of the logistics of publication and worldwide distribution are handled for you
* We share the cost of publication with you
* You get a royalty that is better than our traditionally published works.
* We market the book in partnership with you
If you choose to micro-publish a work, the work will be available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, as well as through US and UK distribution channels for bookstores to order. We will also include them on the sales list along with our other books, and will be added to the represented list of Contact Publishing books.
Eventually, we hope to include art and photo books for artists' portfolios - so watch this space!
How does Micro-Publishing work?
In order to maintain the integrity of all publications by Contact Publishing, we've set out details of submission information which can be found at .
Once the materials are submitted and reviewed, the author can choose a publishing package that best suits his or her needs.
The various publishing packesges can be found at:
If you require a custom made-package, please drop a line to the micro-publishing team at:
micro _ contact-publishing.co.uk
Tell them what you think you you will need, and we can cost that for you.
Thereafter, it is simply a matter of exchanging contracts, getting the project underway.
Once the publication is printed, it is listed on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and listed in Ingram's Advance, which is a monthly publication in the US that goes out to the bookstores in the US. It is only listed once as a published concern by Contact Publishing - (which is actually printed up 4 months after printing approval). Should the author wish for the title to be relisted on an annual basis, this is at the discretion of the author.
micro-publishing guidelines
micro-publishing packages.
Micro-Publishing...the guidelines
In traditional publishing, a subjective set of criteria is usually the basis of publication, but micro publishing sets out the criteria clearly and concisely. This is your chance to sell your book, and yourself! Please submit the following four items:
Author Bio - include why you are qualified to write this book.
Synopsis of the work
Comments from author-appointed reader or editor
Finished manuscript
To submit your materials, and begin the micro-publishing process, please email micro_contact-publishing.co.uk
We will notify you within working 7 days of receipt, whether your work is accepted as a micro-publishing project. In the meantimes, please have a look at the
available to you.
micro-publishing packages
back to FAQ Page
What factors does Contact Publishing take into account when deciding to publishing a manuscript?
There are many factors we take into account when we decide to publish your manuscript (Ms). We assess the quality and originality of the work, production needs of your work, the marketing potential, and the writer's credentials. The quality and marketability of the work is ultimately what holds greatest strength.
For this reason, it is important that the author know his or her work inside and out, and can communicate its marketing potential. The author's knowledge should shine through in the materials (biography, synopsis, cover letter) sent along with the MS. This will give us a good indication that the author has considered the market and strengths of his or her work.
Depending upon the author and Ms, a publishing offer and Publishing Agreement will be made upon which the author can decide to hire a solicitor, which is entirely up to the author.
What happens to my manuscript after it is accepted for publication? (The Editorial Process)
The length of this step will depend very much upon the Ms received and the time the author has to devote to his or her work. However, each Publishing Agreement will stipulate a time guideline, and will have a specified number of months within which the manuscript will be published.
We will assess the Ms and send you an outline of what we think needs to be done to enhance it, if at all. Oftentimes, the Ms itself will be marked up and sent back to the author to make corrections. This is the step which sees the Ms shuttle back and forth between publisher and author, sometimes as many as 8 times until the Ms is ready for typesetting.
Whilst the Ms is being edited and copyedited, the book cover will be in the process of being designed. The design of the book cover may also be traveling back and forth between author and publisher before the final design is agreed upon.
Proofs of the Ms and the book cover are supplied to the author, to be checked by the author and usually by a freelance proof-reader and the final corrections are then made. Once the proofs have been approved, the typesetter will supply the paginated output via email using PostScript or PDF software. At this point any corrections made to the final copy will cost the author so it is best to catch all errors in the editorial process early on.
Copyright and Permissions - how does that work?
IIf in any doubt about whether permission is needed, apply for permission from the copyright holder. We cannot publish material from other publications (including print and non-print formats, i.e. books, journals, CD-ROMs, online and internet) without permission. For the final word on copyright law, please contact: http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk
Copyright: Copyright ownership gives copyright holders exclusive rights to publish, reproduce, distribute and adapt their creative material. It gives authors and publishers the power to prevent unauthorized reproduction of work, including the unauthorized use of photographs, drawings, charts, graphs and other forms of illustration as well as the written text, including tables.
Exception - fair use/ fair dealing: You may use short, direct quotations without the need to obtain written permission from the copyright holder provided that you give proper credit to the author and sources. We define 'fair use' as excerpts under 400 words (or a series of excerpts totaling fewer than 800 words as long as no single excerpt is longer than 300 words) from one work. If extensive, longer extracts are being used, you must obtain permission if they amount to 10% or more of the original work. If the whole work is being used, e.g. a poem, written permission is required.
Written permission: It is essential that you obtain permission for material for which you do not hold the copyright. Written permission must be obtained by the manuscript delivery date or the borrowed material will be omitted.
Material requiring permission: Unpublished material andd If a quotation is from unpublished written material, e.g. letters, private documents or theses, obtain permission irrespective of length of extract.
Your own published work: If your own work is published by another publisher, you must obtain permission if you do not hold the copyright.
Paraphrased material: If you use someone else's material but rewrite it in your own words, you do not need to obtain permission but you must acknowledge the source by giving a reference.
What if my book has illustrations?
Illustrations will need to be supplied by the author as set out in the publishing agreement.
Illustrations are converted to digital form by a repro (reproduction) house or by the printer.
So, my book is at the printers, what do I do now?
We will focus on what the author can now do for him or herself in the sales and promotion department. Authors should never divorce themselves from the sale and promotion of their own book.
In an ideal world, your agent would have secured you a six-figure sum, book-chain buyers would fight to set up central, non-returnable deals, and consumers would stampede to the shops for your book. Feature journalists would be clamouring for author interviews or wait for you outside your doorstep.
But, in publishing's less than ideal world you are dealing with a hugely overcrowded publishing arena, one where the shelf-life of a new title is getting shorter and shorter. So your book will be fighting for a slice of the sales and marketing cake at all stages of the selling and marketing process. The sales and marketing process, is quite different from the editorial process, in that much of the activity is discretionary. The only guaranteed exposure an author is guaranteed by any publisher is an AI (advanced information sheet), entry in the company catalogue, presentation at an internal sales meeting or conference, and review mailing (press release + book).
At Contact Publishing, we strive to do better than that but we recognize that the author is the best salesperson for his or her own book. This will always be the case.
Always remember that the lack of marketing activity is NOT your publicist's or sales manager's fault. The usual culprit is simply the volume of books being pumped through the system and the limited time available for each.
Arm yourself with as much information as possible to begin your own marketing campaign - there is nothing stopping you! There is a lot of information available to you to get you started on your own personal book promotion.
What about the printing of the book?
Once your book has been edited and designed, proofed and approved, it will be ready to go off for production. Production is responsible for gathering printing quotes, overseeing the printing and binding, and arranging for its delivery to the distributor.
Printing: Books are either printed on litho (offset lithography) machines or using POD. Those used for colour work are usually sheet-fed, but big web machines are used for monochrome (black & white) and for mass market paperbacks., which print on reels and can be very fast.
Binding: Paperbacks are generally perfect-bound, which means that they are bound by cutting off the spine folds of the sections and gluing the cover into the book. Some hardback books are still produced with sewn binding, but many are now unsewn using either notched or slotted binding the sections are glued together but retain the folds on the sections.
Quoting and the print-run: At this stage, the production stage, printing quotes will have been gathered from the printer, or it will be worked out according to their scales and contract with the printer. These days the print-run is fixed at the last possible moment to avoid overstocks and take into account advance orders, particularly from the big bookselling chains. No publisher wants to have money tied up in stock, but the arrival of just-in-time printing has produced additional strains, especially if the pressure to produce books cheaply has led to printing in the Far East or far from where the books are needed.
Six months have passed, sales of my book are going well, what should I expect now?
Well, hopefully, you will have been dreaming up new ideas for your next book!
After publication, the sales of a book is ultimately dependent upon the market. You can choose to continue in your efforts of marketing your work, as will Contact Publishing.
Each book has its own life cycle: Some books fly off the shelves from day one, others take 6 months to warm up and still others are word-of-mouth successes with a steady flow of buyers.
The author will have received a summary of sales with royalty statements according the timeline in your publishing agreement with Contact Publishing.
Opportunities
Internship/Graduate trainee
Marketing and Public Relations - Publishing Industry, Part-time. Students or recent graduates with a strong interest in media and communications to assist with marketing and public relations campaigns, creating marketing collateral, research and administration of contact lists. Suitable for candidates interested in learning about the publishing industry, a strong interest in books, and who wish to pursue a career in fiction on non-fiction publicity.
Duration: Two days a week for 3-6 months.
Writers, Part-time. Students or recent graduates to work on a book writing project. Work includes researching, interviewing and writing brief biographies and profiles of published authors.
Duration: One day a week for 6 months.
E-publishing Assistants , Part-time. Students or recent graduates to work on an innovative electronic book delivery project. Work involves assisting the project manager with co-ordination, communication and information collation. Candidates should get excited with new technology, have an aptitude for learning new software programs and methods quickly. Suitable for candidates who wish to pursue a career in project management within the publishing industry.
Copy Editors: Trainee copy editors for editing of fiction and non-fiction books. The trainees will be mentored by an experienced book editor and will learn the editing process from beginning to end. Candidates should have excellent written English, strong attention to detail and an aptitude for proof-reading, fact-checking and copyediting tasks.
Duration: On an as required basis. Typically each assignment will last two months, during which the copyeditor will need to spend a total of 30-40 hours on the project.
Part-Time/Freelance
Fiction Publicist. Freelance, Marketing and Public Relations professional, experienced in the publishing industry, specifically the publicity and promotion of literary fiction books in the U.K. Candidates should have a track record of successful campaigns with an extensive network of contacts in the book industry.
Duration: On an as required basis. Assignments will be project based, rather than on an hourly basis. A typical assignment will be to managed the end-to-end publicity campaign for a book.
Non-Fiction Publicist. Freelance, Marketing and Public Relations professional, experienced in the publishing industry, with publicity and promotion of travel literature, culture and self-improvement and life-style books in the U.K. Candidates should have a track record of successful campaigns with an extensive network of contacts in the book industry.
Duration: On an as required basis. Assignments will be project based, rather than on an hourly basis. A typical assignment will be to manage the end-to-end publicity campaign for a book.
Copy editor. Freelance, experienced copy editors for fiction and non-fiction books, should have a minimum of 5 years experience in editing, should have previously worked for large publishing houses. Work will include copy editing of finished manuscripts to converting academic or professional writing for public popular readership.
Duration: On an as required basis. Assignments will be project based, rather than on an hourly basis. Typically, copy editing would be carried out on a complete manuscript.
Consulting
Commissioning Editor. Experienced book editors in a part-time, advisory capacity to review manuscripts and work with authors to shape the books into saleable properties. Candidates should currently be working for a successful publishing house or previously been responsible for review and selection of books for a publishing company. The primary work is related to commissioning of literary fiction, however some non-fiction books on travel of self help may also be considered.
Duration: On a part-time as required basis, typically will be paid for a fixed number of hours for general advice and consultancy; in addition, will also be engaged in specific projects from time to time.
Publicity and PR Consultant. Experienced fiction publicist on a part-time consulting basis to work with company and freelance staff, to advise on publicity and book launches. The work is related to publicity of literary fiction.
Duration: On a part-time as required basis, will be engaged on specific projects on an hourly basis.
What's On...
Creative Contact Writer's Event
We will be hosting a free social event for aspiring writers in early January. There will be a short talk form a published author and industry professionals will be invited. There will also be a reading service, where you can show a page or two to our reader and receive immediate feedback.
We hope this event will give aspiring authors an excellent opportunity to gain valuable advice, meet industry professionals but most importantly to socialise with like-minded people and just have some fun! An invite will be sent out later in December and we look forward to meeting you there!
Micro-Publishing Packages
Espresso
Consultation Only
Medium Latte
Full Works
