We consider every submission we receive for traditional publication under the Brandylane imprint. However, we traditionally publish a limited number of titles each year. Under this program, we fund 100% of the packaging, publishing, marketing, and distribution costs and pay a 15-20% royalty based on net proceeds.
Like any publisher, we must be highly selective in identifying submissions that are a good fit for this option. Competitive candidates for traditional publication are those that meet the following qualifications:
- The manuscript is well written, appeals to a national or international audience, and has been through a professional edit by a Chicago Manual of Style qualified editor and/or needs limited editing to ready it for publication. We are more apt to extend an offer of traditional publication to manuscripts that come to us after the most serious editorial problems have been resolved.
- The author has presented a professional, comprehensive, aggressive marketing plan and is willing to be highly visible and active in the marketplace. Although we provide a promotional plan for all of our titles, an energetic and enthusiastic author can have a significant impact on how well a book performs in the market.
- The author already has an established audience due to previously published work, social media, or other public activity. For example, an author who has a popular blog or who frequently speaks to groups can influence our decision.
- The author can provide a track record of sales in the 3,000- to 5,000-copy range for a recently published book or books.
In addition to these qualifications, our decision to publish traditionally is determined by production requirements for your book, as well as by commitments we may have made to other projects for the current or coming year.
If your book doesn’t meet our qualifications for traditional publication, we may still be willing to invest a significant part of the publishing costs for your project through a cooperative arrangement under Brandylane or Belle Isle Books. Our decision to invest in a project and the percentage of our investment are determined in part by the qualifications listed above.
