If I sign the contract, is this a publishing deal or a publishing package?

My Time does not sign on authors and pay royalties as a traditional publisher, therefore, we offer a publishing package to get your manuscript print ready and in book form. Publishing deals do not require a fee to be published and the publisher picks up the expenses for all production done on the manuscript and pays the author a percentage on each book sale. Paying the fee upfront for services, all monies from sales go to the author, paid on a quarterly basis.

How does the publishing process work?

Once you submit your manuscript, I will edit it, which takes about 2 weeks. Once I send the editing manuscript back to you, you go over it, making necessary changes, then I send it to my proofreaders for proofing(2), then it comes back to me for a final read and I do the typeset. (The manuscript may come back to you more than once if need be.) During that process, I will get your cover idea from you, and work on your cover. I will give you a sample of that, and make adjustments accordingly when you review it. You will receive an electronic copy of your full cover and the interior to approve. At that time you will want to make sure there are no grammatical or spelling errors that may have been missed. Once the cover and interior are finalized, they will be uploaded. It takes about a week for the cover and interior to get approved, then the order for your 25 copies will be ordered and sent to you. About a week after the approval, your book will be available on several online retail sites as well as distributors and wholesalers. In most cases, from the time you submit your manuscript till the time the book is ready is about 6-8 weeks.

When is payment due?

An initial deposit is required of 295.00 to start the project. Once editing and the cover has been done, another payment of 297.50 is due. When the book is ready to be uploaded, the final payment of 297.50 will be due. Invoices are done through paypal.

Can I submit my own materials? (ex. cover, editing, typesetting)

No. I've tried to work with authors as much as possible in the past, but I've found that when editing has supposed to already have been done, I've adjusted the price and still did a full edit and sent the manuscript through the proofread process. Also, most times authors have submitted their own covers, there has always been problems holding up production and causing me to have to still work on covers. So, after those experiences, this is a one stop shop where you accept the complete package or nothing. Sorry.

I get 100% royalties, that means if my book is 15.00, I get 15.00 , right?

No. Most wholesalers require 55% discount, making the sale at somewhere around 6.75, minus the printing fee, the royalty from that is about 3.00, give or take some change. This is based on a book around 220 pages. Books with a lower or higher page count can affect the royalty amount. All books sold from the My Time site are sold at 12.00+shipping. Minus the printing charge, the royalty from that is about 7.00, give or take a few cents. I make absolutely no money from any of your book sales.

If you don’t make any money, why do you do this?

More than anything, I love helping writers get that manuscript off their computer and into a finished product. Sometimes, authors just need to 'get their feet wet' sort to speak. I like the idea of giving them a chance of experiencing the full publishing process, then they can publish with me again, or look into doing the process themselves. I'm with whatever works for the author. My fees are paid off the top from the editing, typesetting, and cover. Other monies are used for the books and set up expenses. After the book is published, any monies made are yours because you worked to write that book. I want to help writers get their book out there for the least amount possible, because I know everyone's pockets aren't as deep as they would like. 

Do I own the ISBN number?

No, My Time purchases ISBN numbers in blocks from Bowker. Any book published under My Time will have a My Time Publications issued ISBN and if/when the author wishes to stop publishing through My Time, that ISBN will be removed from the system and no longer used.

Do you provide me with promotional materials?

No, any promotional materials you require is your responsibility. You can purchase a marketing kit that is listed on the author services page.

Do you set up signings, interviews, create and send out press releases, or contact bookstores on my behalf?

No. There are some stores I know of or I may hear of signings in your area and let you know, but setting up the signing and providing books are your responsibility. I do not offer PR services at this time. My main goal is helping you turn your manuscript into a book. Again, if I hear of something in your area or some event I feel you may be interested in, I will pass the information on to you. If you have a signing or attending an event, if you let me know I will post that on my facebook and myspace. Occasionally, I offer sales and do some promotions on my facebook and myspace site, as well as other places. That is totally up to my discretion and not to be assumed by the author I am taking full responsibility of marketing them or their book.

Will my books be in stores all around the nation?

Books are not immediately shelved. They are available through Barnes & Noble, Borders, Waldenbooks and other major retailers. Also, books are available through Baker & Taylor and Ingram. You can, however, contact local stores and ask them to carry your book(s). All stores are able to order and carry books regardless of what a particular manager/store worker may say.

Can I contact bookstores myself and have them purchase books, and if so, where do they purchase them?

Yes you can, and the best route would be to have them make the purchase through Baker & Taylor or Ingram.

Are you responsible for marketing my book to ensure people/stores buy it?

No. You market your own book in any way you see fit. My Time does market itself as a whole, but no individual books(except the owner) has a specific marketing plan for sales.
***NOTE- some other options are being implemented for My Time in this area and will be disclosed at time things are made concrete***

What is the price for me to purchase my book?

4.50 plus shipping(unless it's a longer book than specified in Publishing Services)

Where can I make orders?

Contact me with the quantity of books you want and I will send you an invoice through paypal for the order. Once the books are ready to be shipped, I will send you the shipping number from UPS. ****If an echeck is made, the order won't be placed until echeck is cleared

How long does it take to receive books?

I make all orders thru the printing company. It takes about 3-4 days for the book to be printed, once they have processed it for shipping, i receive the UPS tracking number, and then I email it to you. Depending on where you are located, some books are delivered quicker than others. If you are having an event, I advise to put in your order NO LATER THAN 2 WEEKS before your event to ensure delivery. The company is not open on weekends or holidays, and shipments will not go out nor is printing done during those times. ***I invoice thru paypal, and if an echeck payment is made, the order will not be processed until the echeck clears


Can I seek out my own reviews from reviewers or set up interviews to speak about my book?

Yes, this is your book, promoting yourself and your book is encouraged.

When are you available?

I’m usually always available through email, and usually will text right back if you text me. I work during the day, so my talk time is limited. I am, however, available during evenings and some weekends if there are issues that are unclear in email or text.

When I sign the contract, does that give you the rights to my book?

No, you retain all rights. The contract just gives me permission to publish your book and sale it.

When do I get paid?

Checks for book sales are issued quarterly. March, June, September, December, with the quarter ending the previous month of the issue date(ex. March would be royalties for Dec, Jan, Feb) The statement will be emailed to you and payment is made through paypal.

Can I log into the account and check my sales myself?

No, the account is my personal account with all authors' information on sales. If you send me an email, I can check the account and give you the number of sales to date, and royalty statements are always sent out with payments.

What if I want to stop publishing through you and do it myself?

The contract is for a year after book is published. If you wish to terminate publishing through My Time before then, a written notice is required. Once that notice is received, it takes about thirty (30) days for the book to totally be taken out of production. Within five(5) days after that thirty (30) days, you will receive a paypal for any monies due on your book. The book will no longer be sold by My Time or be listed anywhere on My Time's site or added to any new My Time promotional materials. The ISBN information will be cleared and that number won't be used again. If you would like to have the pdf of your interior and cover, there is a fee of $100.

The book is printed, but I see a few mistakes, can I make revisions?

Yes, you can make revisions, but there is a 50.00 fee. The pdf file is sent to you exactly the way it is to be printed, and unless there is a problem on my part (ex. page set up, paragraphs, fonts), then the revision fee is your responsibility. If there are changes you want to your cover as in colors, picture, anything of that matter, there is also a 50.00 for that as well. If a revision is requested, it takes about a week before the book is available for order again.

Can I put your website on my website or promotional materials?

Absolutely.

Is it OK for me to post my synopsis and book cover on other places? (ex. personal facebook, myspace, website)

Absolutely, it's your book, so promote any way you feel.

***Please, please, PLEASE, if you are ever unclear on anything, ASK. I try to cover all questions that have been asked or I think may be asked, but I get new questions all the time and definitely don't mind answering them for clarity

*****More questions and answers will be added as time goes on. These are initial questions I get asked most*****