Limited Edition Books - Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I have written a very small family history that I want to have published as inexpensively as possible. Can you waive your setup fee?

No, there is pre-production setup time and proof printing required for every project but, if your requirements are very straightforward, we will certainly look at a reduced charge.

What is the minimum number of books I can have printed?

One.

Do you really consider yourselves to be publishers, or are you just a glorified 'copy shop' ?

Because we love books, we have chosen to apply the skills and experience we have gained in graphics and digital print to book production and have tooled accordingly. We have equipment you are unlikely to find in the corner copy shop. In addition, we participate actively in the marketing process because your success story becomes our success story. In a nutshell, yes we are publishers - we simply don't print any books until we have orders for them!

What royalty payments do I receive and how are they paid?

Some publishers express royalties as a percentage of the difference between the book's cost and sell prices. We think that it is more realistic when expressed as a percentage of the retail price. The two following examples will clarify:
1.Say the printed cost to you is $10 with a retail price of $22.50. If we sell a copy through this web site, we take a 30% commission on $22.50 which is $6.75 which leaves $15.75. Taking the book cost from this leaves $5.75 profit to you. This is about 25.5% of the retail price.
2. If you supply a bookshop, their customary markup is 50% so you have to sell to them at $15 for the book to retail at $22.50. Take off the cost of the book at $10 leaves $5 for you which is about 22.2% of the cover price.
Have a look at the COSTS calculator to explore the potential return to you. Profits collected on your behalf are paid quarterly by electronic transfer to your nominated account.

What happens to my book if you sell your business, or if you go out of business for any reason?

A good and fair question - there are never any guarantees about what the future may bring! In the first instance, should we sell Limited Edition Books at some future date, clearly it would be in the best interests of the buyer to maintain the inventory, and that includes your book, because it is part of stock in trade. In the second instance, as part of the contract, we supply you with a CD of all the electronic files required to output your book elsewhere should that need arise.

What is the deal with copyright?

Unequivocally, you own and retain all rights. Should a major publishing house or film studio express interest in your work you have no continuing obligation to Limited Edition Books. Our relationship is simply that we continue to make your book available for as long as you wish. In fact, we are thrilled when such events occur because we feel that, in some small way, we have played a part in launching your writing career.

Do I have to have your publisher's logo on my book ?

Normally, this is a contractual requirement when working with us. We acknowledge, however, that there may be circumstances where imprinting our logo is inappropriate.

If I choose to use Limited Edition Books to publish my work, when do you require payment and how do I make payment?

We draw up a contract containing details of your production choices and initial number of copies required. Payment is due when this has been signed by both parties and before any production commences. Payment may be made by bank draft and soon we will have the ability to pay on this site through PayPal.

I notice that you are located in New Zealand. Does this present any obstacle to working with writers in other countries?

Not at all. While it is gratifying to meet our authors face to face, we are accustomed to working with clients at a distance. In addition phone and fax, the World Wide Web, internet email and global airfreight services have largely removed the obstacles to successful global business relationships.

I notice that your cost calculator generates a minimum recommended retail price. Can I set this myself?

Absolutely. The cost calculator is just a guide to help set you along the right path. Run different scenarios through it, keep notes, and then determine the price that best suits your style of book, its desirability, its potential worth as a limited edition collector's item, and the sort of profit return you would like to achieve.

I have come across the term 'vanity publisher' where an author outlays a substantial sum that entirely covers the cost of having a book printed. For these publishers there seems to be little real effort or risk. Is this what you do?

Not at all. There is a modest initial fee to get the manuscript into a form ready for print and the print cost of the number of volumes required by the author in the first instance. There are some extra fees depending upon what marketing options the author selects. A major advantage of print-on-demand is that there is little capital risk to get a book into print. As regards promoting sales, we view that as a mutual responsibility, but we are constantly working at expanding our marketing network.

If I choose Limited Edition Books as my publisher, can you allocate an ISBN to my work?

Yes, we do that.