THE VISION BEHIND DERWEN PUBLISHING

We are aware that there is an acute need now within publishing to find a way of inspiring and nurturing new talent. In days gone by, all the major publishing houses had editors who were prepared to take new people on and develop their careers from scratch.

Unfortunately this is no longer the case. Editors at the main publishing houses are forced to keep to very tight budgets, and are pressurised for high profit returns. This effectively means that they are not interested in taking on new authors, as frankly it is a safer bet to go with those who have established track records. (When pitching at an editorial meeting to her sales and marketing colleagues, the editor is far more likely to get the support needed to go live on a project if she can prove an established track record.)

So publishing, which used to be all about discovering brilliant new projects and authors, is now far more orientated towards safe bets and predictable financial returns. A further difficulty for new authors is if they go to one of the many vanity presses or self-publishing outfits they will simply end up with an unedited, sloppily-designed and badly-produced book that will not be marketed or distributed effectively.

What is the point of pouring out a life's work to have it end up in the garage - unsaleable and unwanted by the bookshops? This, sadly, is what happens to many people who decide to self-publish.

We aim to nurture new talent and give it editorial, design, production, marketing and distribution help so that it has a fair chance on the market. And as we all know, the market is shifting, assisted by the influence of the global net. This means that, as with music, people sitting at their computers at home can actually discover new projects and authors that interest them.

Derwen Publishing sees this as a great opportunity. We are no longer being restricted by the criterion that 'the publishing world knows what's best for us'. There is a real chance to break through here with original ideas. After all, a book is a most powerful tool for personal and planetary change.

THE DERWEN AUTHOR'S 'BILL OF RIGHTS'

We believe that authors deserve much better treatment than that meted out by run-of-the-mill publishers. Advances are way down now (by around 30% in many cases) so the old assumption that a big advance would be forthcoming is often erroneous - nowadays many advances simply do not earn out. So why give up to 90% of profits back to the publisher when with the right support in editing, design, printing, promotion and marketing you could be out there earning those profits yourself?

What you deserve

1 To be treated with consideration and respect.
2 A professionally-designed book cover, illustration design and layout. Your choices matter.
3 To have your editor be your friend; and an empathetic one at that!
4 To have an editor to be nurturing and inspiring, drawing out your talent to make you the best you can be.
5 An endorsement quote campaign consisting of other writers in your peer group.
6 An Amazon.com campaign/book reviews
7 A proper presence in the marketplace with a marketing and PR plan that you are consulted on and one that can even be in the contract.
8 The best we can offer on coverage in both old media and new.
9 Our support in creating an international web site that is optimized to be ranked as highly as possible.
10 A tailored community created around your concepts and ideas both online and off. This includes meet up groups, blogging, social media platforms, and cutting edge technology.
11 Access to all of the forums including the e-book market.
12 Access to add-ons
13 Access to training in presentation on stage and in the media so that you get your message across effectively and professionally and can magnetize people effortlessly.
14 To be actively promoted as an expert speaker in your area of expertise.
15 A fair remuneration after costs, and the percentage should increase as the book becomes increasingly successful.
16 An interface with a leading literary agency. You deserve to be translated and marketed to foreign markets. Profits from rights sales go to your own publishing fund.
17 To be marketed to the major film, animation, and TV producers where applicable. And merchandising!
18 Financial transparency.
19 To stay in print.
20 To be involved from start to finish and for the life of the book.