Fedowar Press is a small press. That designation can mean different things to different people. Our goal with this page is to define as closely as possible what it means to work with us as an author.
We are a Full-Service Publisher
No, that doesn’t mean we sell our service to outside entities. We will never try to sell anything to our authors either. What it means is that a book to be released under Fedowar Press will have all production services provided by us at no cost to the author. We will provide developmental editing, line editing, and proofreading. We intend for most projects to be released as ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook. We will provide covers that are high quality and professional for ebook and paperback, with hardcover and audiobook as required.
Our books will not be in big Brick and Mortar stores
While we would love this, it just is not feasible under our current business model. We work with high-quality print-on-demand services to make our physical books as widely available online as possible. We also work with digital distribution to deliver our ebooks in as many locations as we can, including availability for libraries.
Does that mean an author’s local bookstore can’t sell their books? No, but it does mean the store would need to order it specifically or sell it on consignment from the author.
We will advertise… Some
As a small press, we do not have budgets like large houses to do large ad campaigns. We will promote our books through social media, our website, and our fellow authors. We will designate a small ad budget for each book to help get it off the ground. That budget will be refilled by its sales, which will keep a rolling account moving forward for a designated time. That means we rely on our authors to help. We expect our authors to work to promote themselves and their fellow Fedowar authors through social media, blog posts, youtube, interviews, or any other media they feel comfortable with.
What will sales look like?
That is the big question everyone wants the answer to, but no one knows until it happens. This is highly dependent on the advertising and promotion issue. The harder we work as a team, the greater our sales numbers can be. As well, the more books an author has out, the greater chance to increase their own sales by sending customers to their back catalogs. So we encourage our authors to write and continue working with us, so as a team we can grow our sales.
How much does an author make?
We do not offer advances. Unfortunately, advances do not fit our business model.
50% of net sales is our standard royalty for authors. That means if $1 comes in the door from a sale, an author is entitled to 50 cents. (recently raised from 30%)
Why? Because after doing all the number crunching, this is the maximum we found that we could pay an author after all of the upfront cost to get their book on the market. We worked long and hard on this, trying to find the maximum number that we could offer, and this is where we landed.
Why work with Fedowar?
Some argue that a small press may not offer more sales or distribution paths than self-publishing. There is truth to that. Working with a small press means an author is an Indie Author. They still have to promote themselves and work for their sales.
So why do it?
If Fedowar brings in a book to work on, it means an author has a team to work with. We pay for editing, cover art, distribution setup, and some advertising. We are investing in our authors in the gamble that we will both gain from the investment of resources. If we take that gamble, that means we believe in an author and in their work. We will work to answer questions and guide the process from start to finish, and onward in their career. We encourage our authors to work as a team to promote each other and build a small family of authors that work to build each other up.
Who shouldn’t work with us?
- An author who wants total control over all aspects of their book’s production.
– While we hope to work as a team through projects, there may be some decisions made editorially if agreements can’t be made during the editing and cover design process. - An author who is looking for Big 5 sales numbers
– As mentioned above, we are essentially Indies working together. There is no guarantee of sales numbers. - An author who wants more than 30% revenue
– Some will think 30% is not enough. That’s a fair argument for self-publishing authors, but they also take on the risk of spending the upfront costs to publish their books.
Who should work with us?
- Authors who agree with our team philosophy on the power of story, teamwork, and dedication.
- Beginning authors, or authors wanting to build their credits.
- Authors who would like a team working for them, to support their road to publication.
Thanks for reading
Hopefully, that cleared some fog away for our friends and prospective authors. We believe in transparency, and we also know that we are not the right fit for every author. And that’s a good thing. Variety is the spice of life, right?
So wherever you may go as an author, we wish you luck.
Still have questions? Please use our contact form, and we will get back to you.