You may already have a print version of your work that is “out of print”. Or you may be thinking about composing something for the Net. Or on CD. You may have a work you want to test out there in the market before spending thousands of dollars getting it into print. Then you owe it to yourself to get in touch with us.
First the background, then our solution...
The IP Difference
In the rush to publish on the Net, many people forget about quality. With the explosion of material in cyberspace, it’s even more important now to ensure your work is the best it can be before it gets out there.
That’s where IP is different from most online publishers, who are only too happy to take on your work for a modest fee and a tempting royalty arrangement. They may even digitise your work for free and give you space on their website along with other hopeful authors. Quality control is often never discussed. Turn-around and cash-flow are what drives these entrepreneurs. You wait and wait. And wait. Months later, you may wonder why you bothered — your manuscript probably had more exposure in your desk drawer!
IP offers a better approach. We assess your work and suggest ways to improve it before you put it out there. This takes time and patience on your part. But creating memorable work was never meant to be easy. Or quick. Once the work is ready to be published, we produce an effective design and layout. Because first impressions still matter, even moreso on the Net. A professionally designed cover still attracts attention on the screen as well as on paper; thoughtful choice of typography and integration of design elements will keep your viewers viewing, rather than distracting them from your content. It's well worth the investment.
Once the work is published you need to promote it. Through IP Sales (IPS) we will work with you to design a strategy for attracting attention and producing sales. Again, this depends on the quality of your work — it’s hard to sell a frog as a prince except in fairy tales. But if you accept our suggestions along the way, you won’t need a magic wand.
From MS to Publication
For a typical project, there’ll be stages involving assessment, editorial, production and promotion. First, you query us, with a proposal and a one-page synopsis of your work. We may then invite you to send us a sample (~10%) of your work. We view your sample for free, but if we request the full work, we charge a fee of $$249 have it reviewed by an expert. This will provide you with a report on the readiness of the project for publication, and an estimate of any costs involved getting it through the other phases.
And Beyond...
We find that going digital is beneficial for several reasons. Let’s say you live in Perth, and you want to perform at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival. The organisers are hesitant because they don’t know enough about your work, and the deadline for extending invitations to readers was yesterday. Simply point them to your IP-hosted mini-site and they have immediate access to your work, your bio, your photo. Was there any doubt of your being invited?
IP is serious about promotion. IPS has an ever-growing list of contacts we use to sell authors’ work to distributors, libraries, booksellers, media outlets, academics and individuals. New titles are promoted via email circulars we send to these lists, as well as in IP eNews, our quarterly electronic newsletter, which has a global circulation and links to many key sites on the Internet.
Ready to go digital? Check out IP's Digital Publishing Centre, which offers publication via print-on-demand (POD) and eBooks such as the Kindle and iPad.
Craig Tuck
Editorial Intern, 2008, IP