A New Publishing Model: Joint Venture
PLEASE READ EVERYTHING BELOW BEFORE SUBMITTING A MANUSCRIPT.
As authors, Ian Graham Leask and Gary Lindberg started Calumet Editions to invent an alternative path to publishing books that improves opportunities for talented and ambitious authors to be published professionally and establishes parity in the financial reward for successful books.
In the past, two publishing models have dominated the publishing industry:
Self-publishing, in which authors do all the work of editing, designing, publishing and marketing their books by themselves, often with amateur results; or authors hire professionals to do the work. If all the necessary work is professionally hired, the cost can range from $12,000–$30,000, or more, making this option financially disadvantageous in many cases.
An Alternative: Joint Venture
Our new model provides a third alternative to authors who have a book that Calumet chooses to acquire for publication:
A joint venture—actually, a partnership arrangement that is much like a joint venture. In this model, the author and publisher each agrees to invest equally in the professional publication of the book—in most cases, this amounts to $4,000–$8,000 each. The partners then each receive 50 percent of all revenues after costs. Because Calumet has less financial risk for each book it publishes, it can publish more new and unproven authors, which is one of our main goals.
Author Spotlight: Cathy Sultan
Cathy Sultan is one of our published authors whose work has found new success through our publishing partnership program.
Calumet Editions supports new authors
We publish 25–30 titles per year, many of them new authors. Even so, authors cannot buy their way into a Calumet Editions acquisition. Currently, we have over 160 authors from around the world—from New Zealand and Thailand to London and Minnesota.
Authors love us
We have never had a written complaint. Our authors have published as many as eight books with us, most of which would not have been released under the traditional model. Our books have won major awards and endorsements from best-selling authors and well-known figures such as Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Author Spotlight: John Wingate
John Wingate is one of our published authors whose work has found new success through our publishing partnership program.
Innovators often unfairly take heat
Innovations that break with tradition often become targets of criticism. Some publishing traditionalists have called us a “vanity” publisher or a scam because our model requires authors to invest money in the publishing of their book. “No authors should pay a company to publish their books,” they say. “Publishers should pay authors.”
We believe this is uninformed and short-sighted.
We see our joint-venture model not as a replacement for traditional publishing or self-publishing, but as a third alternative—a better alternative—for entrepreneurial authors who refuse to wait several years for their book to be released, typical of traditional publishing. Our authors would tell you that our model, which pays authors 50 percent of book revenues quarterly, is extremely fair because nobody makes money from a book unless both parties make money.
We’d like to repeat this. We pay joint-venture authors 50 percent of all revenues! That includes film and foreign rights.
Be careful out there!
“Vanity” publishing does exist, of course. Before signing with us, an author was quoted a price of $13,000 for publishing his book at another firm. No printed copies or marketing support were included, and the estimated release date was twelve months away.
Then he discovered Calumet Editions. We agreed to acquire his book under our joint venture agreement. His investment matched ours—under $6,000, including marketing support. The book was published two months from the date of acquisition so he could have copies for sale at a major event.
Beware of internet trolls who hand out biased or bad advice about the publishing business without checking the facts or contacting their targets.
Breaking rules that need to be broken
We are the good guys with an innovative model that may be right for you. The world is changing, and publishing has to change with it. Yes, we’re breaking some rules—for the better, we think.
We are looking for flexible, hard-working and entrepreneurial authors to become our joint venture partner. Submit your manuscript now and start the process.How to Submit
Submit your manuscript in MS Word format (*.doc or *.docx) by email to:
Submissions@CalumetEditions.com
In the Subject line, specify QUERY or SUBMISSION.
We will respond to you promptly.
Or phone us with questions or comments at (US) 952-937-0182.
