The general information provided below is not meant to represent the final terms of any contract for any individual work. These are summarized guidelines intended only to help acquaint you with our company and what you might expect when publishing with Bold Strokes Books. Production timing, contract specifics, and author payment may vary depending upon the attributes of the work, sales projections, author’s previous publications, etc. The information provided below may be changed at any time.
We hope that you find this introductory information helpful. Please contact us with questions at submissions@boldstrokesbooks.com.
1) How Long Does it Take to Review a Submission?
We want to give every submission the thorough evaluation your hard work deserves. A minimum of two editors reviews every manuscript slotted for review. This is a tiered process and may take twelve to fourteen weeks to complete.
2) What happens when my manuscript is accepted?
The publisher will contact you by phone or e-mail to advise you of your manuscript’s acceptance. General information will be provided and preliminary questions will be answered at that time. A contract will then be forwarded for your review.
3) What happens after I sign my contract?
Once the signed contract has been returned to the publisher, a press release announcing the acquisition of your title will be sent to various media outlets. At that time, the author is encouraged to participate in the prepublication promotion of the work via their own Web site, Facebook, MySpace page, mailing lists, etc.
4) What if I don’t have a Web site?
One of the BSB marketing consultants will be happy to provide information for simple, inexpensive Web site construction. We also market and promote our authors through our own BSB Web site. You will be asked to provide biographical information, contact information, and the book blurb for the Web site shortly after you sign your contract.
5) How long will it take for my book to be published?
The time span from contract signing to publication may extend from seven months to eighteen months, depending upon the anticipated editorial requirements, the division in which the book will be published, the advance notice required by our distributors for new titles, the number of books already in production, and many other factors. This time frame is actually shorter than the industry average.
6) Is every book edited in the same way?
Just the opposite! Each manuscript is individually evaluated in terms of style, genre requirements, content, and technical merit, and specific guidelines are discussed with the author. The goal of editing is to highlight an author’s individual voice, advance the author’s technical craft, and present the strongest work possible to the marketplace.
Because there are often many ways to treat words, most publishers rely on a style guide. One of the best-known guides, which is used throughout the book-publishing industry and at Bold Strokes Books, is the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition. This guide is often supplemented by in-house style rules. Bold Strokes has a "House Style Guide," which will be provided. Chicago has sections on such issues as basic grammar, punctuation, the treatment of numbers, capitalization of names and titles, and treatment of compound words. Editors use a style guide to make a particular publisher’s books consistent in spelling and usage.
In addition to a style guide, many publishers also specify a dictionary. The first given spelling of a word in that dictionary is the one the publisher will ask the editors to use. The dictionary used by Bold Strokes’ editors is Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition.
7) How many editors will I work with?
An author may work with one or two editors while preparing a manuscript for publication. Some editors specialize in aspects of story editing, while others are experts in the rules of copyediting. After the publisher has received an initial evaluation of the manuscript from one of the editors, she will determine the editorial pathway to publication.
8) When will I find out the publication date of my book?
When the publication schedule is finalized for each "season" (spring/summer/fall), authors with titles in that season will receive a confirmation of the publication date. An editor will be assigned at that time (if they haven’t been already) and will contact the author with the editorial deadlines for the title.
9) Will I have a say about my cover art?
The publisher works directly with the graphic artist on the early versions of every cover to ensure a) appropriate “branding” so readers recognize the books published by BSB when browsing bookstore shelves and b) that the cover art reflects the genre, style, and tone of the work. Once several options for the cover have been generated, the author will have an opportunity to provide input as to their preference.
10) How will my book get to readers?
BSB uses every possible avenue of marketing and distribution to ensure the highest sales possible for your title. Our books are listed in Bowker’s Books in Print, Baker and Taylor, Ingram, and other databases so booksellers worldwide can order your title. Our books are shipped to chain stores (Borders, Barnes & Noble), Amazon, and independent booksellers in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. In addition, we maintain an active online bookstore to sell your print books and e-books. (See the Sales Information page for more about these distributors and direct sellers.)
11) Do I have to copyright my work?
No. The publisher will copyright the work in the author's name upon publication. It is the author's responsibility to obtain copyright permission for any song lyrics included in the manuscript and provide this permit upon submission of the manuscript for consideration.
12) May I post excerpts of my work on the Internet?
Yes. BSB encourages authors to self-promote by maintaining an Internet presence and posting excerpts of their upcoming and/or published works. An excerpt may be the first chapter or a compelling scene. We strongly discourage authors from posting large segments or condensations of books to be published on any Internet fora, and we require that any version of the work (including first drafts containing more than 25% of the finished work) be removed from the Internet upon signing a contract for publication.
13) How will I be paid for my book sales?
Royalties are disbursed quarterly and based upon compensated sales less returns. Depending upon the format (print versus electronic) and the division in which the work appears, royalties may be based on list or net price, usually employing a tiered schedule in which royalties increase with the number of sales. The author is not responsible for any production or publication cost.
14) Does BSB off an advance?
Yes, BSB offers an advance for all full-length novels, anthologies, memoirs and biographies.
15) How will people find out about my book?
Bold Strokes Books has an active marketing program via its multiple distributors (newsletters to online buyers, retail promotional catalogs, and direct customer mailings) as well as via the BSB monthly newsletter and e-mail blasts to bookstores with new release information. As is standard in the present marketplace, authors are expected to take an active role in promoting their work via reasonable means (Web site, update lists, book signings, etc). Sales of LGBTQ fiction titles generally fall below their counterparts in the “mainstream” fiction marketplace, but through our aggressive marketing plan that includes LGBTQ outlets as well as mainstream venues, we at Bold Strokes Books are committed to bringing your books to as many readers as possible.