A Dream Or A Disappointment?

There's a new kid on the Anthology block. Dream Of Things has published one book in a proposed series. The first book is titled Saying Goodbye, and like other anthologies, the stories in it are meant to make you laugh, cry, or sigh. The stories are true and considered creative nonficiton.

I've looked at the website this publisher has a number of times. The books fit the type of stories I often write, but something kept holding me back from submitting. Actaully, two somethings.

First, the publishing date was floating in space somewhere. The editor/publisher stated that each book would be published whenever there were enough quality stories to fill it. That bothered me, mainly because the date of publication could be anywhere from next month to the next decade. Do I want to tie up a story for who knows how long while they wait for the right time to publish the book?

The other thing is the payment process. The story authors of each book will receive royalties from the sale of the book and also two free copies. There is a different percentage of royalty for hardcover, paperback, and ebook editions. The royalty will be pro-rated for all the authors in each book. So, if there are 25 authors and the book earns 10% of the cover price, then that amount must be split 25 ways. If the paperback edition runs in the neighborhood of $15, the royalty on each book would be $1.50. Divide that by 25 and you get---very little.

You can read about the payment process here If the books take off like gangbusters, you might come out alright, but you also take a risk that salses might be very limited and you end up with peanuts for your story. Look at the people who took a risk when Walmart began. They're sitting pretty today. And how about the Chicken Soup people--their books have made millions. It's up to the indivdual whether to take the chance or not.

That said, I received a notice today that Dream Of Things is hoping to publishe the next book in the anthology series by the end of this year. This one will be filled with travel stories. The skeptical part of me wonders about a call for submissions in September for a book to be pulilished in three months. The practical part of me likes it, and I think I'll submit a story or two from my files. And yes, they do take already-published stories as long as you still hold the copyright.

Go to the website and read every page before you make a decison to submit. It could end up being a wonderful dream come true or a disappointment. You won't know, however, unless you take a chance.

I'd love to hear your comments about anthologies that pay royalties versus those that pay a flat rate.

Dream of Things 

Dream of Things pays a royalty of 10% of the cover price on trade paperback books, and 30% of the net receipts on electronic books. If a hardcover edition is published, Dream of Things pays a royalty ohe cover price of the hardcover book. For anthologies, Dream of Things purchases one-time rights. Royalties are paid twice per year. Each author’s share of the royalties is prorated. (Example: If you contribute a story to an anthology that includes a total of 25 stories, you would receive 4% of the royalties for that book.) Authors also receive two free copies upon publication, and a 50% discount on additional copies. For all other books, payment terms and rights are negotiable.

pays a royalty of 10% of the cover price on trade paperback books, and 30% of the net receipts on electronic books. If a hardcover edition is published, Dream of Things pays a royalty of 15% of the cover price of the hardcover book. For anthologies, Dream of Things purchases one-time rights. Royalties are paid twice per year. Each author’s share of the royalties is prorated. (Example: If you contribute a story to an anthology that includes a total of 25 stories, you would receive 4% of the royalties for that book.) Authors also receive two free copies upon publication, and a 50% discount on additional copies. For all other books, payment terms and rights are negotiable.