Frequently Asked Questions for Authors
We are actively seeking outside submissions from talented authors.
Do you pay authors for their books?
Yes, we are a royalties paying publisher and pay 40% net of cover price. We define net as the cover price of the book minus any third party charges like those for merchant services. We do not take our 'cut' before the author is paid.
What do you charge authors in order to be published?
There is never a fee charged to the Author in order for their books to be published.
Do you issue ISBNs?
We have begun to issue ISBNs on titles we select for third party distribution. At this time that includes all erotic romances and most non-erotic genre titles.
How long does it take you to reply to a submission?
Typically we let you know we received your submission within forty-eight hours. We make a decision within three weeks of your book arriving in our submissions queue.
Do I need to be published already to submit a book or story to Shadowfire Press?
No, we welcome previously unpublished authors.
Do I have to find a cover artist?
No, we have artists on staff who do all our cover art.
Can I use my own art?
This will depend on your skill as an artist. If you can create art that is up to our standards and you are able to work with the Editor-in-Chief to get the Shadowfire Press look you might be able to create your own cover art.
How often do you pay royalties?
Monthly.
How much do I have to earn in a month before payment is made?
We pay whatever you've made that month, we do not have a minimum sales total before payment is made.
Do you edit your books?
Yes, every book we release is edited.
Does my book have to be edited?
Yes. All books are edited.
How long will it take before my contracted book is available for sale?
This will depend in part on how long it takes the author to do their edits. When we issue your contract we give a release date which is always under a year from when the contract is signed. Most books are currently being published within six months of acceptance, or sooner for holiday submissions.
What sort of publishing contract do you have?
Shadowfire Press based our contract on the model given by EPIC with author friendly modifications. We ask for two years on electronic rights and we only contract for the rights we plan to use. We do not ask for foreign translation rights, or the right to turn your book into a movie or merchandise. We request an option on series books, but ownership of worlds, characters, themes and unique concepts remain with the author.
What if I don't like a clause in your contract?
The Author's Contract at Shadowfire Press is negotiable. Talk to us, we're happy to accommodate our authors whenever possible.
Do I have to have a marketing plan in place before I submit a story or book to you?
No, you don't. As a publisher we help you create a marketing plan and also market for you at venues appropriate to your book. We also help you set up interviews and guest appearances on various blogs and Yahoo Groups. In addition our staff maintains several Yahoo Groups for marketing purposes. We also send your books out to numerous review sites. And, at our discretion, we also take out ads on various sites. All GLBTQ titles are have their information uploaded at the GLBT Bookshelf.
When will my book go to print?
Shadowfire Press is a pro-green business, we have no plans to do any of our titles in print. This decision is not negotiable in our contract. Please don't ask for us to reconsider our decision not to do print. We won't change our minds.
Other than on your website, where are your ebooks sold?
Shadowfire Press books are available through All Romance eBooks and Omnilit. We are always investigating other distsribution venues for our titles and should be announcing other distribution sites in the future.
What happens to my book if you go out of business?
We don't plan to go out of business, however we're realists, things sometimes happen that are beyond the control of anyone. There is an automatic return of rights clause in our contract that gives the author all rights back on their book should this happen.
What happens to my book if you sell the business?
We don't plan to ever sell the business, however sometimes things happen and businesses are sold. If Shadowfire Press is sold to another company your books are not considered an asset, and do not go to the new company. If we sold the company we would sell the company name, not the contracted works.
What do all those strange abbreviations like m/m and m/f or f/f mean?
They are fast ways for publishers to tell authors what they are looking for. M/m means male with male, or gay fiction. These stories will be about men in love with another man. M/f means male with female, or heterosexual fiction. In short, men in love with women and vice versa. F/f means female with female or lesbian fiction (also called lesfic on some sites). These stories and novels are about women in love with other women.
Do you want to see our contract before you submit? Email us, we'll be happy to send you a PDF of our contract.
Do you have a question that wasn't answered here? Then write to us, we'll be happy to answer any questions you might have.
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