Who owns the rights to my book?

Our authors retain 100% of their rights. Since we recognize the importance of your copyright and intellectual property, you retain all of your rights. Our contracts are always non-exclusive and you are free to publish with anyone else or sell direct.

What percent of royalties do authors receive?

For printed material, our authors keep 100% of the net profit (royalties).  With Independent Publisher Services, you will are able to set both the retail sales price and the discount rate.  Once the unit printing cost is determined, our authors have the flexibility to determine how much profit they would like to make for each unit purchase. We have created a book profit calculator (click here) which will calculate the exact printing cost and minimum book price based upon the selected discount rate. You can tweak both the discount rate and retail sales price to determine an acceptable net profit.

What is a Discount Rate?

The discount rate is the percent which goes to the distributor for making publication to booksellers. This rate can range from 20-55%. Most authors would like the most availability, so 50-55% is commonly chosen by our clients.  Obviously, the greater the stated discount rate, the larger the potential audience.  We encourage clients to discuss discount rates with our customer service representatives.

55% – This is the standard “trade discount” and commonly used. .

50% – Most sellers (including small independent stores) will carry your book. The online sites will also discount your book from retail.

40%- The larger chains may carry your book, but independents will probably not carry your book and online sites will sell at retail cost.

How does Independent Publisher Services handle book returns?

Although we do offer a returns option, most self-publishers using supply on demand technology do not opt for this feature. Traditionally, publishers can denote a book as returnable, and a bookseller may return the book for full credit within 1 year.  Self-publishers and authors would consequently have to refund the sale and forfeit the books production cost. Larger bookstores might require a publication to be returnable for large bulk sales, and our authors can then choose to select this option.  There is considerable risk involved when accepting book returns, so we normally recommend authors hold off on this option. Please contact one of our consultants for assistance.

Where will my books be available?

Independent Publisher Services offers authors unlimited wholesale and retail availability.
Your books will be available for order through online sources such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and others. In addition, your book can be available for order from most every brick/mortar bookseller, based upon your selected discount rate. This means you receive unlimited wholesale distribution through Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and others.  Barnes & Noble and Borders physical bookstores may not automatically display your title. Special ordering of your title may be at the discretion of the individual bookstore. Our supply on demand model enable you to provide wholesale availability without any out of pocket printing and inventory costs for you.

Do I have to use an Independent Publisher Service assigned ISBN?

We provide our authors with complete ISBN flexibility. Since ISBN’s are required for all wholesale and retail sales, most authors use a provided ISBN under the Independent Publisher Program. However, you are free to utilize an ISBN under your own publishing imprint (Personal Publishing Program). In either case, 100% of the rights and copyright belong to you.

Am I responsible for keeping an inventory on hand?

NO! You never have to order any books unless you want to maintain your own inventory. We will handle all wholesale orders directly which come from the various  sales channels. When an order is received, your book(s)) will be printed, sent to the customer, and your royalty will be recorded. If you would like to order books, you will be able to purchase books at the same established book printing cost we use for wholesale orders. Additional printing discounts are available for orders over 50 books. For book orders with quantities over 1500, we can provide substantial savings printing offset. Please contact a customer service representative for an exact quote.

Can I still purchase books and sell direct?

Absolutely!  You make the most amount of profit when you sell direct. Direct sales normally come from either individual events (book signings, seminars, trade shows, etc) or directly from your own website.  Most authors purchase additional print copies so they can sell direct or use for promotion. From the Royalty Calculator, you will know your exact book cost (quantities 10-1000). Simply contact a customer service representative and books can be shipped to you direct within 7 business days.  Additional discounts are available for direct orders over 50.

How and when are authors compensated?

For printed books, authors get the flexibility to determine the amount of profit on each book sold by adjusting both the discount rate and retail sales price. Independent Publisher Services will indicate the exact printing cost based upon the size, binding, and color pages. As part of our contract, our authors automatically know exactly how much they will profit for each book sold.

Independent Publisher Services shall render quarterly statements of account to the author along with any payment due.  The first statement shall be rendered within 60 (60) days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the royalty payment accrues.  If any payment due is less than $50.00, no payment will be made but the amount due will be added to the next payment that exceeds $50.00.

Do I need a Library of Congress Number?

Our clients have the option of obtaining a Library of Congress Number (Preassigned Control Number) , since not all of our publications qualify for inclusion. Books must be at least 50 pages, non-religious, and intended for library distribution.   For an additional fee of $129, Independent Publisher Services will obtain the necessary PCN and submit finished manuscript to the Library of Congress.
What are the benefits to self publishing through Independent Publisher Services?

• Retention of Rights – Authors control their rights and are not locked in to a contract. Our authors are free to sell foreign or movie rights for their work, if the opportunity presents itself.
• Control – Not only do our authors have complete control on all aspects of their book (content and design). Our pricing structure and fees are completely visible.  Authors have the choice of picking and choosing any and all options they need to get their publication to market and we do not tack on any hidden fees.
• Speed To Market – Our model enables you to get your manuscript available as soon as you sign off on the final digital proof. In approximately 4-6 weeks, your title will be readily available through our distribution channels.
• Increased Revenue – The annual income of a writer is quite low. Our pricing and royalty structure enables you to have control on your profits without having to pre-pay and inventory books.

What is SEO metatag and key word marketing?

Since a large percent of self-published books are sold through online resellers, it is imperative that your books are displayed whenever relevant key words are searched. Included within our startup package is a questionnaire which enables you to provide key words and phrases about yourself and publication. From this information, additional relevant key words can be created an uploaded in the metadata feeds to the industry book  and distribution databases.

What is the process to submit a manuscript for publishing?

We encourage our clients to always work over the phone with a customer service representative, since we really want your publishing project  to be successful.

• Contact Independent Publisher Services (IPS) customer service representative : 800-662-0701 ext. 250
• Provide IPS digital copy of manuscript and cover art, if available.
• Customer Service Representative will have provided manuscript reviewed and provide an exact quote. In many cases, small tweaks are necessary to account for proper page display and print bleeds. Based upon discussed needs, a customized contract will be drawn created. Included in the Publishing contract will be an exact breakdown of all fees and Net Profit calculations.
• Author reviews and returns contract
• IPS will provide necessary formatting and print ready file conversion and submit to author for final approval.
• Once digital proofs are approved, IPS will print and ship sample publication (3-5 days)
• Upon final approval, it will take 30-60 days for your publication to be available through global distribution channel.

We encourage our clients to contact us by phone and discuss your project with one of our customer service representatives.