Waubesa Press

You've got a great story to tell. You've invested a lot of time on research and writing your manuscript. Now, who will publish it? If your name is Danielle Steele or Stephen King, the answer is easy. Big New York publishing houses will offer million-dollar advances and multi-book contracts. Unfortunately, most authors don't command that kind of attention.

That's where the Cooperative Publishing Program at Badger Books Inc./Waubesa Press can help. We'll become publishing partners with you, sharing the expenses and profits. Best of all, we won't just dump the finished books on your doorstep the way a vanity publisher or book packager would do. We'll help you market them, too!

Our Waubesa Press imprint is home to some of the most cutting-edge titles on our list. During more than a decade of cooperative publishing, we've sold the rights to one of our titles to Random House and several other titles have each sold more than 5,000 copies.

Our Cooperative Publishing Program will guide you through a seven-step process of getting your book printed, marketed and sold.

STEP 1: EVALUATION

Your manuscript will be read and we'll provide an evaluation of its market potential. Some books can be targeted to a specific market while others are better suited to a general audience. If you wish us to return your manuscript, please provide return postage.

STEP 2: EDITING

If your manuscript is accepted for publication in our Cooperative Publishing Program, we'll provide complete editing services by professionals. We may suggest a different focus or rewritten passages but, unlike other publishers, you'll be involved at each step of the process.

STEP 3: TYPESETTING AND DESIGN

After the manuscript has been edited, we'll design and typeset your book using the latest computer equipment. We'll handle all the details, including cover design and color separations. We can provide original drawings or photos through our contracts with professional artists and photographers. You'll receive an inkjet proof of the galleys for changes and corrections.

STEP 4: PRINTING

Your electronically prepared book is sent on computer disc to the printer. The printers we work with use the latest equipment and meet our quality standards.

STEP 5: DELIVERY

We'll handle the details of delivery and storage of your finished book.

STEP 6: MARKETING

Our marketing efforts truly set us apart from many other small publishers. Your book will be distributed by Ingram Book Co., the nation's largest book wholesaler, in both the United States and England. We have contacts with book reviewers and special expertise in preparing press packets. We also can prepare advertising and help you book TV and radio interviews.

Here's the way the program works:

1. There's a one-time $1100 setup fee that covers complete book production including typesetting, book design, cover design, light editing, advertising in at least two issues of our catalog, web site promotion, listings with Ingram and more. (Cover art and intensive editing also are available at extra charge.)

2. Authors receive 12 free copies of the book and we pay the printing for these copies.

3. Authors receive royalties of 50 percent of the net proceeds after bookstore and wholesaler discounts are deducted. We have no add-on charges here.

4. Authors can buy copies from us at a 50 percent discount off the full retail price for personal sales. We pay the printing costs for these copies and help authors find opportunities for personal sales.

5. Authors will be billed for printing costs for books distributed to the trade. These are printed in small amounts starting with 100 copies. Authors pay the actual cost and we have no add-ons. The standard printing cost is 90 cents per book plus 1.5 cents per page for each copy of a softcover book.

The program is structured so authors can earn all of their investment back and a modest profit by selling as few as 250 copies with half sold personally and half to the trade. Here's how:

-- Let's say we print 250 copies of your 200-page softcover book, which retails for $16.95. You receive 12 free copies and buy 113 copies from us for $957.68 (50% of retail). We reserve 125 copies for trade distribution to bookstores, libraries, Amazon.com and other outlets. Your total investment is $2,442.68, which includes $957.68 for buying personal copies, $585 for printing trade distribution copies ($3.90 x 125) and the $900 setup fee.

-- Let's say you give away the 12 free copies and sell 113 personally. Your income from these sales would be $1,915.35 ($16.95 x 113). If all 125 trade-sale books sell through, your income from these sales would be roughly $530 (based on average trade-sale proceeds of 50 percent off the cover price and splitting those net proceeds with the publisher). That means your total income would be $2,445.35, a tiny net profit for you of $2.67.

How can you increase profits? Selling more than 250 copies means higher profits because you've already recouped the setup fee. Other ways to increase profits are to raise the percentage of personal sales or set the book's retail price higher.

To submit a manuscript, send an outline and several sample chapters or the entire manuscript to: Badger Books LLC/Waubesa Press, 1600 N High Point Rd., Middleton,  WI 53562, USA. You can also submit your manuscript by email to books@badgerbooks.com.