Beaten Track Publishing is an award-winning hybrid publisher of diverse fiction and non-fiction. We consider any work in any genre, based on merit, not market value.
We operate on socialist principles and believe in equality, absolutely.
- We are not affiliated to any of the large publishing houses.
- All our authors retain full rights and royalties (usually 50% of net profit).
- We are not a 'vanity publisher'.
Authors Seeking a Publisher:
Beaten Track is not currently accepting submissions in order to concentrate on our current publishing schedule. This is a short-term arrangement, so please do check back periodically.
We offer non-exclusive, equal profit-share publishing contracts and publish in ebook and/or printed formats (PoD). We work in partnership with our authors.
[More on Submissions]
Independent Authors:
For authors wishing to stay completely independent, we provide a range of competitively priced publishing services via our 'sister company', InRoad Publishing.
Information for Resellers:
We would love for you to sell our books in your shop/store - wholesale discount available.
[More on Reselling]
Publications:
Publications listed on our site are predominantly published by us on behalf of independent authors, although we may also list publications from other likeminded publishers, respected fellow authors and authors' consortia.
Beaten Track Publishing is a participant in both the Amazon EU Associates Programme and Amazon USA Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com respectively.
Why Beaten Track?
The first interpretation of this question leads to an explanation for the choice of name. Quite simply, we've all traversed the beaten track of authorship until our shoes are worn and our legs ache. Independent publishing is freedom from that treadmill and from the control exerted by traditional publishers. That said, we owe it to ourselves to ensure the work we 'put out there' is the very best it can be. This is where Beaten Track can help.
To take the question the other way, why not? If we publish your work, you keep all of your rights. There are no tie-ins for sequels, nor options on things that sound great but may never happen. Whether you're published by us or using our paid-for pre-publication services, you can be confident you and your work will be cared for and treated with respect.
Who / What is Beaten Track Publishing?
The company is owned and managed by Debbie McGowan, an independent author by choice, who has experienced both success and rejection at the hands of publishers. In all cases, her hard work didn't pay off financially, and she believes strongly that none of us should surrender our creative freedom in order to attain a publishing deal.
Submissions
We do this for the love of good books. We're not in it to get rich, or to make you rich. We truly hope you've written the next bestseller, but there is a lot of competition out there. In short, if being a bestseller or making a packet is your dream, then we probably aren't the publisher for you.
We're a 'hybrid' publisher, which means you remain as independent as possible. We don't pay advances, nor do we take editorial control or claim exclusivity over your work.
We edit, proofread and format your work to ensure it is the very best it can be, in return for which, we take 50% of the net profit on sales. There is no up-front cost to authors, nor any ongoing costs. However, you may wish to commission your own cover - if not, we'll make you one.
We will engage in some marketing on your behalf, and we will support your marketing endeavours, but ultimately this is your responsibility. The reason for this is simple; we don't have time.
We publish our physical (paperback/hardcover) books via 'print on demand', which means we don't need to worry about whether your book is going to be the 'next big thing', giving us freedom to publish what we like rather than what is currently most popular. Thus, when we consider a submission, we judge it only on the basis of whether we can recuperate the time and money we invest into publishing it. We will discuss your print, ebook and distribution requirements during the submission process.
We are NOT a vanity publisher, but rejection sucks, so if we feel we are unable to publish your book for you, we will always explain why, and we'll do it constructively with your feelings in mind (but we won't lie to you).
How to Submit Your Work
To submit your work for consideration, please contact us via the Beaten Track Contact page in the first instance, explaining a little about the work you will be submitting and whether you are seeking to be published, or contact us via the InRoad Publishing Contact page for paid-for services (see below).
We usually require manuscripts to be sent via email in a standard document format, such as .doc (Microsoft Word document) or .rtf (Rich Text Format), although this might not be appropriate (for illustrated books, for example), so when we respond to your message, we will discuss/suggest the most convenient means of submitting your work.
NOTE: we conduct our business electronically, which means we do not usually meet with authors face-to-face. The best part of this is that we get to work with authors from all over the world. However, it does mean we rely on email and social networks. Please also note that the address published on our website is a postal address only, not business premises, but we are prepared to meet with authors if circumstance necessitates.
InRoad Publishing
As you will see on InRoad Publishing, our services are available to all independent authors - those who wish to retain full control of the publishing and distribution process. We aren't in this for big profits, so you will find that our rates are very reasonable and we are also open to negotiation. If Beaten Track is unable to publish your book, we may suggest you consider self-publishing with our support. This is not a means to lure you in and then rip you off, and we do not charge to publish your book with Beaten Track. If we offer you a publishing contract, we take all of the risk, in return for 50% of net profit on sales. If this will leave us 'out of pocket' (for instance, if your work has a very specific and small market) then we are happy to provide a no-obligation quotation so you can self-publish.
Resellers
We would love for you to sell our books in your shop/store. Here's what you need to know:
- Our physical books are usually published via LSI print-on-demand, and they are available via Ingram and Bertrams distribution.
- We can also sell directly to resellers, should you find the financial return unfavourable purchasing via your usual distribution service. We can offer a discount of 30% of the retail (cover) price. Further discount may be available for bulk purchases (over 100 copies).
- Our primary business is online, therefore we do not as a matter of course, deal with physical book stores.
- We are unable to offer credit. We are too small, and our profit margins are slim.
- Thus, if you wish to order any of our books in any quantity, in the first instance, please contact us for a quotation. We ship directly from LSI to anywhere in the world. The cost of your order will usually be 70% of the book's cover price x quantity ordered + shipping/handling.
- If you are purchasing stock for a specific event (such as a launch), you will need to place your order at least two weeks in advance. LSI do offer an express service, but it is costly.
- We will not order or ship books until payment is received.
- These arrangements do not preclude arrangements you make directly with the author.