“At Book Guild Publishing we give as much attention to the books published under our Partnership Publishing programme as we do to our conventionally published titles, and this is what makes us unique in the UK book publishing arena.”
Book Guild Publishing is a publisher offering conventional publishing as well as partnership and print-production-only contracts for authors and companies. Part of Book Guild Publishing’s strength is that it has proper distribution channels through Orca Book Services in the UK and
a number of other overseas distribution services, allowing them a global network to get books to high street stores. The BGP website also has an
online bookstore to support catalogue with plenty of book links on some webpages, though, I’d like to see more.
Book Guild Publishing is one of the few independent publishers to have a dedicated team of sales reps on the high streets, meeting with, and presenting all new titles to booksellers face-to-face. Sales are important, more than ever! We have the machinery and network behind us to ensure that a book is more than simply available – it is actually ordered by bookshops and online retailers. Sales reps are still the backbone of the publishing trade, and our team are experienced professionals. We are in touch with our sales reps every day, and we present our new titles twice yearly to the team at the sales conference, held at The Oval cricket ground.
Book Guild Publishing titles can be bought or ordered from any bookseller in the UK, including from websites. We have accounts with all the key UK bookshop chains, wholesalers and library suppliers, with whom our experienced reps have long established relationships.
What is notable about Book Guild Publishing is the fact that it has not stood still as a publisher over twenty-five years in the industry. BGP began as a traditional publishing house but has developed a modern perspective on a changing industry and married it to core publishing methods. Book projects are tailored to around the author, new or established, and constructively involve the author in the process of book production and marketing. The partnership publishing program is part of this strategy as well as basic book production services.
“We offer an eclectic mix of quality books: novels and stories to enchant and engage both adults and children, vivid memoirs and biographies that give insight into remarkable lives, past and present, and timely books on current affairs. We publish around 75 books a year so that we can maintain our high standards and we pride ourselves on offering an effective and efficient service to a wide range of authors, both established and new. We are committed to bringing quality books to their potential readers, and to maximising every book’s potential. Many Book Guild titles find both critical and sales success.”
Book Guild Publishing’s conventional form of publishing is intended for books it evaluates and considers ‘will sell well in the mass market’. All publication costs may be paid, with an advance to the author. The ‘may’ here is important to note, and some critics would argue that this qualifier means that a ‘no paid advance’ is not in fact traditional publishing at all. However, in recent years, more and more independent and small publishing presses are not guaranteeing an advance payment to an author. Despite the mainstream media headlines about million pound advances to authors, the reality is very different. Many authors are paid in very low four figures sums (even hundreds). More a cursory and respectful gesture on behalf of a publisher for an author’s efforts.
“Book Guild Publishing provides an individual service of great quality. Printing is only a small part of the publishing process, and our selection procedures are rigorous. From the thousands of manuscripts we receive each year, we publish a select number of books each month – keeping our standards high, and ensuring that all our authors receive the attention they deserve.”
Book Guild Publishing provide four different options of publishing contract – partnership, conventional, print production only, or sponsored publication. Publishing options are subject to manuscript submission and evaluation.
1.Partnership Publishing
This is a full publishing package, just as you would have in conventional publishing, but towards which an author contributes towards the costs and retains creative control and a high level of involvement. Unlike self-publishing, partnership publishing provides the full service, as detailed above. If we publish your book, you will be asked to pay the costs of the first edition.
Partnership Publishing offers a higher royalty rate: On each book sold you will receive 30% of the full retail price of the book, which is the equivalent of 80% of the net revenue – this is a higher royalty rate than mainstream publishing, which offers between 7-10%. The fact we receive 20% of the net revenue ensures that our incentive to sell your book is maintained. This is why we represent you for two years after publication.
There are no additional hidden costs; any subsequent reprints are paid for in full by the Book Guild.
2. Conventional Publishing
Also known as mainstream publishing, this is where the publisher will pay for all costs and may pay an advance to the author.
Due to the high level of risk in conventional publishing, books generally have to be considered to have mass market potential. At present, this means that the focus tends to be on “dead certs” – previously published authors with a successful track record and/or well-known names, particularly from celebrity culture.
Every year Book Guild Publishing brings out conventionally published titles that we think will sell well in the mass market, and we have an excellent record of sales. Conventional publishing enables us to maintain a position in the marketplace that benefits all the books we publish.
3. Production only
This service includes the full editorial, production and design of your book to provide you with finished copies for your own distribution and use.
4. Sponsored books for companies and charities
Providing the publishing expertise for company-backed books according to your needs.
Book Guild Publishing describes its partnership program as ‘the middle way’ option for authors who wish to have a considerable say in the production and publication of their book, while at the same time having the support of a traditional publishing house. BGP do not disclose the percentage costs an author will have to contribute, and that itself may lead the author to paying much of them if the exact figure is not specified prior to the signing of contracts.
This royalty share is 30% on retail list price for the partnership program, and that’s probably equivalent to about 50/50 net other UK partnership publishers offer. Guild Publishing says its partnership option includes everything a full publishing package should include from any traditional publisher. That includes a rigorous editorial service, high-quality production, professional jacket design, publicity, marketing, a UK sales force, global marketing where appropriate, warehousing, distribution, accounting, representation at the London Book Fair, inclusion in their catalogue, website bookstore and on Amazon.co.uk, and two years representation after publication.
Book Guild Publishing also provide a ‘Production only’ service which includes full editorial, production and design of your book, through to finished copies for the author’s own distribution and use.
Book Guild Publishing has been in the UK publishing world for some years. It represents a reasonable option for an author considering self-publishing on paper, but I don’t feel BGP is the fit for an author wishing to take complete control of a book project (with their own imprint, ISBNs and directions). BGP will perhaps argue that fits more into their sponsorship program, though, details appear to be pretty sketchy on this. This sponsorship publishing role looks more an option for a commercial organisation or company. Authors who consider using BGP should first ascertain (as a priority) the kind of contract (exclusive or non-exclusive) on offer.
This page on BGP suggests to me that contracts include the concession of subsidiary rights. I’d prefer if BGP made their full partnership contract available online. With partnership publishing, it is often an exclusive book rights contract. Likewise, authors should seek quotes on author costs (including print wholesale and marketing expenditure) and a full detailed proposal before signing a contract. Partnership publishing is a serious commitment and investment on the part of an author.
On balance, for what Book Guild Publishing offer, I’d consider them only an option for experienced authors, convinced they have a highly marketable book and a sound and proven belief they can recoup any financial investment. Expect partnership deals to cost an author several thousand. This alone, in my opinion, will preclude most authors (and rightly so) from including BGP in their ‘ideal’ list. I must reflect that in the overall rating for this company and also ask anyone reading this review to also note the attached comments below. Take into account that these comments were amassed on this review over several years, first review in 2009, and now revised for October 2013. I would like to give BGP a higher rating based on their distribution and industry partnerships, but the reports of regular 4-figure, and even 5-figure fees (in UK sterling), their focus on offset print runs, leaves the rating at a less than satisfactory 6+.
RATING: 7/10
Thanks for this. I have just had a partnership offer from The Book Guild and am unsure whether to proceed or not.
Mick, another thorough review.
Do you have any information on Bookguild’s charges to authors? I wonder whether the fee is simply for the raw costs of producing the book, or is the publisher attempting to get their profit up front from the author?
In fact I’d be interested in whether you know of any “partnership publishers” who work on the model that was common some years ago, where the author basically pays the printer’s invoice, and the publisher splits the net profits 50-50, after subtracting their marketing and advertising costs.
Best,
Joel,
I don’t have specific figures, but I believe when I did the review I requested a sample quote from them which ran into four figures. And, yes, they tend to focus on offset runs, not POD, because of their distribution arrangements. This is not a service option for the faint-hearted or author without a very strong book and a clear marketing plan.
Other such partnership publishers would be PEN PRESS and MATADOR. See the reviews I have done on them. I’ve found that the partnership publishers in the UK seem far better set up with distribution and the book retail sector than their US cousins. In fact, its hard offhand to name one good US outfit following this model. There was Cold Tree Publishing (I wrote an article on them as well), but they went belly-up in July.
I recently had a partnership offer from Book Guild Publishing, but it wasn’t far short of a five-figure sum! This was for a fairly average length novel.
Book Guild appear to offer an extremely good service to authors, and in all their dealing with me they were never anything less than professional. What they offer may well be worth the author contribution – but I imagine that, like me, most people are not going to be able to commit that sort of money.
Anonymous,
I think your assessment of Book guild is pretty fair. I too have heard from authors with regular quotes of four figures.
This model of partnership publishing, more often than not, uses offset print runs rather than POD, because the concentration is on getting books to bookstores by the traditional channels, and that introduces warehouse and distribution costs as well as a formulated marketing plan.
I’ve said in a previous article that even the smallest uk presses are committing £10 – £20k per title. So you could argue that book Guild,and partnership publishers like them, Pen Press and Matador, actually do what old-style vanity publishers promised an author they would do – print, market and sell their book!
It’s a big investment for an author and they must be sure they are dealing with a reputable partnership publisher offering a 50/50 share in profits. Personally, I don’t think this is the first port of call for an unpublished author, but ideal for one who has a solid but respectable mid list readership.
When it works wells – it really can be lucrative for an author, and with a dedicated readership, what is spent on marketed is much more carefully targeted.
Hi
I have just been offered a deal for a childrens picture book through Book Guild, which is with partnership publishing. It is a four figure amount plus I need to pay for illustrations.
I do not know alot of history about Book Guild and what they do and their sales history.
I am wanting to find out whether this is a good option or not or if I should be looking elsewhere?
Is there anyway to find out the book sales for Book Guild?
How many bookstores do they have books in? Waterstones etc?
Thanks
Hi Anonymous,
As indicated above in the comments, a four figure sum would be considerd the norm for the partnership publishing model.
Regarding sales, one option is to look for a sample of their titles over the past 12 months and check their ranking on Amazon, the large five and six digit figures relay an indication of low sales – the lower the ranking the greater and more regular sales are. The Amazon ranking is only a broad barometer, and it takes into account both sales units as well as frequency.
I would be concerned if you are relying on The Book Guild to do all the promotion and generatation of sales. Comparing the experience of one self-published/partnership published book can be tricky because you don’t know the terms and degree of marketing services purchased by any given author.
Before you commit, I would suggest you descretly contact one or two of the authors listed with The Book Guild over the past year and see if they will provide you with feedback about their own experience and success.
Also before you sign a contract, make sure you have been given a clear and detailed marketing plan from BG outlining what they are doing and what is expected of you.
Book Guild has offered me a no-contribution deal or a contribution deal effectively 5-figure with 30% but only of the first run, which would be no less than 1000 books and 12% after that. How does that follow-up percentage and first run sound?
Take the no-contribution deal.
I’ve just looked at the Book Guild website and found one of their cover images looks remarkably like George Michael from the Older album. It’s a book about an elf called Chard.
I’m sure the cooking theme was unintentional, but perhaps the Marketing and Publicity Director has been using rather too much oregano in the promotion of her own book?
LOL, what’s the url link to the book, I’d like to take a look at that!
http://www.bookguild.co.uk/genesis-c-1-p-1-pr-1133.html
Is it George?
I published my novel on a partnership basis with Book Guild. I envisaged it in paperback only but after quite strong persuasion, I eventually agreed to its being published as a hardback. Huge mistake: far too expensive for the market, and bookshops aren’t interested. Also, they talk about a ‘rigorous editorial service’; it wasn’t: copy-editing only. And their fee was close to five figures.
Frankly, one is better off purchasing a full editorial service from a consultancy, then self-publishing either through a service provider, or buying a cover design service, your own ISBN and distribution through Neilsen, and buying a typesetting and printing service. You can get the same result at a fraction of the cost.
I’d agree, and your are not the first person to tell me you forked out an almost five-figure amount from Book Guild. Any service trying to persuade to to publish a hard back edition should ring alarm bells.
I’d agree, and your are not the first person to tell me you forked out an almost five-figure amount from Book Guild. Any service trying to persuade to to publish a hard back edition should ring alarm bells.
The following comment (posted in Dec 2012) was deleted from this review at the request of the author following an email he/she received from the publisher requesting it to be removed or altered. I am reproducing it below in the interest of transparency with the author’s name redacted.
****
[I] signed a 5 figure contract, promised the world. Got very little. They didn’t market the book – the media coverage I arranged myself. And, it is now out of stock just before Christmas and they are all of a sudden not contactable via email and ignoring my repeated attempts at contacting them. My first payment, 6 months after publication, was only 1/4 of what I paid to get published.
Sadly, I would not recommend them to anyone.
****
Thanks to all of you. Goes to show vanity publishing doesn’t pay. I was toying with the idea of submitting my memoir but after reading this I have to say NO THANKS!
Hello
I too have been offered a ‘deal’ with BG. I am new to this and don’t know of any other publishing companies, do you know of any other companies that will accept unsolicited work?
Thanks
Interesting entries and worth reading. I had a BG offer of about 10K for a first book and like many others, concerned about recouping anything from the venture. Anyone else recommended instead?
I was told for a picture book publication for full service I was looking at £8000 I originally asked for mainstream publishing,but was told it would be a partnership offer. I suggested on their Facebook page that people aged 60+ would find their prices are too high but perhaps that could look at a smaller contribution. for them. My letter was polite but you guessed, it was deleted from the page very quickly the next day. When I sent a polite email to their boss Carol Biss I got no response. I presume if you don’t like it go somewhere else. which is a shame but it all looks very friendly on there website
If you are looking for a good sincere self publishing package Memoirs Publishing are excellent and also Arthur H stockwell can publish a picture book for £2,500 both have reasonable rates and if you have to borrow its not costing you a fortune.
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The Book Guild has now been acquired by Troubadour a respectable leading self publishing company. They seem to have very clear terms and conditions and have alot more going for the new author now
Following acquisition by Troubador Publishing in July 2015, The Book Guild has ceased to offer a wholly self-publishing service to authors. All Book Guild titles are now co-funded to some extent with the author (ranging from 0 through to 75% author funding, depending on the project). Book Guild titles must be commercial as a result, and publishing contracts from the company are now limited to a few each month.