Frequently Asked Questions

 

General Publishing FAQs

 

What is the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing?

A traditional publishing company picks up the initial costs of publication, which include cover design, layout, and editing.  For this, the traditional publisher requires long term control (generally 5 – 7 years) of an author's rights to his or her book, and pays the author royalties of about 8%-12% of the book's cover price.

Truly self-publishing a book means that the author pays up front for all of the publishing components (cover design, layout, editing, etc.), finding contract designers, editors, etc. to handle each element in the process. Because the author assumes all of the risk, they control all of the rights to the book and should make most, if not all, of the money from the sales of each book.

Is it better to self publish or to use a company like Mill City Press?

Mill City Press is set up in such a way that having us publish your book has all of the best aspects of pure self-publishing (authors make 100% of the revenue from each sale and control all of the rights of the book) without any of the hassle (the author doesn't have to individually find and contract with cover designers, layout specialists, editors, website designers, book printers, etc.).

For an author who enjoys handling every minute aspect of the book publishing process (e.g. hiring a layout specialist, interviewing and contracting with a cover designer, dealing with editors, etc.) instead of just the exciting, creative elements of publishing, going the a la carte route may work.

If you want all of the "un-fun" aspects of publishing handled (including may you probably wouldn't even think about), then Mill City Press is for you. Since you make 100% of the revenue for each book sold, pay only the printer-direct prices for your books, and can terminate your contract at any time (if you decide to publish on your own), there is no downside.

What is an ISBN and why do I need one?

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a 10- and/or 13-digit number which uniquely identifies books and book-like products.

The ISBN allows libraries and bookstores to find information about the author, the author's book, the book's price, ordering information, and other related title information.

You'll need an ISBN to sell your book through any online or offline retailer. Each edition of a book, whether in paperback, hardcover, ebook, audio or other form requires a separate ISBN.

If you self-publish a book on your own, you will need to buy ISBNs. The smallest block available for purchase is 10, which will cost you approximately $300.

If you publish with Mill City Press, we will provide you an ISBN 10 and an ISBN 13. These will list us as the publisher (as we purchased the ISBNs) but, should you ever want to terminate your contract with us, you can remove the ISBN from the book cover and put a new one on.

What is a barcode and why do I need one on my book? What is the difference between a Bookland/EAN barcode and a UPC barcode?

All books use the Bookland/EAN barcode because it allows for the encoding of ISBNs. Almost all book retailers and wholesalers require the Bookland/EAN barcode somewhere on the back cover of a book, as this is what the retailer scans at the point of sale to identify the price and information from the bookseller's database. Like any other barcode, the computer then automatically reports the price to the cash register.

For mass market books, which are sold in drugstores and other non-bookstore retailers, a UPC barcode will likely be required since these non-bookstore retailers are not properly equipped to scan the Bookland/EAN symbols.

What is a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN)? Is it the same as a copyright registration?

The LCCN is a unique identification number that the Library of Congress assigns to titles most likely to be acquired by the Library of Congress. Librarians use the LCCN to access the associated bibliographic record in the Library of Congress's database or to obtain information on various book titles on other databases.

The publisher prints the LCCN on the back of the title page in the following manner: "LCCN: 2001012345."

The LCCN is NOT the same as a copyright registration even though they are both filed with the Library of Congress.

Do I need to register my book with the U.S. Copyright Office?

Copyright protection arises automatically the moment the author fixes the work in a tangible form (i.e. when a writer writes his/her story and prints it on paper), without the author ever having to file a copyright registration with the Library of Congress. But there are many reasons why you want to register your book, included being afforded all of the statutory protections under the U.S. Copyright laws. MCP's Basic and Premium Publishing Packages include copyright registration with the U.S. Copyright Office.

 

Mill City Press Publishing FAQs

 

Why should I publish with Mill City Press?

If you care about:

-Having complete control over your book (you own all digital files of the layout and cover, so you can publish them anywhere at any time);

-Original cover designs custom made for your book;

-Making all of the money from the sale of each book (yes, 100% of the revenue from each sale is yours); and

-Always paying wholesale printing costs --

then Mill City Press is the publishing company for you. Plus, you can always interact with a live person, as your Author Coordinator will be available to answer your questions and assist you through the process.

In addition to being one of the only self-publishing companies able to offer traditional distribution, we also offer cutting-edge marketing strategies for our books, both online and through more traditional routes.

What are the differences between the Basic Publishing Package and the Premium Publishing Package?

We offer two publishing packages at Mill City Press. Each includes complete listing on online retailers, unique, custom cover design and interior layout, a five-page website, and more. To see a complete list of the packages compared, click here.

The Premium Package includes our Expanded Distribution Program, which gives your book the opportunity to reach a larger market. It also includes several additional services, and you'll save over $500 if you were to buy each item separately!

What is included in each publishing package?

Details of each package are listed at www.millcitypress.net/Book-Publishing-Services.aspx. You can compare the packages side by side and decide which works best for you and your book.

Why doesn't Mill City Press take any royalties? Is there a catch?

At Mill City Press, we believe that because you've invested in your book up front, you should make all of the return. You pay us to publish and/or market your book, so why do we deserve royalties? We don't. When a traditional publisher invests a lot of money into marketing your book, a hefty royalty is earned. In a case where you pay for any marketing services, you should be insulted by any self-publishing company's justification of collecting royalties.

If you're considering any other self-publishing company, make sure you investigate why they take royalties from you when they aren't spending any money to promote your book. Click here to learn how other self-publishing companies take royalties from your book's sales. 

Why is Mill City Press the only company that passes wholesale printing costs directly to its authors?

The answer is simple -- because authors can't make any money when publishers artificially inflate the cost to print a book.