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LazyDay Publishing

LazyDay

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Yes our posts must be crossing.
Our contract is fully negotiable. We are asking for print, digital and foreign. We are not asking for audio and movie rights.
 

jennontheisland

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I am interested to hear...what would you like the answers to be to your questions? I'm curious. Hmmm an idea for a thread possibly or a blog post. What does the Author want??? :)
An experienced publisher.

Perhaps you should have considered this question when you were doing all your pre-startup research.
 
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LazyDay

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jennontheisland - Relax, I was just trying to lighten things up. No need to be so negative. At the end of the day, isn't it about producing good books for the reader? Shouldn't we both have the same goal? Whether LazyDay Publishing is for you or not, it does allow an author another venue to get their art in the hand of the consumer.

No need to have a negative banter going.
 

thothguard51

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LazyDay,

I have been respectful and will continue to be respectful, but asking questions is not a form of disrespect...

As to why you posted here, I am glad you have done your homework, as a good business person should. Still, I suspect you know that more than likely LazyDay would have had a thread started about it sooner or later. Sort of a pre-emptive strike as I see it and I do not blame you one bit from a business standpoint...

As to what does an author want? Simple...straight answers and not a lot of beating around the bush.

Why does LazyDay want to grab print rights if the main focus is e-publishingl at this time? In todays publishing markets, electronic and print rights are treated seperately, at least by those who know what they are doing and how writers operate.

According to the website, its states LazyDay may decide to go print at a later date, but you are asking a writer to grant you print rights without any gaurantees. How can an author make a informed decision if he/she does not know how you will treat the print version in sales , distribution, marketing, or royalties on the print version, which is different from e-publishing.

Like I said, I do want to believe LazyDay is better than others that have passed through these threads. So make me a believer...
 

thothguard51

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Woooo, Foreign rights too? When the author usually negotiates those separately? And there are so many forms of foreign rights...
 

Round Two

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I completely understand. We have started 3 other businesses from scratch and had to prove ourselves there as well. New businesses (especially in this economy) are always volatile. All I can say is that we haven't failed yet, and have no intentions to start now. With all the changes in how a consumer can now read a book, we feel digital publishing is the way of the future. Sorry traditional publishing!

It's certainly now become conventional wisdom that digital publishing is a growing market. Of course, that is also understood by larger and long established presses, too. What puts Lazy Day ahead of existing publishers who are digitizing their frontlist and backlist?

In an earlier message you talk about your mission is generating sales. It would stand to reason that the same thing motivates any publishing company, wouldn't it? Using social media is also part of any publisher's marketing strategy at this point. I applaud your enthusiasm, but I'm not sure you're as cutting edge as you hope to be (or, conversely, that existing publishers are as slow on the uptake with new technology as you might think).
 

LazyDay

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*smiling* You are obviously a highly intelligent person. I respect that.

We are focused on making money for all parties involved. If an author, such as yourself, felt that money could be made more by holding on to the foreign rights and so forth, then the author would need to negotiate that in the contract. I feel like an author who trusts their manuscript with LazyDay may choose otherwise. Regardless, this would be part of contract negotiations with the author and the publisher. No guns will be pointed at anyone's head. :) If we loved your book and you are set on holding your print rights, then we would just have to see. We are going into this with an open mind. What would we want with a bunch of rights if we had no intentions of making money off of them? Our intentions are to hustle that manuscript in all money making avenues. That is what an author wants right? Their book sold!

We aren't out to hurt the author. Quite opposite. We are focused on forming a partnership that will be long lasting. We work hard, they work hard and together success is achieved.
 

LazyDay

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Round Two - in no way am I saying we can compete with the big dogs...yet :)
We have lofty goals and ambitions, but we are realistic. There are bigger and better...but that doesn't mean we aren't throwing our name in that hat. The changes in the digital world, in my opinion, are going to open the doors for many small publishers.
 

Round Two

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*smiling* You are obviously a highly intelligent person. I respect that.

We are focused on making money for all parties involved. If an author, such as yourself, felt that money could be made more by holding on to the foreign rights and so forth, then the author would need to negotiate that in the contract. I feel like an author who trusts their manuscript with LazyDay may choose otherwise. Regardless, this would be part of contract negotiations with the author and the publisher. No guns will be pointed at anyone's head. :) If we loved your book and you are set on holding your print rights, then we would just have to see. We are going into this with an open mind. What would we want with a bunch of rights if we had no intentions of making money off of them? Our intentions are to hustle that manuscript in all money making avenues. That is what an author wants right? Their book sold!.

Who is going to handle subsidiary rights for LazyDay? If you don't want to give up an actual name I totally understand, but do you have an agent handling the matter? Or is somebody in-house going to do it?
 

eqb

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Good question, Round Two. That the key--the ability to exploit the rights you take. You might have channels set up for digital markets, but you aren't set up for print distribution, and given your lack of experience in the field, I'd question whether you have the contacts to exploit foreign rights. (Unless, as Round Two asks, you have a subsidiary agent handling the matter.)
 

veinglory

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I would say that some of the established epublishers also take print and foreign rights without using them--others don't.
 

eqb

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True. First a publisher needs the ability to exploit these rights--the right contacts and subsidiary agents--then they need to actually go ahead and do it.

Hopefully LazyDay will be flexible in their contract negotiations.
 

LazyDay

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Yes we have a subsidiary agent we will be working closely with as well as a few other contacts. We are fortunate to have great friends and acquaintances to network with as well as utilize. We are very close with someone in B&N distribution, and our Silicon Valley contacts are going to be priceless.
We realize how new we are and new to an industry, so we have surrounded ourselves with people who can help us along the way. Who you know is always important to a business owner. It is BECAUSE of who we know that has led us to the decision on creating LazyDay Publishing.

eqb - We will of course be flexible with contract negotiations. We want all parties involved to be happy with the outcome. If an author wants to hold on to a particular right for some reason, we are absolutely willing to consider that as an option.
 

thothguard51

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LazyDay,

I do like the fact that you are clearly stating you will be flexible in contract negotiations. I understand not wanting to divulge too much information that may be proprietary at this time.

For now, I will just wish LazyDay the best of luck and hope you guys do succeed where others have failed. We authors do need additional outlets, but not at the expense of giving away our rights...
 

LazyDay

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I completely agree. Authors do have rights too :)

Thank you for your wishes.
 

LazyDay

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Also, we do hope to go to print in the future. But a lot will depend on the attention a book and author are receiving from the digital release, the economy and also how the whole e-reader/digital book industry shakes out.
If an author is not comfortable giving away their print rights until LazyDay has moved forward with print, we can always add an addendum to the contract later on. The same would apply to foreign rights.
We are not going to ask an Author to sign away anything they are not comfortable with. It is fair to hold on to print/foreign rights until after the launch and even beyond. We are fair people, and are only looking for successful partnerships.
 

MartinD

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LazyDay, thanks for stepping up and answering questions here. Nick (thothguard), thanks for asking most of the questions I wanted answered.

Many of the barely-surviving epublishers expect the writer to do almost all of the book promotion. This really bothers me. I appreciate that LazyDay doesn't want a writer's marketing plan before they consider the manuscript. I also appreciate that they believe that they know how to market a project. If they can, this is HUGE.

So what bothers me about LazyDay? No experience in the pub world. They're new and "established" beats "new" most of the time. If they're unable to market their products successfully, then "new" means "no identity" and they won't have an existing customer base.

Their website was built on the cheap or looks like it, anyway, so I worry if they have the cash to proceed once contracts are signed. Also, "LazyDay Publishing" doesn't really inspire as a name, does it? I know this is just me being weird but there it is.

Because LazyDay is new, they need inventory so they'll soon see the weak efforts that other epubs didn't want. Until they've made a name for themselves, will anyone send their best work to them? I'd feel much better if they had an experienced acquisitions editor.
 
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Dmorgan

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re Lazyday

I think there are things LazyDay will be sorting out but also consider that being "new" isn't necessarily a bad thing. Fresh eyes coming to the table and that can really make a difference, even if feels a bit dicey, or a crap shot if you will to entrust such a new endeavor.

I like their enthusiasm and passion for this, and very much disagree that the website is shotty, or that the name is uninspiring. Allowed your opinions and how things strike you of course, but I'm less apt to hold pickery on a name than what they might have to offer, seems a petty level to go on. Everyone starts somewhere, including we writers who at some point, began on page one ourselves.

Good luck Lazyday!

- DM
 
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Silver King

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I find it less than coincidental how members can join this site, such as Dmorgan has, and with their very post come to the defense of someone's business enterprise as if the two had never met. Usually they are affiliated somehow, as this hardly ever happens through random chance.
 

jennontheisland

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Random one-off members "vetting" new publishers? Surely they're not paid friends. *gasp*

Me, I'm still trying to figure out what contacts in Silicon Valley could do for a completely inexperienced start up publishing company.
 

Dmorgan

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Scrutiny and paranoia runs rampant. God forbid I found this board because I'm a writer too and saw hawk mob mentality and felt it was a free forum to get my feet wet, but ya know.... lol thank you for the warm welcome. The fuzzies are overwhelming.

My very first post, and pounced on. Who needs a trip to the zoo at feeding time when I can do it all from the comfort of my own home. Yikes. Not everyone has ulterior motives, relax, just a newbie here and a very embraced one. Sheesh. One post and you are criminal and suspect. Get to writing, it's a great conspiracy theory wasted on a board thread.

Bummer I didn't Hop on Pop to bash a new hopeful, I'm one as well and btw NOT contracted with them as was eluded to, so that was a silly speculation. All I said was everyone deserves a chance and Lazyday took a beating, and took it well imo. Maybe it wasn't the best post to start in at, was where my mouse took me first. That said, crazy amount of negative energy that really could be channeled instead of naying others - myself included. Wrinkles come from such squinting and speculation. Have an apple, delicious!

- DM
 

veinglory

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From what I have seen LazyDays has been transparent and open and are generally making themselves look pretty good for a start up. But 99% of the time people who make their first posts in thread like these do have some kind of connection to the press-so it is not an unwarranted suspicion.
 

thothguard51

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I let the silicone valley statement slide too. Silicone valley and most publisher do not agree on how best to serve writers... IMHE...

As to new guy, take a chill pill, or better still, review some of the other threads where new publishers have come on board only to be closely followed by someone associated with them, and no mention of this fact until challenged...

If your not with LazyDay, then let it pass. It's not negative to question or even challenge a start up with facts... LD obviously expected blunt questions.
 

Silver King

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Scrutiny and paranoia runs rampant. God forbid I found this board because I'm a writer too and saw hawk mob mentality and felt it was a free forum to get my feet wet, but ya know.... lol thank you for the warm welcome. The fuzzies are overwhelming.

My very first post, and pounced on. Who needs a trip to the zoo at feeding time when I can do it all from the comfort of my own home. Yikes. Not everyone has ulterior motives, relax, just a newbie here and a very embraced one. Sheesh. One post and you are criminal and suspect. Get to writing, it's a great conspiracy theory wasted on a board thread.

Bummer I didn't Hop on Pop to bash a new hopeful, I'm one as well and btw NOT contracted with them as was eluded to, so that was a silly speculation. All I said was everyone deserves a chance and Lazyday took a beating, and took it well imo. Maybe it wasn't the best post to start in at, was where my mouse took me first. That said, crazy amount of negative energy that really could be channeled instead of naying others - myself included. Wrinkles come from such squinting and speculation. Have an apple, delicious!

- DM
This is precisely what I thought you'd say, almost to the word. So you're not fooling anyone and having us believe that you chanced upon this thread out of the blue and felt it necessary to defend a completely unknown publishing start-up merely through the goodness of your heart because, well, that's just the type of person you are.

In fact, and correct me if I'm wrong, you signed up to this site today only to bolster LazyDay's unfettered claims.
 

thothguard51

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I particularly liked his "Hawk mob mentality."

And embraced, another good one, but by who? Lazyday?