BeWrite Books / Limitrophe Publishing

Bewrite Publishers

When last heard from they were closed to submissions until July, 2005.

Well, it's July 2005 now.

Checking the link in the first post, the BeWrite site now says BeWrite is closed to all new members until further notice.

Ah. Didn't read far enough on the site. Sorry.

BeWrite Books?

I submitted my lastest book to them about two months ago. Still waiting to hear anything. However, with another book, I had almost fell into the PA trap. I am not saying BeWrite is just like PA - I am just doing research. I posted on writers.net asking if anyone had more info on BeWrite and didn't receive anything. I was hoping someone here may have had an experiance with them or may know more about them.

Thanks!

They seem to be another Brit POD house.

Have you ever personally bought and read any of their books?

No, I have not. A woman I used to speak to on another writing site had used them and had recommended them to me, but she had also gone the PA route with the book she published before BeWrite.

I saw that, but it didn't really give me muh help.

from bewrite

Hi chaps: (apologies in advance for a long post)

I'm so sorry for a late reply to this discussion. We're a small team (both on the books and the site sides) and answering questions on forums is one of my own wee jobs. I've been in and out of hospital since May (05) and am just creeping back into the saddle now (Oct 6).

Thanks for the interest you've expressed in this thread -- and you're dead right to smell a rat as soon as that four-letter word, POD, crops up!

But please understand that there is Print on Demand PoD -- a perfectly innocent expression of state-of-the-art print technology used by all the big houses as well as small presses -- and Publish on Demand PoD, which describes a business model ... an author mill churning out stuff for ssale to a list of family circle buyers provided by the author and/or charging the author for publication and ancillary services, a company charging to make your raw manuscript available in POD or ebook form, or a company charging you for what should be the most basic publishing services.

BeWrite just happens to use the technology and mainly internet outlets for sales. In all other ways, we're traditional. There's a full and PROFESSIONAL editorial service (check the team and our CVs on site), text design, cover art, technical work, publicity and promotion, the best marketing we can offer, all the paperwork, ISBNs, library placements of copies ... you name it. Full industry standard royalties, of course.

And it's all absolutely free, as it would be with any decent publisher who relies for his own income on sales to the general reading public rather than on fees paid by the author and buyers provided by him/her.

It is a simple matter to contact the author of any one of out hundred-plus BeWrite Book titles to establish that we have never asked for a red cent from anyone, we've paid expenses out of our own pockets when a book isn't covering its costs, we take no unfair contractual advantage, we provide the very best of pro services, we don't let folks down ... just ask, people, ask!

This does mean, of course, that BeWrite Books must be tremendously selective to compete in the marketplace with the big boys (though it doesn't mean we reject work out of hand ... there's a lot goes on behind the scenes here to help writers take that first big step).

If you want to be safe with a small press, the best rule of thumb would be to approach folks like BeWrite, UKAPress, Bluechrome and others WHO DO NOT SOLICIT MANUSCRIPTS!!!

Manuscripts are the last thing we need!!! A *real* publisher already has more than he can cope with and -- although he's always searching for that little gem -- will do everything in his power to filter out writers' work before it clutters his desk. To keep afloat, it's readers we need -- so only the best writers and the best stories will merit a second glance by our editorial team.

Sure, we closed to submissions for a while (we don't want to insult anyone by throwing their heart-wrung work onto a slushpile) to catch up on the logjam. The hufe majority of publishers are closed to submissions at any given time. Even UKAPress -- the people's favourite -- has locked the doors for a while. We're now open to proposals again, though. Good ones.

Do remember, though, that only a tiny fraction of submissions will reach publication. We use POD Print, but we are by no means a POD (PUBLISH on Demand) outfit (vanity press). Things are going so well, we'll soon be into short runs and stocking high street B&M shop shelves.

We are NOT a facility for the self-publishing author. We are publishers. We proviide what's necessary amd we pay the bills. The writers are our authors. They supply the raw material, and that's their job. We offer a slightly better chance to the Great Unpublished ... a fair crack o' the whip ... because that's our job. To open the door. Not the floodgates. Just the door. And just an inch.

If you do want to self-publish, though, because you really have what you believe to be a hot property nobody else has recognised as such, just be careful. Take advice from a company's other authors before handing over your credit card details, make sure you have experienced editorial help you can trust and afford, check your contract carefully.

First things first, though ... DO be sure you've run out of trad options (nomatter how small-beer) before you subsidise your own publication (remember The Beatles) and only pay out a red cent once you've thoroughly checked what's available.

I've been in the game now for forty years and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that the experts do let gold dust slip through their fingers occasionally. So don't be put off by rejection and do keep trying for traditional publication ... then, if you eventually must self-publish, get the best deal, rope in editors and friends for proof reading, work hard at promo and feel darned proud of every single book you sell. You've earned it.

Good luck and love to all. Neil (Neil Marr, Ed in Chief, BeWrite Books -- by no means the only honest game in town -- but offering no self-publishing option).

PS: And sorry we had to close for membership of the general non-commercial website meant for seriously developing authors. We were wasting too much time on ... well ... time wasters and those with nefarious ulterior motives. If you are serious about joining a serious group of about 700 good operators, the door's still open. But we need TRUE personal details (for file at least) and we need to see samples of your work for assessment before you'll be granted posting rights (and even then only after a piece passes an editorial board). Sound tough? Well the job is tough. We've only got time for seriously aspiring writers. Gosh this ;ppppng message is so not-me, but I'm sure you'll understand that careful selection at this level is necessary for real talent to ever hit the spot. There's a profound suggestion that says: "anyone who possibly can be put off writing, should be'.' True as eggs is eggs. N

neilmarr said:

But please understand that there is Print on Demand PoD -- a perfectly innocent expression of state-of-the-art print technology used by all the big houses as well as small presses -- and Publish on Demand PoD, which describes a business model ... an author mill churning out stuff for ssale to a list of family circle buyers provided by the author and/or charging the author for publication and ancillary services, a company charging to make your raw manuscript available in POD or ebook form, or a company charging you for what should be the most basic publishing services.

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This faux POD/POD distinction was actually invented by the original author mill, PublishAmerica, in order to allow it to convince gullible writers that it wasn't a "POD publisher". There's really no difference between "publish on demand" and "print on demand"--the terms are used interchangeably (and rather confusingly) to indicate either the technology or the business model.

- Victoria

Just to let writers know that BeWrite.net is open again. That is, BeWrite Books is open for novels - any genre. Be patient though. Every submission is considered carefully and notes made so that if rejected the writer is treated with respect and to constructive feedback. Accepted writers get royalties - no upfront fees of anykind. Authors do not have to buy any books (this isn't PA). Books are both as e-books and quality paperbacks.

And the BeWrite writing community is open for free membership - free registration: forums, word games, workshops, vol editors (such as me) for short story, poetry and article submissions for showcasing on the site. Enjoy.Geoff

Hello there, Folks:

Just noticed it's a year since I popped by. Now that the decks are cleared a little here, I must add the Cooler to my morning rounds and see if there's anything I can contribute.

This is just a note to say that the Community Geoff mentions above is still steaming ahead. The volunteer peer-editing system is working really well and the forums are more lively by the day. Cuts both ways because the volunteer editors are learning as are their authors. The informal teaming produces some quite stunning results.

BeWrite Books, the publishing arm, is also going strong with about 150 titles up and running now. We've tightened a tiny bit on genre since we lost one of the pro editorial team to a better paying editing job (they're all better paying editing jobs) but still have an open mind to subs in most fields. Madly busy, though, so please do count on up to three months before your project's studied and you get meaningful feedback from one of the editorial team.

In the past year, another two or three valid new independent publishers have also dipped their toes in the water, so we don't feel quite as isolated as we did. If you've exhausted mainstream possibilities, there's growing potential now with legitimate smaller houses. As always, though, do try to target the right publisher; some new players are pretty genre specific. And do read publisher requirements and style guides before submission to increase your chances.

Very best of luck. Neil
PS: my email address changed because the old one was swamped with spam. I'm now on ntmarrATbewrite.net (use the @ sign). That's just for informal stuff, though; if you're sending in work, please follow the directions on site at bewrite.net. N

Hi there Neil, perhaps you could outline the genres Bewrite is most interested in?

Its books are available at all leading online stores and, on order, from 100,000 high-street bookstores worldwide.

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Honest. I like that. This isn't the avenue I would choose, but for someone who had different goals than I do, it seems like an option.

The book synopses are also reasonably well-done, if a bit dull (what can I say, Hollywood has spoiled me).

The excerpt I read (from The Vanson Curse) was about on par with the excerpts I've read at Ellora's Cave. And, despite some issues, it held my interest to the end, which is pretty rare for an e-book excerpt. It kind of reminded me of Jordan's Fallon series a bit.

I still have a few questions, after looking through the website a bit. My apologies if I just missed seeing the answers. What are the royalties like? What kind of marketing can an author expect, if any?

on order, from 100,000 high-street bookstores worldwide.

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Something iffy about this phrase..yes, one can special order a book from most any bookshop, but that a very broad definition of "available."

I thought it was refreshingly up-front.

So many of these places say "available" with the intent to convey "on the shelves", and leave off the "on order" part, then, when called on it, refuse to admit there's a difference. I just liked that they had it square in the first paragraph on the front page.

I'd like to know the source of the "100,000."

D'oh. Didn't even notice that -- that's one heck of a lot of bookstores.

("High-street", in case I'm not the only one who had to look it up, apparently means the same as "Main street" does around the US.)

Without checking, I'm pretty darn sure there aren't 100,000 bookshops in the UK.

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I should say something about BeWrite. They are straight shooters, and there IS a difference between Print on Demand and Publish on Demand. Most small to medium presses now use print on demand technology because it's cheaper than buying up mass copies upfront and having to go into the hole right away.

I've known Neil Marr for years. BeWrite isn't Bantam, but they are honest. Some of their books sell reasonably well. Not NYT bestseller well, but enough to send out royalty checks occasionally.

The BeWrite Forum is now closed. But at its height, the BW short story database contained 12,000 short stories (all pro-edited/categorized/searchable). That's a lot of stories. You could read one a day and it would take you more than thirty years to finish them all. This means BeWrite was serious about writers, or they wouldn't have bothered.

Geoff Nelder was a member of the staff for a while. We ended up writing 'Dimensions' together, which was a lot of fun.

I would say BeWrite is a good second choice if you can't get the big boys to take your work. And BW rejects 90% or more of submissions, so they are not an author mill.

They use Lightning Source, I think.

'High Street' is a British term meaning 'brick and mortar' (bookstores)

'High Street' means a main or principle street, on both sides of the pond. If anything it is more a British phrase than an American one.