Mundania Press / PhazE / New Classics Press

JerseyGirl1962 · Aug 4, 2005

Mark,

It was down to 1,021 or somesuch rank; man, I would love for a book of mine to be that far up in the rankings (once I finish, that is).

I guess what's more important is that all the reviews at Amazon were positive beyond belief...and someone hinted at awards for the book...

Sounds like a real winner. I've already put it in my Wish List!

~Nancy

Elwyn · Sep 9, 2005

Mundania Press LLC

Any comments on Mundania Press? P&E recommends them, but I thought someone here may have some insight.

From thier Web site:
Publishing Rights
Your submission must have electronic (eBook) and print rights (hardcover and paperback) available. If any of these rights is not currently available, please do not submit. You automatically own these rights when you wrote your book. As long as you have not contracted these rights to another publisher, you still retain them.

What exactly does the first line of the above mean? If I had print rights, why wouldn't I have eBook rights?

BTW - Several weeks ago I sent my manuscript and 30 bucks to the US Copyright office, so I guess I have all rights?

Cathy C · Sep 9, 2005

Because a number of the electronic publishers only take electronic rights, Elwyn, leaving the mass paperback, trade paperback and hardback rights with the author. Mundania is a small press that produces both electronic and (if buyer demand warrants it) trade paperback books. So, an electronic author couldn't go to Mundania to JUST print the trade paperback edition. Does that make sense?

I'm sorry you registered the copyright, though, because it didn't do any good. You'll have to do it all over again if it gets published. See, only the FINAL version of a book should be applied for copyright, after edits. Any publisher worth their salt will do it again, because the copyright form lists them as publisher. No harm done, but you're out the money. Sorry.

For future reference, you're protected from the moment you put word on paper (or monitor) without registering pursuant to the changes promulgated in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1997. For more information, go here

CaoPaux · Sep 9, 2005

Elwyn, have you checked out our Index? Here's where we've discussed Mundania before.

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=542

Also, copyright is different from publishing rights. The Index lists many threads on that as well.

MundaniaPress · Sep 11, 2005

Mundania Press Questions

Mundania Press always publishes our books in Trade Paperback and eBook formats simultaneously. We are first and foremost a print publisher, but we offer eBook editions too since the demand is growing. This is why we ask for both electronic and print rights from the author.

For some well-known authors, or certain best-selling books, we may also publish a dust-jacketed hardcover edition, which helps get the book into libraries.

We have received a "recommended" rating on P&E and our reader’s poll on P&E rose from #22 to #16 publisher this past year.

As far as publishing rights, the author would still retain these as long as he or she has not already contracted those rights to another publisher. As someone else mentioned above, publishing rights are different than a copyright. As the author, you are the owner of the book and hold the copyright to it. You would grant us the publishing rights, which includes the ability to print, distribute, market, and sell your book for a specific amount of time--you still own your book.

All of our books (print and eBook editions) are distributed through Ingram's US, Ingram's UK, Baker & Taylor, and eBooks are also sold through FictionWise. All of our books are fully returnable so may be ordered by any bookstore. We supply Barnes & Noble, Borders, and several independent bookstores directly. We also sell books directly from our website (http://www.mundania.com).

We are open to new authors as well as previously published authors who want to put their books back into print. We publish several New York Times best-selling authors, including Piers Anthony, Don Callander, Anne Logston, Robert Adams, and Louise Cooper.

We are currently open for submissions, however, our publication schedule is filled through early 2007. We receive approximately 300 manuscripts per month and accept about 1 to 2% for publication. We are very picky about the books we take as we only want the best-written, most entertaining books to join our offerings.

We have just passed our third anniversary in August 2005, and have published 115 books in various formats to-date.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

Daniel Reitz
Senior Editor
Mundania Press

triceretops · Sep 11, 2005

Mundania was very swift and attentive with my submissions (I have a whole manuscript with them now). Whatever you do, give them some time--they are popular and get a lot of submissions.

Triceratops

AnneMarble · Sep 12, 2005

Elwyn said:
What exactly does the first line of the above mean? If I had print rights, why wouldn't I have eBook rights?

Some previously published authors might not have both electronic and print rights. It depends on the contract they signed, and when they signed it. Newer contracts will include electronic rights (unless the author negotiates a different deal), while some of the older contracts did not as electronic rights weren't so important then.

This explains, in part, why some previously published authors are able to release electronic books of their out-of-print books through companies such as e-reads, while in other cases, the rights are still with the publisher.

Although maybe this isn't what they meant at all.

Sheryl Nantus · Sep 12, 2005

triceretops said:
Mundania was very swift and attentive with my submissions (I have a whole manuscript with them now). Whatever you do, give them some time--they are popular and get a lot of submissions.

Triceratops

I

Mundania.

oracle · Mar 22, 2006

Mundania Press

To those enlightened souild who inhabit the water cooler zone:

Does anyone have information of a publishing conpany called Mundania? I read of one favorable review but nothing else. I am considering forwarding my novel for their consideration but I would like some background info on them before doing so. All help is greatly appreciated.

James D. Macdonald · Mar 22, 2006

Mundania is a highly respected small-press science fiction house.

oracle · Mar 22, 2006

thanks

Thanks James. There are so many scammers out there in the publishing and literary representation arenas that one never knows whom to trust. The contributors at the water cooler appear to be sincere and honest. I'm glad I ran across this forum. Thanks again.

victoriastrauss · Mar 22, 2006

Be aware, though, that like many small POD-based publishers, it has very limited ability to market and distribute its books.

- Victoria

Aconite · Mar 22, 2006

Remember to check the Index before starting new threads. Two threads on Mundania already exist:
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=542
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18716

bloemmarc · Mar 22, 2006

Aconite said:
Remember to check the Index before starting new threads. Two threads on Mundania already exist:
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=542
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18716

Yes, except for one of the links doesn't show up, and the other index for Mundania is more about Publish America than anything.

CaoPaux · Mar 23, 2006

bloemmarc said:
Yes, except for one of the links doesn't show up, and the other index for Mundania is more about Publish America than anything.

The bad link is a result of threads being merged (I'll axe it during my next update, if a mod don't beat me to it). I suggest starting at post #58 for the meatiest mentions of Mundania.

James D. Macdonald · Mar 23, 2006

I'll try to separate them out.

----

Done. See The PublishAmerica Wars for the extraneous stuff.

CaoPaux · Mar 23, 2006

MundaniaPressCEO · Mar 23, 2006

victoriastrauss said:
Be aware, though, that like many small POD-based publishers, it has very limited ability to market and distribute its books.

- Victoria

Victoria,

I'd like to take a few minutes and address the POD-based publisher comment. Mundania Press is a well-respected publisher of diverse genres in a wide verity of formats such as trade paperback, hardcover, e-books, and has recently added audio formats (MP3, WAV, and Cassette).

POD or Print on Demand is a term to describe a printing process and should not be confused with distribution. All titles are available worldwide and our reach extends to Europe and Australia. Our books are distributed through Ingram's US and UK, as well as Baker & Taylor. Both companies together comprise the largest distribution network in the world.

Our accent on quality is evident by reviewing our authors list. For a small press to have one NY Times best selling author is enough to "Wow" anyone, we have five (Piers Anthony, Robert Adams, Louise Cooper, Don Callander, and Anne Logston).

All of these accomplishments have been established in less than four years of operation.

Thank you for letting me take this time to set the record stright.

Best regards,

Bob Sanders
CEO, Mundania Press

victoriastrauss · Mar 23, 2006

MundaniaPressCEO said:
POD or Print on Demand is a term to describe a printing process and should not be confused with distribution. All titles are available worldwide and our reach extends to Europe and Australia. Our books are distributed through Ingram's US and UK, as well as Baker & Taylor. Both companies together comprise the largest distribution network in the world.

Actually, this setup is typical of POD-based publishers.

Ingram and Baker and Taylor are wholesalers, not distributors. Distributors (such as Publishers Group West) provide a sales force to sell publishers' books into stores; wholesalers don't. To gain bookstore presence--which is essential to volume sales--a small publisher needs either to field its own sales force, or work with a distributor. Otherwise, their ability to distribute--in the industry-accepted sense of getting books onto bookstore shelves--will probably be very limited.

Our accent on quality is evident by reviewing our authors list. For a small press to have one NY Times best selling author is enough to "Wow" anyone, we have five (Piers Anthony, Robert Adams, Louise Cooper, Don Callander, and Anne Logston).

These authors established their sales credentials with other, larger commercial houses. I suspect that their sales figures with Mundania are a fraction of their sales figures elsewhere.

Please understand that I don't intend in any way to imply that Mundania isn't an honest, well-intentioned publisher that strives to produce quality books. I'm just pointing out that, as with other small presses that rely on POD and have limited budgets for marketing and distribution, author exposure will probably be small.

- Victoria

bloemmarc · Mar 23, 2006

I submitted to Mundania Press,a nd sandrylin publications
I could not find anthing at all about Sandrylin publications, except for their submissions page.

But alot of the information Mundania claims says about itself, Sandryin claims the exact same information about itself.

Anyways, they told me 120 days, and I am only days away from their reply to my submission, which I am now having reworked again.

Kasey Mackenzie · Mar 23, 2006

I'm just curious and don't mean this in an antagonistic way but...why did you submit to a publisher that you can't find anything about except for their submissions page? It makes more sense to me to research them _before_ you submit.

bloemmarc · Mar 23, 2006

Yes, I know I realize this now, but since Dave didn't have a negative remark on them at Preadtors @ Editors, I thought it was alright.
Who knows, they could still eb alright, but nothing about them anywhere is not good, I know.

Kasey Mackenzie said:
I'm just curious and don't mean this in an antagonistic way but...why did you submit to a publisher that you can't find anything about except for their submissions page? It makes more sense to me to research them _before_ you submit.

RoccoMom · Mar 24, 2006

They rejected 3 of my horror/fantasy manuscripts.

Kasey Mackenzie · Mar 24, 2006

bloemmarc said:
Yes, I know I realize this now, but since Dave didn't have a negative remark on them at Preadtors @ Editors, I thought it was alright.
Who knows, they could still eb alright, but nothing about them anywhere is not good, I know.

Gotcha! Still, better to find that out after submitting but before signing anything! Good luck with future submissions. =)

bloemmarc · Mar 24, 2006

Thank you, you to

Kasey Mackenzie said:
Gotcha! Still, better to find that out after submitting but before signing anything! Good luck with future submissions. =)

Mundania Press / PhazE / New Classics Press

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