1000 DELIGHTS - 1000delights.com.   Now it is simply a listing of stories available to read. No information on publication, no membership subscription, just the stories there.   February 2005 update: I sampled one of the stories. It is pretty risqué stuff, well enough done. December 2005 update: I understand they are now defunct. The site now requires a password for access. That would be weird for anyone trying to buy and sell books.

A1ADULT EBOOKS - www.a1adultebooks.com. A self publisher: the author prepares all the files himself, uploads them free, and they appear immediately in the catalogue. Material is no under-18 sex, no animals or killing, but rape, torture, and incest are allowable. They take 35% commission on sales. A new book is a "featured product" for two weeks, the most recent being #1, the next most recent, #2, and so on. Sales are said to be small, though. I looked at the site, and some of those covers are graphic; there's no doubt about the nature of the books. Royalties are 60%, I presume of the cover price, paid in 14 days. April 2007 update: information from the publisher is that they offer both a publishing and self publishing service. All the books listed with them are done straight; self published books are handled by their authors. Whichever way it is done, the author gets 65% of the sale price, though things like credit card fees reduce this; the publisher actually takes only 10%. Payment is monthly, within 14 days. The proprietor feels that my prior report of small sales is ignorant, but did not provide informed figures. June 2007 update: A very favorable report that they have sales confirmation emails and online stats that match. It seems that this is not necessarily the case elsewhere. This says their royalty rates are 65% of sale price without credit card deductions. "They are friendly, informative, always willing to help and above all they pay out every month." February 2008 update: They certainly have an array of hard-core erotica, but this time I could not find information on submissions or terms for writers. I like to verify such things on my updates. June 2008 update: the publisher let me know where the terms are listed: under pubsell.pho. Still 65% on direct sales, 40% when sold via affiliates. January 2010 update: I'm not into BDSM, but those pictures are really hot: very full bare breasts, wide open beavers, etc.

AARBOOKS PUBLISHING - www.aarbooks.com/.  February 2006 update: I got the Unknown Host message. February 2010 update: But the proprietor says they will now be doing ebooks and self publishing, and the site should be updated soon. See also Just My Best Book Publishing, which relates. They won't pay royalties for two years, but anyone who sells more than 1,500 e-copies in that time will get hardcopy treatment. Such sales are likely to be rare, but with things like the Kindle it may happen. They require the Arial font, so writers like me whose computers do not have that font are out of luck. My guess is that kinks like this will need to be worked out.

ABERDEEN BAY - www.aberdeenbay.com/. This is a traditional, mainstream, independent publisher that asked to be included in this listing. I try to cover electronic publishers, but will add others as they come to my attention if they seem to represent a viable market for writers. "Quality is our top concern. If your manuscript is truly outstanding, then we will publish your work regardless if you are a published author or not." They like to cultivate long-term relationships with their authors by providing them with dedicated editorial and marketing assistance. So this would seem to be a good place to be, if you have a good enough book. I was not able to learn much from their site, however. January 2010 update: site can't be found. They may be out of business. July 2011 update: I was informed that their address has been modified, so I have modified it accordingly. They are still in business.

ABLE MUSE REVIEW -- www.ablemuse.com. I received an announcement that the inaugural print edition of the winder 2010 edition of this magazine is now available. They publish poetry, fiction, essays, art & photography, and book reviews.

ACCLAIM PUBLISHING - www.acclaimpublishers.com/. "We specialize in small quantities of books at a very reasonable price." They do some marketing at their site, so I'm listing them as a publisher rather than a service, though it's a close call. February 2007 update: page not found. April 2004 update: I am advised that they remain in business, but their page may become unavailable if they get too many page views per month. This is the sort of fecal matter the little guys sometimes have to eat. February 2009 update: I got the unknown host message. January 2010 update: Still not found. January 2011 update: They are there, but seem to be a generalized search site that does including publishing. January 2012 update: now they relate very much to self publishing.

ACCURANCE GROUP - www.accurance.com/. "You have poured your heart and soul into your book. In these hard times it is a shame to not be able to bring life to your project because of the soaring costs of professionally preparing your manuscript for immediate publication and the need to conserve money. We're not going to let that happen to you." Their publication package is $239. They also offer editing and proofreading, audio Book Creation, and Interactive Web Portals creation for your book. August 2009 update: now their publication package is $280. November 2009 update: they say their prices will rise in mid November, so act now. December 2009 update: they have "The Whole Nine Yards Package" for $759, a hundred dollars less if you get it by November 15. It includes editing, formatting, a cover, ISBN, setting up a publishing account with Lulu or elsewhere, setting up for orders, shipping and royalty payments, and a copy of your new book. April 2011 update: a notice from the publisher says that if you anticipate publishing 30 titles this year (I presume this means publishers rather than individual authors) you can add $10,000 - $20,000 to your income by partnering with them. Also that now they do ebook conversion services for all the platforms. May 2011 update: An email from the publisher asks rhetorically "How can I reduce my costs and make my operations more efficient and still retain total control over every phase of my projects?" Well, Accurance will be glad to help you do that. All you have to do is ask them. June 2011 update: An email flyer reminds us that they can do all ebook formats in one package. January 2012 update: Now their packages range from ECombo at $349 to The Whole Nine Yards at $999.

A CRITICAL MASS - December 2007 update: Now I am told it goes to a portal potty. That is, a site it may be dangerous to visit.

ACTION TALES - http://actiontales.com/. See ForemostPress.com

ADAMS PRESS - http://www.adamspress.com/. A print self publisher. Minimum quantity is 100 copies. No information on costs.

ADVENTURE BOOKS - www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks/.    No longer publishing.

ADVENTURE BOOKS OF SEATTLE - www.adventurebooksofseattle.com/. An author received such a remarkably candid and informative response that he was quite favorably impressed despite being rejected. January 2010 update: All submissions are closed until November 1, 2010. January 2011 update: Since that date is two months past, I suspect they are not paying close attention. January 2012 update: Now they seem to be more current, but remain flooded with submissions.

AGORA - www.internationalagora.com/. A new ebook publisher launching July 31, 2009. 40% royalties on the retail price. Three year exclusive rights, with option on a two year extension at 50%. Currently interested in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural Thriller, and Romance. Other genres will be considered based on quality. I heard from them with a sample contract for my review. I corrected usage errors and recommended adding an audit clause. They evidently want to be an author-friendly publisher. We'll see. January 2012 update: Still under construction.

ALEXANDRIA DIGITAL LITERATURE - www.alexlit.com. Seeking new titles from established authors. The site does not seem to list terms, and does not seem to encourage unknown writers. Many genres. February 2006 update: They seem to be temporarily shut down as a publisher. February 2007 update: they remain temporarily shut down. February 2008 update: They plan to have a new site in 2008. February 2009 update: they call themselves an experimental social networking project centered on reading recommendations, using their Hypatia software. They don't seem to be a publisher any more. January 2010 update: Page can't be displayed. January 2011 update: Now they have titles, but no indication they are looking for authors.

ALL ROMANCE BOOKS - www.allromancebooks.com/. April 2006 update: I am informed that they have folded because of the death of the publisher. Indeed, their site is gone. February 2009 update: Now it's a search site for publishing. September 2009 update: or it may be a domain name company. January 2011 update: It has become a general search site relating to publishing.

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS - www.allromanceebooks.com/. Not to be confused with the defunct publisher above. This is a distributor, listed in the Services section. July 2011 update: Do check there for their summer stort story contest with first prize $1,000.

AMBER QUILL PRESS - www.amberquill.com   "The Gold Standard in Publishing." Currently closed to submissions, except by invitation, as they are scheduled well into 2005. They have a legal notice to the effect that a number of their editions are being pirated by other publishers; only the Amber Quill editions are legitimate and paying royalties. February 2006 update: "Amber Quill press is primarily a 'submit by invitation only' publisher...any unsolicited synopses, partials, or complete manuscripts sent to our email addresses or snail-mailed to our business office by either author or an agent will be deleted unread, without exception." That's plain enough; they don't much care whether you live or die. February 2007 update: And they won;t reply to general query letters either. April 2007 update: they have found that their best sales are in erotic romance, so they hold a short fiction erotic romance contest every January. Winners are offered a publishing contract and a continuing relationship, which means their queries won't be deleted unread. Once a writer gets into their good graces, the relationship is excellent. June 2007 update: but a negative report on their arrogance. December 2007 update: reported to be very author friendly. A writer tells me that what I call arrogance is simply plain talk, because some people won't accept a No. “Only blunt language will deter them.” February 2008 update: They remain generally closed to outside submissions. February 2009 update: they remain "by invitation only," deleting all unsolicited submissions unread and ignoring queries. So they're really not a market for ordinary writers. June 2010 update: a report by an author at various publishers that sales are much better here, though this may be because of the hot market for the hot stuff. December 2010 update: I received a note on their arrogance, unconfirmed. January 2012 update: They are a submit by invitation only publisher and do not reply to general query letters.

AMERICAN BOOK PUBLISHING - www.american-book.com/. There is a deposit of $780, returned the first quarter after the book is published. Royalty up to 20% of net book sales; 50% on ebooks. But ASK ANN, the SFWA service, has some extremely negative reports on them; check there before making a decision. It seems this publisher talks the talk, but doesn't necessarily walk the walk. Writers are said to be leaving, and there could be legal action. April 2005 update: I am informed this publisher is now up for sale. February 2007 update: But there is no indication of that at the site. February 2008 update: They remain in business. February 2009 update: they are still talking the talk, but it turns out that their $800 deposit is refundable only after 950 sales. A new author is quite unlikely to get such sales. Be wary. January 2010 update: I tried clicking some of their displayed articles, but got pages that could not be found. January 2011 update: For manuscript submission information you have to click a link. I distrust this. January 2012 update: another negative report, cautiously stated because it seems they have written into their contract that they will sue anyone badmouthing the company. Thus participants can't tell the truth without risking a lawsuit, so have to be anonymous. Fortunately that is a risk I can afford, as I will demonstrate if necessary. This outfit appears to be mischief.

AMIRA — www.amirapress.com/. "At Amira Press, our mission is to provide an experience so far out of the ordinary, that our readers will look to stay lost forever in the worlds our writers have created for the reader's enjoyment." I'd call that a worthy dream. They publish all genres except children's stories, and are especially interested in Captive Romance, Interracial Romance, and Sensual Romance/Erotica in Science Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy, and Western, with the usual restrictions. Royalties are 50% on ebook downloads and 15% on print book sales. They respond to queries within two weeks, and within 90 days for full books. Lengths range from 15,000 to 85,000 words. December 2008 update: a favorable report of good editing, prompt responses, and on-time payment. February 2009 update: They are open only to Romance and Erotic submissions. An author is happy with their editing and timely royalties payments. January 2011 update: They are open to sensual and erotic submissions only.

AN AUTHOR'S DREAM - AN AUTHOR'S DREAM—www.anauthorsdream.com/. They have a POD service for $695 and they accept returns from all bookstores. 40% royalties from direct sales. That returnability is worth something, because it means that some bookstores might accept their books. But don't count on it.

ANOTHEREALM - www.anotherealm.com/. This is a monthly e-zine, publishing two full length (up to 5,000 words)stories a month, for which they pay $25 for electronic rights only. They read and decide on all stories by October 31, to be published the following year. They also have "Flash Fiction" stories limited to 1,000 words, no pay, accepted year round, and contest stories based on contest topics, no pay, every two months. Obviously no place to get rich, but this could be good for talented beginners who need exposure. Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror; no pornography. February 2008 update: I read one of their stories, about a peeper on the beach. Nice surprise ending. February 2009 update: news of a lawsuit against them, apparently one of a number filed by Barbara Bauer, who objects to being called a scam. Once source says "Barbara Bauer, named as one of the publishing industry's 20 worst Literary Agents, has sued over 19 bloggers and website administrators for allegedly defaming..." Another item says her lawsuit against Wikipedia was dismissed. Apparently this has been going on for a year or so; that's all I know. January 2010 update: But they are still there, with no hint of a problem on their site. January 2012 update: Still no indication of problems on their site. But be wary.

ANTELOPE PUBLISHING - www.antelope-ebooks.com/. A family oriented site doing children's books, juveniles, wholesome works of fiction, religious works that teach without preaching, and uplifting nonfiction. No sexually explicit material. But it remains swamped with submissions, so is not accepting books. Getting swamped like that suggests that it must be treating its writers right, though. They also publish an online magazine for the family, at www.ongoing-tales.com/. February 2007 update: Still not accepting submissions. February 2008 update: ditto. February 2009 update: This time I found no mention of submissions, so evidently they are permanently not looking. January 2010 update: They are now in some non-English language. I can't tell whether they remain a publisher. January 2012 update: Site is all in Chinese/Japanese symbols.

A PAGE 4 YOU PUBLISHING - www.apage4you publishing.com. This was called to my attention as an apparent rip-off outfit. Their physical address turned out to be fake and they seem to be completely non-responsive once they have your book. February 2006 update: I got the "unknown host" message. 

APHRODITE'S APPLES - www.aphroditesapples.com/. They have closed as of February 13, 2008. All royalties are being calculated and paid in a timely fashion. The site may say it's down for maintenance, but it's dead.

APHRODITE UNLACED - www.aphroditeunlaced.com/. They publish erotica and erotic romance ("Romantica") 1,000 to 75,000 words and above. Royalties are 35% of the cover price. But I have a report that sales are low and authors may have to bug the publisher to get them. February 2009 update: they seem to be out of business. January 2010 update: Now it’s a singles sexual dating service. January 2011 update: I would say it's out of business.

ARCTIC WOLF PUBLISHING - www.arcticwolfpublishing.com/. I was asked about this, so looked it up. Lovely picture of a wolf in the arctic, but the site was so slow loading that after 9 minutes I gave up. February 2009 update: I'm not sure this is a publisher, despite the name. January 2010 update: I got a blank screen. February 2010 update: a reader did what my system could not, and got information from the site. This is an independent book and graphic novel publisher based in Savannah, Georgia, looking for creative new authors. "Arctic Wolf would like to give the little guy a chance, and as always we welcome your submissions." They are looking for all genres of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, suspense, horror, young adult, and mainstream novels, but not non-fiction, poetry, romance, historical, erotica, or chic lit. March 2011 update: An author says “Of the ten publishers I queried from your web page, only Arctic Wolf even bothered to inform me that my queries were received.” They were responsive and prompt. This is not a sale, merely a submission, but it's a good signal. August 2011 update: but they don't seem to be buying much, because of the sluggish economy. January 2012 update: I could not get through to them.

ARIZONAL PUBLISHERS -   I received a solicitation from them with only an email address of an assistant editor, Evelyn Obazu. "We are interested in your book "The Magic Fart"; this is because the book is popular here and demand is rising here in Nigeria." Well, no sales of that title have been made in Nigeria, and I doubt that any legitimate publisher would want to start with such a title. So I suspect this is another Nigerian scam masquerading as a publisher.

ART BOOKBINDERY - www.artbookbindery.com/. This is a self publishing company, specializing in ultra low short run, print on demand. If you produce 50 copies of a 200 page book, it costs $11.50 per book, plus postage; the cost drops with larger orders. The process normally take 3-5 weeks, and the author keeps all rights. February 2008 update: Fill out a form for information on size of book, number of coupes to be printed, etc., and they'll give a quote. This is reasonable, as books can vary considerably. January 2010 update: not found. January 2011 update: Now it's there in good order.

ARTEMIS PRESS - www.artemispress.com/. This is a feminist and lesbian publisher, currently accepting submissions in all categories, fiction and nonfiction, presumably relating to lesbianism. Royalties are 30% of the download price, and 15% on POD editions. One year contract for electronic rights, renewable, and it has an auditing clause. They welcome the opportunity to work with new writers. See also MOONLITBOOKS and GLB for gay/lesbian markets. Allow 3 to 6 months for reports. February 2007 update: 30,00 to 200,000 words: chances are your book will fit. February 2009 update: Now the wordage can be as low as 100. But they are no longer accepting unsolicited manuscripts. January 2010 update: They remain open for submissions of all lesbian types. January 2011 update: Now their titles are available on Kindle and similar.

ARTS COLONY PUBLISHERS - dfox@tstonramp.com. HiPiers received an email on this, and there does not seem to be a Web site, just the email address, so I have not checked it. It says you can self publish your book with light editing for $2500, or with heavy editing for $4500, and $400 for cover and inside design, plus the actual cost of printing. This does not seem cheap, but that may depend on how much you need editing.

ASCENT SAPIRATIONS - www.ascentaspirations.ca/. I received an email notice about this. It's a quarterly magazine. "We are dedicated to providing a venue for established and aspiring writers and artists. David Fraser, editor, Ascent Publications." It specializes in the darker shades of short fiction in all genres, and poetry with an edge.   There are several supplementary pages for an anthology, writer's resources, writer's sites, affiliate authors pages, and AA Publishing Page. Their word limit is 2,000 words and dropping. February 2006 update: I received an email from them indicating that they are still going strong.  August 2006 update: their newsletter says they have two anthologies and a contest going.  August 2007 update: They have upgraded their links pages for their magazine publishers, writers' associations, resources, publishers, writers' courses, contest sites, and writer's home sites. February 2009 update: Submissions are now being considered for the May 2009 issue. They are unable to pay at this time. July 2009 update: many local, national, and international events are posted here. They have a Fall 2009 Print Anthology Contest. January 2010 update: not found. January 2011 update: they became in august 2009 a monthly electronic journal, but once or twice a year they produce an anthology. A reading fee is required. October 2011 update: They have decided to form a partnership publishing company with writers. I think that means self publishing.

ASPEN MOUNTAIN PRESS - www.aspenmountainpress.com/.  Seeking stories in all genres, with the usual restrictions on erotic taboos, racial, illegal acts, or abuse. Especially interested in cross-genre Romance. 10,000 to 90,000 words. I did not find information on terms. April 2007 update: royalties are 35%. Response times for submissions is about two weeks. August 2007 update: a very positive report on their editing, making a good novel excellent. Sales are said to be average. January 2010 update: Currently open for submissions in limited genres. Query first. September 2011 update: Communications have been spotty the post year, and there seems to be no response now. Royalties may or may not be paid. They refuse to release rights to books whose contracts have expired. This is mischief. October 2011 update: Detailed documentation of what I described in the prior update. This looks from here like a publisher that has run out of money so is freezing up, leaving is authors stuck. I think of these as zombie publishers, refusing to admit they're dead, feeding off anyone they can catch. Avoid. January 2012 update: They are temporarily suspending operations.

ASSOCIATED CONTENT - General fiction in many categories, but no erotica or gay/lesbian fiction. I found no information on terms, bit I am told their contract is decent. June 2009 update: I received an email announcement from an author published there. Each viewing brings a payment.

ASYLETT PRESS - Articles on just about any subject published here. I did not ascertain their rates of payment, but it seems that anyone can contribute. February 2008 update: Most of their present titles are Romance, Horror, and Speculative. They are ebooks with a Lightning Source option to which the author must contribute. 40% royalty based on the download price. A small staff makes communications slow. August 2008 update: Asylett now pays for all costs related to print publication. I was also corrected on my mention of their publishing articles, which perplexed me, until I realized that my informant was reading the immediately preceding entry, about a different publisher. Asylett publishes no articles, only ebooks and print books. February 2009 update: they have a wide variety of fiction, and will consider some nonfiction. Different word lengths for different genres; check their requirements. November 2011 update: They have shut down, citing health problems.

ATLANTIC BRIDGE PUBLISHING - www.atlanticbridge.net/. There is a good audit clause. They are looking only for Paranormal at this time. They pay author's 45% of all download sales, quarterly, and buy electronic rights for one year. A satisfied writer tells me that they are easy to work with, and that they were #6 among best publishers as listed by Editors and Preditors in 2001. See also their hot romance imprint, Liquid Silver Books. Unfortunately submissions are closed. February 2007 update: Still closed to submissions. February 2008 update: ditto. February 2009 update: still closed. They must have one hell of a backlog. January 2010 update: ditto. January 2011 update: Still closed. I have to wonder. January 2012 update: Still closed.

@VENTURE - see Services section

AUDIBLE - www.audible.com/. These are recorded books, and they have a slew. But I was unable to find any indication that the novice writer is welcome here. I suspect that first you publish your book and become established, then they'll consider recording it.

AUDIO SHORT STORIES - www.AudioShortStories.com. They are launching circa May 2009. Payment is 33% or $1 per download purchased. They take no rights, and the author may request that files be removed from the site, to be accomplished within five working days. Why self publish in this manner? Exposure, feedback, and payment for downloads. Stories should be between 30 minutes and 2 hours in length. Payment is via PayPal, monthly. January 2010 update: The site is there, with ads, but the company appears to be gone.

AURORA SHOWCASE - www.aurorashowcase.com. Gone.

AUTHORHOUSE - www.authorhouse.com/. February 2009 update: The Authorhouse/iUniverse complex has bought the remaining large independent self publisher, Xlibris. I do not know, but suspect it will be folded into Xlibris in due course. Your books here will be safe, however. April 2009 update: I am simplifying the entry, as past history is surely irrelevant as the new order works out. January 2010 update: Or maybe not. Authorhouse remains as its own imprint.

AUTHOR SOLUTIONS — The umbrella name for the huge self publishing complex that includes Authorhouse, iUniverse, Trafford, Xlibris, WordClay, and is involved in Harlequin Horizons.

AUTHORS WANTED - http://authorswanted.com/. This is a Book Proposal and Manuscript Submission resource provided by Study Pubs LLC for authors who wish to present new and original book proposals or manuscripts for consideration for publication. It was founded in November 2010. I am not clear from this description whether they are a publisher or an agency, or whether they are traditional print or electronic. I think they are a small traditional publisher, in which case they don't belong on this list. They are not a self publisher.

AVENTINE PRESS - www.aventinepress.com A self publisher. Their basic package is $349.00, with additional fees for add-on services such as hardcover publication or a custom cover. They also have a marketing program for $995. Royalties are 80% of the net moneys received, which is very high. February 2008 update: Now their basic package is $399.

AVID PRESS - www.avidpress.com.  Gone.

AWE-STRUCK E-BOOKS - www.awe-struck.net. I understand that one of the proprietors is physically disabled, and wrote a book featuring a disabled character, and when he couldn't get anywhere with Parnassus (an all too familiar story) he decided to set up a publisher for such work. It publishes Romance, Science Fiction, combinations of the two, and Nonfiction. If you are disabled, or write about that subject, you will surely get a sympathetic hearing here, though they aren't limited to such authors. February 2009 update: Closed to submissions for now; keep checking. April 2009 update: Awe-Struck has been acquired by Mundania, and will be come an imprint there for various romance genres. Contract terms will match those of Mundania, 20% of net for print, 50% of net for ebooks, audit clause, etc. No set-up fee, no requirement to purchase copies; they get author's copies plus more at 40% off if they want them. Open for in-house submissions, and unsolicited submissions sometime in the spring. January 2010 update: They are open for submissions in a number of genres, preferred length 40,000-80,000 words. August 2010 update: they are currently closed to submissions. January 2012 update: Still closed.

AYDY PRESS — www.members.shaw.ca/aydy/. I was sent a warning about this one, which apparently took over from the defunct Treeside Press and has not been good about issuing statements or returning rights. I looked it up, but got a blank screen.

BABCOCK PUBLISHING - www.swiftsite.com/pleasures/books/index.htm. I was told this is a subsidy publisher (vanity press) that claims to be up to 50% cheaper than others, and that it advertises that it provides full services. They say that there are three classes of publishers: Major, that won't even read unknown writers, Subsidy, that charges you $10,000 and up with no guarantee that you'll succeed, and Babcock at 40-50% less than regular subsidy. Okay, that means $5-6,000 and up, and they give absolutely no email quotes. They accept no downloads or floppy discs manuscripts. You can probably do better faster and much cheaper at one of the self publishers. February 2006 update: "We give absolutely no e-mail quotes! Manuscripts should be submitted in 'double-spaced' hard copy only!" I think they should get with the times, if they really want new business; even dinosaur-age traditional publishers are starting to accept electronic manuscripts. 

BAD PRESS - badpress.infinology.net. It says it is a new men's weekly to which anyone can contribute; they will edit intensively to bring your material up to snuff. Send interesting poems, essays, experimental fiction, reviews, cartoons, songs, and it seems just about anything. No information on payment or terms. April 2006 update: I still don't find information on terms.

BAEN BOOKS - www.baen.com/library/. This is a traditional publisher, offering a number of titles for free downloading, trusting that this will in the end generate more sales. I'll be interested to see if that works. October 2010 update: A negative author report. I gather the author queried, got a request, and submitted the book. After two years they admitted it was lost in the shipping/receiving department. They finally found it and said it had been palletized [I think this means processed for handling] and sent to a junior reader in Texas, who had it for 6 months and apparently never reported. Return postage had been included, but the book was never returned. There is no evidence that an actual editor ever saw the book. I had my own experience with this publisher years ago, and have to say that this is typical of their fouled-up system. It doesn't seem to be malice, merely SNAFU. That is, Situation Normal, All Fouled Up.

BDSM BOOKS - www.bdsmbooks.com/. They deal with themes of erotic domination. I understand that they pay 40% royalties for exclusive publishing and 30% for non-exclusive, but then take off a percentage for card processing. I tried to verify terms, but the site was so slow loading that after 13 minutes I gave up. I did see enough to verify that erotic bondage and sadomasochism is their specialty in books and videos. August 2007 update: Interesting material from the publisher, who turns out to be 15 years older than I am, and obviously not in it to rip off authors. Their site is now faster loading than it was. You know, I'm not into this genre, but some of those girls are sexy as hell. October 2007 update: an author reports that the publisher's online figures seem to match its payments and his experience. He is quite satisfied. April 2008 update: I have another satisfied response, and news that the management has changed but it remains okay. June 2008 update: but a buyer accidentally used an out of date card, and the order went through without challenge, so verification is suspect. February 2009 update: they have changed their credit card processors; now it's real time on a secure site. There should be no further problem. June 2009 update: A very positive report. January 2010 update: "Yes – of course we welcome new authors!!" You don't see that kind of invitation often. April 2010 update: And a contrary report: their sales volumes seems to have been cut in half, and worse for lesser known authors. They no longer pay monthly unless you earn $150 or more, and I think few do. So while they may welcome new authors, those authors should be cautious. July 2010 update: I received a report that they seem to be closing for business, but their site still has many books for sale and invites authors to contribute. There seems to be quite a difference between their positive site and the experience of their authors. August 2010 update: a correction from the proprietor: they are not closed for business. There have been some technical difficulties, but he's getting things back under control. January 2012 update: Site says it is under new management; coming soon is much more than ebooks.

BEAUTIFUL TROUBLE PUBLISHING - www.beautifultroublepublishing.com/. A new small independent publisher in Colfax, NC. They look interesting. Beautiful Trouble Publishing, LLC is owned by two authors who wanted their own digs. The goal of Beautiful Trouble Publishing is to be recognized as a publisher not afraid to say yes to an unknown artist, author, or editor, or no to a well-known artist, a best-selling author, or a degreed-up editor. Stories we publish will rock the reader's sense of humor, prick the soft places within them, challenge their assumptions, spark their sense of adventure, and stay with the readers long after 'The End.' A Beautiful Trouble Publishing story may not fit into any known genre or it may fit into several...either way, it's going to be a kickazz story. The owners are Jeanie and Jayha whose wild imaginations freaked out publishers. They realized that if they wanted it done right, they'd have to do it themselves. Their illustrations suggest that lovely partly-clad women are the kind of beautiful trouble they are looking for. They expect to do e-books and print, from 3,000 to 150,000 words, from polite Romance to Home Wrecker heat. But they emphasize the need for respect along with the sex. Apparently there are no preferred genres; your piece can be anything as long as it's sexy and obeys the usual rules: no rape, no child sex, etc. I did not find terms for authors. January 2011 update: They seem to be open for submissions, and are explicit about their needs and taboos. March 2011 update: They offer a minimum of 40% royalties. They have an intensive editing process, a minimum of three rounds of editing and a few rounds of proofing. They are open for submissions, but are picky and demand a lot from their authors. August 2011 update: A report says they seem business savvy, but annoy some authors by their insistence on doing it their way. But their sales seem to be good.

BENOY PUBLISHING -   I received an email advising me that the Attorney General's office of the state of North Carolina is handling the complaint against this publisher. It is not one I listed, and I can't locate an electronic publisher by this name. So I mention this just in case someone should find the information useful.

BE-PUBLISHED - http://be-published.com/. I spotted this as an ad on another publisher's site. It's actually Xlibris.

BETHANY PRESS INTERNATIONAL - www.bethanypress.com    This is a self publishing company that prints books. They are announcing a new book publishing solution designed for Christian authors, ministries, and small publishers. They work exclusively with Christian publishers to produce life-changing books. "We want to partner with Christian organizations and individuals who have a vision to distribute the message God has given them to a world which desperately needs it."

BETHANY'S GROUP   This was an oddity to explore. It seems to be an association of several publishers or imprints devoted to aspects of girlish naughtiness and spanking. There are pictures of bared female bottoms ready for discipline, some of them getting it. Some sites are www.herwoodshed.com, www.wickedvelvet.com, www.spankingcastle.com, www.punishmentspanking.com, www.wickedcastle.com. In Wicked Velvet I found terms that may be similar for the others: 40-80,000 words length, to be serialized, and writers are paid a per-chapter fee as the stories are run. An author's report is that originally it was good, but in the past year payments have slowed and even stopped. Rates have changed and are not high. So visit the site to view the sights, but be cautious about placing your naughty fiction there. January 2012 update: The publisher responds that there are only a few dissasisfied authors, the great majority being well satisfied. They have been publishing ebooks since 2001, and are just about the only erotic publisher to pay advances and to buy books outright for publication on their websites. They have paid over a million dollars in royalties and advances in the past decade. They pay royalties quartly, promptly.

BEWRITE BOOKS - www.bewrite.net/. This is merging with Jacobyte Books, and presumably this will in due course become the site for them both. As yet it is spare. February 2005 update: It is filling out. They want manuscripts from 60,000 to 180,000 words--chances are yours fits--with no porno or excessive violence or nonfiction. But this appears to be a fiction posting site rather than a paying publisher. April 2005 update: I am assured by the publisher that it is both types of site. They are looking for a new site for the book division, which should be online by the end of 2005. February 2007 update: They say they are closing the BeWrite Community to concentrate on BeWrite Books. February 2009 update: Now they will not accept books under 50,000 words or over 130,000 words. December 2011 update: the publisher says all that is sadly incorrect and out of date. They pay above standard royalty, are handling problems, have a blog at www.bewritebooks.blogspot.com, and their authors are happy. Their new submission period will open in January 2012.

BIBLIO BYTES - www.bb.com/.Gone.

BIG SKY E-BOOKS - www.cwisestone.com/bshome.htm.   February 2009 update: gone.

BLACK LYON PUBLISHING — www.blacklyonpublishing.com/. A small publisher based in Oregon, focusing on general fiction and Romance, in trade paperbacks and electronic. Lengths vary by genre, ranging from 45,000 to 85,000 words. They are currently accepting submissions in all their lines. I did not find information on royalties. January 2010 update: Some lines remain open for submissions, some not.

BLACK VELVET SEDUCTIONS - www.blackvelvetseductions.com/. Open to new and established authors in all kinds of Romance, ranging from Traditional to Fetish. Their lines are Forbidden Experiences, Sensuous Journeys, Tender Destinations, Amorous Adventures, Short Story Collections. They care more about content than format. Well developed characters, strong conflict, much emotion, solid ending. I found no information on terms. January 2011 update: They are currently open for submissions in all their lines. No information on terms.

BLADE PUBLISHING LTD - http://bladepublishing.org/. Now accepting submissions for all genres—they have a wide-ranging list—with lengths centering around 50,000 words. 35% royalty. Highest standards. December 2010 update: I am informed that they folded November 1 because of the owner's illness.

BLITZPRINT - www.blitzprint.com/. A printer who facilitates self publishing. No information on terms. February 2008 update: You can request a quote. July 2009 update: they shut down their online book store June 1, 2009.

BLOOD MOON PUBLISHING - www.bloodmoonpublishing.com/. This is an imprint of Double Dragon, for Horror and Suspense. Electronic publishing, royalties 30% of the net download price or 30% of the amount received from a reseller, paid every 6 months. Submissions should be in .RTF format to avoid viruses. January 2011 update: Submissions are closed until March 1st 2011. They are also looking for editors. January 2012 update: Now submissions are open.

BLUE PRESS - http://sgtblu.com/. I have a report that they are promoting a contest where the author gets one free copy of the book and standard royalties. I don't know how legitimate they are. January 2011 update: their Basic Author Package is $729. August 2011 update: They are gone, apparently folded.

BLUE WOOD PUBLISHING — www.bluewoodpublishing.com/. They were formed in mid 2009 by two authors, one a ;New Zealander, one English, to provide publishing services, particularly to brand new authors, because both founders had enormous difficulty getting accepted by existing publishers. So they are trying to do it right. They have ben open only to story submissions, but are open for longer ones in March, 2010. they do not charge authors, and do pay royalties. They try to report in 4-8 weeks. They don't say what genres. January 2011 update: They are open for submissions, but have a long list of restrictions. January 2012 update: They have changed their submission policy, no longer asking for complete manuscripts, and have dramatically reduced their list of restrictions. No formatting restrictions either, as long as it is a document type they can process. They have published 36 authors, cover a wide range of genres, and have seen dramatic growth in their second full year in operation. It looks from here as if they are doing something right. February 2012 update: Okay, my system simply refuses to put it on; when I tried with Windows, it's fine. I have an issue with willful programs that won't let me do my job.

BLURB - www.blurb.com/. "Blurb is a company and a community that believes passionately in the joy of books—reading them, making them, sharing them, and selling them." So they have put together a creative publishing service they say is simple and smart enough to make anyone an author. They have a list of prices for different sizes of books, such as $62.95 for a 20-40 page book. That strikes me as a hell of an expensive book. But I learned from a client that a hardcover full-color 40 page book costs about $22. Blurb can, however, be frustrating to deal with on larger sizes.

BODENDORFER - The former WORDBEAMS, which closed down in a decent manner, is now reviving here. If that decency continues, it should be a good place to publish. But for now all submissions are closed. February 2004 update: I got a blank screen. February 2005 update: The site is there, but the publisher seems to have folded. December 2007 update: I am told that its address changed, but it does seem to be out of business as a publisher.

BOLD STROKES - http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/. "Bold Strokes Books offers a diverse collection of top-selling lesbian fiction with the goal of incorporating the exciting new trends in romance, action, adventure, mystery, sci-fi/fantasy/horror, and erotica while preserving the integrity of the traditional genres. We also present contemporary and general lesbian fiction as part of our commitment to offer quality lesbian fiction to all readers." No simultaneous submissions. Decisions in 10-12 weeks. 55,000-100,000 words preferred. They seem to be primarily a print publisher, marketed and distributed by Bella Books. I did not find information or royalty rates. February 2008 update: Now their limits range from 45,000 to 150,000 words, depending on imprint. January 2012 update: Now they cover Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, and Queer fiction. I still don't see information on terms.

BOOKBOOTERS - www.bookbooters.com. As of July 25, 2003, they have suspended all publishing activities, but remain as a bookseller. And they are stiffing their authors. February 2006 update: they are permanently closed for business, as of November 25, 2005. 

BOOKBOX - www.bookbox.com/. "BookBox is a essentially a web-based jukebox of digital books in languages from around the world. It synchronizes the text, audio, and visual media to cerate an educational and entertaining reading experience for children and even adults who still have a child in them!" It pays $40 per story in local currency and 5% of any future profit from that story. So this isn't big money but could be nice for those who like to tell children's stories.

BOOK CLIFF GROUP ELECTRONIC PUBLISHERS - www.bookcliff-group.com/. Now here's a variant: the author retains all rights, and the publisher retains 25% as a publication fee. That translates to 75% for the author. Print on Demand for writers, poets, artists, photographers; otherwise this is an electronic publisher. Material must be child safe. February 2007 update: They are actively seeking children's stories. February 2008 update: And scripts of all types: short plays that are suitable for community theater performances.

THE BOOK DEN - www.thebookden.com/. This is Denlinger's Book Store in Florida. It's been in business for 75 years, and seems to be slow-moving, taking four to six months to report on submissions,. It seems to have a wide range of books. 10%, 50% of subsidiary. Can take 6 months to report. Primarily nonfiction, many categories. Buys all rights. February 2008 update: It is closing its doors. But it seems that some of their POD titles are still being sold at Amazon.

BOOK LOCKER - www.booklocker.com. As I understand it, they charge fees for their services ranging from zero to $225, but take non-exclusive rights only (that's important) and pay 50% to 70% royalties monthly (that's phenomenal.) Offhand, this seems to be a good place to consider early. They have many types of books, including ones on self publishing, about which they are very encouraging. Now they also produce trade paperbacks. Now author keeps all rights. Author can terminate agreement at any time, no hassle. 35% royalties on list price of POD books. Costs $199 to do POD plus $18 a year hosting fee; electronic print is free. UPDATE: An anonymous report is a good deal more negative, suggesting that this publisher's main business is publishing the proprietor's books on self publishing, and that the author's of other titles have to follow a formula and do all of the book promotion and selling., or get de-listed despite the contract. If this is true, writers should be wary. Followup on the update: I received angry letters from Angela Hoy, wife of the company's president and author of several of their books on self publishing. At first she was halfway polite, then threatening, accusing me of defaming the publisher. I rechecked with my source, who affirms the accuracy of my update. Angela said "What you are doing is illegal," and said she was turning this matter over to her attorney. I never heard further; I suspect someone got a whiff of Ogre and did the sensible thing: retreat. Nevertheless, I am trying to be fair in this survey, and have to say that my spot check did not indicate preferential treatment given to Angela's efforts. She says they have published more than 900 books, only 6 of which are hers, and none of hers appear on their homepage. So the question is whether this is a good publisher with a few disgruntled authors out of many, or one that sometimes treats writers in an arbitrary or unfair manner. Both may be true; I suspect that is the case. June 2005 update: I have a favorable author report, citing a positive attitude and quick responses. February 2006 update: They have a table showing the costs to self publish books at BookLocker $392, iUniverse $459, Xlibris $500, AuthorHouse $898, and Trafford $1,399 including 40 copies.  April 2006 update: another bad report, this one not anonymous. Ron Brault rbrault@obtel.com paid Booklocker $200 to publish his nonfiction High & Away 12 miles high and 20 miles away, the story of the cameras in the U2 spy plane, written by his father. Angela Hoy, after denying that she received the book--he finally had to send it by signed receipt certified mail to prove she received it--challenged the cover photo, saying it had copyright problems, apparently wanting him to pay more for a cover done by the publisher. She evidently felt that his cover represented stolen goods, and I understand even wrote an article titled "When writers steal from other writers." I may have this garbled. But it was the beginning of a long hassle, and the book was not published. He asked for a refund but didn't get it. He is a high & away dissatisfied customer. Contemporary readers may not realize how big a deal the U2 was a generation ago; this is surely a book of general interest. June 2006 update: Angela Hoy's site for her article is www.writersweekly.com/the_latest_from_angelahoycom/003340_03222006.html. February 2007 update: Another positive report of prompt responses and effective procedure. "One of the things I think is great about them is that they are exclusive; they accept only a small percentage of the ms. that come in, and that's a real plus for authors who truly believe in their work and are not just publishing to make themselves feel good." February 2008 update: Now their POD fee is $299, plus $18 a year. June 2008 update: and another positive report, finding Angela to be knowledgeable, friendly and responsible, doing a tight and thorough edit of the manuscript. The cover design was good. February 2009 update: more negatives. It is said that proprietress Angela Hoy has not been published anywhere but here and that she is not a good writer. That she misuses stock photos for promotion, and that BookLocker's claim to be the cheapest POD house is untrue; Create Space is cheaper, being essentially free. That despite its claims BookLocker really does not discriminate in what it publishes, and that it arranges to plant positive and negative comments on Amazon about particular authors' books. That the publisher threatens critics with lawsuits to shut them up, and trashes their reputations. I don't know how much of this is true, and some would be tricky to prove, but there is a smell, and my prior dealings with BookLocker suggest there is some substance at least to the charge that they threaten critics. June 2009 update: Angela Hoy responds that she has a contract with St. Martin's Press, she has never mis-used stock photos, that Booklocker is cheaper than CreateSpace for services like original cover design, formatting assistance, ISBN, distribution through Ingram, etc. That if you can't honor the CreateSpace specs, they upsell you on their subsidiary, BookSurge, which is far more expensive than Booklocker. That she has never posted a review on Amazon or elsewhere, never posted under a false name, or had anyone else do it at Booklocker. That she does not threaten critics with lawsuits, only those who have posted libelous comments about her online in retaliation for having their illegal activities exposed. That it may be one of those deadbeats who contacted me. But see my extended discussion in the June 2009 Hipiers column. August 2009 update: a favorable report: "They could NOT have been more helpful." This author conjectures that some of the wild complaints stem from ignorance about POD. "So many haven't a CLUE!" January 2010 update: Now their link goes directly to Angela's newsletter, leading off with her charge that my anonymous source is a liar. I doubt it. January 2012 update: Three years later, still that “Liar” rant. I'm not sure this remains a publisher.

BOOKMASTERS INC - www.bookmasters.com/. They focus on prepublishing services such a printing, binding, fulfillment, and distribution. You can get a package of services for $640. I list them here in the publishing section because they also do epublishing.

BOOKMICE - www.bookmice.com/.  Gone. February 2005 update: Now the site is a list of books with links to purchase them elsewhere.

BOOKSFORABUCK - www.booksforabuck.com/. Looking for novels in the fields of Romance, Science Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, and General Fiction, 50,000 words up. No pornography, literary fiction, or other genres. Prices range from $1 to $3.99, but all are available for $1 in their first month of release. Royalties are 50%, paid quarterly, on gross revenues. For paper publications, 50% of net revenues. No charges to the authors for any of their services. The process of publication seems to take about two months, because of editing and cover art. Maybe I'm influenced because the proprietor is a fan of mine, but this looks very good to me. December 2008 update: it seems they don't acknowledge submissions. A writer queried, described, got a request to see the full novel, sent it, and did not hear from them again. A query was ignored. July 2009 update: later he heard from them, courteously, so cancel that complaint.

BOOKSHELF GLOBAL PUBLISHING - www.bookshelfglobal.com.  I received an advertising pen in the introductory package at the Florida Writer's Association convention that advertised this outfit. It says "Publish your book your way." February 2008 update: I could not find information on prices. "You pay a very competitive price per book. First run minimums are small (100-1000); subsequent runs have no minimums. Well, you can find much smaller first-run minimums elsewhere.

BOOKSOURCE -  New title for the Booksurge complex.

BOOKSTAND PUBLISHING — see ebookstand

BOOKS TO GO NOW - www.bookstogonow.com. New electronic publisher covering the major emarkets. They report only one desire:: to see great stories get the exposure they deserve. Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Erotica, Fantasy/SciFi, Fiction, Historical, Inspirational, Romance, Paranormal, Young Adult—50-50 split after editing, artwork, promoting. Their site is still a work in progress, but they will answer questions.

BOOKSTRAND - www.BookStrand.com/ I have a report of excellent sales: over a thousand dollars per title paid in a quarter. June 2009 update: those sales continue; I was shown a statement. March 2010 update: A generally favorable report of professionalism, responsivity, good editing, and decent royalty reports four times a year. But their submission process has so many guidelines in can be hard to follow. January 2012 update: However, they are open for submissions.

BOOKS UNBOUND- www.booksunbound.com/ This is a new publisher with a positive attitude, open for submissions. Mystery, Adventure, Speculative Fiction, Romance, Historical, Western, Young Adult, and if you have something else that's good, query them, but no pornography. Contract is for one year, electronic rights only, royalties about 35% of the price the books are actually sold at. Author must secure his own copyright. Good general and specific advice for new writers. My guess is that they will be fairly choosy, and if it works out, this should be a good place to be. They do show a sample contract, but it doesn't have an audit clause. There is a question whether they are. Properly responsive to their authors. February 2007 update: Temporarily closed to submissions.  August 2007 update: and a negative report of months-long delays, nonpayment, and lack of response. It seems they started good, but in the past two years plunged. October 2007 update: after 3 years of delays in publication, no reasons given, no responses to queries, an author is canceling his contracts. July 2009 update: More authors are severing their connection with this publisher, because though sales have been made, no royalties have been paid in two years. Requests to remove the books from the web page have mostly been ignored. January 2010 update: Temporarily closed for submissions. January 2012 update: Now they can't be found. I think they’re dead.

BOOKSURGE - www.booksurge.com.   See the entry on IMPRINT BOOKS. I do have a positive report on them from an author, who mentions they are now BOOKSOURCE. Another says the are now at www.GlobalBookPublisher.com. October 2004 update: I heard from them: they are still going strong, and Global Book Publishers was a previous name. June 2005 update: they have been bought out by Amazon.com. This could shake up the self publishing market. AMAZON's notice says in part: "BookSurge makes it possible to print books that appeal to targeted audiences, whether it's one copy or one thousand. Our new relationship with BookSurge will provide Amazon customers an ever-expanding selection of titles that are not available through other channels." I presume they will consolidate the assorted imprints under one name. February 2008 update: They don't give prices on the site: you have to fill out a form and get in touch with one of their publishing consultants. An author with a book with 120 pictures learned that it would cost $5,700 to do. April 2008 update: As of April 1, 2008, Amazon is turning off the Buy button on books not printed by BookSurge, starting with those by Publish America. There is outrage. August 2008 update: 35% direct retail royalties at Amazon.com and 4 other retailer sites; 10% elsewhere. Editing service is a minimum of $300. Royalties every 45 days. February 2009 update: No news of the controversy on their site, of course.

BOSON BOOKS - www.cmonline.com/boson/.  They don't seem to provide information on their terms. They are currently closed to poetry, drama, fantasy, children's books, and religious fiction and nonfiction. Presumably other types are okay. February 2007 update: Currently closed to submissions. February 2008 update: They remain closed to submissions. February 2009 update: Still closed, but in June 2009 they will consider nonfiction. January 2010 update: Currently closed to unsolicited manuscripts. February 2011 update: Still closed to submissions. January 2012 update: Still closed. Five years closed? I doubt they are much of a market.

BOX LUNCH BOOKS - www.boxlunchbooks.com/. August 2009 update: Gone.

BREATHLESS PRESS - www.breathlesspress.com/. New publisher of Romance, Erotica, and Paranormal, with the usual restrictions. Up to three books a week, 1,000 to 100,000 words. I found no information on terms for authors. December 2009 update: since opening they have hired 5 editors, an acquisitions manager, and a marketing manager. They have posted a sample contract. Lengths range from under 1,000 words to 100,000 words, in several heat ranges, with the usual restrictions. The contract takes all electronic rights for 3 three years, renewable. 35% royalty on the retail price, or 35% of the amount received from other vendors. No audit clause. January 2010 update: Now there is an audit clause, but it's not a good one. April 2010 update: The publisher tells me they have updated their contract, I'm jammed for time at the moment and haven't checked it, but presumably it is improved. They have also hired new staff members. In short, it's a going concern. December 2010 update: But there has been a reference to their "underhandedness," so I recommend caution. January 2011 update: I heard from the proprietor, Justyn Perry, who says Breathless Press does not have any underhanded dealings. It may be a matter of interpretation. So I queried my informant, and got half a passel of detail about how Justyn had worked for Hades Publications in Canada, tried to steal some of their authors, then walked out, leaving their accounts in a mess. Justyn replies that he did work for Hades, but left because of their unethical practices such as not reporting royalties to authors, charging fees for publishing books, etc. He denies ever poaching authors, as he does consider that unethical, and has suffered from it at Breathless. I am not in a position to ascertain the exact truth, but will say that the relevant question here is how Breathless authors are treated now, rather than past history elsewhere, and there have been no complaints here. February 2011 update: and an author complaint, saying that there are complaints, just not public ones. Books aren't uploaded when they are supposed to be, payments are confusing, payment for cover art may be slow, and questions have been ignored. Some supposedly poached authors aren't poached, merely leaving in disgust. March 2011 update: And two author reports, both highly favorable. One reports that the editor and cover artist worked with her to get things right and it was a great experience. The other wishes to be named: Summer Falls says “Breathless Press has never been underhanded in any dealings with me. Justyn Perry returns emails, answers questions and always gives authors his best. Their cover art is amazing, the editors professional and overall a fantastic publishing site. As with any new business, they are always tweaking and improving.” A third author concurs: superb editing, good cover art, prompt response to question, royalties paid on time. September 2011 update: Another favorable report on their efficiency. January 2012 update: They are actively looking for submissions.

BRISTLECONE PINE PRESS — www.bcpinepress.com. They say they are an independent electronic imprint, but don't seem to say of what, and there is no information about submissions. February 2011 update: the site took so long to load I gave up. August 2011 update: A reader provided me the information I was unable to get myself. They say they are an independent publishing imprint committed to bringing high quality print books to the eBook platform. I gather from this that you need to have been published in print first. You need to query them with information about your book; they have a form to fill out, and it must be complete or they won't review it.

BROWZER BOOKS - www.browzerbooks.com/.  This appears to be a publisher and marketer of free books. I found no terms listed for authors, but presume they are unpaid. So if you have a book you just want to make available for reading, this is the place. February 2008 update: I clicked their link about publishing romance books, and it put me with Xlibris. May 2010 update: I heard from the publisher. "We have moved all BrowzerBooks links to TaleWins to concentrate our resources. The BrowzerBooks domain is reserved for our club members." So check www.talewins.com/ as the best entry point for writers. "We do publish fine books in pdf formats." There is no charge for the publishing.

BUY BOOKS ON THE WEB - www.buybooksontheweb.com/. The main thrust seems to be to sell books - but let's face it, if books didn't sell, who would publish them? It has a "Get Published Now!" section. "Did you know that less than 2% of authors ever get published? We have found a way to change that!" They offer an Authors Submission Package, if you send in their form. An author report says they are responsive and pleasant to work with. See Infinity Publishing, as their publishing link leads there. February 2009 update: they remain as a bookseller, with their publishing arm being INFINITY.

BY GRACE PUBLISHING - www.bygracepublishing.com June 2009 update: A report that they keep making excuses instead of paying royalties. Since they have closed there doesn't seem to be much recourse. January 2010 update: This domain may be for sale. February 2011 update: Gone.

BY LIGHT UNSEEN MEDIA - http://bylightunseenmedia.com. Founded in 2006, they are a niche press dedicated to publishing fiction and nonfiction up to 150,000 words on the theme of vampires. Several genres; what counts is the vampire. They pay a small advance, and royalties of 20% of net on print and audio sales, 50% of net on ebooks. All titles released simultaneously in hardcover, trade paperback, and multiple ebook editions. Their recent titles have been reviewed in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and LIBRARY JOURNAL. They are currently accepting submissions. My guess, considering the package they offer, is that they will soon be swamped. Query first.

Cafe Press - www.cafepress.com/cp/info/sell/books.aspx. They merchandise all sorts of things, but have added a publishing service, so are listed here for that. This is POD, with charges of $7 for binding plus three cents a page; slightly different for different types of stitching. It looks as if you have to do a lot yourself. October 2006 update: a negative report from someone who ordered a T-shirt. After months with no confirmation of the order, finally canceled it. If this is the way they do business, sales will be small. August 2007 update: And the opposite experience, with prompt delivery for several T-shirts, which are of good quality. February 2011 update: Pricing is based on the number and type of pages in your book.

CAMBRIDGE HOUSE - www.camhousebooks.com/. December 2007 update: A writer sent me a copy of his correspondence with this outfit. It says it is not a vanity or POD publisher, but the indication is that it costs something like $15,000 to get published there. When he Googled it, he found only negative comments, and the publisher did not answer his pointed query about the time it takes authors to reach the break-even point via sales. February 2009 update: The site seemed to get stuck on "loading"; I gave up after several minutes. February 2010 update: ditto. February 2011 update: This time it loaded promptly: a blank red page. It seems I need plug-ins I don't have. February 2012 update: not found.

CAMEL PRESS — www.camelpress.com/. I was asked about this, so added it to my list. They are a new publishing imprint of Coffeetown Press doing hardcover and electronic publication. They call themselves a feisty little publisher with a mission, ready to snap up the good stuff that slips by the big guys. Romance, mystery/suspense, thrillers, science fiction, or unclassifiable if it is sensational. They don't seem to have a track record yet, but it's a good attitude. February 2012 update: They are open for submissions. Query with a 50 page sample.

CAN WRITE WILL WRITE — www.canwritewillwrite.com/. They started out as a showcase website for authors to display their work, but now have branched into publishing. An author reports that they have been professional and helpful throughout. I don't have information on terms; it was a slow site. February 2009 update: If they like your work, a contribution of £100 to get started. They will post your work on their website for one year. Um, as publication goes, this is barely minimal. January 2010 update: I heard from them. They are not charging authors anything to showcase their work. They have expanded their literary services. June 2010 update: They now electronically publish books. "Anyone with a decent, completed, coherent book has a reasonable chance of obtaining an ePublishing deal with us. Free. We make our money taking a percentage of sales." They also supply editing and critique services. February 2011 update: They have an interesting attitude. They publish about twelve books a year. If you feel you can ignore their requirements, but have a really positive attitude, you might persuade them to make it thirteen.

CARINA — http://carinapress.com/ They are expecting to launch in summer 2010 and release new titles weekly. They expect to have a wide range of genres. I understand that Carina is completely separate from Harlequin Horizons, not connected. Carina is not a self publisher. They will go digital first. No advances, but larger royalties. February 2010 update: They are accepting submissions in all genres of romance, erotica, science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, women's fiction, and more, but no non-fiction or poetry. They will consider fiction from 15,000 words to over 100,000 words. You may submit manuscripts that were rejected by Harlequin or any other publisher. March 2010 update: They want all rights for 7 years, 30% royalty on ebooks sold through their site, half that on books sold elsewhere. What will count is how much they sell. January 2011 update: a report of a very prompt and personal acceptance process, until a supposedly negotiable contract turned out to be non-negotiable. But the rest went very well, and the overall experience was good. February 2011 update: they remain open to submissions in all genres except young adult, poetry, or nonfiction. February 2012 update: still wide open, but query first. Check their requirements for queries.

Carnal Desires Publishing - www.carnaldesirespublishing.com/.   This will be the erotic imprint of DOUBLE DRAGON, opening September 1, 2007. Interested in erotic fantasy and science fiction, but will accept other topics, too. February 2008 update: Alexandra Adams is the co-publisher, who has her own Sexy Novels site listed in the Services section. Minimum length is 20,000 words, 90,000 maximum, but they are flexible. They are looking for highly erotic romance, and welcome cross-genre, with a riveting plot. The usual restrictions. Royalties of 35% of the cover price for ebooks sold at the site, 35% of net for other sales, and 10% for POD sales. They take digital rights only, for five years. February 2010 update: they are now open for submissions. They are especially interested in cross-genre works. February 2011 update: Submissions are closed. February 2012 update: Submissions are now open.

CARNIFEX PRESS - www.carnifexpress.net/.  February 2009 update: They shut down on January 1, 2009, with regret: couldn't make it financially. They are selling off their books at below cost, hoping to pay off their debts.

CELEBRITY CAFE - see THE CELEBRITY CAFE

CENTRAL VALLEY WRITERS - www.centralvalleywriters.com/. The writers' organization of Central Valley, in Chowchilla, California, is sponsoring contests for fiction and nonfiction, novels and short stories. Prizes of $50 for longer works, $25 for stories. They consider anything over 10,000 words to be novel length. Entrance fees are $20 for a novel, $10 for a story. February 2008 update: Call for entries by April 4. February 2009 update: As of January 7 they have moved to Madera. February 2011 update: They hold writing contests the year round.

CERRIDWEN PRESS - www.cerridwenpress.com/. This is an imprint of Ellora's Cave for mainstream fiction. That is, Contemporary, Fantasy, Futuristic/Sci-Fi, Historical, Horror, Humor, Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal, Women's Fiction, and many categories of Romance. They also have a number of special categories mixed in with Ellora's Cave, such as Ellora's Caveman Anthologies and Cotillion; check their site for half a slew of information. Presumably Cerridwen will have the same promotional push that Ellora's Cave does, which suggests high sales. February 2007 update: They are always open for submissions. April 2009 update: but I have a report that all they really seem to want is erotic romance. That is surprising, considering this is supposed to be a general mainstream imprint. February 2010 update: They are still always open for submissions in all their genres. April 2010 update: But the private word is that they are not accepting any new submissions despite what the site says. In fact I understand there's a notice in their author package to that effect. I also understand that editors are being fired. Things seem to be in limbo. July 2010 update: an ebook a reader bought had squares in lieu of some words, and the reader is reluctant to buy more such books. Author went to publisher, and publisher said it must be the ereader's fault and refused to take it further. But the same error occurs on other ereaders. I know computers can put squares for unknown symbols; this suggests that the file has some obscurities that ereaders can't handle. Until the publisher is willing to deal with this, beware. February 2011 update: The link took me to a dark blank screen for Jasmine Jade Enterprises. This strikes me as mischief. March 2011 update: No, it's okay; it seems to be the new name for Ellora's Cave and its imprints. February 2012 update: They are open for submissions. I like their spot headings for types: Pricked for tattoo fiction, Hex Appeal for wanton witches, Ball & Chain for spicy sex in marriage, On the Hunt featuring bounty hunters. "Remember that sex is largely visual and verbal for men (for women, it is mainly mental and emotional.)" They remark that men want women to "do some of the work" and imply that is obscure. I can clarify it: men prefer that women not lie there like suffering corpses during sex, but participate actively as if they actually enjoy it.

CHAMPAGNE BOOKS - www.champagnebooks.com. Starting up March 31, 2005, mentioned as a possible publisher, but so far it seems to be just a book reading club. June 2005 update: I heard from the publisher. They are not a reading club, though they do have an experimental ebook club. But they are a publisher first. February 2006 update: Submissions are closed, and by invitation only until further notice. February 2007 update: They seem to be open for submissions now. June 2007 update: I have an anonymous report that they seem to be slowly becoming a vanity press. Some authors are charged to go to print, while some aren't. I'll be interested to receive feedback clarifying this, as it could be a misunderstanding. October 2007 update: it is indeed a misunderstanding. They considered letting impatient authors pay for print, but decided against it. February 2008 update: They are accepting submissions for all genres except erotica, no short story collections or poetry. February 2009 update: I could not find information on terms, or any indication that they are more than a bookseller now. June 2009 update: I received reassurance that they are a full-fledged publisher, and are publishing authors with great satisfaction. Epublication and trade paperback. April 2010 update: I have a favorable report that they have a good contract, prompt response, and good editing. June 2010 update: And two savagely negative reports I am loosely interpreting here to mask identities. One describes a publisher that started out well, then ran out of money, used royalties to cover operating expenses, and made excuses to cover that up. The other describes bad editing, blatant favoritism, and a threatening attitude toward those who even question things. Both reports are detailed and persuasive. There is also a story circulating about how there was a firm offer to buy 10,000 copies of an author's books, with no refunds, but the publisher essentially turned its back on the deal. Such an example, if true, suggests that the printer might have demanded payment up front, and the publisher wouldn't or couldn't do that, so let it go. So much for that author's prospects. Beware. July 2010 update: And an angry response from the publisher, who wanted the bad report removed immediately. Lotsa luck there. But they do make their case. Money is not an issue. There was an issue with their bank, which has been resolved; it was a banking error. All royalties have been paid. There was never a firm offer for 10,000 books, and the prospective buyer never followed up despite being queried. Actually the sale is still pending and is expected to go through in due course. At this point it looks as if the publisher has been vindicated in this respect. February 2011 update: They will consider all genres, but have a specific interest in Romance, Science Fiction/Futuristic, Fantasy, and Steam Punk. August 2011 update: Another favorable report. A new author queried, and received a prompt response and a request for the manuscript. A week later they rejected the book, but did respond to a request for feedback, delivering a blunt critique that the author concluded was professional and useful. So this is a positive reaction to a rejection. That's a rarity, and worth noting. It seems that this publisher is cultivating future authors. That's as it should be, but is nevertheless rare among publishers of any stripe. February 2012 update: They are open for submissions, but do not accept snail mail subs at this time.

CHANCES PRESS - www.chancespress.com.  A new publisher expanding their line of romantica e-books, now open for submissions. ("Romantica" is hot sexy romance genre fiction promoted by Ellora's Cave; I understand they don't like others using their word, but it has become its own genre.) They are especially interested in gay themed books, romance, and of course romantica. Anthologies will also be considered. They pay 50% of net sales from wholesalers. February 2006 update: "We are currently not accepting queries or submissions."  February 2009 update: They now offer self publishing options. Partnering with Wordclay, which is listed below. February 2010 update: They are still not accepting submissions or queries. February 2011 update: I could not find information on submissions. February 2012 update: They are currently not accepting queries or submissions, but this may soon change.

CHANGELING PRESS - changelingpress.com/. "Out of this world Erotic Love Stories." All types, including gay/lesbian and fetish, from 8,000 to 25,000 words, not full length novels. Except sweet contemporary romance, child pornography--the really dirty stuff. April 2005 update: they are a royalty-paying publisher using the EPIC RECOMMENDED (AUTHOR FRIENDLY) CONTRACT. Now they do short fiction and novella length, 8,000 to 30,000 words. December 2005 update: I have a very favorable writer report on them. But I don't know what they pay. April 2006 update: I am told they pay royalties of 35% for what they sell directly, and less if they broker a book through something like Fictionwise. This is reasonable. I have another very favorable author report; their contract is said to be quite author-friendly. February 2007 update: They are open for submissions. April 2007 update: A report of 50-250 sales per title per month. October 2007 update: word from the publisher: "We specialize in paranormal, fantasy and science fiction stories." But obviously their scope is wider than that. "We've got only one heat level. Over-the-top hot!" December 2008 update: Publisher Margaret Riley sent information. They are coming up on their fifth anniversary, and have done a total of 1054 titles, in and out of production. They expect to sell 100-300 copies in the first month, doubling that in the first two years. They do some print books, but that's not their primary focus. Their contracts have a "kill" fee ranging from $350 for single ebooks to $750 for print collections. Another author report is quite favorable: good editing, on-time payment. February 2010 update: This time I could not find information on submissions or terms. February 2011 update: Still no information. My guess is they're not buying. April 2011 update: I heard from a writer who uses them, loves them and the support they provide. I am told they do still have submission information, but I still can't find it.

CHEER AND DANCE BOOKS - www.CheerAndDanceBooks.com/. This is Darnell Spirit Productions, DSP, in business since 2000 for just cheer and dance. That is, cheer and dance themed nonfiction, and soon fiction too, in a variety of lengths. Non-subsidy, royalty paying, ebooks and POD. Royalties are 40% of the net. Some may be selected for doll collections; they get 10% of the sales for related dolls. I get the impression that writers don't submit material here so much as try out for publication. This publisher seems friendly. February 2008 update: Lengths range from 10,000 to 100,000 words. They want adult romance centered around the world of cheerleading, but within those thematic boundaries will consider a wide variety of genres. Keep it sweet, sensual, but not erotic. February 2010 update: They remain open for their type of submissions, and will respond in 3-4 weeks. February 2011 update: A note says Darnell Spirit Productions, evidently the publisher, has been acquired by Netherfield House Press. All titles are being updated. Follow their link to Netherfield for information on their new submission policy. February 2012 update: Now they have a Submissions section, and will consider novels from 50,000 to 110,000 words.

CHICKSPRINGS - chicksprings.com. Not a market.

CHIMERA - www.chimera-online.co.uk. A report of sales not credited, and they may balk at requests to take down author's books. February 2009 update: They sell erotic books, movies, and toys, but I did not find information on terms for authors. February 2012 update: the link took me to England Singles Xmatch .com, a site for singles. I suspect they are no longer a publisher.

Chipmunk A Publishing - www.chipmunka.com/.   A mental health publisher based in the UK. They say they have published more than 130 paperbacks and 200 ebooks. "We want to prove that everything in life is a mental health issue..." So if you have a fiction or nonfiction book relating, this appears to be a good place to be; they seem truly dedicated to banishing the stigma associated with mental health problems. You may donate money if you wish to support their effort, but otherwise this is merely a specialty publisher. February 2010 update: They pay royalties once a year, and do not reveal their rates until they offer a contract. February 2012 update: Their site seems to consist of very positive testimonials by authors who are thrilled to be published.

CHIPPEWA PUBLISHING LLC - www.chippewapublishing.com. December 2007 update: they have closed, because of the proprietor's family emergency. All rights are being returned to the authors as of November 30, 2007. If a publisher has to go, this is the way to go. February 2008 update: but a number of authors have not received those reversions, and it seems other publishers won't buy without those reversions. November 2010 update: but there is a report of their never paying what was owed to a number of authors. February 2011 update: Now it's a publishing search site.

CLASS ACT BOOKS — www.classactbooks.com. Electronic and print publisher, said to be responsive. Currently accepting submissions in all their genres. I did not find information on terms. July 2010 update: I have a highly negative report of authors who left this publisher because of hidden fees, being shorted on royalties, failure to fulfill contractual obligations, and lack of response to queries. It seems the publisher is releasing books that are no longer under contract and have been published elsewhere. A number of novels were named, which I am not naming to preserve anonymity. It is, I am told, no class act. August 2010 update: And a refutation. Their contracts say royalties are based on Net. That's not the same as hidden fees. Another writer checks royalties vs. sales and the statements have always been correct. And listings may take several months to go, because sellers like Amazon can be slow to act. One other thing: if only a few writers are mad at a publisher, the publisher can usually identify them. If many are, the publisher usually can't. This time a name was named, so I checked, and it was the right name. So by this imperfect measure, the publisher stands vindicated. September 2010 update: Well, heard from several more disaffected authors who gave examples of abuses. The balance swings the other way. See my discussion in the SapTimber 2010 HiPiers column. October 2010 update: And a response from Linda Voth: “I took over Class Act Books in April of this year. It was, and still is, my intention to work with the authors to make Class Act Books a great company." She did have a problem with lists of authors and books that were not completely current, so that some books the authors had pulled remained on sale. She tried to work with the authors to correct this. Some authors were very understanding; others were not. To save time she merged Class Act with Paw Prints, which she owns. Amazon did that for her, but in the process some books somehow got made active again. Affected authors were sure that she was trying to steal from them. “As for not paying the correct royalties. That, simply, isn't true. We were a bit late in making quarterly payments but we had a lot of financial stuff to wade through and we wanted to make sure that we were correct. We also waited on one of the 3rd party vendors who was extremely late in sending payments." In one case she sent the full price that Amazon paid for the book, $3.13, but the author would not accept the figure. “By then there was nothing I was going to do that wasn't, somehow, underhanded." She finally stopped trying to explain. So the pendulum swings again; this is persuasive. Class Act will offer print books without a setup fee or minimum sales requirements, with the authors receiving 30%. February 2011 update: I did not find information on submissions. December 2011 update: Another negative report of not paying royalties. February 2012 update: They are open to all genres, but no gay/lesbian, rape, child abuse, or animal cruelty. No information on terms.

CLAYBORN PRESS - www.claybornpress.com/. A book publication company based in Arizona, currently open for submissions. Founded November 5, 2009, so they don't have a long track record. Science fiction, fantasy, guidebooks, reference books, and they will consider all genres. It was founded by authors, and most of their staff also write. This suggests that they understand the position of authors. They take submissions electronically, and publish in print and electronically. I did not find information on terms. February 2011 update: They are open for submissions, but I still don't find terms. August 2011 update: I have a report that they have become nonresponsive. Indeed, their site seems” to be gone.

CLEAN ROMANCE - www.cleanromance.com. This means exactly what the name implies: keep the dirty stuff out. It is interested in all Romance sub-genres. 10,000 to 100,000 words, 35% royalties on downloads. October 2004 update: the link no longer connects.

CLOUDY MOUNTAIN BOOKS - see Fiction Forest

CLOTHO PRESS - www.clothopress.biz. Proprietor Melissa Hollingsworth sent me this notice: "Clotho Press is a new small press dedicated to publishing the gems which are overlooked by big publishing houses." They are not open to submissions yet, but they will be. I presume they will have a Web site in due course. April 2009 update: Now they have their Web site. July 2009 update: but they may fold soon, victim of a depressed book industry. February 2010 update: Currently closed to submissions. February 2011 update: ditto. February 2012 update: And they are gone.

CLUB LIGHTHOUSE PUBLISHING - www.clublighthousepublishing.com/. This is a newly-launched epublisher located in Canada. They are open for submissions in many genres of fiction and non-fiction. They take only electronic rights, for one year, and pay royalties of 40% of all download sales. Reports on submissions in one month to six weeks.  February 2007 update: They are open for submissions in many genres of fiction and nonfiction. February 2008 update: The site is there, but seems to have no content. June 2008 update: they are there in good order, so my prior observation must have been a glitch. I have a positive report. April 2009 update: I have a report from a satisfied author, who says they were great every step of the way. January 2010 update: and another favorable report. February 2011 update: This time I did not find submission information. February 2012 update: They say their royalties are among the best in the industry, without saying what they are. They want hot, spicy remance, erotica, GBLT, and vampire stories.

COBBLESTONE PRESS - www.cobblestone-press.com/. This is an electronic publisher of sensual and erotic romance with many genre subdivisions. Royalties are 35% of the cover price, paid monthly. They take electronic rights for one year. Four general lengths: Trysts 10,000-20,000 words; novella 20,000-40,000; novels 40,000-65,000; full novel 65,001-100,000. Three levels: Wild = fully realized sexual relationships; Wanton = that plus explicit language; Wicked = that plus the hot stuff: disturbing themes, violence, multiple partners, BDSM (bondage/sado-masochist). But not rape, racism, pedophilia, incest, bestiality, necrophilia or body functions. In addition, three lines: Brazen, with aggressive heroines; Outlaw, with hero on the wild side; Shifter, with shape shifters. They want to see full manuscripts, not summaries. December 2006 update: a very negative report, and a quite positive one. So the jury still seems to be out.  February 2007 update: much more here, as a flurry of authors defend the publisher, and another was negative. Essentially the negatives relate to their strict editing. I discussed this with co-owner Sable Grey, and while I really hate to admit it, her case seems stronger than the authors' cases, and I have to side with the publisher. It looks from here like one of the best. See my discussion in the February 2007 HiPiers column. June 2007 update: They are having their one year anniversary. They are starting an unline publication CPQ Magazine in their Blue Page Directory. I understand this HiPiers Survey will be listed as a resource. They have added an audit clause to their contract and are making it retroactive, so those with prior contracts can invoke it. That's one generous deal. February 2008 update: They now have a fifth general length: Vignette 5,000-10,000 words. August 2008 update: more information from the publisher. They now publish a short story erotica line called WICKED. In general their hottest sales come from the hottest fiction, erotic historical, menage, BDSM, and Paranormals. There's a new series called The Vampire Oracle featuring (duh) vampires. They continue to grow. Next year they expect to release 5 titles a week. They are now working on titles for 2009. They have periodic cross promotions, cooperating with other publishers. NOTE: in the course of my updating dialogue with the publisher, she mentioned that she'd consider a submission from me. As it happened, I had recently had an edgy idea that might fit their Wicked line, so I wrote it and submitted it. They acknowledged with a notice that it takes 90 days for a report. But in three weeks they accepted it. So this note is to clarify that conflict of interest; I can't be considered fully objective about publishers with which I do business. The story is "Knave." He has a thing for the Queen of Hearts. December 2008 update: the proprietor had a computer virus problem that messed up communication and statements, annoying some authors, but that has been resolved. Meanwhile my story has been published there. See my Cobblestone blog, rerun in the December 2008 HiPiers column. Essentially, I'm a satisfied contributor. February 2009 update: reports for November and December indicate about 17 copies of "Knave" sold, meaning in due course I should receive about $17. So that's my personal experience, which may not be typical; I suspect that established erotica authors sell more, and unknowns less. Remember, this is no novel, just a 10,000 word story I might have been unable to place elsewhere. June 2009 update: I received notice of new submission guidelines. I haven't check it yet; this is just to let folk know it exists. July 2009 update: I bought six of their Wicked line stories, to learn what company my story "Knave" kept. They are well written, varied, and sexy, but not what I consider ground-breaking. Each is essentially a setting for one good sexual fling. July 2010 update: another favorable report, this one on their editing process. February 2011 update: They are accepting submissions, but under 10,000 words is limited to in-house authors. May 2011 update: tornadoes messed up Alabama, cutting off power, so their statements will be delayed. They're working on it. October 2011 update: they have hired an acquisitions editor, to facilitate the process. February 2012 update: personal report: they continue paying (small) royalties three years later. They remain open for submissions.

COLD TREE PRESS - www.coldtreepress.com/. A self publisher, charges ranging from $1,400 to $2,400, depending on the type of book desired. Other services are available for additional fees. Royalties of 30% of the list price. Typical time frame from manuscript to publication is 90 days. They have a sample contract at the site, and it seems good, except that it lacks an audit clause. February 2009 update: I checked one of their imprints, and it required all manuscripts to be professionally edited. That's likely to mean it will cost you. February 2010 update: I was forbidden to access their site. February 2011 update: Now the site loads, but has become a search site. They must be out of business.

COLLIDOSCOPE - shmanchester@statestreet.com. This seems to be a collection of poetry, with a deadline date of June 30, 2006. Poems can be up to 60 lines each. Payment on publication. February 2008 update: this entry is dated, but I'm unwilling to click their email link. They remain in business, I presume with similar material. February 2011 update: They are now open for novel submissions in the categories of Horror, Dark Crime, and Suspense, Thrillers.

COMET PRESS - www.cometpress.us/. Small press. An independent publisher of horror, suspense, and dark crime fiction. "The ultimate goal of Comet Press is to unleash upon the general public the most terrifying, shocking, and most of all, entertaining stories imaginable." They are currently accepting submissions 7,500-85,000 words. Response time is 2-3 months. Standard or higher royalties. February 2009 update: They are now taking submissions for an extreme horror anthology to be published in mid 2009. Deadline was February 28, 2009. February 2010 update: their current anthology is full and closed to submissions. February 2012 update: They are currently closed to submissions.

COMFORT PUBLISHING - www.comfortpublishing.com/. This is a general trade publisher I received a query about, so I looked them up. They also do electronic and audio, so do qualify for this listing. They were established in 2000. You don't need an agent to submit to them. They will consider genre material, but not Children's picture books or poetry at this time. Their minimum word length is 80,000. February 2012 update: After about ten minutes I gave up waiting on them to load.

COMMONWEALTH - Avoid

CONSCIOUS KERNELS - www.consciouskernels.com/. This is a start-up ebook publisher specializing in spiritual, metaphysical, and New Thought subjects. Now open for submissions, and especially interested in new writers who can speak to their subject matter. Under 20,000 words preferred. Royalties will be paid, but not advances. February 2008 update: They remain open for submissions in their genres. February 2009 update: query them, and if they are interested, they will discuss it with you. February 2011 update: They remain open to submissions; query first.

COOL PUBLICATIONS - www.coolpublications.com. February 2007 update: they seem to be gone. February 2010 update: Well, not exactly; they are there with the message "Become a published author." I did not find terms. February 2012 update: Now they say they will write, design, and publish it for you and sell it worldwide. This scarcely seems to need an author.

COOL WELL PRESS - www.coolwellpress.com/. Now publisher of Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Historicals, Young Adult and Nonfiction. 25% royalties on ebooks, 8% on print books. 12,000-120,000 words. Three year contract.

CORNUCOPIA -www.cornucopiapress.com/. A new small press; their first book will be out in August, 2008. hardcover and trade paperback; they're not electronic. They are looking for polished novels, historical fiction, narrative biography, and positive life stories. "We are interested in characters that are courageous and ethical." Query first; if they are interested they'll request the manuscript within two weeks. Competitive royalties. February 2010 update: But now they are gone.

COSMOS BOOKS - www.cosmos-books.com. A division of Wildside Press. A publisher for SF, Fantasy, and horror reprints and originals, especially British and Australian. It is not an epublisher, and got listed here because of my confusion. They have a wide range of authors and material, and will do print on demand editions too. Payment is two copies of your book in hardcover, five paperback copies, plus $100 or 50% of the amount received, whichever is greater. Contract is four years, extendable, takes all English language print rights, and you can assign other rights if you wish. There is an audit clause. August 2004 update: gone. February 2005 update: Back again. February 2009 update: The site lists a number of books for sale. I find no indication that they are looking for submissions. February 2010 update: They are interested mainly in reprints for POD, though they have a few originals. February 2011 update: They seem to be gone again. February 2011 update: they seem to be gone again.

COYOTE MOON PUBLICATIONS - www.coyotemoonpublications.com. One of their editors contacted me: they are seeking quality books in many genres. Their contract is based on the EPIC model contract; that's a good recommendation. February 2006 update: Their Silver Moon erotic imprint is temporarily closed to submissions. February 2007 update: They are folding, with deep regret. All rights are being released. They hope in due course to set up a free website resource for the small press community. February 2008 update: The site is there.April 2008 update: but it's just a collection of links.

CREATE SPACE — www.createspace.com/. This is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, originally founded as CustomFix Labs in 2002 and acquired by Amazon in 2005. "Our mission is to profitably connect our members to their worldwide audience." Their on demand publishing has no setup fees, no minimums, no inventory, and it guarantees the books will be sold on Amazon.com. This seems almost too good to be true, and I will be interested in reports from writers who use this service. Apparently they expect to make their money from a percentage of actual book sales, the way traditional print publishers do. With the considerable resources of Amazon behind it, maybe it will work. June 2008 update: A positive report: "My experience with CreateSpace has been wonderful so far, and the inclusion in 'Search Inside' special shipping/pricing rates and 'AmazonConnect' with blogs tied to product pages has been a dream come true." August 2008 update: confirmation of prior reports. One author sent me a copy of his CreateSpace Press print book, and it looks good. He feels he got service that would have cost $500 elsewhere essentially free. He can buy his own copies for $5.43 for the 376 page book, and can get Kindle publication too. I have issues with some Amazon policies elsewhere, but Create Space looks like about the best POD deal available. December 2008 update: the good news continues. They require the author to create the digital files, but if you already have them, it is completely free. June 2009 update: the good reports continue: writers who use them, generally like them. January 2010 update: mixed reports on the physical quality of their books, but they are highly responsive, their quality may improve, and they seem to be on the verge of wider distribution in bookstores. So this remains the publisher to measure against. April 2010 update: A report that while publication and distribution are free, other aspects can get pricey, so a self publisher can be cheaper, depending. February 2011 update: Their free options continue, including electronic publication via Kindle: author gets 70% of the cover price on all sales. I am bemused, wondering how other publishers can compete.

CREATIVE GUY PUBLISHING - www.creativeguypublishing.com. He calls his ebooks e-xtras, novellas 15,000 to 50,000 words long, with special features. Open for submissions as of February 2003, pays 65% of the net sales. Query first, with a bit about who you are, your genre, and the length of your piece. Go wild. February 2005 update: They are no longer accepting unsolicited submissions; query first. February 2006 update: They hope to reopen for submissions by the end of June 2006. February 2007 update: Still not open to submissions. Their site has not been updated since July 24, 2006. That's not a good sign. April 2004 update: they remain in business, focusing on the material already in hand. In due course they will be open for more. February 2008 update: They remain closed to submissions until the end of 2008. February 2009 update: no unsolicited submissions, except for their magazine. February 2011 update: Still not open. February 2012 update: loading took so long I gave up. I am not sure they really are in business.

CREATIVE JUICES PUBLISHING - www.creativejuicespublishing.com. This is a new company offering POD and related services. You can get their Basic Publishing Package for $375, or spot individual services for lesser amounts. Author keeps all rights; it's really a self publisher. February 2008 update: Now it proffers links to other self publishers. This seems to have become a site for links rather than its own publishing.

CRESCENT MOON PRESS - www.crescentmoonpress.com/. I was asked about this one so looked it up. A boutique publisher of high quality fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal fiction, founded in 2007. I am not clear whether they are a traditional publisher rather than electronic. They consider lengths from 20,000 to 120,000 words. February 2012 update: They are now open to general submissions.

CROSSED GENRES - http://crossedgenres.com/. "The magazine of Science Fiction & Fantasy with a twist." They asked me to contribute an article on Humor for a forthcoming issue, and I did. They pay a flat fee of $10 and one copy of the PDF version of the issue. They are looking for articles and essays related to the craft of writing, and for particular genres of the month; check for their topics. Also for art, both cover and inside. Their time is limited, so rejections will be form letters, with no prejudice to the merit of the pieces. February 2010 update: They want stories between 1,000 and 8,000 words, articles, novellas 20,000 to 40,000 words, and novels for serialization 40,000 to 100,000 words. Nothing between 8.000 and 30,000 words. February 2011 update: Now it's nothing between 8,000 and 20,000 words, and they no longer accept simultaneous submissions. And thei are temporarily closed to novels, novellas, and webcomics. February 2012 update: Now they pay a $250 advance plus royalties for novels, but the magazine is closed to submissions.

CROSSROADS PUBLISHING COMPANY - cpcbooks.com/.  February 2009 update: Submit your proposal and they will consider it. February 2010 update: They publish popular literature on personal spirituality, communal faith, and current religious affairs. February 2011 update: I did not find information on submissions.

CRYSTAL DREAMS - www.crystaldreamspub.com/.   October 2007 update: the publisher is folding. They might remain as a self publisher. December 2007 update: And lo, back from the dead: it was bought by Multi-Media Publishing, normally a nonfiction outfit, now expanding into fiction. Crystal Dreams remains closed to submissions at present because they are republishing all their old titles, but I suspect they will in due course be seeking new material. February 2010 update: Yes, they remain overstocked on fiction, but are looking for particular nonfiction. February 2012 update: The domain may be for sale.

CURIOUS VOLUMES PUBLISHING - www.curiousvolumes.com/.  August 2008 update: I am told that they are no longer a publisher. February 2009 update: The site link now leads to the Little Creatures Workshop, handcrafted dolls. February 2012 update: Now it's Under Construction.

CYBEREDITIONS - www.cybereditions.com/. Based in New Zealand. "Cybereditions is the online book publisher focusing on the highest quality nonfiction and scholarly writing." It makes out of print books available in new editions as e-books, with royalties on a sliding scale from 25% for under 500 copies, 33% up to 1,000 copies, and 40% for 1,000 or more copies. It also publishes original titles. Takes exclusive worldwide electronic rights and print-on-demand for the term of the copyright. Pays annual royalty checks in the month of April, provided they are more than $25. No audit clause. Their titles are issued in paperback as well as electronic format. February 2005 update: They now also publish some original works. February 2007 update: A sample contract is viewable. It takes all rights, electronic and print, for the duration of the copyright. That means the author effectively relinquishes control until 70 years after he dies. February 2011 update: They are open for sumissions in thought-provoking material.

CYBERMAN BOOKS - http://cybermanbooks.com/. They started early in 2002, so are not yet overloaded, and are open for submissions. Each book is carefully considered for readability and marketability, so many are rejected. 40% royalties, no fees of any kind. Authors are male and female, but marketing is primarily to males, fiction and nonfiction. No genre romance.
I have a report that they signed a contract with a writer, then dragged their feet for months, then said they hadn't actually accepted the book. This is weird; be wary. April 2004 update: And a response from the publisher: they know nothing about this, and had only one negative author, who turned them down. I asked if they could name that one. They replied "Since we at CyberManbooks have been given no information about who said this or any other details and we have checked our records and we have found that no such person, with an un-honored contract from us, exists." February 2011 update: They are becoming Men's Hour Books, with a new orientation but still not manhating. February 2012 update: The site is there, but I'm not sure it's active.

CYBER-PULP BOOKS - http://www.cyberpulpbooks.com/.   February 2010 update: Now under construction, but expect to be in business as of February 2010. February 2011 update: The domain is for sale.

CYBERREAD - www.cyberread.com. Comprehensive list of categories. This seems to be a resale outfit rather than a straight publisher. If you have a published book, listing it here should add to its exposure. February 2005 update: 45% royalties. There is an audit clause.

DAMNATION PRESS - www.damnationbooks.com/. They bought Eternal Press.

DARK ANGEL PUBLICATIONS — www.darkangelpublications.com/. Epublisher and print. They are looking for Paranormal/Romance, Romantic/Suspense, Contemporary and Christian Romance, 25,000 to 350,000 words (that's huge!). 50% royalties. They try to respond in two weeks, but don't respond to every submission. "We might be small, but we are making a BIG impact." Well, we'll see; they have as yet no track record. Their print may be POD; it seems that their books must be ordered via Lulu, if you can find them there. February 2011 update: not found.

DARK CASTLE LORDS — www.thedarkcastlelords.com/. Also doing business as DCL Publications LLC. This publisher makes the scene with extremely dark auspices. Their site is positive, but I have half a spate of negative reports. I am told that they have been doing business for over a year in Ohio and Australia without registering the proper documents or accounts. Payment checks can't be cashed because legally the company doesn't exist, if payment is even offered. Authors have been invited to anthologies, then told they have to contribute to an ad for the privilege of being in the book. In my neck of the woods that's called self publishing. Theoretically there are royalties of 35% of gross of all ebook sales, but the contract has no mention of an audit clause, payment schedule, promotions, etc. It seems to have been started by amateurs who are incompetent as publishers, and are trying to cover their aimless tracks. Stay clear. June 2008 update: But now a very positive report, which I challenged as a shill (such things happen), but it seems credible: a very professional attitude, extremely hard work to help every phase of writing, and the quickest and best cover art encountered. And a second positive report: they are paying on time, and do answer questions. August 2008 update: now authors must pay upwards of $200 for their covers, with limited choices. October 2008 update: letter from the publisher refuting prior reports. 1. Their Ohio charter is in order, and they are legitimate. 2. No DCL author has to pay for a cover. 3. Royalties are always paid on time. December 2008 update: a report that they are paying on time, but making the authors pay the set-up fees for Fictionwise, and they may be charging authors for covers. Their contract demands 100% rights. So opinions differ. February 2009 update: another satisfied author, who feels the editing was of good quality, there is honest promotional effort, and they are flexible and supportive. But also a message sent to authors that once a book cover is designed and presented, the first time any changes other than spelling corrections are requested, it will cost the author $50. That seems to be a take it or leave it attitude. April 2009 update: Now I am informed it was a unilateral decision corrected by the publisher about ten minutes after it was announced; I did not receive that followup. There are no charges for a cover. February 2010 update: They remain open for submissions in all genres. February 2012 update: Server Not Found.

DARK DISCOVERIES — www.darkdiscoveries.com/. This is a quarterly magazine with stories and articles and special issues featuring names like William F Nolan or Forrest J Ackerman. I did not find information on terms for authors; it may be that all their material is generated in-house, in which case it's not a market. February 2011 update: Blank screen. Maybe they require protocols I lack..

DARK EDEN PRESS - www.darkedenpress.com/. Doom: letter from the proprietor, who has had a recurrence of cancer, can't keep up, and must with regret close. Letters of release are going out to all authors. By May 1st 2008 she hopes all payments will have cleared the bank and the site will shut down. April 2009 update: And they're gone.

DARK ROAST PRESS — www.darkroastpress.com/. "Dark Roast Press is an ePublisher with not only a GLBT focus but also with a thirst for the dark side of life." They also do mainstream erotica. I did not find information on terms. June 2009 update: Now I have more information. Dark Roast was launched in April 2008. the proprietors consider themselves a family of sorts. In the past year the company has placed in the top 20 at the Preditors & Editors awards. They are looking for submissions 1,500 words and up. They want good writing, not mindless sex. "We want a story that engages and invokes, then leaves the reader breathless." I did not find information on terms. February 2010 update: They are specific on what they want — well-done stories — but still don't list terms. February 2011 update: I have to wonder about their evident refusal to let prospective authors know their terms.

DARK STAR PUBLICATIONS - publisher@darkstarpublications.com. Now there is only a message form. It has merged into RFI West.

DAYTONA PRESS - www.daytonapress.com/. They are affiliated with Denlinger's Publishers. They are a self publisher, providing short-run book printing. I did not find information on terms.  February 2007 update: They have a collection of specific fees, such as Preparation $150, Custom Format $50, Assign ISBN $50, and so on, pus a printing fee of $0.03 per book page. My guess is that you'll pay several hundred dollars in all to publish your book, which is in line with similar services elsewhere. February 2008 update: Their list of sometime self published authors reads like a literary Who's Who, including Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe, George Bernard Shaw, T S Eliot, Stephen King, and Mark Twain. "Those books you see stacked at the entrance of a bookstore is the publishers way to manipulate the reading public." Yes, traditional publishing is pretty much a closed shop that hardly cares whether an aspiring author lives or dies, but that does not mean that this self publisher will make you famous. February 2010 update: now their setup fee is $350. March 2011 update: The website and business is for sale.

DEADENDSTREET PUBLICATIONS-www.deadendstreet.com/. It looks good, but an author report says their contract is a killer: all rights for the duration of the copyright. Their site is canny about that, saying that you keep your copyright, only giving up all marketing rights. Same thing; don't be fooled. That means you can't get your book back until 70 years after you die. They also want the first option on anything else the author writes, for five years. What a phenomenal Grab; it is similar to what traditional publishers do. Yes, I'd call this a dead-end street. But they do promise to make a good effort on behalf of your book. So if you are desperate, enter this street with caution. I have an extremely negative report from one of their authors, detailing how they reneged on understandings. It calls itself an integrated publishing and motion picture production company. February 2005 update: At this time, they are particularly interested in screenplays for features and shorts. February 2008 update: At this time they are interested in screenplays for features and shorts. April 2008 update: a report that they aren't sending sales statements. That could mean the title isn't selling, in which case it normally can be reverted to the author. The rule of thumb is that a publisher has to be selling your book; it can't just bury it forever. April 2009 update: "A Publishing Motion Picture Production & Real Estate Development Company." But how much are they actually accomplishing for their authors? February 2010 update: Curious: they list their top titles, authors, physical address, phone number, email, and that's it. There seems to be nothing else on the web site. March 2011 update: After five minutes I gave up waiting for it to load. (Web underling confirms the home page is the same as the February 2010 update.) February 2012 update: ditto.

DELLARTE - www.dellarte.com/. This is Harlequin Horizons renamed, their self publishing service. March 2010 update: But I have a report that it seems to be about theater rather than writing. There must be a confusion. March 2011 update: This requires Flash to view, and that doesn't work on my system. (Web underling see it as a performance art site for "the North American center for theatre training, research, and performance of the actor-creator." No longer related to publishing.) May 2011 update: I am informed that it is about theater; the proper place for publishing is www.dellartepress.com.

DENLINGER'S — see The Book Den

DENMARK PUBLISHING - Gone.

DIGI DOWNLOADER-www.digidownloader.co.uk/.  February 2006 update: This does not seem to be a publisher any more. 

DIGITAL BOOKS INC-www.DigitalBooksEtc.com/.  They have closed.

DIGITAL PULP PUBLISHING-www.digitalpulppublishing.com/.  They are starting a new online bookstore with four imprints: PulpBytes for pulp fiction for the digital age; ByteZines for electronic magazines; ByteSize Pieces for young readers; and Byte-it Press for literary fiction, poetry and non fiction. They are actively looking for contributors and encourage authors to contact them. Up to 75% royalties paid quarterly, non-exclusive, for digital rights only. February 2007 update: This is an odd site, without a lot of actual information. April 2007 update: I am advised that there is information here, buried behind a very slick page design that can confuse fogies like me. The site is www.dpppress.com. "Submit a query, and if interested, we will send you a contract, and upon contract acceptance we will issue submission guidelines." That seems backwards to me, but I am surely getting too old to fathom the modern way. I think it means ask them, and if they like your project they'll send a sample contract, and if you like their contract, they will tell you exactly how to send your piece. February 2008 update: I clicked Services, and got music but no information. April 2009 update: This time I got the music, but also some information: 40% commissions, author-friendly contracts, send a query for more information. March 2011 update: I lacked the plug-ins to view their site. (Web underling notes this as the splash page for a trio of sites, one of which was mentioned in the April 2007 update above: publishers go to www.dpppress.com, writers go to www.dpppub.com and readers go to www.dppstore.com ((although this last link was broken for the underling's computer)).)

DIREIDI PUBLISHING - http://direidi.com/ This is a new self publisher that offers publishing and promotion services and splits the royalties with the author, rather than charging upfront for the services. They are looking for established authors, either print or electronic, hoping that such authors will help drive the sales of new authors. March 2011 update: Their mission is to become a major E-book publisher, but they are currently in the proof of concept stage.

DISKUS PUBLISHING - has moved to www.diskuspublishing.com/ . This seems to be a Romance site. No problem there; just about every novel in every genre includes a romantic element, and I understand the Romance sites tend to be more friendly to beginning writers than science fiction or fantasy sites. This lists about a dozen sub-categories of fiction, including science fiction, but wants no erotica, and has plenty of information in subsections, including guidelines for writers. It looks good to me. No writer information. February 2008 update: Still no information on terms. April 2009 update: Maybe I just don't know where to look for submissions or terms. June 2009 update: Okay, a reader told me where to find it. Upper left side of their home page is the question "Where would you like to go?" which when clicked delivers a dropdown menu. Go to the bottom of that to find the submission guidelines and click "Go." So I did and got the message that they are closed for submissions. No terms listed. February 2010 update: Closed for submissions, but keep checking. March 2011 update: Here's a new one: They received so many queries about this page that they have discontinued it. I should think they'd prefer to make their page clear enough to be intelligible without forcing writers to query them about it. At any rate they seem to be open to submissions, and will respond in a year or so, or maybe destroy your manuscript instead. I think writers should be wary until these folk get an attitude transplant.

DISSERTATION COM - http://dissertation.com/. Dedicated to self publishing doctoral dissertations and masters theses. Electronic for $100, paperback for $199. Optional cover for $109. Author royalties are 20-40% depending on whether the sales are direct or via a bookseller. This seems worthwhile for papers that are apt to be well researched but of little commercial interest; it makes them available to whoso is interested.

DLSIJ PRESS - http://dlsijpress.com/. This has ebooks by and for women writers,- They accept only women writers and pay 40% royalties. They are not currently accepting submissions, but when they do, they want anything except hate, porn, and degradation of women. Query first.  February 2005 update: I have a bad report about their non-response to a legitimate query about a manuscript held six months. Publishers that don't respond are bad news; stay clear. Remember, if they don't respond to a submission, then there's no contract or agreement, and you can submit elsewhere with or without notice. Don't let a publisher stall you forever. One reason you don't see much of my work at the Science Fiction Book Club is because they tried that on me, and I withdrew my books, including the ones they wanted. August 2005 update: But I have a very good recent report on their professionalism and quality. February 2006 update: They are now looking for stories for an anthology. February 2007 update: They are now open for book-length manuscripts. They pay 45% net on ebooks, 11% on paperbacks, monthly via PayPal. April 2009 update: they are closed to submissions at this time. February 2010 update: Still closed. March 2011 update: I got a blank screen.

DNOVELS - www.dnovels.com/. It appears to be out of the publishing business.

DOG EAR PUBLISHING — www.dogearpublishing.net/. A self publisher with three packages ranging from Basic at $1,099 to Masterpiece at $3,499. They believe they are the best buy for your money.

DOM BOOKS — www.dombooks.co.uk. BDSM oriented erotica. I did not find information on terms. April 2009 update: 40% royalties. February 2010 update: Now I see that they are really Domination Books featuring bondage, spanking, domination and submission. Their pictures verify this with bound, wide-open crying girls. Evidently there’s a market. March 2011 update: Server Not Found.

DOMHAN BOOKS - www.domhanbooks.com/index.htm. This publisher was accused of stiffing its writers on royalties, and as far as I know has not paid what it owes, but there is no inkling of that on its web site. Until that is corrected, stay clear. February 2007 update: Their site is dated October 2005. March 2011 update: Now the site is is Japanese or Chinese script, no translation option. That's not a good sign.

DORRANCE PUBLISHING - www.dorrancepublishing.com/ This is a subsidy publisher. "The Dorrance name has been associated with a tradition of quality subsidy publishing since 1920." They'll send you their 32-page brochure Author's Guide to Subsidy Publishing. See also Whitmore, below. April 2009 update: Got a blank screen. June 2009 update: tried it again, got the blank screen again. But their /info.asp subdivision is there with information, so evidently they are still in business. Indeed, I have a writer report that they offered to publish her for $6,000-$10,000. You can do better elsewhere. March 2011 update: I got a blank screen. (Web underling, however, sees the home page, which leads off, "We Want to Read Your Book" and goes on from there.")

DOUBLE-DRAGON - http://double-dragon-ebooks.com. Publisher Deron Douglas. They are a small company composed of three people dedicated to bringing quality books to the Internet. They offer a two year contract, 30-35% royalty, paid quarterly. They also do hardcover and paperback. I have a very favorable report from one of their authors. I received a report from a writer who used this Survey to try several publishers, and in due course settled on this one, and is highly pleased. DD was quick to respond, accommodating about contract changes, and moved things along efficiently. All reports on this publisher have been favorable. They have Draco awards for unpublished or self published fiction, for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror; the annual winner in each category will be published by DOUBLE DRAGON. April 2004 update: I finally have a negative report: an author put in a huge marketing effort, resulting in very few reported sales. I recommended auditing the publisher's books, as I have a conflict of interest here. June 2004 update: it seems that all electronic sales are down, so there may be low sales at most publishers. They want no agents, and are full through 2005; currently closed to submissions. Special note: the DD response to my negative note was the most polite of those received; this is a nice publisher. August 2004 update: The Draco Awards have been canceled for 2004. It seems that there was vocal opposition to them, and they were accused of being a scam because they did not give monetary prizes. It seems a shame, but they will be back in future. October 2004 update: they have a new Romance imprint. Reports of this publisher continue very favorable. February 2005 update: They are now accepting some titles in Fantasy and Romance only. April 2005 update: another very favorable user report, this one on their Dragon Tooth fantasy imprint. February 2006 update: 2006 has been filled, but they are accepting submissions for 2007. Allow 4-6 weeks for review. Now they have large-type as an option. Sales: Can be as high as 145 downloads per title per year, average. February 2007 update: They expect to reopen submissions in the summer of 2007. They receive up to 60 submission per week and are booked up a year ahead. February 2008 update: Submissions remain closed through mid 2009, but their erotic subsidiary Carnal Desires Publishing, listed separately above, is open and eager. April 2009 update: Submissions have been closed. January 2010 update: a report of fast response time and regular royalty payments. February 2010 update: Submissions are open for their new horror/thriller imprint Blood Moon Publishing, but closed for Double Dragon until spring 2010. March 2011 update: Submissions are closed, and will reopen March 1, 2011. That's now.

DPDOTCOM - www.dpdotcom.com/. Electronic and POD publisher currently accepting poetry, short stories 5[35,000 words, and novels 40-100,000 words from new and established authors. I found no information on terms; it seems you have to submit your work, and they'll let you know if they want it. March 2011 update: They remain open for submissions and will respond within three weeks. No porno or hate material. June 2011 update: They do a 50-50 split on all profits. You have to have a PayPal account set up. They do a cover and place your book on their list; you do the rest. It seems they do not have a contract; everything is based on trust. That's nice in theory, but no legal protection for the author.

DREAMSPINNER PRESS — www.dreamspinnerpress.com/. "Where Dreams Come True..." This appears to be a gay fiction publisher, seeking gay male romance stories in all genres and cross-genres. They pay a negotiated advance, 25% when the contract is signed, 75% on final approval of the novel, and 25% of net royalties thereafter. Royalties are 33% for novels and 50% for stories. They are open for submissions for a limited time. February 2010 update: Now they are open to submissions in all lengths, but for a limited time in shorter lengths.

DRAUMR PUBLISHING - www.draumrpublishing.com/. Currently accepting submissions in Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Adventure, Suspense/Thriller, Gay/Lesbian and others. Minimum word count of 50,000, no maximum. Looking for the very best, for publication is both ebook and print formats. Their name means Dream in Norse. Their links for subsections did not work, so I couldn't check on terms. February 2006 update: I received a note from the proprietor, Robert E Allen, that now everything works. Unfortunately none of the row of pages across the top was responsive to my clicks; only the "store" connections worked. The problem remains.  April 2006 update: a reader sent me more information. They are currently seeking submissions for their Dangerous Curves imprint. Minimum word count of 45,000, no maximum. Must have big beautiful woman heroine; big handsome man hero optional. She does not lose weight to gain acceptance.  February 2010 update: They remain open for submissions for their Dangerous Curves imprint. March 2011 update: They are open for Dangerous Curves and assorted other genres.

DREAMS COME TRUE PRESS - www.dreamscometruepress.com/. A self publisher offering a basic service package for $350, plus custom cover design for $250, hardcover edition for $295, copyright registration for $100, and copyediting for one and a half cents per word. April 2009 update: The site was so slow loading that I gave up after several minutes of nothing plus a blowout of my browser, twice. It was more like a nightmare than a dream. June 2009 update: I tried it on Windows and it worked okay. February 2010 update: And back to the impossibly slow-loading deal, even on Windows. March 2011 update: Additional plug-ins required, so I couldn't check them. (Web underling sees it, but it's now for an Asian pop-music duo.)

DREAMS UNLIMITED - www.dreams-unlimited.com/. I liked this publisher, but apparently it has gone out of business.

DROLLERIE PRESS - www.drolleriepress.com/. I heard from Deena Fisher, the Publisher. They plan to list their catalog beginning in August 2007 and are currently seeking new and previously published authors of all lengths. Especially interested in "transformative" fiction, including supernatural, myth, legend, and new or re-written fairy tales in any place or time. Erotic content is encouraged but not required. February 2008 update: They are currently accepting pieces ranging from 5,000 to 85,000 or more words, but a recent influx of submissions has backlogged them: allow 8-12 weeks for a response, though they do acknowledge receipt within 24 hours. They accept about 5% of submissions. April 2009 update: They are open for submissions. February 2010 update: Page unavailable. March 2011 update: They are there, and remain open for submissions.

DUFFIE BOOKS - www.duffiebooks.com/. This is a small Canadian publisher looking for travel guides and how-to-travel books. I did not find information on terms, but have a positive report from an author. April 2009 update: They are open for submissions, especially from women who like to travel. February 2010 update: This seems to have become a search site.

E-READS — www.ereads.com/. "E-Reads is the oldest established independent e-book publisher in the business—founded in 1999." About half their titles are fantasy and science fiction, but they seem to cover all genres. Their titles are sold in all formats, including Kindle and Sony. They have modest charge (I don't know the amount) to defray production costs, then pay 50% of net receipts, or about $2 per download sold. They pay a small advance. February 2010 update: the charge ranges from $225 to $400 to defray scanning expenses for older titles. March 2010 update: I am now doing business with them, as they will republish my Cluster science fiction series, so this is notice of my conflict of interest here. Meanwhile agent Richard Curtis has an interesting discussion of book piracy that I recommend to anyone. March 2011 update: My experience with them indicates that they really care about the condition of the books they sell. Very interesting and relevant articles here about the state of publishing. In essence, traditional print prospects are dire, e-print wonderful.

EARTHLING PRESS - This is the print-on-Demand imprint for Awe-Struck E-Books. April 2009 update: Since Awe-Struck has been acquired by Mundania, this imprint may fade out, or be adapted; it is presently inactive.

EASTGATE SYSTEMS INC - www.eastgate.com/. This claims to be the primary source for hypertext, which is not like ordinary page at a time material; it uses links to create multiple paths through a document. Their books cost about $20-$25, being more complicated than conventional texts. They purchase exclusive world rights for hypertext, pay advances, and report in 4-6 weeks. Send material to their snail address on a disk. Royalties are typically 15%, and they pay up to $300 for works published in their Web zine. March 2011 update: They remain open for submissions of their type of material.

EBOOK4KIDS - www.ebook4kids.com. A publisher of children's books. 50% royalties. I am not clear whether this is a self publisher. October 2006 update: They seem to have disappeared. Note that there is a different publisher with a similar name, ebooks4kids.org, which see, in the Services section.  June 2009 update: see the next entry. October 2011 update: Now they are there in good order, listing their books.

EBOOK4KIDS — www.ebooks4kids.com. I received notice that this has come into existence, registered in London. It is an independent publishing company for children's multimedia picture books. They are currently accepting submissions. March 2010 update: Page not found.

EBOOKAD - www.ebookad.com/. October 2006 update: bankrupt. 

EBOOKMALL - www.ebookmall.com/. This is a big book store, but also a publisher. It charges a one-time $19.95 listing fee per title, and pays 50% commissions, quarterly. An author's report says they are friendly and competent. April 2009 update: They have a huge number of titles for sale. I found 11 different Anthonys, and they had 28 of my books from assorted publishers. How many copies of each author's books sell I can't say. March 2011 update: This time I found 37 entries for my books. Assuming this is typical, they surely have just about anything you'd want.

EBOOKSEBOOKS - www.ebooksebooks.com/. Gone.

EBOOKOMATIC - www.EbookoMatic.com/. "Join EbookoMatic today, and within minutes of joining you'll be creating secure ebooks, designing your own promotional Author's Page, writing your own customized press releases with our Online Press Release Generator, and distributing them with your personalized 'Ebook4Sale.com' email address. Best of all, you retain all of your rights and keep a whopping 75% (less transaction fees) of all ebook sales!" It costs $147 to join, and you get $500 worth in bonuses. This seems to offer a lot for a little, but you do most of the work yourself. I'll appreciate feedback from writers who use this service. Publisher tells me they do offer it, and next time I took the "skip intro" option and got their site. April 2009 update: They say that since 2001 they have published over 1,000 authors and 500 ebooks. That's half an ebook per author, on average.

EBOOK PUBLISHING - www.ebookpublishing.us.   They offer a 50-50 split of net money.
They pay 50% of the net profits to the author, and 10% to the illustrator, if one is used, reducing the author's share to 40%. February 2005 update: Their site is there, but seems largely nonresponsive; I'm not sure they remain in active business. April 2006 update: the site remains, but without much information, and their FAQ (frequently asked questions) section is empty. I'd be cautious. April 2009 update: Now their FAQ section works, and other sections.

EBOOKS - www.ebooks.com/. "An Australian company with a global focus; they deal in U.S. dollars. Business, travel, general reference, computing, and popular fiction from traditional publishers. So they deal with publishers rather than individual authors. They are retailers; they obtain their books from traditional publishers.

EBOOKS LIBRARY - www.eBooks-Library.com/.  Publisher and distributor. For $30 a year you can check their 3400 book library, and download and read whatever you want without further charge. They also publish a few books, but I did not find information on terms. April 2005 correction: the price is £30, not $30, or about $57. The managing editor tells me that they now have a sample author contract online, but I was unable to find it. June 2005 update: He returned to point out that this information is accessible from the first page of their site, duh. So I checked and it is. They pay 80% of revenues for exclusive material, or 60% for non-exclusive, within 40 days. Either party may terminate the Agreement at any time with or without cause by written notice. So you sure aren't locked in.

EBOOKS-ONLINE — www.eBooks-Online.com/. They have existed since 1998; I am a bit late picking up on them. Royalties of 50% on sales after credit card processing fees. They publish poems or stories with no length restrictions listed. This looks like a self publisher, without fees, like Create Space; it could amount to little more than a listing on their site.

EBOOKS ON THE NET - www.ebooksonthe.net/. They take one-time non-exclusive rights, and copyright the one-time edition, not the work itself. Authors retain all rights to the original work and may cancel with a 30 day notice. There are no fees, books are proofread and edited, and the authors get galleys. Royalties are 40% of sales price or whatever price the publisher receives after discounts to libraries and bookstores, paid quarterly. This publisher has had a troubled history, but has been trying to straighten out. February 2005 update: Submissions are closed because of overload, but you may query anytime. April 2006 update: they have expanded into print. October 2006 update: a very favorable report from an author. Prompt responses to queries, good review process, and a joy to work with. April 2008 update: I got the Page Cannot be Found message. April 2009 update: The link becomes www.writewordsinc.com/. I did not find submission information. March 2011 update: This time I did. They will not consider paper or unsolicited, but are happy for queries. They will be moving into paper print, however. They have practical advice on formatting and usage that is worth reading.

EBOOKSTAND - http://ebookstand.com. An Internet-based, pay-per-service book printer that can handle books from any country in any language. They will give you a home page and list your book. You get 30% of a hard copy sale and 50% of an esale. There is a one-time setup fee of $249. They seem to have a positive reputation. October 2004 update: Now they have a graduated list of prices, depending on book size. August 2005 update: because they do have a full-fledged self publishing service, I'm moving them to the Publishing Section. February 2007 update: Now they have an assortment of packages ranging from $449 to $929. April 2008 update: They are now BOOKSTAND PUBLISHING, with similar terms.

E-BOOKTIME - http://www.e-booktime.com/. This is a straight self-publisher charging fees similar to other self publishers: $395-$695 depending on how much you want, with royalties of 30% on paperback copies sold via their store, 15% if sold via other outlets. 75% for ebooks, paid monthly. It seems straightforward. 

eBooks2Go - see Virtual Publishing Group

EBOOX - www.eboox.co.uk/. Gone.

eBrandedBooks - www.ebrandedbooks.com/.  February 2004 Update: This seems to have become a search site.

ECHELON PRESS - www.echelonpress.com. This has the Preditors & Editors Top Ten Finalist stamp, which suggests it's okay. Both print and electronic formats--first they do electronic, then print on demand or even straight print publishing if that seems warranted. They want both readers and writers to have a good experience. They have a number of imprints for Adventure/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense, General, Paranormal, Romance, Ultra Sensual (I tried to click on that to find out just what it was, but it wasn't a link; I presume it is sexy Romance), Nonfiction, Young Adult, Western. They are currently accepting submissions in all their categories, but they do not accept submissions via email. Send hard copy of the first three chapters, plus a 3.5 inch disk with the full manuscript. Interestingly, they don't want standard Courier, but Times New Roman font. Stories of 6,000 or more words, up to novels of 100,000 words, originals and reprints. 50% royalties for downloads, 30% for everything else. They take short stories too, for their Dollar Download program, 20,000 words or less. Author gets .50 of every sale. I heard from a very satisfied author. Submissions are now open, but query first. February 2005 update: They are now accepting submissions in only General Fiction/Women's Fiction/Chick Lit, and Young Adult Mystery. August 2005 update: But unfortunately they seem to have taken a turn for the worse, becoming nonresponsive to legitimate queries. That's a bad sign. February 2006 update: More bad news about late releases, untimely editing, and nonresponse to authors. It seems they push marketing "opportunities" that cost the author money but do not necessarily deliver any sales. They are coming across like a vanity press. February 2007 update: All titles for paperback publication are acquired by invitation only. Others are deleted unread. April 2007 update: a favorable report. They are not vanity and don't force any paid endeavors, though sales are low. April 2008 update: They are accepting queries in all genres for ebook publication only. Their acquisitions for print publication are still by invitation only. You have to know someone to get a referral. March 2010 update: They have a notice that they are experiencing technical difficulties, and recommend other places to buy their books. They expect to get their site back in shape in due course. March 2011 update: They are open for submissions.

ECONOMICAL SELF PUBLISHING - http://economical-self-publishing.com/. The ESP SmartPub package is $187. it seems to be a low-cost aspect of We-Publish.com, run by the same people. They say they can have your manuscript ready in electronic format in three days for corrections, and your book will be published within a month. You get two physical copies, an ecopy, and more. March 2010 update: they have become a search site.

EDIT INK - Avoid. I have seen published articles about the nefarious deeds of the this outfit.

E-DITION - www.e-dition.net. Owned and operated by Bernard Limoges, said to be brilliant and quirky. It says it has the world's largest online library, 400,000 titles. But I did not find any terms for writers. February 2005 update: They now accept only works that can be used as reference tools, such as dictionaries or handbooks, and are dedicated to education. March 2011 update: The site said to select a language, but when I tried all it gave me was, I think, French or Italian. We're not in Kansas any more. (Web underling found a link to the English-language version at the bottom of the French page's menu. It begins, "E-dition offers reference softwares in different cultural fields.")

EGGPLANT PRODUCTIONS - www.eggplant-productions.com/.  February 2006 update: Out of business. 

EIRELANDER PUBLISHING - —www.eirelander-publishing.com/. They are currently accepting submissions in all regular genres, and in erotic and erotic romance. No nonfiction. I found no information on terms. November 2010 update: I learn that their ownership changed and things are improving. March 2011 update: They are accepting fiction and nonfiction.

ELECTRIC BOOKWORM PUBLISHING - www.electric-bookworm.bigstep.com/.  Gone.

ELECTRIC EBOOK PUBLISHING - www.electricebookpublishing.com. December 2005 update: this publisher is essentially dead, with large debts and no assets.

ELECTRIC STORY - www.electricstory.com/. They are looking for fantasy and science fiction, also mainstream, young adult, and mystery. They hope to set the industry's top standards for epblishing. 50% net royalty (that translates to half the profits, a much smaller figure than half the cover price) for the lease of exclusive worldwide e-rights for three years, renewable. They seek books of 50,000 to 90,000 words and up. They publish in copy-protected formats. They pay "competitive advances," which means they're going after professional writers; my guess is that aspiring writers will not readily crack this market. Articles, some of which are so full of themselves I got disgusted; but read them for yourself, because there are things there to be learned, if only what to avoid. For submissions click "About Electric Story" then "Submission information." Send a brief personal query; if they are interested, they'll give you more detailed submission instructions. April 2004 update: They are closed to submissions until summer. February 2005 update: This time I couldn't find anything about submissions. February 2007 update: They say they don't do any vanity publishing, and to query them about publication of your fantasy, science fiction, or horror book. April 2008 update: now under Submissions it says Submissions (page is coming). Okay, I'll wait. April 2009 update: I'm still waiting for their submissions page to come. March 2010 update: still waiting. July 2010 update: But a report from a person seeking an editing position is that they were very nice to her.

ELECTRIC WORKS PUBLISHING - www.electricpublishing.com. February 2005 update: gone.

ELECTRON PRESS - www.electronpress.com/. This publisher hopes to make the quality of writing, rather than its commercial potential, the key factor in selecting manuscripts for publication, to keep books "in print" forever, and generally open up the system. It feels that by the end of the year there will be ten million PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) in use, such as the Palm Pilot, and as the technology improves to make them more readable, more people will use them and come to prefer them. "Electron Press is unalterably opposed to the closed architecture, proprietary publishing schemes and high book prices that appear to be the core principles of the dedicated ebook device companies." But I wasn't able to ascertain the terms offered writers. They say they pay "substantial" royalties. August 2004 update: The site does not appear to have been updated since July 2003, so this publisher may be inactive. February 2007 update: No, it remains in business. April 2008 update: Query them, and if they are interested they will ask for more, and if they like it will pay "substantial royalties." Apparently you will have to be accepted before you actually learn what their terms are. March 2011 update: The site is there, but it's just a listing of some of their books. I guess you have to query to learn more.

ELLORA'S CAVE - www.ellorascave.com/. "Romantica" which seems to be very graphic erotic romances for women, but no pedophilia, bodily functions, necrophilia or bestiality. 40% royalties. I did not find other terms listed, but have a very favorable report from more than one of their authors; it seems they pay monthly and on time. They are now expanding into print as well as electronic publication. They receive 100,000 hits daily and regard themselves as THE place to be for erotic romance. So this would seem to be a top choice for sexy romance. I met and chatted with some of their personnel at EPICon; they seem like nice folk. Their acceptance rate is 4-5%, which means one out of 20-25 manuscripts. They believe they do as well for their authors as any electronic publisher. They describe five levels of eroticism, so it seems you can choose your type. Their hardest erotic is the main seller. But they do have limits, so check their requirements. June 2004 update: But now I have a report of extremely arrogant behavior by one of their editors. October 2005 update: I saw a TV interview with them, where they said they now do $11 million business a year. It seems there's gold in the hot stuff. June 2006 update: Another negative report of bad editing and bounced checks. That's mischief. I suspect they got too big too soon and are losing their grip. August 2006 update: I have a very favorable report on them from a mid-list author: contract negotiations are swift and civil, editing timely, phenomenal cover art, and royalties paid on time.  October 2006 update: I have a report that their contract boilerplate asks for lifetime all rights. This is a Grab, but may be worth it considering their sales.  February 2007 update: They say they are always open to submissions in all their genres, plus a number of special projects. June 2007 update: sales of 400 or more books per release are reported. December 2007 update: they will no longer accept historicals, and I am told they are yanking them from their lineup. February 2008 update: A refutation from the publisher; they are still publishing historicals. They have yanked some when unsatisfied with their standards. Okay, here is my problem: I have evidence this is not the whole truth, but can't run it because of the threat of retaliation against the authors. At such time as this changes, I will have more to say; I do not like seeing authors get pushed around. I have another report of phenomenal sales. In sum: this is a top publisher, but it plays hardball against those it wrongs. April 2008 update: this time I looked up their definition of Romantica, and I recommend their discussion of it to aspiring writers in this genre. But one thing would help: how about spelling out exactly what terminology will do for what heat level? Where do you say "love channel" "cleft" "vagina" or "cunt"? "Masculinity" "member" "penis" or "cock"? "Love" "sex" "intercourse" or "fuck"? Some straight lists of words should help. I speak as one who has used all terms, but prefers to avoid extremes of political correctness or gutter talk. Meanwhile they remain open for submissions in all their genres. June 2008 update: A report of slow response to submissions, such as a year or more. Queries can be ignored. So they may be always open to submissions, but in practice they might as well be closed. February 2009 update: I was sent a link to a site called Mrsgiggles.com that has a January 11, 2009, discussion of this publisher's problem with an author. Something about auctioning off rights without telling the author. (My printout cut off the right end of each line, so I don't have the whole story.) Also a link to Dear Author discussing how EC is suing Borders for $1 million, because Borders ordered more books than it planned to sell and EC is stuck with heavy returns. This is no laughing matter. I can say from my involvement with Xlibris that Borders can be a bitch to deal with; Xlibris had to get out and cut its losses before the ruinous expense made it founder. I suspect EC may have to do the same. Borders is fading and may go out of business within a year. April 2009 update: I was asked to consider this issue more carefully, as my prior discussion was inadequate. I don't feel this is the place for a comprehensive discussion, but will say that Ellora's Cave does seem to have acted somewhat arbitrarily and caused the author needless mischief. This is what traditional print publishers do. There's a certain irony that at the same time, EC is suing a traditional publishing bookseller for doing something similar to EC. I guess you see it differently when you're on the receiving end. They remain open for submissions. July 2009 update: a complaint about late royalties and books being sold after they have reverted to the author. From here it looks like carelessness rather than malfeasance, but is another signal that this publisher is distracted. August 2009 update: They failed to publish an author's book for five years, then tried to blame the author. This appears to be an error complicated by arrogance. There's an indication that their sales are declining, and that they are losing authors. March 2010 update: This time I did not find submission information. I presume they still are buying manuscripts. April 2010 update: But maybe not. It seems the owner is reviewing manuscripts rejected by their editors, and overturning some rejections and assigning them to new editors. So something is going on, but it's not clear what. There's still a lawsuit in progress, but their attorneys did not show up for a hearing, leading to a judgment against the company by default. I understand author royalties have plummeted. Be cautious. March 2011 update: Now the link leads to Jasmine Jade Enterprises, apparently the same outfit. They remain open for submissions in all their genres.

EMBIID PUBLISHING - www.embiid.net/. October 2006 update: they have folded. 

ENCHANTED RAMBLINGS - www.enchantedramblings.net/. This is a quarterly e-zine, published January, April, July, and November. They do book reviews, author interviews, and discussion topics for readers and writers. April 2008 update: They are open for submissions, especially with Historical themes, but one thing gives me pause: their submission deadline is December 15, 2006. Are they currently active? April 2009 update: Gone. March 2010 update: Now it's a charity and general information site.

eNOVEL.COM - enovel.com. Update: They have folded, apparently without paying their authors. They say that fraudulent book orders did them in. They have released authors from their contracts.

ENSPIREN - www.enspirenpress.com/. A new Canadian small press doing electronic, print and audio editions in a number of genres, including fantasy and romance. Their site also lists hypnotherapy, meditation, and self-hypnosis, and has many alternative health and healing, fitness, and spirituality listings. There was some concern that they charge for some aspects, but they do not; the confusion was that if an author fails to present a clean manuscript after three tries, then there is the option of hiring a pro editor. This seems reasonable to me, though the publisher says it never actually comes to that. They follow their standards, and authors who can't or won't match them will have a problem. This, again, is tough but fair. They copyright in Canada; if an author wants it registered as USA, then the author pays for that. Again, it makes sense. Six week reporting time on submissions. Royalties are 15% of net. I do have a negative report of bad editing, which seems to me more like a series of bad breaks than publisher malfeasance. March 2010 update: This domain may be for sale.

ENTANGLED PUBLISHING - www.entangledpublishing.com/ Royalties start at 40% and increase with sales. Simultaneous electronic and print releases. No word yet on exactly what they are looking for, apart from “Great stories with fresh voices.” No track record yet.

EPRESS ONLINE - www.epress-online.com/.   "Publishing by Writopia, Inc." They have a sample contract, which takes electronic rights for two years, 30-40% royalties depending on sales, and has an audit clause. They are looking for general fiction, mystery, science fiction, and fantasy, 50,000 to 150,000 words. February 2006 update: I am told they do not reply as their mailbox is full.  April 2006 update: Here is the note I received from them. We had trouble copying the long technical addresses, so I'm pasting it both in the contracted and expanded form, trusting that one will work:
I am the Acquisitions/Personnel Director at ePress-online.com. I understand that you were told we are not answering mail because our mailbox is full. We had a huge problem with spam at our info@epree-online.com mail box and some type of Trojan virus destroyed much of our site. We are currently redoing the site and have added two new mail boxes: questions@epress-online.com, for anyone with a question on our policies, procedures, or any other part of our business and queries@epress-online.com, for queries of non-fiction books relating to the art of writing. Our submissions mailbox submissions@epress-online.com is working fine to the best of my knowledge.
Or:
I am the Acquisitions/Personnel Director at ePress-online.com. I understand that you were told we are not answering mail because our mailbox is full. We had a huge problem with spam at our info@epree-online.com mail box and some type of Trojan virus destroyed much of our site. We are currently redoing the site and have added two new mail boxes: questions@epress-online.com, for anyone with a question on our policies, procedures, or any other part of our business and queries@epress-online.com, for queries of non-fiction books relating to the art of writing. Our submissions mailbox submissions@epress-online.com is working fine to the best of my knowledge.  August 2007 update: They clarify the Fictionwise charges, which are 50% of what the books sells for, plus a $15 conversion change to convert it to ten formats. March 2010 update: They are accepting submissions is a limited number of genres, including Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy, U S Historical fiction, and genre specific Romance. March 2011 update: They accept submissions only in .rtf format, because their editors have many different word processors and operating systems, but all can read .rtf. That makes sense, though in my experience .rtf can foul up text.

EQUILIBRIUM BOOKS - www.equilibriumbooks.com/. Australian publisher open worldwide, but submission must be written in English. Looking for quality original works in all genres except pornography or hate, but specializing in speculative fiction--Science Fiction, Fantasy, etc. Two year non-exclusive contract for electronic rights. Royalties are 50% of net--that is, how much they get. Lengths from 15,000 to 180,000 words for print publishing (longer works become multiple volumes), 5,000 words up for electronic. Charges of $39 up for electronic, $179 up print, Australian dollars.April 2006 update: Royalties are now 13.5% of the actual sale price of the book. April 2008 update: They now have a POD special: $149 Australian for 50-250 pages. April 2009 update: they are currently open to submissions. They no longer produce ebooks, just POD books.

EQUILLBOOKS - http://equillbooks.com. They offer free manuscript conversion, authors' websites, Equill email addresses, along with a written critique of the author's work during their first month of business, ending September 1, 2007. Thereafter their rates will be among the lowest in the industry. October 2007 update: Now they are a small publishing house. They are open for submissions. They charge $35 to convert your manuscript, and give a 50-50 split on ebook sales. April 2009 update: Now it says "Reviewing the best and worst of all genres of business books." Apparently they no longer publish. March 2010 update: But now they are open to submissions in all acceptable genres. March 2011 update: All I see there now are books on making money.

ERASERHEAD PRESS — www.eraserheadpress.com/. Founded in 1999, this is an independent publishing company with a focus on Bizarro Fiction. They have eight imprints, one of which is a magazine, published quarterly. "We aim to bring you the weirdest fun to read books you'll ever find." They are looking for strong fiction, strong plot, strange and outlandish worlds. The one I read was exactly that. Pay one cent per word up to a hundred dollars, on publication. 100-6,000 words for fiction, 300-10,000 nonfiction. February 2012 update: I should mention that they published my horror shocker The Sopaths, and my experience with them has been good.

ERIDIAN PUBLISHING - www.eridianpublishing.com. April 2004 update: couldn't reach them.

EROTIC TRAVEL TALES 3 - WordDabbler@yahoo.com. This is an international anthology of location-based erotica now looking for submissions; you have to contact them via their email address. February 2008 update: This is long since out of date; they are no longer looking.

E-SAC - www.e-sac.com/. 2003 UPDATE: Gone.

ETERNAL PRESS - www.eternalpress.biz/. New Australian publisher. They have all subgenres of Romance, Westerns, Sci-fi, Paranormal, Historical, Suspense, Horror, Mystery, Gay, Erotica, Romantic Suspense, Women's Fiction, Self Help, Cookbooks. No poetry or Young adult. 65,000 to 105,000 words, and stories 5,000-6,500 words. They are electronic, but later may do POD with a one time printer set-up fee. Royalties 35% for ebook, 10% POD. I have a favorable report on them. April 2008 update: They are remodeling and moving, but remain in business. April 2009 update: Server Not Found. August 2009 update: they were bought, and moved to Canada. Terms for author contracts remain the same. They now offer all their books in ebook and print through Amazon and ebook through Fictionwise, All Romance Ebooks, etc. January 2010 update: sales seem to be low to nonexistent. March 2010 update: an author wanted out, but they insist on being paid off. April 2010 update: their contract termination fee is about $150. They seem to be poor at selling books, assuming their statements are accurate. I have learned of royalties under $5 for a year. It makes me wonder whether they are making money from termination fees instead of by selling books. There is also a question whether sales are honestly reported. And I heard from the publisher, unpleased with aspects of this listing. Royalties are now 40% for ebook, 25% for POD. They are now an American company. They are accepting submissions for novellas and full length manuscripts from 20,000 to 140,000 words. They make a reasonable case for the kill fee; it's fair if it is in the contract the author signs. I did not see an explanation for the low sales. May 2010 update: One author has verified that more people have bought copies than are reflected in the sales reports. There is also a question whether they have a business license. They were bought by Damnation Press, and I heard from their CEO, who says an author has a campaign against them, that her words have been abusive and hurtful, and that she is the only one out of 250 authors they have to complain, and they would like their good name restored. They wrote a similar message to PREDITORS AND EDITORS. But I have to say the case remains dubious. Remember, I got condemned and blacklisted when I protested getting cheated by a publisher, early in my career, though I had the right of the case, as I freely bruit about now; there is a similar smell here. June 2010 update: It continues. I have a report that when the author objected to the cover design, he (generic, no gender) was charged an $800 termination fee. There is no such stipulation in his contract. The word is that kill fees are used to blackmail unhappy authors to make them stay in line. In this case it seems the publisher violated contract terms by making changes in the text and credits, and tried to use an unauthorized kill fee to silence the author's protests. Approach this publisher with caution. One author went to the local Better Business Bureau, and the Attorney General's office, which turned out to be a waste of time. (It is my impression from personal experience in another venue that the BBB exists to promote business, not to correct its faults, so appeals there are useless.) The publisher maintains that this is a vendetta by one irate author, but there are things such as invoking a kill fee that is not in the signed contract that make me doubtful. Authors who are fairly treated usually don't undertake vendettas, and legitimate publishers are generally satisfied to let unhappy authors go quickly. Both authors and publishers have better things to do than fight without reason. There is another report in favor of the publisher, referring to disgruntled authors who don't read their contracts making trouble. But I have reports from those who have perused their contracts quite seriously, and do have a case. Yet another report says that sales here are parallel to those elsewhere, and has no complaint. So accounts vary. July 2010 update: the negatives continue, as known sales are not reported and legal action seems to be the only remaining recourse. February 2011 update: Still more about dismal sales, fouled up edits, messed up scheduling, and failure to revert rights. March 2011 update: They are looking for erotica, paranormal, GBLT (gay/bisexual/lesbian/transsexual), Romance, BDSM(bondage/domination/sado-masochism) and Young Adult. April 2011 update: some bad author relations continue. I can not be certain of the right of the case, but favor the author. They do seem to be balky about removing reverted pieces.

ETREASURES PUBLISHING - HTTP://etreasurespublishing.com/. Their main focus is Romance, but they are also seeking submissions in Action-Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Paranormal, Science Fiction, and Young Adult. No pedophilia, rape, incest, bestiality, necrophilia, or Fan Fiction. (I am privately amused by the company Fan Fiction keeps.) 15,000 to 100,000+ words. I found no information on terms. August 2011 update: I am told they have been sold, but there's no sign of this on the site. They were going to get back to an author in 3 weeks, but there was no word for 5 months. Caution. September 2011 update: reports of a lack of statements and payments. They sent a very nice, reasonable letter to their annoyed authors explaining things. So they are talking the talk. But are they walking the walk?

EVANSTON PUBLISHING INC - www.evanstonpublishing.com/. A self publisher. Their fees depend on the services rendered, with printing varying with the size of the book and the number of copies: the more you have, the lower the price per copy. But they're talking about print runs of 1,000 copies or more. Self published books seldom sell anywhere near that many.

EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING - www.evernightpublishing.com/. They are open for submissions. 45% royalties from sale off their website, 50% net royalties from distributors. 15,000 to 80,000 words. Query first. They seem to be in a number of genres, but focus mainly on sexy romance with the usual cautions. I have a report that says statements are quarterly and arrive on time, but they need to improve on editing. They are friendly and responsive. Sales vary but can be good. May 2011 update: A report of more than 400 copies sold in he first three days of publication. That is good. November 2011 update: a report that few come close to that level, and that their editing isn't great. But they are friendly.

EXCESSICA - www.eXcessica.com. "We're a partnership publisher who works on a load-sharing/balancing principle to keep our costs negligible." They say that if you have written an intense story that was both too short to publish and too powerful to forget, this anthology may be the place. No subject is off limits. The emphasis is on brief, generally 1,000-3,000 word compelling, focused stories. "We challenge you to impress us." It is an electronic anthology. The authors retain their rights. I'm not clear on the submission deadline, but probably you should get on it soon. August 2008 update: Correction: eXcessica is the regular erotic publisher, while their anthology is Focus. So there would be no deadline for the former. December 2008 update: Further clarification: they are a full-range erotic publisher, with books up to 200,000 words. I have a favorable report on their treatment of authors. February 2009 update: I have now done business with them, and found them easy to work with, in fact quite helpful. June 2009 update: I was asked how they make money, if they don't take any from royalties or charge fees. That stumped me. Maybe they make it from their anthologies. July 2009 update: I am learning more about how they cover their operating expenses: with anthologies and individual stories donated by their authors. So I donated my "Juliette" quartet of stories to the cause, and they expect to publish it December 2009. Meanwhile their edition of my story "Serial" sold about 50 copies. My experience with them continues positive. September 2009 update: my sales report for the short story "Serial" was 90 copies, or royalties of $66.19 for the quarter April through June. November 2009 update: now they are taking 10%, trying to get on an even financial basis. They are raising prices, so authors should receive more regardless. February 2010 update: eXcessica is growing rapidly, and Selena Kitt can't do it all, so they are hiring staff. So this outfit is becoming more like a regular publisher. March 2010 update: I continue to do business with them, and donated two more stories to their anthologies: "Medusa," erotic science fiction, and "Rat Bait," a sexual horror. Royalties on "Serial" continue good. But I have a report of bad editing; it seems editors vary, and an author can get a good one or a bad one. May 2010 update: Another report of bad editing. March 2011 update: I made over $450 on “Serial” for the year 2010. That may be more than the Relationships volume it was excluded from. They do have limits; my horror novel The Sopaths violated them. But they are currently closed to submissions. November 2011 update: Another bad report: author protested really bad editing, and publisher refused to publish but then put the pieces on anyway, messing up the author's re-marketing. So while my own experience with eXcessica has been good, it seems that this is not always the case.

EXTASY BOOKS - www.extasybooks.com/. This is an adult site, publishing sexy books. They have good guidelines for the writing of effective erotic fiction, but I couldn't find any terms for authors listed. They have a sample contract, taking virtually all electronic rights and trade paperback rights, in English. Here is one interesting clause: "Upon the author receiving an offer from a traditional publisher, eXtasy Books shall relinquish all rights to the contents of the book and act as agent on the author's behalf during this transaction." They'll take a 20% commission on the advance. Okay, this is high; 15% is standard, and old-timers like me pay 10%. But this includes the relinquishing of eXtasy's rights, so seems fair. Assuming they are competent at agenting, this is a very nice service for an unagented author.  October 2006 update: belay that; Tina Haveman has taken personal charge and is getting it straightened out. She has also paid royalties that the bankruptcy of eBookAd prevented her from receiving. So while controversy remains, this publisher is viable. See my extended discussion in the October hipiers.com column in another section of this site. One report is that royalties are around $200 per title per year. February 2007 update: They are currently accepting submissions in all the sub-genres, and are interested in all heat levels. 'If it's outside the box, feel free to send it.' Except for the usual restrictions. Royalties are 40% of cover price, and 35% for third party sellers. Their contract is for ebook only; if a book goes to print, they will offer a new contract. Their contracts is for three years. All backlist titles have been published. And some authors receive five figure royalties per year. June 2008 update: A very positive report on their professionalism. October 2008 update: Another positive report: they are prompt and polite. April 2009 update: Open for submissions for a brief period. October 2009 update: now closed to submissions. March 2010 update: And now open for submissions in all the sub-genres. November 2010 update: Another very positive report. March 2011 update: I gave up waiting for it to load after about 15 minutes.

FAIRGO E-BOOKS - www.angelfire.com/electronic/fairgoebooks/. They have suspended new book submissions, due to low sales. That will change at such time as sales improve. April 2007 update: their submission requirements merely ask for corect spelling and grammar, with word wrapping, and a copy of their contract. Except that it is still just the notice that they have suspended new submissions. That notice is dated October 2, 2003. This is not a good sign. March 2010 update: Fairgo E-books is no longer selling electronic books. This notice is dated October 2, 2009.

FAIRY TALES AND DREAMS - www.fairytalesanddreams.com/. July 2010 update: This is a new children's book publisher. Their site has pleasant pictures of happy children at play. Their pages are as yet sparse, with little information. For example they don't specify what they want submitted, just that you should send the complete and polished manuscript. Their FAQ just says to send the entire book. They will surely grow up soon into a more mature publisher. April 2011 update: Server Not Found.

FAMOUS HISTORICAL CHARACTERS ANTHOLOGY - www.worddabbler.com/. This was a one-shot anthology of erotica featuring famous historical characters from Cleopatra to Elvis. Their deadline is past, and they are gone.

FANNY PRESS — www.fannypress.com/. A publisher of hot, offbeat erotic material: BDSM, Bondage, Gay, Polyamory, Cuckoldry, Voyeurism, Sodomy and the like. They are looking for experimental projects that push boundaries and buttons, and are willing to take risks. I found nothing on terms. An author report says that the cover art was great but editing is merely adequate, and that they really mean it about pushing boundaries. They promise really hot royalties, but royalty reports may be slow.

FANTASY ISLAND BOOK PUBLISHING — I list this only to report that they are ripping off authors and libeling those who protest; there's a lawsuit. Stay away.

FATBRAIN - www.fatbrain.com/ematter/. Mightywords now out of business. The site has been taken over by Barnes & Noble.

FAT CAT PRESS - www.fatcatpress.com/. April 2009 update: They have closed.

FICTION FOREST - www.fictionforest.com. Now out of business. Web site remains, but they are no longer publishing. Just a notice on the proprietor's experience. Update: and it's gone.

FICTIONWISE - www.fictionwise.com/. This site sets a cookie. They seek high quality reprint stories and novels in all genres, and are looking for established authors and award winners. They pay advances. This means that the novice writer is unlikely to be welcomed here. They have many science fiction and fantasy name authors. Their contracts vary, depending on the clout of the author; typically 30% royalties on gross sales (that's good) for exclusive erights for five years, renewable. Do not send them material; query first. They say they sell 10,000 ebooks a month. They list about 300 authors, and says they like to take packages of 10 books, so they may have 3,000 titles. That would be about 3 sales a month per title. Still, it's impressive. The science fiction/fantasy genre is damn well represented. But they don't buy original works.UPDATE: Suddenly Xanth is there; I had to learn it from readers, as the publishers didn't bother to tell me. That's par for the course; the author is generally at the bottom of the totem. So maybe now I'll be able to verify directly how well books actually sell here. April 2004 update: I like their color bar reader rating system; reader ratings can be more accurate than formal reviews.  April 2006 update: Now they are selling more than 40,000 books a month. August 2007 update: I learn from another source that their charges are 50% of the actual sale price of a book, plus a $15 one-time charge to convert it to ten formats. It seems to be worth it, for the increased sales generated. October 2009 update: troublesome report that the one-time $15 set-up fee now is invoked any time a change or update needs to be made. They have been paying late, and sometimes in error to the author's disfavor, not corrected; this is harder to track because they have removed real-time figures. They have censored books, removing "controversial" ones. This sort of thing bothers publishers, but few dare to protest. November 2009 update: a reader comment: "I think Fictionwise needs a good, stiff, public audit of their books." I understand that real time figures can be posted if a publisher wants to; this is after all the computer age. Evidently they don't want to. April 2010 update: payments are becoming later and lower. My impression is that Fictionwise is slowly sinking in the water, like the Titanic, and publishers connected are suffering. Too bad; it has been a powerhouse for electronic books sales. May 2010 update: Another report of unpaid royalties and nonresponse. I suspect the end is near. April 2011 update: The site remains, but their subsections, such as information for authors, are empty except for "currently being updated" messages. I suspect the end has passed.

FIREDRAKE WEYR PUBLISHING - I have a note that they shut down in September 2009, and all rights returned to the authors. It was run by Peggy Roberts, AKA Margaret Roberts or Peggy Kenny. I hadn't listed them, because I hadn't heard of them. It seems that they weren't paying royalties to their authors or issuing statements, so it's uncertain whether they ever sold any books. They hope to resurrect sometime. Beware.

1STBOOKS - www.1stbooks.com. April 2004 update: they have now become Authorhouse, and their site takes you there.

FIRST PUBLISH - www.firstpublish.com. Gone.

1ST WORLD LIBRARY - www.1stworldlibrary.com/.  An author-services book publishing company dedicated to helping authors get their manuscripts into publication. That is, a self publisher. It can cost you as little as $5000. Unfortunately I have a very bad report on them, and it is said that the man in charge is vindictive toward any who try to blow the whistle. Fair warning. April 2008 update: Among their titles are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Animal Farm by George Orwell. Great novels, but not exactly current. March 2010 update: Their standard publishing package costs $1899, for which you get a professional color cover, 10 softcover author copies and 50% royalties.

FICTION WORKS - see THE FICTION WORKS

FIVE STAR - http://www.gale.cengage.com/fivestar/. This is a traditional publisher specializing in library editions, some large print; in fact they are thought to do about 80% of all large print editions. I'm listing it because I received a query about it. They publish some original Romance, but it seems low on their list. They may take a large bite out of royalties for book packaging.

FLASHING SWORDS - http://flashingswords.sfreader.com. This is a Sword and Sorcery magazine, open for submissions of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction articles or essays in several categories, including Heroic Fantasy and Historical Adventure. They are not thrilled by tales where 90% of the story is about two guys killing each other, or killing a monster, even to save a helpless female. Translation: they want real stories rather than junk. They pay $5 for stories under 500 words, and one cent per word for longer pieces, up to a maximum of $60. For poetry it's $5 per 15 lines. They take non-exclusive rights, which means you can also publish it elsewhere; that's nice. They try to respond within a day or three. April 2008 update: Now they have at least one book for sale, as well as issues of the magazine. April 2011 update: blank screen.

FLYING PEN PRESS - www.flyingpenpress.com/. A new publisher with big ambitions. "We are taking on the world of book publishing with a fresh new attitude, and we intend to define the way books are published in the Twenty-First Century." They are interested in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, poker, and role-playing game books. An early report is that they are good to work with, but sales are not high. April 2009 update: As of January 1, 2009, they have a new office and mailing address, but their site remains the same. They remain open for submissions, with a minimum length of 65,000 words. March 2010 update: At this time they are not considering unsolicited submissions. That doesn't mean they aren't buying, just that you need to have a dialogue with them first. 65,000 to 150,000 words, preferably halfway between. April 2011 update: Not considering unsolicited submissions at this time.

FORBIDDEN PASSION PRESS —www.Forbiddenpassionpress.com/. October 2009 update: site can't be found.

FORBIDDEN PUBLICATIONS - www.forbiddenpublications.com/. April 2009 update: They are closing as of March 30, 2009.

FOREMOST PRESS - foremostpress.com/.  A self publisher. December 2005 update: they have taken over Action Tales, which no longer functions on its own. They are open to all genres and nonfiction. Authors retain all rights. The set-up fee of $347 covers light editing, typesetting, PDF version, four web pages on their site, 10 complimentary copies, and more. Author's cost for printed copies is 50% of the retail price. The cost of a book is determined by the number of pages. Royalties of 20% on hard copies, 10% on wholesale orders via a bookstore. On electronic sales they take $.97 as the transaction cost, then split the balance 50-50. April 2009 update: Their Plan B is $197, but there are additional costs, depending.

FREE FICTION - see Services section

FREELANCE EPUBLISHING - www.freelanceepublishing.com/. This is a new online publisher expecting to open in mid July 2007, in time going to POD as well. Open to all types, but not pedophilia, bestiality, rape, or racism; otherwise it will be fairly liberal. No fees, no long-term contracts. Royalties are 25% of the gross for nonexclusive publishing, and 50% for exclusive; authors can switch at any time. Authors can withdraw their work on 5 days notice. So if you want your work to appear without being locked in, this would seem to be the place. April 2008 update: This sort of information is available elsewhere, but still I find it interesting to read here that Stephen King's first novel Carrie was rejected 30 times, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind 38 times, and Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull 140 times. Of course that doesn't mean that this publisher will put you into their orbits, but it is true that traditional print publishers can come across like idiots. December 2008 update: an author got a request for his manuscript, sent it, and never heard from them again. Beware. March 2010 update: They don’t seem to be functioning. April 2011 update: Now a search engine.

FREYA'S BOWER-the Romance branch of Wild Child Publishing. They publish erotica and romantica. Cross-genre experiments and short story collections are welcome. 40% royalties on electronic formats, or 10% of the print price. No porn, hatred, excessive profanity, bestiality, feces, rape, necrophilia, etc. Beware of words like "cunt."  June 2007 update: A very favorable report an their friendliness, competence, and quality of books.  October 2007 update: this publisher is a member of EPIC, but their contract does not follow the EPIC model. No author in his/her right mind should sign it without significantly revising it to conform to professional standards. It Grabs too much, requiring the author to get the publisher's permission before getting it print published elsewhere, even if Freya's isn't print publishing it. If the publisher loses the author's address, the author forfeits any accrued money due. (Actually it says if the author fails to notify publisher of a change in address, but how can the author prove the notice was sent if the publisher shreds it? I speak as one who has suffered this sort of thing in print publishing, elsewhere.) The money should be held in escrow until the author or author's heir claims it. It says there has to be a minimum of $25 owing before the royalties are paid. This is actually reasonable and standard practice, but there needs to be another sentence, establishing that this can't continue indefinitely. Again I speak as one who got ripped off by falsified accounts, and couldn't prove statements were wrong short of legal action (which I did take) because no statements had to be sent if no royalties were owing. Catch 22. Publisher reserves the right to terminate the contract at any time, no reason given. Okay, better give the author a similar right. This contract also lacks a license-that is, a term limit after which the author can automatically revert the rights, and an audit clause. Without an audit clause the author can't prove the statements are fishy. This is not to say this is a bad publisher, just that it has a bear-trap contract it needs to reform retroactively. December 2007 update: And I heard from the publisher. They have revised their contract, improving things, though it remains a tough one. Actually, they feel it is not tough but fair. They are adding an audit clause and deleting audio book rights. They do have a two year license; I missed it when I read their contract. If a question comes up, they will fix it immediately, so an audit would not be necessary. Thus my concerns have been addressed, and this publisher looks good. June 2009 update: I have a report of very low reported sales, with a suspicion of double bookkeeping. That is, one set of figures for internal accounts, a lower set to the authors. No proof, just the suspicion. Any author who suspects such a thing should require an audit, which should settle the matter. Just be aware that a competent audit can be expensive, and will as likely vindicate the publisher as prove cheating.

GARDENIA PRESS - www.gardeniapress.com. February 2005 update: They have closed the company.

GLB PUBLISHERS - www.glbpubs.com. They say they are probably the largest e-publisher for gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. They have many download formats, and many Print-On-Demand books as well. Royalties are 50%. This is a "cooperative publisher," meaning that the author shares the cost of publication for a higher royalty rate. Initial fee of $500, plus $50 per hour to integrate new elements. $350 for final stages. Thus you can publish for $850 or more, depending. See also MOONLITBOOKS for gay/lesbian markets. UPDATE: They also do "Personal publishing" for writers who aren't necessarily trying to sell copies, but just want their book published their way. To me their name sounds like the sound of a bubble in a bathtub, but if I had material of their type to publish, I'd be very interested. April 2008 update: Lengths range from 60,000 to 120,000 words for printed books, and 5,000-7,500 for stories. March 2010 update: Notice: GLB Publishers is for sale. That doesn't mean they are out of business, just that things may be changing. They remain open for submissions in their genre. July 2010 update: They responded promptly and politely to a query about a job. April 2011 update: They remain in business and open for submissions of their type.

GLOBAL BOOK PUBLISHER - www.GlobalBookPublisher.com.  The proprietors of the Booksurge complex, including Great Unpublished, Imprint, and others. April 2007 update: I got a "Page cannot be found" message. April 2010 update: They are gone.

GOLDEN PILLAR PUBLISHING - www.goldenpillarpublishing.com. A PC MAGAZINE article rated them 2 on a scale of 5 for self publishers. A self publisher offering publishing packages Bronze for $500, Silver for $1500, and Gold for $3500, and a variety of professional design services. So it's not cheap, but they're upfront about it. Royalties range from 70% to 90% of the gross profit and you get 12 to 48 copies of your book, depending on the package. April 2008 update: I got this message: "You tried to access a document for which you don't have privileges." April 2009 update: The site remains forbidden. My guess is that they folded. April 2010 update: Now they are a search site related to publishing.

GOODFELLOW PRESS —I don't have a site address. I list it only because I received a report from an author who felt that this purported publisher ripped her off for expensive and apparently useless editing. Be wary.

GOOSE RIVER PRESS - www.gooseriverpress.com.    "A traditional full-service publishing house" that also does self publishing. February 2005 update: They are now seeking manuscripts including but not limited to poetry, novels, short stories, juvenile, spiritual, and self-help; no erotica or occult. April 2008 update: they have a $30 reading fee. April 2010 update: They remain open for submissions, with the reading fee. But this is one way to get consideration for traditional print publication, and if you don’t make it there, they will help you self publish. This could be worthwhile for a novice who isn’t sure what to do.

GRACE PUBLISHING - An imprint of Unique Enterprises, about which I have a bad report. October 2008 update: I have a report that they will publish no new material.

GRAY WOLF PUBLISHING —www.graywolfpress.webs.com/. A self publisher. Their packages start at $300, with add-on services such as editing. They say they are very upfront with all costs. January 2010 update: Already shut down, because of the press of other business.

GREAT AUTHORS ONLINE - http://greatauthorsonline.com/.  This is a new small startup publisher without pretensions. They specialize in science fiction, not fantasy, for a primarily young male audience. They hope to publish 20 hardcover books this year, but are having trouble finding suitable material. 80% of their sales are electronic. They pay half the net income from publishing. They accept manuscripts in Word and OpenOffice. Novels 90-120,000 words, and 50,000 word e-book stories.  October 2006 update: a somewhat cynical comment from someone doing research on publishers, who notes that the free download ebooks look to be mostly works in progress, some self published previously at Authorhouse. "There appears to be no editorial process, no mention of contract terms, no promotion of any kind to spur sales."   June 2007 update: another report of somewhat sloppy handling. It seems they don't use a contract, depending on mutual trust. This isn't good; trustworthy people can still forget details.

GREAT UN PUBLISHED - www.greatunpublished.com. April 2004 update: they are now listed as part of the BookSurge complex. June 2004 Update: I have a savagely negative report: an author bought copies of his own books through friends (so it wasn't evident he was buying them himself) and the sales were not listed. There is also a report that another author flat-out accused them of being thieves. Beware; the indication is that they are consciously dishonest, and that makes their listed terms worthless. And now this site is gone.   February 2005 update: the link leads directly to BookSurge. April 2009 update: Gone again.

GRIFFITH PUBLISHING - http://hodi.com/. I was told this is a self publisher with a wealth of detail, but the link took me to other territory and I never found a publisher. Update: a reader located a different address for it, and this one works. But to get their information you need to call their 800 number or send an email.

GYPSY SHADOW - www.gypsyshadow.com. August 2010 update: I tried to check their submission guidelines, but they took so long to download that I gave up. So I have no information as yet on what they want or what their terms are. December 2010 update: they sent me their Frequently Asked Questions brochure, which strikes me as a fair way to learn the basics of publishing with them or anyone else. They discus prospects and fees in a sensible manner. I recommend looking at this even if you're not looking to do business with them. April 2011 update: The site says their submission guidelines were updated 1-19-2011, but they will new a few extra weeks to respond to yours. An email notice released by the publisher says their second year was rugged. "To say we are stretched too thinly seems to us to be an understatement." They beg indulgence as they catch up. They look forward to funding in June so their chief editor can work full time. They hope to change to a quarterly report, considering that most of their distributors are on a quarterly schedule. May 2011 update: their quarterly reports were delayed again, but they are scrambling to catch up. They had a host of problems, such as two car breakdowns and a computer crash.

HALCYON MAGAZINE - www.halcyonmagazine.com.    August 2007 update: it is now a parked domain.  April 2009 update: And now an extreme sports site.

HARD SHELL WORD FACTORY - www.hardshell.com/. This is run by Mary Wolf, whose survey of Internet Publishers is in the Services section, at MARY WOLF'S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC PUBLISHERS. There are now 8 editors there, making this a heavyweight operation as Internet publishers go. Hard Shell covers several genres, including Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Western, Historical, Children's, and shows the covers. It gives author guidelines and other information, and seems like a good site. The sample contract takes electronic rights for one year from publication, gives 30% royalties depending on type of publication, and there is an Audit clause. Always seek such a clause, anywhere. UPDATE: but they are not currently accepting submissions. April 2004 update: they had hoped to reopen submissions early in 2004, but have not yet done so. April 2005 update: They still seem to be closed to submissions. April 2006 update: They are now accepting submissions for their four volume Chronicles of Egypt anthology: one volume each for Horror, Mystery, Romance, and science fiction. Um, correction: because I review these sites once a year, I am behind the times; the deadlines for Horror and Romance have passed, but you can still catch the others. They want 25,000 word novellas. Check their site for specifics. They bremain closed to regular submissions. April 2007 update: That Chronicles of Egypt anthology remains listed, though all its publication deadlines are past. This is not promising. But they still hope to reopen regular submissions soon. June 2007 update: a report of problems galore. "Too bad because it used to be THE epub." April 2008 update: They are currently closed to submissions except from currently contracted authors. April 2009 update: still closed. July 2009 update: Hard Shell has been sold to Mundania Press, to take effect August 1, 2009. It will become an imprint of Mundania. Mary Wolf has serious family problems that prevent her from continuing.

HARLEQUIN HORIZONS —www.harlequinhorizons.com/. This is a new self publishing outfit formed by Harlequin and Author Solutions, launched in November 2009. Authors rejected by Harlequin may be referred to Horizons. A number of folk are annoyed by this, but it seems legitimate to me, as it is open about the connection and the nature of the enterprise. If you can't make it with a traditional print publisher, you still can publish your book yourself. I did not find price information on the site, but understand it is typical of self publishing. It may soon be renamed Carina. January 2010 update: Carina will exist, but not connected. April 2010 update: Page not found. April 2011 update: Ditto.

HEATWAVE - www.heatwaveromance.com./. June 2006 update: Heatwave is closing on June 30. April 2008 update: But the site remains, with a lovely picture. April 2010 update: Now they’re gone.

HEARTS ON FIRE BOOKS - www.heartsonfirebooks.com/. This is a new publisher, starting in May 2008. Currently accepting submissions in Romance and most other genres, including Erotica, Paranormal, Action/Adventure/Mystery, Western, and Historical. 40% royalties on all sales. Strictly electronic, no print editions. Proprietor Melissa Miller writes "I think that there are a lot of people out there that have a great story to tell, but they can't get them published because most publishers are very strict." She expects to be more laid back but still wants good writing. Looks promising, but there's no track record yet. December 2008 update: The owner reports that they are growing every day, and the old site could not adequately handle it. The new site can do it. They changed their name slightly. They now do print as well as ebook. Their top print seller for the first week was 21 copies, and 14 for the second place seller, and four other authors selling 3 each. The first week? I would call this an explosive expansion. June 2009 update: I have a note from a satisfied author who definitely recommends this publisher. July 2009 update: another highly satisfied author report. They are easy to work with, produce good quality book covers, and pay royalties on time. August 2009 update: I heard from the proprietor. It seems another publisher is trashing this company without a proper basis. This sort of thing happens. I know, as I understand there's a site calling me a pedophile. January 2010 update: I do have a report of less than ideal service. It seems an editor left, and a book went through unedited and was published without notice to the author. As far as I can tell, this was an honest foulup, and the proprietor was responsive when it was called to her attention. February 2010 update: a report of atrocious editing, with the author not informed or given the chance to catch it before publication. March 2010 update: And a rebuttal defending the editing. Indeed, it seems the complaint has now been handled to the author's satisfaction. So the prior report was not typical. April 2010 update: This publisher has folded, as of this month. In this recession the sales simply weren't there. All rights are being returned to the authors, along with final statements and payments.

HELIOGRAPHICA - www.heliographica.com. April 2007 update: They closed operations in 2006.

HIGHLAND PRESS - http://www.highlandpress.org/. The site was slow loading, with a beautiful picture of a Highlands Castle, and I gave up waiting after 12 minutes with only partial information. Romance, Historical, Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Men's and Women's Fiction, Inspirational Young Adult, Children's and more. I have an extremely negative report of questionable royalty reports, arbitrary cancellation without explanation, and abusive behavior. Complaints are being filed with RWA. Caution, until more is known. April 2008 update: And a response from the publisher: two writers failed to meet stipulations in their contracts, and those contracts were canceled, setting off a vendetta against the company. Another writer named them, and the one who contacted me was one of them, though I never identified that writer. Here's the thing: if a publisher is wronging many writers, it can't name them all, but if only one or two have a problem, and the publisher can name them, that suggests that the problem is with the writers. Some publishers do wrong writers; I speak as one who has been wronged many times, and who has legal cases to prove it. But some writers can be minions from Hell, and I have encountered those too. On this basis, the balance of evidence favors the publisher. Seven other writers wrote in defense of the publisher, six politely, and one self righteous creature who did her best to turn me against the publisher by implying I was guilty of lying, slander, and could face legal action. They never seem to learn. At this point I think more is known, and that this is a good publisher. Meanwhile at the slow-loading (15 minutes) site they give nicely detailed descriptions of what they are looking for for 2008-9. June 2008 update: But you never can tell. I was sent a link to a voluminous multi-person comment on this publisher, and it pretty well authenticated my earlier report. Authors not paid monies owed. Authors getting tongue-lashed for questions. Banning authors from Author Loops for speaking out against HP practices. Sending emails to other publishers about "problem authors." Deleting reviews, or swamping Amazon with "report abuse" messages, gaming the system to get them removed. An identified example is harassment of an Amazon reviewer named Reba, who gave a book a three star review and was called a bitch, and in a forum post the author/publisher Deborah MacGillivray wrote "...we now have her name, her husband's name, her children's names...her address phone number and email...". Readers aren't happy to learn that they can't trust reviews. I could have told them that 40 years ago, as I could have about the tactics publishers can use against questioning authors; I was there in spades. It does appear that there are a number of unhappy authors here—one post said more than 17. Some post anonymously to avoid savage retaliation. The publisher participated in this loop with some scathing sarcasm. So the question is by no means settled. There's a backlash by readers, some of whom will never read books by this author. But I do have another report by a satisfied author who feels that those criticizing this publisher are lying. Um, I doubt it. August 2008 update: An ugly report of the publisher trying to intimidate another author with a threat to report to her employer how she wrote porn, so as to put her job in peril. Of course erotic fiction is not porn, but folk in Mundania don't necessarily know that, so such a threat could be credible. April 2011 update: They have calls for inspirational submissions, and are open in all time genres except erotica.

HOOD PRESS BOOKS -   I don't have a site address yet, but heard from Jason Sipe, the proprietor. This will be for nonfiction, some children's books, and possibly some fiction titles.

HOT JAVA PRODUCTIONS - www.hotjavaproductions.com/.    Folded.

HOUSEWIVES' AND HUSBANDS' WRITERS NETWORK — www.HousewifesWritersNetwork.homestead.com. A bimonthly magazine for housewives (and husband) writers. Articles on writing and juggling family/housekeeping with writing, 1,000-2,500 words. “My First Sale” pieces 500 words or less, poetry under 20 lines. Payment is 5 copies and a year's subscription ($35 value).

HUDSON AUDIO PUBLISHING - www.hudsonaudiopublishing.com/. This is essentially an audio self publisher, wherein the author records his material, pays a fee, and they put it online for sales with a 70/30 split. They say the audio book market is growing strongly. April 2010 update: They charge $285 per book to handle the technical and administrative details, but they take it out of royalties, so the author doesn’t have to pay upfront.

HYPERPEDIA PRESS - www.hyperpedia.net/. They are looking for nonfiction, poetry, short stories, technical guides, and novels, and say that their royalties are competitive, up to 40%. They do both digital and printed versions. June 2004 update: but I have a report that they ignore queries. April 2008 update: They remain open for submissions. April 2009 update: They don't give details on terms, but if they like your proposal they will send you a letter of agreement offering competitive royalties. April 2010 update: This time the site came up in what looks like Chinese characters. Maybe somebody bought the site.

HYPERTECH MEDIA - http://hypertechmedia.com/. Ebooks, educational software, software and web development. Specializing in award winning full length fiction and children's ebooks and esoftware. Currently open for submissions but are highly selective. All genres but no pornography. Takes full electronic publishing rights, 30% royalties, paid one month after receipt. Has the equivalent of an audit clause. Their contract appears to be highly negotiable. My impression is that this should be a good place to be, if you can make it. April 2008 update: This time I did not find information for submissions or terms, though their book presentations are evocative.

IBOOKS INC - www.ibooksinc.com/ They have a number of good titles, but I couldn't find any information for writers. This appears to be a reprint house. Maybe that will change as they get established. April 2007 update: I got the "Page cannot be found" message.

IENOVEL - www.ienovel.com/. Established June 20, 2009. "ie" means "in other words" and "novel" means "new, original, longer than a short story." "ienovel" may also mean "Internet electronic novel." This may be an indication of their attitude, looking for some originality. New electronic publisher. 60% of cover price to publisher, 40% to author for books sold on site, less for those sold via a third party. Authors are not charged for anything. Of course there's no track record yet.Hlyrical press They don't seem to say exactly what genres they prefer, but it seems to be Science Fiction, Romance, Drama, Crime/Mystery, Action/Adventure, Paranormal, and Short Stories. November 2009 update: they report that sales are low, but things seem to be picking up. They will be doing POD books, too. March 2011 update: Sadly, they had to close on February 11, 2011.

IFWG PUBLISHING - http://ifwgpublishing.com. This is a year-old publisher specializing in speculative fiction, children's book, and non fiction. Their proprietors offer fast friendly service, but sales so far appear to be small. I think they are POD rather than electronic, and I could not find terms listed on their site.

iHERO ENTERTAINMENT - www.ihero.net   Quarterly magazine of superhero prose stories. Pays 3 cents a word for stories up to 3,000 words. April 2009 update: I could not verify that they are still publishing; they seem to be still exploring possibilities. May 2010 update: They do remain in business.

IMAJINN BOOKS - www.imajinnbooks.com/   They are now accepting all types of erotica books, not just those with paranormal, supernatural, futuristic, and fantasy elements. It must be a romance, with no multiple partner relationships. Prefer vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, on- and off-planet futuristic, paranormal (ESP), witches, fantasy. Avoid torture, bestiality, pedophilia, rape, or really kinky stuff. 30,000 words up. Royalties of 50% of net receipts, paid monthly. Query first. They also do Romance, with slightly different guidelines, 70,000 to 90,000 words. I discovered after making most of this entry that they are not an electronic publisher, so don't belong on this list; they do trade paperbacks. Bleep. October 2005 update: fortunately it has become academic: they're bankrupt. April 2006 update: Yet they remain in business, and are open to adult romance subgenres of the supernatural, futuristic, and paranormal phenomena, but not ghosts. April 2007 update: I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop, and for them to go out of business so I can unlist them, as they probably shouldn't be on this list anyway. But they remain in business and open for submissions. Their Frequently asked Questions site is Under Construction, so maybe there's hope yet. April 2008 update: They're still there, though their About Us section merely lists phone numbers. April 2009 update: Now it says SitePal, which must be something else. It blew out my browser. But then I got a "Welcome to Imajinn Books" verbal message indicating it is still functioning. May 2010 update: The site remains, but my impression is they are selling, not publishing, books.

IMPRINT BOOKS - www.imprintbooks.com. April 2007 update: This does not seem to be a publisher any more.

INDYPUBLISH - www.indypublish.com. The company mission: "IndyPublish.com is dedicated to leveraging on advanced technologies to help independent authors all over the world. The IndyPublish system allows independent authors to get published, to gain greater financial reward for their work, to retain control over their work, to interact and network with other writers on mutual interests and to stay abreast on developments concerning the writing and publishing world." This appears to be a self publisher, like Xlibris or iUniverse; the basic package is free, and you can upgrade for a price. No books are rejected, but if you publish a book that gets them into trouble, they'll kick you out. Five publishing packages, ranging from the free Basic through Bronze, Silver, Gold, to Platinum at $999. Royalties depend on size and book price, which varies with the page count. As self publishers go, this is straightforward and cheap. 2003 UPDATE: But now they have a moratorium on new manuscripts. If you wish, you can get on their list to let you know when it is lifted. April 2006 update: Now they are back in regular business, same terms as before. April 2007 update: And the moratorium is back. April 2008 update: Moratorium continues. April 2009 update: continues. May 2010 update: Their FAQ section leads off with the question "When will the moratorium on new manuscripts be lifted?" and the answer is they don’t know.

INFINITY PUBLISHING COM - www.infinitypublishing.com/. 20% of retail sales, 10% of wholesale sales. $499 set-up fee. Takes no rights; terminate agreement at any time by written notice. Can buy marketing packages for $120-$470. POD, and have their own printing, so can ship in a day or two. Royalties paid monthly. See BUY BOOKS ON THE WEB You can get a free brochure. A PC MAGAZINE article rated them 3 on a scale of 5. They are now offering book returns for bookstores. That means bookstores are more likely to stock their books. December 2005 update: They are now paying 15% royalty on all wholesale sales, up from 10%, and give a 40% discount to bookstores and a 55% discount to distributors like Ingram and Baker & Taylor. Their royalties are a straight percentage of the sale price, which is a significantly better deal for the writer than a percentage of net proceeds. They say they have the lowest retail price per page count in the industry. That is likely to translate to larger sales for smaller books. They print their books in-house, full color, laminated covers. This is likely to mean significantly faster publication. May 2010 update: A satisfied client says that Infinity is offering bookstores a 12 month return policy, at no cost to the author, and that Infinity's books never go out of print. These are good policies. "They are honest and do exactly as they promise in the one page very above-board contract."

iPUBLISH - www.iPublish.com. Closed.

INKSPELL - www.inkspellpublishing.com/. A new publisher for romance, fantasy and young adult in digital and print formats. Submissions should be between 20,000 and 80,000 words. I did not find information on terms.

INTEGRITY TECH PUBLISHING - www.integritytech.com/itpub.html. I have learned to be wary of seemingly lofty ideals and good terms online publishers offer, but I like the look of this one. It is upfront about how it got started, what it is looking for, what it is trying to do, how a writer should approach it, and tips for beginning writers. Such as "You must develop the hide of a rhino." They want Romance, both Futuristic and Historical, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Computer, Marketing, or Health Related nonfiction. 50% royalties based on the cover price, paid monthly. Either party can terminate with two weeks notice. That's damn good. This looks like a live wire publisher. I suspect it will be buried in submissions.  August 2006 update: a writer who queried them was told that sales are way down and they are no longer accepting submissions. April 2007 update: But no indication of that at their Web site. Their FAQ section has interesting discussion of the plight of many writers, who live below the poverty line because of the policies of big publishers. Yes, I've been there, done that. November 2010 update: I received a query whether they remain in business. Their site remains, with no word of trouble, but it seems reaching them by email can't be done. That's a bad sign. April 2011 update: still no sign of trouble at the site.

INTERMEDIA PUBLISHING GROUP - www.intermediapub.com. "We are an independent publishing company based in Phoenix Arizona. Our marketing and distribution program is extensive. It includes over 16,000 on line stores, marketing to all major retailers, wholesalers and distributors. Our books and events are also marketed to our database of 35 million email accounts. We also have capabilities of putting each book into the 5 major eBook formats." Okay, their site is canny about figures, but I gather this is self publishing and that it will cost you something to get their treatment.

INTUITION PRESS - www.intuitionpress.com/.  They will publish any book of 100 pages or more electronically, without editing; their only restriction is "incendiary prose." They pay royalties of 75% of what they get for your book, 45 days after the end of the month. They do no editing. So this is essentially a free self publisher. We'll just have to see how long that lasts. It may be little more than a site that posts novels. April 2008 update: They're still there, still free. May 2010 update: Could not find the site. They may be out of business. April 2011 update: No, they're there in good order.

IUNIVERSE - www.iuniverse.com/. Formerly called toExcel. February 2009 update: The Authorhouse/iUniverse complex has bought the remaining large independent self publisher, Xlibris. I do not know, but suspect it will be folded into Xlibris in due course. Your books here will be safe, however, and I suspect performance will improve as the efficiency of Xlibris is extended to the iUniverse books. April 2009 update: I am simplifying the entry, because I doubt the long prior history remains relevant, as the new unified self publishing complex gets organized. May 2010 update: They don’t seem to give terms on the site, but encourage you to call their 800 number to get in touch with a publishing consultant. April 2011 update: the site remains; I was mistaken about their being merged. They spell out exactly what royalties you can expect, at 20%.

JACOBYTE BOOKS - www.jacobytebooks.com/. December 2004 update: I am told that they have been bought out by BeWrite Books, which should publish most of their authors. They will close on June 30, 2005. April 2006 update: Sure enough, the site remains, but they are closed to submissions. BeWrite Books is where to go. April 2008 update: The site now carries ads for other publishers.

JAMES RUSSELL PUBLISHING - www.powernet.net/. UPDATE: I could not find any indication they are still a publisher.

JUPITER GARDENS PRESS - www.jupitergardenspress.com/. This is a publisher starting up in May, 2009, with three lines. Jupiter Gardens press will have fiction and nonfiction based on, or about, alternative spirituality. They will also publish fiction that attempts to answer or contemplate a question facing society, civilization, or humankind. This will include all genres except erotica. Jupiter Gardens Press Thebe will include all forms of science fiction and fantasy. Pink Petal Books will be Romance in all its forms, all subgenres, all heat levels, including GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender), BBW (Big Beautiful Women, that is, large size heroines), I/R (Interracial), and M/M (I forgot to ask about that one). "We believe that love is a beautiful thing." They pay 35% royalties on electronic books sold by the publisher, and 45% of net on third party sales. Length 25,000 to 100,000 words. They hope to go to print editions soon, with 10% of the cover price. They will also consider reprints. Their first titles should appear for October 2008. Of course it is too early for them to have a track record, but this looks highly promising. June 2009 update: they seem to be publishing now, and are open for submissions. Their home site has more than a dozen things, like candles an incense; you have to locate the Jupiter Gardens Press section. May 2010 update: Now they have a fourth imprint, Kittyhorse Publishing, for young adult and child readers. October 2010 update: But they are currently publishing children's and young adult under the regular Jupiter Gardens imprint. I heard from a satisfied author. Editing is thorough, royalties are paid monthly and on time. Some titles are published electronically and print simultaneously. April 2011 update: Now they pay 40% of cover price for e-books, or 40% of what they receive from third party vendors. They are open for submissions.

JUST MY BEST, INC - www.jmbpub.com/.  This is a small traditional publisher, in business since 2001, who will publish 6-10 books in 2005. They are currently soliciting manuscripts. "Chances are good that a new author can get published here." Um, I doubt it; at under one book a month they will rapidly be swamped. But give it a try; traditional publishing remains the gold standard of publishing. October 2005 update: this turns out to be a quasi-self publisher, charging a $500 initial administration fee. 7% royalties. They take half of movie rights. This is a Grab; they should have none unless they market and sell movie rights for the author, and then they should take maybe a 15% commission. See also my discussion in my Hipiers column for OctOgre 2005; they have a far more interesting history than this listing can accommodate.  August 2006 update: But I have a very negative report about extremely sloppy editing and handling. So their travails may not be over. April 2008 update: Now they have a subsidiary, Aarbooks, for self publishing. June 2009 update: they would not let me in without authorization. That's odd, for a publisher, if they remain one. February 2010 update: I heard from the proprietor. She was very ill, and for the past three years the company was online but inactive. But she does love publishing, especially first-time authors. So now the site is being updated and they will resume publishing, albeit slowly. May 2010 update: They are currently accepting manuscripts from new writers, but it looks from here like self publishing.

JUST WRITE BOOKS - www.jstwrite.com. This is not an electronic publisher, but I had some dialogue with its proprietor, so am listing it for now. "Just Write Books is a small publishing house using print on demand technology to produce high quality books by Maine authors/poets." Authors participate in the cost of preparing books. So if you live in Maine, this may be for you. But they are unable to read new work until June 2007. Their fiction quota is filled for two plus years. April 2008 update: They seem to be accepting new submissions now, from Maine authors. May 2010 update: now they have a newsletter you can sign up for.

KEEP IT COMING EZINES - http://www.keepitcoming.net/. February 2006 update: It seems to have folded. But see Virtual Tales, which may take some of the material published here.  April 2006 update: The site remains, selling books, but they don't seem to be buying any.  April 2007 update: the sign says Welcome to vDeck. They may be out of business. April 2008 update: Page not found, so they're gone. June 2009 update: Page back, but they don't seem to be publishing any more.

KEY 20 PUBLISHING - http://www.key20.com. January 2010 update: it seems they vanished, stiffing their contacts.

KEITH PUBLICATIONS - www.keithpublications.com/. They will open September 1, 2010 with a number of imprints such as WICKED INK PRESS for Romance, D'Ink Well for general fiction, and Dreams N Fantasies for Erotica. Lengths from 500 words to 150,000. Royalty rates begin at 35%. They don't have a track record yet, but seem to have their act together

KNIGHTOFTALES - http://www.knightoftales.co.uk.   April 2006 update: and it has shut down. 

LADY AIBELL - http://www.ladyaibell.com. December 2007 update: closed. LADY ORACLE--They do do some publishing; see entry in Services section. June 2009 update: The site remains as a self publishing ad site.

LADY ORACLE - They do do some publishing; see entry in Services section.

L A MEDIA - http://lamediaonline.com. Teresa Wayne-Jacobs, formerly of Mardi Gras, set this up as a semi-private publisher, but its scope is limited. She is accused of selling some books there that don't belong to her. April 2008 update: Teresa wrote me that this is not connected to Mardi Gras, but is a private release proprietary company for herself and one other author. It was originally intended as a name change for Mardi Gras, but the authors went nuts objecting to the change, and it was stifled. June 2008 update: an author refutes that. And the site seems inactive.

LAZY DAY — www.lazydaypub.com/. A new digital publisher, officially launching December 1, 2010. Romance, Erotica, Fantasy, Sci-Fiction, Woman's Literature, Adventure, Mystery, Western, and more, it says. All submissions will receive an auto-response acknowledgment, with an editorial response in 4-6 weeks. This publisher has no track record, obviously, but is ambitious, hoping to be a dominating presence in the digital future. April 2011 update: They remain open for submissions, but query first.

LIACE PUBLISHING - See Eridian Publishing

LIGHTNING SOURCE- www.lightningsource.com/. This is the main place for Print On Demand--POD--books that electronic publishers use. It turns out that they will also print for individual writers. They have free tools for authors and publishers alike in the resources section of the site. They process one trillion bytes of information per day. However, they require cookies and won't admit you if you don't accept them, so I was barred from entry. My information is mostly from their sales development manager, not from the site itself. June 2004 update: I received a 27 page manual from the publisher detailing their services; obviously this is comprehensive. They have now printed over ten million books. December 2006 update: A writer reports that they do exactly as they say; he receives monthly reports, and they pay on time. He has no complaints. 

LINDEN BAY BOOKS- http://lindenbayromance.com/. A Romance epublisher currently accepting submissions. Stories 15,000 to 30,000 words; novellas 30,000-60,000; novels 60,000 up. Royalties of 37% on every electronic sale. Query with a detailed synopsis. They prefer Arial 12 font, block paragraphs. Smoldering passion, sex between consenting adults, happy endings; ask about more controversial material before sending it. December 2006 update: very positive report: friendly to authors, great cover art, highly responsive.   February 2007 update: and a negative one. I understand that not all authors have had a positive experience with this company. It seems that an extremely restrictive gag clause in the contract can prohibit authors from airing concerns, and they can make ugly threats enforcing it. Okay, here's how you handle that: when you get the contract to sign, firmly cross out the gag clause, initial your change in the margin, make a copy for your private record, sign the contract, and send it in. If it is not a physical contract, simply delete the offending clause, again keeping a printout for yourself. If the publisher refuses to accept that modification, this is an indication it has reason to believe it needs it, and you should ask why. A publisher that does not intend to trespass has no need of such a clause. April 2007 update: Submissions are closed: they have too much already on hand. February 2008 update: And a very positive report. June 2008 update: another positive report, stating that they put all novels into print, with wonderful communication and artwork. Sales, however, may not be great. May 2010 update: When I clicked the link I got Samhain. They must have been bought out. May 2011 update: Server not found. They're gone.

LITERARY ROAD - www.literaryroad.com/. They offer both ebook and print contracts in a number of genres, though my observation notes a number of gay fiction books. 40% royalties on the cover price of ebooks, or 50% of the profits from sales by other outfits. They opened for business is January 2006, but now in 2009 appear to be effectively out of business, not paying royalties or responding to queries. Their latest "blog" entry dates from April 2009. May 2011 update: they are there now, open for submissions. Their latest blog entry is dated August 9, 2010. I'd be cautious.

LIVING WATERS PUBLISHING COMPANY - http://www.livingwaterspc.com/. This seems to be a self publisher, with fees of $599 to $2,000. They offer financing for authors who have trouble affording it. Um, be cautious, authors; you don't want to get into anything you can't afford outright. June 2008 update: "LW is a multi-media avenue for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ..." So it seems to be limited to that type of material. May 2010 update: page not found. May 2011 update: It has become a search site.

LLUMINA PRESS- www.llumina.com/. A self publisher, $499 for the basic package plus add-ons, depending what you want. Royalties of 30% of print sales from their site, 10% of sales via third parties. For electronic sales, 60% and 40% respectively. Their contract is for three years, automatically renewable, but the author can terminate at any time with 30 days written notice, subject to payment for effort they have already put in. Their terms seem generally standard. April 2005 update: their prices are rising. April 2006 update: this time I did not find any listing of their prices, but I presume they are in line with other self publishers. April 2007 update: I finally found their prices: $799 for trade paperback, $859 for hardcover, $999 for the combination. December 2008 update: a report that they can nickel and dime you to death on additional services, and they have a peculiar schedule for paying royalties. May 2010 update: This time I could not get information on prices. When I clicked the PRICES link nothing happened. But they do still seem to be in business. May 2011 update: They remain in business, with assorted publishing packages.

LIONHEARTED PUBLISHING - www.lionhearted.com/. This in Romance in all genres. Royalties are 10% on paperbacks, 30% on ebooks. Their Author Guidelines provide length ranges for all types, and are comprehensive; they even tell you how many rubber bands to put around your manuscript. They list the top ten reasons that editors reject most manuscripts. #1 is No Conflict; #10 is Not a Compelling Storyline. This is material you should read even if you don't plan to submit to them; education of aspiring writers is a public service. In response to my caution, they responded: DON'T LET THE PUBLISHER GRAB MOVIE RIGHTS--UNLESS THEY ARE LIKE LIONHEARTED WHO HAS THE CONTACTS AND PARTNERS TO DEVELOP THOSE RIGHTS. If an author doesn't have an agent, working through the publisher may be the best shot for a movie. So there you have the "He said, she said" abridged dialog. I must say that movie options are complicated and a writer who tries to handle them alone is likely to get stung, so this does make sense. If a movie option offer comes to you and you don't trust the publisher, GET AN AGENT. If it's a real movie offer, any agent will jump at the chance to get a piece of the action. That's likely to mean a regular agent for your book, and a separate Hollywood agent the book agent will contact. Yes, maybe double commissions, but do it anyway; barrels of money may be on the line, but the sharks in those waters can be fierce. If the movie interest fades out the moment an agent appears, it's probably either spurious or a rip-off ploy; a real movie outfit will be satisfied to work with an agent. 2-2004 Update: they are still behind on paying an editor. April 2004 update: As of March 16, manuscript submissions are on hold, while they focus on their current authors. April 2005 update: submissions are still on hold. April 2006 update: ditto. April 2007 update: "As of March 16 LionHearted has put manuscript submissions on hold." Even when they're open, they take only one or two out of a hundred. June 2008 update: Submissions remain on hold. June 2009 update: Check their site monthly to see when submissions go off hold. May 2010 update: Still on hold. May 2011 update: I did not find information for authors. I suspect they are selling what they have and not looking for more.

LIQUID SILVER - www.liquidsilverbooks.com/. This is an imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, dedicated to erotic romances. Send the first three chapters and a synopsis, with a cover letter about your writing background, why you are interested in doing erotica romance, and your thoughts on epublishing. They will respond in a day and treat you right if they want your novel. Royalties are 40% on retail sales, paid quarterly. They take electronic rights for one year, and are thinking about print publication with a 30% royalty. This looks good from here. April 2004 update: They seem to be broadening their genres to include Historical, Science Fiction, Paranormal and others, but all have an erotic romantic slant. In short, it seems to be the kind of Romance male readers should like too.  October 2006 update: A favorable report "I'm a Liquid Silver author, and am very, very happy with them."   December 2006 update: sales report: ranging from 60 for a fantasy novel to 260 for a vampire/horror, romance.   April 2007 update: More very favorable report: "They treat their authors like gold." Average time from submission to release is 3 months. Sales range from 120-175 books, and the royalty rate increases when sales pass certain thresholds. For example, if a title sells 1000 copies, royalty is 50%. This would be paradise for the average author. June 2008 update: an extremely positive report: "My absolute favorite! They are quick, friendly, professional, the artwork wonderful, and I sold 220+ books during the last quarter." But very few books are put into print. June 2009 update: They are currently accepting erotic romance. Royalties are now 35% on ebooks. May 2010 update: They are currently accepting all erotic romance genres. May 2011 update: Now their deal is 35% royalties on moneies received from all outlets, paid quarterly. Electronic rights for two years.

LONE STAR STORIES - http://literary.erictmarin.com/. They publish speculative fiction and poetry, ideally with a Texas nexus. That is, by or about Texans or former Texans, set in Texas, or with Texas themes, but they will consider other work. They pay $20 for stories up to 8,000 words and $5 for poems up to 100 lines, for two months online in the magazine. This isn't much, but the exposure should help. April 2007 update: Now they pay $10 for poems. May 2011 update: They are closed to submissions.

LONG TALE PRESS - www.longtalepress.com/. This is as ebook publisher expanding into audio and print. Prospective writers post an excerpt and short description of the book. Readers review the submissions and provide feedback. So they get books real people enjoy, and writers can orient on what readers want. Novellas of 17,500 words up, and novels from 40,000 words up.

LOOSE ID LLC - www.loose-id.com/. This is a pun on "Lucid." They are currently accepting submissions of cross-genre love stories with a high degree of sensuality, 20,000 to 130,000 words. They take electronic rights only, for two years; authors can abridge that in four months if they are unhappy or need their rights back for other reasons. You know, like a million dollar sale prospect elsewhere. Royalties are 35% paid monthly. They are publishing two books a week and are booked up to February 2005 but will squeeze in new titles sooner if need be. "As a company, we are committed to steady growth and calculated risks. We aren't just doing it. We're trying to do it better." Their titles seem to have a strong fantasy element, and do look interesting.  October 2006 update: I have a report that their editing precess was timely and well handled. One author reports royalties of almost a thousand dollars in one month on one book. April 2007 update: I have a report of 50-100 sales per title per month. There is also a report of some editor problems, but they do pay promptly. They are currently open for submissions. June 2007 update: "I think they are one of the best publishers on the web for erotic romance." This is from a competitive publisher, so is hard to doubt. August 2007 update: a writer reports sales of over 300 copies in the first month, and another 100 the following month. Another reports excellent sales.  October 2007 update: an author who did not sign up with them nevertheless says "I found Loose-id to be a wonderful company to work with. They were efficient and professional." December 2007 update: another positive report. “A very classy outfit.” Also a report that a new title sold over 200 copies in the first month. April 2008 update: a report of sales of over 250 in the first ten days. August 2008 update: reports of over 300 sales of a short story in the first week, over 200 of a novella in two weeks, and almost 400 copies of a re-released novel. Also sales of a POD print book of over 1,000 in three months. The good reports keep coming in. December 2008 update: From Editor in Chief Treva Harte -- they publish four titles per week, rather than two, and their standard contract asks for electronic rights and an exclusive option on print rights for 12 months. May 2010 update: They are open for submissions in all genres of erotic romance including LGBT and similar, 20,000 to 120,000 words, preferably in the middle of that range, with the usual restriction of taste.

LOVESTRUCK BOOKS - http://lovestruckbooks.com/.  December 2008 update: Folded.

LTDBOOKS - www.ltdbooks.com/. February 2006 update: folded 

LULU - www.lulu.com/.   This is an on-demand publishing tool that lets authors self-publish digital content free: a book, music, images, a calendar. No setup fee. Register if you want to publish, but anyone can browse without registering. They take a 20% commission on books sold. October 2004 update: Report from a generally satisfied client: they are completely free if that's the way you want it, but do offer some charged services. The selling price per book depends on its size, and as with other self publishers, not many copies seem to sell to the general public.   February 2005 update: Another favorable report: "It is very good for what it is, free book publishing." Royalties paid quarterly if they reach a certain amount. This is standard; publishers don't want to spend more in postage than the total of the royalty checks. Lulu is said to be the fastest growing of self publishers and is becoming a force in the field; they must be doing something right. April 2007 update: A report from a somewhat disgruntled writer that while Lulu doesn't charge up front for the printing, when overall costs are tallied it's no different from, say, Authorhouse. "The publication process is less than clear and takes several false starts to get the hang of it, in which case you have to destroy the work you set up." December 2007 update: They have set up a new Lulu Studio Photo Book publishing service, an advanced Flash-based application, separate from their original photo book offering. February 2008 update: I have been reassured by an established author that it is quite possible to put together a selling book for no cost and have it sell, if you know what you're doing. She showed me a year and a half of Lulu statements showing payments averaging a hundred dollars a month. That's persuasive. December 2008 update: a disgruntled author says their philosophy seems to be "We'd rather have a million authors sell only a hundred books each rather than have a hundred authors sell a million each." Actually that would be par for the course in self publishing. Authors who could truly sell a million copies should get traditional print publishing. It seems that they take full rights for the duration of the contract. This is odd; other self publishers take no rights. February 2009 update: A flat denial from a Lulu employee: Lulu does not retain any rights. Also a report from a book buyer, who found Lulu's process so complicated that he was turned off. This matches my own experience buying there. July 2009 update: I have a report of collapsing service and no response to queries. It seems at least 18 authors have this problem. I understand that Lulu has only a fraction of its former staff, because of reduced business. They are likely to lose more. March 2010 update: it was suggested that I Google "Lulu complaints." I haven't done so yet, but gather that there are a passel. April 2010 update: A response from a Lulu user who says that if you stick to the black and white paperback there are few problems. It is the more complicated projects, like color, that strain Lulu's expertise.

LYRICAL PRESS - www.lyricalpress.com. They will open May 5, 2008. They are now accepting submissions in all genres. If you dare to write it, they will consider it. 40% royalty on the sale price. Preferred word length is 30,000 up, but they will consider pieces down to 12,000. The usual restrictions. August 2008 update: A favorable report, saying the proprietors are highly responsive. September 2009 update: There have been ugly reports on other sites condemning this publisher. As far as I can ascertain, they are fallacious, a hate campaign. May 2010 update: They are actively seeking erotica, romance, paranormal between 60,000 and 85,000 words. June 2010 update: I heard from the publisher, thanking me for the May update. I do updates of whatever nature seems correct, and rarely get thanked by publishers; quite the opposite sometimes. "I'm doing everything in my power to keep to the goal of being a quality publisher who treats authors and editors fairly and readers respectfully." May that continue. March 2011 update: They sent me a sample contract, which I critiqued, and they immediately addressed my concerns. For example, I felt their audit clause was mediocre; now it's fully up to snuff. Specifically, if the author audits, and an error of more than 5% is found to the author's disfavor, the publisher must pay for the audit. May 2011 update: They are actively acquiring all sub-genres of erotica between 20,000 and 90,000 words. No need to query; just send the full manuscript. That's a breath of fresh air, considering how some publishers will delete unsolicited manuscripts unread. But do follow their guidelines.

MACABRE CADAVER MAGAZINE — www.macabrecadaver.com/. This is an online horror magazine which also publishes science fiction, dark fantasy, articles, and artwork. Stories range from 500 to 8,000 words, articles from 1,000 to 3,000. But they are closed to submissions until May 2009. They associate with Stark Raven press. June 2009 update: They are terminating their Print issues, at least until the economy picks up. They are currently accepting short stories, artwork, and poetry. May 2011 update: They are going through another transition; that sort of thing happens with the undead. They are resuming their print issue, and are open for submissions.

MAGIC CARPET BOOKS - www.magiccarpetbooks.com.    This is primarily a bookseller, but I understand they do publish some books. An author told me they pay a flat rate, rather than royalties. I was unable to find terms listed on their site.

MAMA SPECIFIC PRODUCTIONS - www.MSPpress.com.   Trula Breckenridge, founder, notified me of this small press whose focus is on niche markets for mothers, such as vegetarian mothers or mothers raising biracial kids. "We are always in need of quality submissions for website content and for our quarterly print zines. Payment is $25 per accepted submission for first North American rights" one month after publication. April 2007 update: Now it connects to Guide to Blue Book Value. It must be defunct.

MANLOVEROMANCE PRESS — www.mlrpress.com/. Publisher of gay fiction and erotic romance spanning the range from historical to futuristic settings and everything between. Mysteries, vampires, aliens, ghosts, whatever. An author reported them to be prompt and professional, with in-depth edits, and would do business with them again. I was unable to open their submission guidelines file or to ascertain their terms. May 2011 update: this time I got submission guidelines.information, except that it took several minutes to download, then defaulted, giving me nothing. But they do sleem to be open to quries. I like their commont "Reading IS man's second favority activity to do in bed." I presume sleep comes third.

MANTRA E-BOOKS - www.mantra-ebooks.com. UPDATE: it has disappeared into a search portal.

MAPLEINK - wwwmapleink.com/. Gone

MARDI GRAS PUBLISHING LLC - www.mardigraspublishing.com/. The MGP proprietor ceased activity during the first week of August, first making excuses, then fading out entirely. The company phone number was disconnected, statements stopped, payments stopped, and publication ceased. The website is not being updated. She is filing for bankruptcy, though that may wait until 2008 so as to give authors a chance to find other publishers. Worse, it seemed she opened a new site, Satin Rouge Press, the end of July, having it parked for future action. That turns out to be an error; Satin Rouge was set up in July 2006, a year before, intended to be the erotic imprint, but authors preferred to stay with the mother house. Check your contracts; they should say that rights revert to the authors when the publisher folds. I expect to contract this long entry considerably, soon, since this is no longer a market. February 2008 update: A report that it may not have ended quite yet. Apparently the proprietor has not yet filed bankruptcy and hasn't returned all the rights to all the authors, and may have started a new publisher. Some of this is unverified; call it a rumor, but I have it from more than one source. I did look up the site, L A Media LLC, , and it seems to be for just three authors, and is privately registered. Looks like self publishing, which is legitimate. However, there are reports that Teresa Wayne-Jacobs is selling books there that have reverted to their authors, which is not legitimate. There are some very angry authors. April 2008 update: not so. Everyone was released from contract on September 1, 2007. Some titles do show up in certain places, the Internet being what it is, but they can't be purchased unless maybe Amazon has some left over copies. Teresa reports "I have failed as a publisher, but I will not fail as a writer...I would like to publish my own work in peace." May 2011 update: Sure enough, they're gone.

MEDICI BOOKS - www.medicibooks.org/.   April 2007 update: I got the Page cannot be found message.

MELANGE BOOKS - www.melange-books.com/. I was notified of this new house by the publisher, who says that many of their authors had been with Midnight Showcase Fiction, now closed. You can chat with their authors Thursday February 10, 2011, at www.theromancestudio.com/chat.php. They are looking for Romance of different types, science fiction, horror, contemporary, drama, gay, lesbian, young adult, erotica, non fiction and others, of assorted lengths from 6,000 words up. Response time can be 10-18 weeks (I hope faster). Royalties are 35% of net royalties digital, 10% of print. May 2011 update: They have assorted anthologies with varying submission deadlines, so it's probably worth checking every so often.

MELLEN PRESS — www.mellenpress.com/. I received an author complaint on this one, so am adding them to the list, though they seem to be a small traditional publisher. They specialize in books written by Ph.Ds who must give them exclusive rights. They sell to libraries and universities at extremely high prices--$100 and up per copy—little of which the authors see. They say their books never go out of print. So if you are a Ph.D you can publish here, but probably you'd be better off with a regular self publisher.

METROPOLIS INK - www.metropolisink.com/. They will publish your book if they like it, apparently independent of genre. Their terms are spelled out in their contract, which it seems you don't see until they accept your manuscript. They are not a vanity or self publisher, but do expect writers to purchase many copies of their own books for promotional distribution. I'd say the line is fuzzing.   UPDATE: They sent some corrections. They need not only to like your book, but to be convinced that the author is ready, willing, and able to do most of the promotion and marketing. While it is true they don't post their contract, any author they are considering is welcome to peruse it, so this isn't a blind commitment. They pay for the whole publication process, but expect a solid effort by the author. Actually this is generally true of electronic publishers, if there are to be more than minimal sales; they don't say so as clearly. April 2005 update: They are not currently accepting new manuscripts. June 2008 update: I found no indication that they are publishing any new books.

MIDNIGHT SHOWCASE - www.midnightshowcase.com/. February 2011 update: I understand this has now folded, and many of its authors have gone on to the new Melange Books. May 2011 update: Sure enough, they're gone.

MILL CITY PRESS - www.millcitypress.net/. A self publisher. Their publishing package is $1,367. They say that other self publishers make fat profits on printed copies, while Mill City changed only the actual printing cost of $3.90 per average book.

MILTON CONTACT LIMITED - www.miltoncontact.co.uk/publishing. This is a small self publisher set up to help local authors (Cambridge UK) publish their books in short print runs. I did not find information on terms. May 2010 update: They have an excellent discussion of the problems of breaking into print, but it seems you have to call or email them to get information on their terms.

MILVERSTEAD PUBLISHING - www.milversteadpublishing.com/. This seems to be a new publisher of general fiction. They describe their publishing package, but I am not clear whether this is regular or self publishing. I checked their FAQ and all it said was "Coming soon." July 2010 update: They have published fiction and memoirs, plus a children's book. An author wanted to republish a nonfiction book, had trouble with her bought-out prior publisher, and tried Milverstead. She is very pleased with it. May 2011 update: But there's hardly any information on their site.

MIRROR PUBLISHING - www.pagesofwonder.com/. Small press publishing quality children's books. Currently accepting submissions only for full color children's books and books for young adults. They accept only a small number. I did not find information on terms. March 2011 update: A report that they are really a vanity or self publisher: you pay to be published there.

MISFIT BOOKS - www.misfitbooks.net/. Gone.

MOJOCASTLE PRESS - www.mojocastle.com/. Erotica and Erotic Romance, 8,000 words to infinity, any subgenre. I did not find royalty rates, but presume they are standard. The usual restrictions: underage, bestiality, necrophilia, forced seduction, snuff, urine/feces, straight pornography, and TSTL = Too Stupid To Live. Do try for good plot, characterization and writing.  October update: A report that the editors are very much on the ball, and Stephanie Kelsey is easy to approach. Royalties are 45% of the net. April 2007 update: Closed to submissions until further notice. April 2008 update: note from Stephanie saying they lost a partner due to personal issues, but the remaining two are still going strong. They are accepting queries now, but still not submissions per se. they are keeping their numbers low—about 20 authors—so they can do their best for those. "Attitude is just as important as writing ability for us." They have partnered with a private printer to produce their print books. This means the format is bigger than trade and they don't distribute through Ingram, but all authors get 45% of net. This is unusual for print sales, but seems to be working so far. They hope to convert their whole catalog to print, in due course. So if you're a decent writer with a ferociously promoting attitude, this may be your ideal location. June 2008 update: But a negative report: they took 18 months to process a book, did not respond to queries, and finally let it go rather than publish it. August 2008 update: Another negative report: in 18 months from acceptance, neither publication nor firm release date, and communication with Stephanie Kelsey is becoming chancy. Apparently the publisher is getting overwhelmed. October 2008 update: The proprietor says that she has posted three different phone numbers she can be reached at, and has encouraged writers to call or text her if they have a problem. They were overwhelmed by the default of one of their three partners, and had to deal with dead links, uncorrected mistakes, lack of proper records, and so on. So they gave releases to authors who got fed up. They are operating in the black now and expect to do well. December 2008 update: They continue to gain on their backlog, focusing on the books that have waited the longest. June 2009 update: they are now accepting submission queries. May 2010 update: Still accepting queries.

MOON GYPSY PRESS - www.moongypsypress.com/. They are interested in high quality books regardless of genre. Primarily Romance, but they also do other genres and nonfiction. Many subcategories of Romance, with the usual restrictions. I did not find information on terms. October 2010 update: they seem responsive, but can take a month or more to get an immediate contract out to the author. That's a warning signal. April 2011 update: I have seen dialogue with an author, and my impression is that they can foul up but are responsive and do try to fix it. Still, the author is not satisfied. May 2011 update: They are open for submissions. July 2011 update: But a query to their local Better Business Bureau evoked the news that they seem to have ignored a complaint. It will take a legal summons, which is in the works.

MOONLITBOOKS - www.moonlitbooks.com. December 2003 update: out of business. April 2004 update: Well, in a manner; they're still there, but no longer publishing. June 2008 update: A notice: "This domain may be for sale." May 2010 update: The site remains, but they don’t seem to be publishing.

MOONLIT GARDEN - www.moonlitgardenbooks.com. April 2005 update: they seem to be out of business.

MOONLIT ROMANCE - www.moonlitromance.com/. An imprint of Unique enterprises, about which I have a bad report. February 2009 update: I am told they are out of business. June 2009 update: Indeed, their page is gone.

MORRIS PUBLISHING - www.morrispublishishing.com/. Self publisher, offering a free publishing kit. Minimum order of 200 books at 2.72 per book, so you'll have to invest about $600. Actually it will cost you twice that for a typical 300 pages novel. You can send for their free publishing kit for details. June 2008 update: It says that Flash Player 8 or higher is required to view this website. So I didn't view it. May 2010 update: Now they let me view their site. They can print quantities of 100-5,000.

MOTH MAGAZINE - www3.telus.net/throwingsticks/. June 2008 update: Page Not Found.

MOUNTAIN VIEW PUBLISHING - www.trebleheartbooks.com/MVWelcome.html. This looks good for inspiration fiction. It's a Christian site, apparently expanding into more general categories: Anthology, Autobiography, Children's, Christian Fiction, Christian Romance both Contemporary and Historical, Fantasy, Mystery, straight Romance, Young Adult, and stories. But submissions are closed, apparently due to an Act of God.
UPDATE: This is now a part of TREBLE HEART BOOKS  It's the Christian division. Submissions are open again, but query first. June 2009 update: Page Not Found.

MOXIE PRESS - www.moxiepress.com/. April 2007 update: they have closed.

MULTI-MEDIA PUBLICATIONS — www.mmpubs.com/. This is the outfit that bought out Crystal Dreams, which is now one of their imprints. Other imprints are Lessons from History, which is a series of books, ebooks, audiobooks, and DVDs analyzing historical events. Project Management libraries of books and audiobooks. Networking for Results. Impact Publications, for fiction and general adult trade nonfiction. Impact Publications, for young entrepreneurs. Birth Books is coming soon, appropriately. But when I answered their email, it bounced. June 2008 update: They are open to submissions in a number of genres in a number of forms. Royalties of 20% of net sales. June 2009 update: I could not verify that they are still publishing, rather than bookselling. May 2010 update: This time I verified that they are still publishing. They have a large backlog of fiction so aren’t accepting that, but are interested in specific nonfiction.

MUNDANIA PRESS LLC - www.mundania.com/. New very small epublisher with hard copies too. This came into existence to handle the reprinting of my dirty fantasy novel Pornucopia, but has expanded to have a number of other writers and titles. No, I'm not running it, but have a financial interest in it.  It is also looking for previously published books, and for new authors. Several of my new novels will be published here, but that does not guarantee that they or the publisher will be successful; I regard it as an experiment. Also, if my books do well here, that does not necessarily mean that yours will too, so be cautious. Their sample contract has plain-English explanation of what the legalese language means. They take electronic, hardcover, and trade paperback rights for two years; it can be canceled thereafter on a month's notice. Royalties: 50% electronic, 15% on hard copies, paid quarterly, based on what they get. There is a good audit clause. You might want to look at these explanations when considering the contract of some other publisher, as the legaleze is similar. April 2005 update: they have been growing rapidly, and now have more than 75 titles and considerable ambition. April 2006 update: this time I counted 86 authors, some of whom have many titles, so the growth continues. They remain open for submissions, doing electronic and print editions. But I have to say, based on my own experience, they can be glacially slow.  Sales: in accordance with my attempt to indicate relative sales of publishers, I am starting with my own sample figures. Eight novels there paid a total of $733.16 in the first quarter of 2006, or an average of about $91.65 per book. The most was Pornucopia = 170.70; the least was Omnivore = $3.30. February 2007 update: they are closed to submissions for the 2007 season. April 2005 update: Unsolicited submissions will reopen in late 2007. They list a number of EPPIE awards they won, including the Margroff'/Anthony reprint of Dragon's Gold. So my experience continues: if you are willing to wait forever, they can do well by your books. October 2007 update: Dan Reitz and Bob Sanders, who run Mundania, visited me in September, and I got an earful of the problems small publishers face. They are deluged with up to 500 submissions per month, and their attempts to get some of their books into brick & mortar stores are met with on again, off again reactions that look like random incompetence but I think are actually part of a system designed to prevent small press from getting an even chance. As author Robert Moore Williams put it, decades ago: the big hogs have their snouts in the trough, and they aren't about to let the little pigs get any swill. June 2008 update: They are open to unsolicited submissions in March, April, September, October. During the other months they consider only solicited material. In my experience they have been prompt to respond to queries. February 2009 update: Authors can now access their royalty reports online. This includes past reports as well. April 2009 update: Mundania has acquired Awe-Struck E-books. June 2009 update: I attended the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention at the behest of Mundania; see my report in the JeJune 2009 HiPiers column. But now they are closed to submissions. July 2009 update: Mundania has acquired Hard Shell Word Factory, which will become an imprint, as of August 1, 2009. Existing contracts will be carried through. August 2009 update: A report that they did not answer queries. They have only certain months for submissions, but that shouldn't mean complete silence at other times. May 2010 update: wait until June to submit. Royalties are now 45% net on ebooks, 15% net on print. June 2010 update: I had a complaint about books still being sold a year after the rights were returned, and nonresponse to queries. The explanation finally came through: B&N gets books from Fictionwise, which they now own, and it seems to take time to shut down the pipeline, maybe like the problem with an oil spell. Mundania says "We've contacted B&N several times about this and we're still trying to solve the problem. In the event any book sells while we're working on this issue, the full amount will be forwarded to the author." In fact they seem to be taking forthright action to resolve this problem for a number of authors. Okay, I have a conflict of interest here, because I have a monetary investment in Mundania, and they paid my way to a convention. As far as I know, they are honestly run. But I will say that they can be excruciatingly slow. I have titles contracted there that are still waiting publication several years later. My impression is that they are backlogged and have trouble keeping up. So if you are in a hurry, seek elsewhere. There is also a complaint about lack of editing. One report is that titles at Mundania do not sell better than titles elsewhere, and seemed to feel that I might be downplaying competitors of Mundania because of my investment therein. Yes, I have also been accused of doing that to favor Xlibris, a former investment. I make my involvement clear, as I do again in this update, and let others judge. May 2011 update: They are currently closed for submissions, but check again in the fall. I have a complaint from a Hard Shell author about missing statements and payments. Okay, I queried the publisher, and learned that they are behind, but are working on it, and will pay 15% interest on those late royalties when they do get them out. August 2011 update: complaint and refutation. The charge was that back royalties have not been paid, royalty statements have not been made for two of the years since the acquisition of Hard Shell, and that emails go unanswered. The publisher replies that reports were combined; none were missing. Dan Reitz's wife was seriously ill, and this took much of his time, but he still got the books and payments out on time. However, the Hard Shell records were incomplete, and about 100 authors are missing. Any Hard Shell authors who are not already in touch should contact the publisher at books@mundania.com. Meanwhile they are integrating Hard Shell and Awe Struck into Mundania, with Phaze remaining a separate imprint.

MUSEITUP PUBLISHING - http://museituppublishing.com/. A Canadian e-publisher that opened in March 2010. Romance, Paranormal, Young Adult, Mystery, Horror, Science Fiction, and variants. Also Erotica, with the usual cautions. 45,000 words up. Royalties of 40% of the download price. They are reported to be author friendly and approachable, but very slow. Submissions were closed July and August but are supposed to reopen September 1, 2011 That's now. October 2011 update: I heard from the publisher, Lea Schizas. They had Internet server woes and had to change, but are now trying to catch up with submissions. She hopes to acknowledge submissions sooner.

MY EBOOK PUBLISHER - www.myebookpublisher.com/. Sigh; I had just entered this, but they changed their mind and will not exist after all. I list this much only for the benefit of those who might have thought they would exist. May 2011 update: it says the site is under construction. That's electronic for nonexistence.

MYSTIC MOON PRESS - www.mysticmoonpress.com/. Evidently a new electronic publisher, open to all genres except poetry. Lengths range from 2,500 to 60,000+ words. They do not indicate what their royalty rates are. Submissions should be in Times New Roman 12 pt font. June 2009 update: they are open for submissions in all genres except poetry, but watch it on sex. 2,500 to 60,000+ words. I did not find information on terms. August 2009 update: I have several reports that this publisher has crashed, leaving authors in the lurch. Stories abound, such as that the owner of MMP was also the owner of the late Triskelion, that the owner made up a fake partner, then killed her off from cancer, that the CEO falsely claimed to have suffered identity theft, that Fictionwise was said to be late relaying payments, that two top officers resigned without saying why. Okay, a notice from Kris Chartrand states she resigned July 16, 2009 because she was lied to from the beginning. At least one Fictionwise check was cashed, not lost. She has filed with the FBI—Internet Fraud Division. In sum: this publisher is gone, and not politely.

MYSTIC RIDGE BOOKS — www.mysticridgebooks.com/. This was recommended to me as a new publisher to list, so I checked it. It's been in business over a decade, and appears to be a print publisher, so isn't right for this survey.

NEW AGE DIMENSIONS PUBLISHING - www.newagedimensionspublishing.com/. April 2006 update: they have abruptly closed as a small press, because of the effects of Hurricane Wilma, and are reverting to being a self publisher. All royalties have been paid, and titles reverted to the authors.   June 2007 update: the site remains, but has become an information source. August 2007 update: now it forwards to a free hosting place. The URL will expire in November 2007. 

NET PUB - www.netpub.net. This is a print-on-demand publisher who says they have had over one trillion impressions printed. But their site doesn't seem to provide information on terms. You have to request a quote. June 2008 update: Under "Get Published" is a description of Hudson House Publishing. You still have to request a quote. August 2009 update: I heard from their marketing director, who says they have 25 years experience in the book and manual business.

NEW-AUTHOR.COM - see the Services section.

NEW BABEL BOOKS - www.newbabelbooks.com/. They plan to publish 6 books a year by hand-picked authors. POD, but the authors don't pay, and will receive royalties.  April 2006 update: They are not actively seeking submissions, but will listen if you query seriously.   June 2007 update: same as before. June 2008 update: Page cannot be found message. June 2009 update: They are there now, but scanty on information. June 2010 update: still no information on terms, which makes me wonder. February 2011 update: I heard from the publisher. The enterprise started as a way to publish works of his own that were too hard a sell for traditional publishers, then expanded to other authors. Now they have acquired their own printing press, hoping to get traditional distribution. They hope to have new content up in a month or so. May 2011 update: The site remains awful light on information.

NEW BEDLAM - www.newbedlam.com/. A magazine to be published quarterly April 1, July 1, October 1, January 1. They expect to publish one poem, two flash (that is, 75-750 words), two short and one long fiction story per issue, as well as guest spots from various residents of New Bedlam. All submissions must take place in the fictional town of New Bedlam, somewhere in central USA, in any time frame; horror, steampunk, science fiction, dark romance. No erotica or children's or nonfiction. They pay one cent a word, to a limit of $20. Their reading periods are July/August, October/November, January/February, and April/May. They are closed to submissions as of June 1, 2009; Presumably that means now that June is over, they are open. June 2010 update: They look fascinating, but I found no information on submissions.

NEW CENTURY PUBLISHING - www.newcenturypublishing.org/. I was queried about this self publisher, and advised to Google it. I did, and learned that the Indiana Attorney General investigated because of complaints by authors of being charged $1,500 to $10,000 to publish their books but getting nothing but excuses. The proprietor David Caswell owes thousands in back rent and is being evicted. He has served time in prison for fraud and income tax evasion, and was even a bigamist. Indiana his filed a civil lawsuit. In sum: avoid this publisher and person. May 2011 update: It is now a self publishing search site.

NEW CONCEPTS PUBLISHING - www.newconceptspublishing.com/. NCP for short. It is expanding to ten books a month. Actively seeking other genres to add to the book list, including Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery, Horror, Mainstream, Erotica (but not pornography), and Nostalgia. They are also looking for Art. 60,000 to 120,000 words. They offer 30% of list price on downloads for direct sales. The contract is for three to five years, and the author has the option of renewing or leaving, with all rights reverting. They are in the print market as well as electronic, and plan to expand to book stores soon. They never close their doors to submissions, and their editors have excellent discussions on what they are looking for, but they are said to be somewhat lax about responding to authors.   February 2004 Update: But I have a very bad report on their sloppiness and nonresponsiveness and possible cheating of authors. If they list no sales, when there have been sales, how long should one allow it to be in the pipeline before crying foul? Maybe their personnel are overworked, but I'd be wary. April 2004 update: I have received other bad reports, as well as emphatic defenses of the publisher by other writers and its staff. After a struggle--see my comment in the April 2004 HiPiers column--I conclude that misunderstandings account for much of the bad feeling. The publisher is not trying to cheat anyone, but has not always kept authors informed. One writer reported that the publisher's site was hacked at the end of 2003, causing it to be offline for over a month, which may have contributed to the confusion. June 2004 update--But complaints continue, so it's not over yet. December 2004 update: Complaints still are coming in, acknowledging routine problems from disorganization and overworked staff. They also are reported to resist reverting contracts at their normal termination dates, even refusing delivery on a certified letter with such a request. Read the complaint on the National Writers' Union site; legal action is being considered. That's arrogant mischief. There are too many instances; I have to say that this publisher should be avoided. August 2005 update: it seems that in the interest of enhanced sales they are spicing up their books, and removing the less sexy titles. They seem to have changed their nature, and books not rated R or more will be on the back burner. February 2007 update: another negative report of unreported royalties and nonresponse to complaints. April 2007 update: it gets worse: one author submitted a manuscript, got no response, queried twice, and after 7 months finally asked them to remove the submission, as it had been sold elsewhere. After another two months came an email offering a contract. It seems that they hired an author liaison--who also does not respond to emails. But I do have a report of their finally making good on what was owed. June 2007 update: this time I did not find submission information. I received more than one complaint that writers are not informed of publications dates and that answering queries is considered too much of a burden. They may be making changes in manuscripts without letting authors review them. One author's name was incorrect on the cover, but they would not fix it. But I have a report of 200 copy sales, which isn't bad. October 2007 update: A reader paid for a book, but then the publisher did not send the download link. An accidental glitch? December 2007 update: a report of poor service but very good sales. So mixed signals continue. April 2008 update: yet another bad report of lack of communication, poor customer service, and authors having problems getting their rights back after their contracts expire. There is an extended discussion at an author loop, the essence of which is that authors must post anonymously to avoid vindictive retaliation, that authors who ask questions can get blacklisted, that there is no editing, payments can be late, and that the proprietor publishes her own material under multiple aliases, with those getting the most promotion. One says that NCP was good, but has been going downhill the past 18 months. One is bemused that the publisher can't be bothered to notify authors when their books are being published. But some posts are positive. One says that the blacklist is a myth. The publisher, Madris DePasture, has a long hard-nosed discussion of publishing and authors that makes sense; it is true that many seeming errors are mostly the ignorance of new writers. So as an outsider, I suspect the truth is somewhere in between. June 2008 update: a reader bought a book there, but never received it or any reply to a query. Any legitimate publisher would be concerned about such a glitch and rectify it promptly. So this is worrisome. No sign of this on the site. August update: refund finally given, after 4 months of confusion and nonresponse to queries. Their Web site says they currently receive between 25,000 and 45,000 hits per day, and are on their way to becoming a multi-million dollar company by 2009. They accept only submissions that are publication-ready; there does not seem to be an editing process. So proofread your manuscript before you submit it. And a bad complaint: an author submitted a three chapter partial book, per their guidelines, then took time to work on it—and they published it as part of a three author collaboration, with the other authors picking up from her beginning. Now this sort of thing can be done; I've done it. But it has to be by contract, and that was not the case here. So it was an involuntary collaboration. The publisher says she was in breach of contract by not delivering; author says there was no specified due date. Looks from here as if the author has the right of it. Yes, it happened to me, in traditional print, decades ago when a publisher rendered my novel But What of Earth? into a degraded collaboration without my knowledge, in egregious violation of the contract. I objected, and the publisher apologized, reverted the rights to me, fired the editor, and shut down the line. And fans said I was too easy on them because I didn't sue. Okay, they were in the process of doing the last two things anyway. But I could have forced it, had I sued. I saw no need; I'm tough minded, but not that much of an ogre. I had the novel republished elsewhere, restored, with 25,000 words of commentary on the idiocies of the original editing. So in my judgment, unless the publisher can prove breach of contract by the author, such as a delivery deadline, it owes the author reversion and public apology, and shutdown of the book unless it can negotiate a contractual compromise with the author. Because arrogance like this needs to be curbed, for the good of the field. It seems they have also deleted the clause that requires written permission from the author before the editor can make changes, and have done some horrendously destructive editing. Yes, some manuscripts do need serious editing, but in other cases it comes across like a pig rooting in a flower garden. So maybe it is just as well that they have stopped editing at all. They have also run a Public Notice listing a number of authors whose rights they are reverting because of breach of contracts. One would think such matters are best handled privately, and when they list the author's pseudonyms and real names that's like hanging dirty laundry out in public, intended to be embarrassing. Or, worse, to get authors in trouble with their daytime employers, who don't know their secret lives as spicy-fiction writers. It looks from here like more mean-spirited arrogance. Other complaints, selected from a myriad: royalties can be late, without corresponding 1099 forms. Favoritism to some authors, such as NCP pen names. Not informing authors of release dates. Refusal to take books off websites when reverted. I even heard of a case, surely one among many, where an author corresponded with another NCP author, only to learn later that she was a house pseudonym. I suppose that's one way for a publisher to phish for private complaints and out secret critics, but there's a nasty odor. October 2008 update: a report that at the end of July NCP deleted its 1700+ readers loop without warning. It is conjectured this was because readers were complaining about paying for but not receiving orders. Later they opened a new readers loop, but with all messages moderated, meaning that complaints would not get through. On the in-house author loop they post only emails from the NCP staff. The odor thickens. June 2009 update: they remain open for submissions, and say the average payout to authors over three years ranges from $44 to $8,455.46, depending on genre. June 2010 update: They are no longer buying "sweet" romances; their readers demand stronger stuff. But they are always open for submissions. May 2011 update: The site remains, but seems nut fully functional. For example, the Submissions page is blank.

NEW LEAF BOOKS - www.newleafbooks.net/.   This is a new small publisher, an imprint of WigWam Publishing Co. Hardcover, paperback, and electronic. It pays no advance, but offers an "attractive royalty package." Looking for nonfiction 70,000+ words, genre fiction 70-100,000, and Young Adult, 50-90,000. No erotica. Query first, and response time on manuscripts is four to six weeks. They are open to different fiction, unique stories, unforgettable characters, and strong plot lines. With no visible track record, this publisher can't be judged good or bad, but its attitude looks promising. October 2005 update: But now they are accepting only nonfiction. June 2007 update: unchanged. June 2009 update: they now have a 2009 date, but I can't verify that they remain open to submissions. June 2010 update: Their update of 9-1-2009 says they are currently closed to new submissions. May 2011 update: Their last update is 1-10-2011. they are closed to sebmissions at this time. Check back later.

NEXT STOP HOLLYWOOD - http://nextstophollywood.org/. The idea is that they will publish a collection of stories adaptable to movies, thus providing Hollywood with what it needs and helping the careers of writers. But they are canny about details. You have to give them a lot of personal information before they let you see their terms of agreement and they won't say what they pay, though they are sure writers will be happy with it. They expect to get 7-10% royalties, which they will split evenly with the authors on a pro-rata basis. This is reasonably standard, and it seems they do pay an advance. So will it work? I have had more experience than most writers with the vagaries of Hollywood deals, and I am skeptical. But if you have a suitable story you haven't placed elsewhere, this might be a worthwhile gamble.   June 2007 update: They announce an anthology of 15 stories published by St. Martins Press, selected from 600 on the criterion "Would this story make a terrific film or TV project?" A 2008 edition is planned. I presume they'll inform us if any of the stories actually become movies. April 2008 update: a writer who asked for information found instead obscurities. The word out is that this is a scam. I have no solid information, but be wary. June 2008 update: Their last update was dated 10-17-07, seeking graphic novels in any genre, and nonfiction. June 2009 update: I got a blank screen. I suspect they require a loading device I lack. June 2010 update: It is there in good order now. But 2007 seems to be an recent as they get. May 2011 update: I lacked the additional plugins to view their site.

NEXUS TEQ - http://ebooks.nexusteq.com. Apparently out of business; the link now leads to Findwho.com. June 2009 update: now the link leads to eBooks.com, a bookseller.

NITELINKS - www.nitelinks.com/.    February 2004 update: No longer in business.

NOBLE ROMANCE PUBLISHING - www.nobleromance.com/. They pay author advances of up to $1,000. That's remarkable for an e-publisher. They are looking for a passionate, gripping love story in any sub-genre, with honest, graphic sex, that pushes the envelope. Any sexual fantasy goes, except pedophilia, necrophilia, bestiality, etc. Length 20,000 words up. I did not find information on terms. October 2008 update: They sent me a sample contract. 7 year term of agreement, 5 free copies for the author, 36% royalties for a digital edition, 20% for print on demand formats, 7% for traditional print formats, 10% for audio. June 2009 update: exceedingly slow loading site. They still offer $1,000 advances for erotic romance. They want the hottest risque sexual fantasy. March 2010 update: I have a very favorable report of superb editing, fantastic cover art, monthly royalty statements, and all questions answered. April 2010 update: And when an author wanted out, they acquiesced with good grace, no kill fees. March 2011 update: An author report that the editing was adequate, but not great. Questions can go unanswered. There seems to have been some author group backbiting with the odor of publisher involvement. Statements and royalties are on time. May 2011 update: many publishers will not touch sex under age 18. Noble will, at least for ages 18 or 17. Good for them; in real life the average of first sexual experience is 15. Why not acknowledge it? Meanwhile they do also accept non-erotic romance for their "Sweetheart" line. But I understand they arenot BBB registered.

NO BOUNDARIES PUBLISHING — www.noboundariespublishing.com/. A new ebook publisher starting in May, 2011. They accept works from 5,000 to 100,000 words in all genres, looking for quality stories that will capture a reader's imagination. My observwation of their initial titles indicates this is true; they are ones I'd like to read, given world enough and time. One year contracts, 50% royalties. January 2012 update: I have a very favorable report on the spirit and competence of their editing.

NOVEL BOOKS - www.novelbooksinc.com. April 2005 update: it has folded, as of the beginning of the year, leaving authors and staffers unpaid. So much for integrity. There may be legal action. February 2006 update: Confirmation on how they took their authors, artists, and editors for a ride, stiffing them all. June 2009 update: And yet the site remains, selling books, but they are not accepting submissions at this time. May 2011 update: Page Not Found.

NVF MAGAZINE - www.freewebs.com/nvhmag1, Publishes horror short stories and poems. Theoretically pays royalties, but this seems doubtful. June 2009 update: As of June 2009, this will be online only, no further print issues. Pay for authors will be in exposure only. They mention that almost 500 publications have gone digital or folded entirely; costs have wiped them out. July 2009 update: confirmation from an author that they aren't paying royalties.

OCEAN'S MIST PRESS - /www.oceansmistpress.com. February 2008 update: it's gone.

OMNIBUCKET - www.omnibucket.com/. I was asked about this, so looked it up. It required me to download Flash Macromedia to view its site, theoretically a three minute download, actually ten minutes. Flash has never worked on any of my systems, and didn't work this time, so I can't report on this site. June 2008 update: Now it works. It says it is a creative incubator more than a traditional publishing company. It believes in Multimedia. I can't say I am creative enough to properly understand it, but maybe more creative types do. June 2010 update: I clicked the Submit Content link, and it said "No content types available."

OMNIFIC PUBLISHING - www.omnificpublishing.com/. I originally got this confused with an advertising service, but it is an independent publisher of romantic fiction that seeks to break the mold of traditional romance “with stories that excite, inspire, amuse, and amaze.” It is woman-owned, staffed by professionals, and publishes in electronic and trade paperback. Royalties are 35% for both ebook and net print sales. Preferred length is 60,000 words or more, up to about 175,000.

OMNISCIA - omniscia@forsiteuk.com. No www address was given for this one, so I'm listing their email address instead. It says: "Omniscia is a new publishing company that is seeking to publish material online. We offer you, the author, 35% of each sale made. We will use state of the art publishing techniques in a secure document format. There are no strings attached, if your work sells then you earn substantial amounts of money, if not we will surrender all publishing rights back to you after six months of market exposure. If you are interested in this service and have produced anything that you believe deserves to be published, then please send an e-mail with your contact details, and some information on your work."
UPDATE: still no site or information. February 2006 update: I am told they do not reply as their mailbox is full. 

ONLINE ORIGINALS - www.onlineoriginals.com. It is a British online-only publisher with 50% royalties. They offer constructive feedback on all submissions, and a review of your manuscript can be commissioned for £40, $60. Each work must be book length, previously unpublished, original, well written, intelligent, and available in French or English. My impression is that they are looking for quality, and that your manuscript has to be pretty good to be accepted here. They accept only one out of 300 submissions on average.

ORPHEUS ROMANCE - www.orpheusromance.com/. 2003 UPDATE: Gone

OTHER WORLDS PUBLICATIONS - They are currently accepting submissions for both print and ebooks for Paranormal, Mystery, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy. At least 55,000 words for the former, 2,000 to 100,000 words for the latter. “We are a publisher with the Author in mind.” Royalties of 25% of net receipts for print sales, 80% of net for electronic sales, payable quarterly. There is an audit clause, but not a good one.

OUTSKIRTS PRESS - www.outskirtspress.com/. This is a self publisher with packages ranging from $199 to $999. for electronic to POD editions. It says it partners with all the big Internet booksellers. October 2004 update: I am advised that this publisher has gotten the email addresses of a number of other publishers' clients and is deviously soliciting them. This smells of a scam, but I don't have solid evidence.  October 2006 update: I have a report that this publisher was very friendly, until the money was received. Thereafter it was drop dead, leaving the project unfinished. Bad vibes here.  October 2007 update: I ran across a promotional book I received at a conference a year ago: Self Publishing Simplified, by OUTSKIRTS PRESS. Of course it paints a rosy picture of this outfit's services, which should be taken with a near-lethal dose of salt, but along the way it does have a fair discussion of the problems of self publishing, such as distribution, and is worth glancing through for this reason. February 2009 update: I heard from the Author Services Director, defending the publisher, requesting that I remove the disparaging and unconfirmed report. He wanted the identity of my source. No go; I was blacklisted for 6 years when I objected to the way a print publisher cheated me, so I don't give publishers such information. He also said "If your site's intention truly is an objective one and not a clandestine promotional tactic..." which suggest the way he thinks. Obviously he did not endear himself to me. He also said "Xlibris requires some of the highest retail prices and pays some of the lowest royalties in the self publishing industry." The presumption is that Outskirts charges lower retail prices and pays higher royalties, and authors should check this out. I can say that Xlibris has honestly paid a lot of royalties, and hope that Outskirts matches it in that respect. He did not address the matter of whether Outskirts solicited the clients of other publishers. June 2009 update: This time I got a list of supported browsers. Nothing on Outskirts itself. June 2011 update: However, their introductory description of the problems of first time authors is a good one.

PAGEFREE PUBLISHING - www.pagefreepublishing.com. This is a self publisher. It says that an impressive number of best-selling authors paid to get their first books published, Hemingway, Poe, Kipling, Tennyson, T S Elliot, the author of Waller's The Bridges of Madison County--I didn't know that! June 2010 update: They are ceasing publishing immediately, owing to financial setbacks as a result of the illness of their CEO. They will try to settle fairly with their authors. June 2011 update: It is now a publishing search site.

PALABRAS PRESS - http://www.palabras-press.com. I was sent this address to be checked, but it gave me a blank screen. August 2005 update: I received a note that they have chosen to advertise in Quills Canadian Poetry Magazine. October 2005 update: There are there now with articles on writing fiction and poetry. It's a small literary ezine. October 2006 update: they have courses and workshops. They are accepting manuscripts for publication. They have announced their Third Annual International Dance With Words Poetry Contest. June 2009 update: To discuss your publishing requirements, you have to contact them at their Canadian office, by phone.

PAM PUBLISHING - http://pampublishing.freeservers.com. October 2008 update: They have closed.

PARKER PUBLISHING - www.parkerpublishing.com/. I was asked about this, so looked it up. It turns out that the domain is for sale. That's not a good sign. So I'm not clear whether they are in future business, or in the process of folding.

PEANUT PRESS - www.peanutpress.com. June 2010 update: The page was blank, but supposed to refresh in 5 seconds. It didn’t. June 2011 update: It is now a search site.

PENDULUM PRESS - www.pendulumpress.com/. Electronic publisher of mysteries and suspense fiction, open for submissions in all sub-genres, but no pornography. Query with a synopsis of the story, plus the first three chapters, not to exceed 10,000 words. I found no information on terms, but they seem to be pretty sure of themselves.  August 2006 update: no address. June 2008 update: This domain may be for sale. June 2009 update: It is Pendulum Press again. June 2010 update: Now it’s Tate Publishing. June 2011 update: They remain there, but only as a bookseller.

PENNED, INK - www.pennedink.com/.   This is a new self publisher offering a number of services ranging from editing to ghost writing. Publishing costs $325. It will also give advice, leading off with a discussion of The Outline. As prices for publishing go, this is cheap, and the advice is free. But as yet it has no track record. June 2007 update: Their basic publishing package is now $1,000. June 2009 update: Now their fee for publishing is $325. June 2010 update: I got no page.

PENKNIFE PRESS - www.penknifepress.com/.    "Our goal is to publish works that the mainstream publishing industry won't publish because the works are not intended for the mass market." They are looking for literary fiction with some depth. I did not find information on their terms. They have emailed me more than once with samples, and they do seem literary to me. I would say that it would help to be intelligent and open-minded, if you want to properly appreciate their wares. They don't seem to be pulling their punches. February 2006 update: That business of emailing samples is incurring annoyance. WritersWeekly reports a number of complaints, and it seems Penknife refuses to turn them off when requested. They say that other sites are doing it, not the host company. The "unsubscribe" button bounces. Folk consider it spam. So it seems it is a publisher of quality and challenging material with a bad attitude about promotion.   June 2007 update: Royalties are 50% of net profits, and there are fees. They have an audit clause, but it's not a good one. Their sample excerpts remain excellent for anyone with a mind. June 2008 update: Page cannot be found. June 2009 update: They are back in good order, but I'm not sure they're a market. June 2010 update: No indication that they are open for submissions. June 2011 update: Now they seem to be a news site.

PENUMBRA PUBLISHING —www.penumbrapublishing.com/. A new, small independent online publishing company offering both electronic and print editions. Open to submissions in various genres, especially Romance, 35,000 – 200,000 words. They aren't opposed to erotic fiction but feel it should be tried elsewhere first. I did not find information on terms, but their listing of requirements is comprehensive and it may be there somewhere. I have a favorable report of their treatment of a new author.

PETALS OF LIFE PUBLISHING - www.petalsoflife.com/. Gone

PETERSEN PUBLISHING GROUP - www.petersenpublishinggroup.com/.  They talk of cost sharing, partnership publishing, but seem canny about what the author pays. Much discussion about the liabilities of all other forms of publishing. This seems to be a form of self publishing, which accepts 75% of the manuscripts they receive. The process takes 4-6 months. I will be interested in feedback from authors who actually try it. Indications are that it will cost $8,000 to $10,000 for the full treatment. For that price, it had better be damned good. June 2009 update: I got a screen identifying them, but otherwise blank. June 2010 update: This now took me to The Author’s Workshop.

PHAZE - www.phaze.com/.  Ultra-sensual fiction, wide open (no pun) to all submissions including simultaneous and multiple, from 5,000 to more than 90,000 words in five categories, and single author collections. Except the usual: bestiality, pedophilia, necrophilia, bodily wastes, serious injury or positively portrayed rape. No need to query; just submit your manuscript. They want strong, passionate, intelligent characters, intense sensual tension, and good narrative. Electronic submissions only. They acknowledge within two days, and try to report within four months. They take print rights, because they hope to do some print editions. Royalties are 15% on the net received for print editions, and 50% of net electronic received, paid quarterly. I like the name of this publisher, for some reason. April 2005 update: this turns out to be an imprint of MUNDANIA, which I hadn't realized. Evidently their erotic arm.  August 2006 update: they do now have print titles available, three in the Erotic Romance section of Borders. December 2006 update: A very positive report.   June 2007 update: Their publication schedule for 2007 is filled, but they remain open for 2008. The only material they need for 2007 is for two themed 5-12K length HeatSheets. They are focusing on quality women's erotica. I am now doing business there, coincidentally (I'm not a quality woman), with my Relationships series of spicy story collections.  October 2007 update: another very positive report of first month sales of 100-200 copies. My reprinted Relationships, in contrast, sold 2 copies in July, so normal sales are probably somewhere in between. June 2009 update: They seem to be open to submissions, and have a sensible FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section clarifying what they will and will not consider. March 2010 update: A favorable report of their being professional and responsive with excellent editing and fairly decent royalty payments four times a year. June 2010 update: But they tend to be excruciatingly slow. November 2010 update: A mixed report of disorganization but a good working environment. That accords with my experience; they were taking so long to process contracts that books of mine were getting published before the contracts were signed. I made an issue, and got the contracts. I have novels there that have been waiting years to get published. January 2011 update: a report that they continue to list a book months after reversion, and very slow royalties.

PINESTEIN - www.pinestein.com/. They have clever commentary about their professor Pinestein Porcupine, genius IQ, discoverer of Quillativity. They do children's books and look forward to hearing from writers, but say they are unable to respond to inquiries or submissions. They do look at everything, though. I have an author report that they mean it: no responses. Now I have a problem with this: they should answer queries, and should acknowledge submissions, so the authors know they have arrived safely. This is basic courtesy. I found no information on terms, which may be par for that course. So you can feed your manuscripts into this black hole if you wish, but until their attitude in this respect changes, I'd avoid them. June 2011 update: Site Not Found.

PINK FLAMINGO - www.pinkflamingo.com/. "Erotic Stories & Novels Bondage, Spanking & Fetish Stories in Paperback & Ebooks. "Original, Sexy & intelligent Fiction You won't find anywhere else!" That seems to cover the territory, but I couldn't find any information on terms for writers.   June 2007 update: They are open for submissions, but a visitor has to register with them to get information on terms, and I'm not into registration. June 2010 update: A generally favorable report that they pay 15% royalties on the retail and wholesale prices of any paperback, and 20% on ebooks, quarterly, usually on time, but sometimes delayed. They move aggressively into any new market for ebooks.

PNEUMA SPRINGS.CO.UK - www.pneumasprings.co.uk/. The site seems to be all about restrictions on the use of the site; I did not find information on terms. However, I have a highly favorable report from one of their authors. This appears to be a British self publisher. Everything is up front and in black and white; no hidden clauses or extras to pay. You pick the deal that suits you. From start to finish for the book was 10 weeks. June 2009 update: The site was so slow loading that I gave up. May 2010 update: a positive report: "Now publishing my third book through [Pneuma] and have absolutely no complaints at the service offered and delivered." June 2011 update: This time the site loaded promptly. It takes them up to four weeks to acknowledge receipt of a manuscript.

POETRY.COM - www.poetry.com/. This seems to be the online access of Watermark Press, which says it is the largest publisher of poetry in the world. I gather that you pay to have a number of copies of your book published: About $400 for 15 copies of a 60 page book, for example. So this is a straightforward self publisher. UPDATE: I am advised that this company has one of the worst names in the business, and that many consider it to be an outright scam. December 2004 update: a participant was told she was to receive an award which was to be given at a convention Poetry.com sponsored. When she did not attend the convention, the award disappeared. Apparently attendance is a requirement. Beware. December 2005 update: confirmation in an article in the October 2005 AARP BULLETIN. You pay $60 to put your poem in the book, and $580 plus travel and hotel expenses to attend their convention where you might get to read it to others. It's your money that counts, not merit. June 2010 update: Now it leads to LULU. June 2011 update: The site is just a form for your name and email address.

POETRY OF TODAY - www.poetryoftoday.com/. "Publishes mostly Christian and inspirational poetry, including online publication. Requires an undisclosed 'service fee' from the Author. Author gets 70% royalties until service fee is recouped by the author, then 50% royalties from then on. Service agreement is for two years, requires granting of electronic publishing rights for that period. The way it's worded the site keeps rights for that time, even if the contracts is terminated." MW 2003 UPDATE: When I tried to click their Book Publishing or About Us links I found myself in commercial ads for things like Ferrari. But when I tried Site Map, it provided access to publishing information. A minimum of 80 pages are needed for a manuscript, so they must be thinking of books of poems, rather than individual poems. June 2007 update: Closed. June 2010 update: But the site remains, selling books.

POST CARDS FROM HELL - http://postcardtales.blogspot.com. June 2009 update: Gone.

POWER PUBLISHING - www.powpublish.com/. April 2005 update: gone.

PUBIT — This is, I understand, the Barnes and Noble epublishing site, but when I tried to check it it required me to sign in with a password as a B&N employee, which I am not. Maybe something will come of this, but at present it does not seem to be in business.

PUBLIC BOOKSHELF - www.publicbookshelf.com/. "PublicBookshelf.com is now open for fiction and non-fiction book submissions. We pay 70% Google ad revenues on each page of your book. Take advantage of our million+ annual visitor traffic to get your book read, earn money, and promote yourself." December 2008 update: they say you can read many of their books free, and also say they publish you online at no cost to you and pay an advance of up to $500. I'll be interested to see feedback from authors who try them, and this comes under the probably too good to be true heading. May 2010 update: I have moved this entry from the Services section to the Publishing section, because it now seems more like a publisher than a service. It seems that their contract is non exclusive, which means you can also publish elsewhere. That could be a good deal for authors. I have a report from an author confirming non-exclusivity but not the advance.

PUBLISH AND BE DAMNED - www.pabd.com.  February 2008 update: the link now leads to Spire, a self publisher.

PUBLISH AMERICA - www.publishamerica.com. "We are an old fashioned publishing company with new, innovative ideas. We pride ourselves on publishing books that are having a hard time being accepted elsewhere." They respond within weeks or months, and are looking for Children's/Young Adult, Fiction, Health, Mystery/Suspense, Nonfiction, Spiritual/Philosophy, Romance, or Sci-fi. They use print-on-demand to avoid big inventories or warehousing. Thus they can give talented undiscovered authors a fair chance. They pay standard traditional-publisher royalties of 8% to 10%. Bear in mind that these seemingly small royalties are apt to bring in a good deal more money for the writer than 50% or 100% with a straight online publisher, because of the likely volume of sales. Less is often more, in publishing. However, there may be an odor here. The "Ask Ann" service (check it in the Services section) has posted a number of complaints, and there is some fierce dialogue with the publisher. Elsewhere reports have been mixed. Whether it is unscrupulous or merely impatiently efficient is uncertain, and perhaps depends on your perspective. Remember, the "old fashioned" publishers can be arrogant as hell. I heard from one writer who was seriously disappointed in their performance.  October 2003 update: another writer says that they are a thinly disguised vanity press, their fee not being money but an "announcement list" of two to three hundred addresses the author is required to provide. I presume they then hit up those addresses for sales. I would distrust this. December 2003 update: But another writer says that they ask for only 100 or fewer addresses and don't expect to sell to many of those. August 2004 update: a writer forwarded me a copy of the San Antonio Current review: they are doing well, paying small advances of one dollar, but have generally low sales. They do retaliate against complainants, removing them from their message boards or banning them. PA (that's Publish America, not Piers Anthony) warns to beware of sci-fi or fantasy authors: "They have no clue about what it is to write real-life stories, and how to find them a home." Well, I am such an author, so consider yourself warned. December 2004 update: complaints continue, and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ran an expose, saying that PA does not pay royalties. That's a no-no. My impression is that this publisher is best avoided.   February 2005 update: And I have a positive feedback on them, from an author who was paid a small advance, is satisfied with their editing and responsivity, does receive royalties, and discovered that some who pan the company do so based on rumors rather than personal experience. Still, it seems that the WASHINGTON POST published an article trashing them as selling false dreams, and see my column for February 2005 for the SF writers' hilarious response to PA's put-down of them. June 2005 update: yet I received an ad for one of their books, so they do do that amount of promotion. June 2006 update: And I have a positive response, that they do exactly what they say they will do. Authors really do have to do 99% of the marketing of their books; PA doesn't charge and does pay royalties. And another negative report. One writer feels they make sales difficult because books are non-returnable. Here I can't fault PA; POD books generally are non-returnable, having been in effect special-ordered.  October 2006 update: Another complaint that the company became non-responsive after receiving the manuscript. So the manuscript was withdrawn. Meanwhile, I have what amounts to a leaked document on the inner workings of this publisher. There are 20-some "editors" who are hard pressed. Layout/editors are required to do three books a day. There's no time to check story-line or continuity or even spelling. Basic editors (a different class) do about one book a day, and are lucky to correct punctuation, grammar, spelling, tense, or point of view. Questions are shunted to Support, where they are answered with pre-made blurbs drawn from the contract or form letters. So if service seems perfunctory, it's not because the editors don't care; they just are on such an assembly-line schedule that they can't do much for any book. It is reminiscent of a sweat shop.   December 2006 update: another bad report, of their firing their best editors and engaging in sex discrimination. Another says "they are rude ignorant and down right nasty." Some folk believe they will fold in six months. We'll see.    April 2007 update: more negatives. See MEET REAL PA in the services section. August 2007 update: a positive report, they performed as promised, though they do price the books high. October 2007 update: and another negative about non-payment. June 2008 update: They have an item titled Publish America Confronts Amazon. I am not keen on Publish America, but I believe they have the right of this one, refusing to let Amazon dictate who prints their books. However, I also have another negative report from a writer: they are difficult to work with. If you post something negative on the boards, they delete it immediately. They can take forever to get back to you if you have an issue. December 2008 update: a report that they have extended their contract term from three to seven years, that they take movie rights, and pay an advance of one dollar. Be wary. I also have another mediocre report: they did pay a royalty check, but the author could not verify its accuracy. Typos were left in even after supposedly corrected. April 2009 update: Publish America won its suit against Preditors & Editors. I do not know the details, but conjecture that the P&E report was considered to be intended to prejudice people against the publisher, rather than being objective. June 2009 update: I note this on their page: "Welcome to Publish America! We are the Nation's number one book publisher!!" They are talking about numbers of books, not quality. But, oddly, I could get none of their supplementary sections. July 2009 update: I have another generally favorable report. They have a clearly worded contract and follow through with every promise they make. They reportedly accept only 30% of submitted manuscripts. "PA's staff have answered every single one of my multiple emails over the last 2 years ... I've never had an impolite or improper response and they've always responded within 2 weeks." They sent out many copies of the book at their cost for reviews. They paid royalties on time. June 2010 update: But complaints of nonperformance continue. February 2011 update: for a $149 processing feel an author can get the rights to a book reverted. This strikes me as a variant of the kill fee. May 2011 update: here is their response to an unsatisfied author: "We received the email below from a drivel spewing individual who claims to speak on your behalf. We will of course ignore her nonsense and herself..."

PUBLISHER'S GRAPHICS/ LLC - www.pubgraphics.com. They say their staff has more than 40 years experience in the graphic arts industry, and are ready to meet your needs. But to get information on cost, you must make a quote request.

PUBLISH4U - www.publish4u.com/. June 2004 update: gone, without paying their authors.

PUBLISHING PROFESSIONALS - www.pubprof.com. June 2009 update: Server not found.

PULPLESS - at www.pulpless.com. The site remains, and titles are for sale, but this publisher is in essence dead.

PULPLESS FICTION - at www.pulplessfiction.com/.  June 2007 update: Gone.

PULSAR BOOKS - subs@pulsarbooks.com. Gone. It has merged into RFI West.

QUICKSTORIES - www.quickstoriees.com. Gone

QUIET STORM PUBLISHING - Small press that became a scam, not delivering books paid for, not paying authors, not answering queries. Avoid.

Rain Publishing - www.rainbooks.com/. Canadian. I have an unhappy report on their lack of professionalism and lack of response. I did not find information on their terms.  October 2007 update: And a very positive report by a fully satisfied author. June 2008 update: Page Not Found. June 2009 update: Now the site is Myhosting.com.

RATIONAL SKIES - www.plasticine.com/. This seems to be limited to speculative fiction and science. Accepts 50,000 words and up, pays 40% royalties for non-exclusive rights. That means you can publish here and elsewhere simultaneously. The link now leads to METROPOLIS INK, which see.

RAVENOUS ROMANCE - www.ravenousromance.com/. "Ravenous Romance publishes the hottest, most exciting stories on the Web..." They do both ebooks and downloadable audiobooks, and may sublicence for print. I did not find information on terms on the site. So far, so good. But I have a report that they can be cavalier about honoring the terms of their contract, which is a dense 13-page document that can be modified. For example they reserve the right not to send a quarterly royalty check unless more than $100 is due. That needs to be changed to their issuing statements regardless of the figure, and the cutoff should be lower, like $50 or $25. Otherwise the author may never receive royalties and be unable to prove that any are owing. This is not theoretical; it happened to me, in traditional print publishing; I had to get a lawyer. They may not respond to queries, or to a request for withdrawal of a submission. From here, this looks like a bad act. November 2010 update: I had this entry in Services, and was advised to put it in Publishing. Must have gotten my synapses confused. March 2011 update: they can be exceedingly slow reporting on submissions, such as a year or so. June 2011 update: Now it seems to be merely a bookseller. August 2011 update: Or are they? It's not clear.

REBEL TALES — http://rebeltales.com/. A magazine set up April 30, 2009 by Holly Lisle, whose personal site is listed in the Services section. Fantasy, Science Fiction, Paranormal, Suspense. 4,000 to 90,000 words, payment ranging from $33 to $2,000, depending on their system for calculating the value of contributions. They are very choosy, so read their detailed Submission sections before you even think of submitting anything. I was made aware of this publisher by a reader who sent me Holly Lisle's discussion "Rebel Tales: My War for the Midlist." She deplores the way today most publishers focus mainly on the frontlist, that is, the new stuff, then let books drop into the abyss. She hopes to maintain a solid midlist so that authors can get a regular monthly income from their backlist. See my related discussion in the AwGhost 2010 HiPiers column. They are still getting their editorial process aligned, so are not yet open for submissions as of when I checked in July 2010. June 2011 update: Connection timed out. August 2011 update: It seems they closed before they opened because of an incident with an editor. It is surely not my business, but it leaves me curious as hell. February 2012 update: I heard from the (former) publisher: they were setting up to do it right, but then a prospective editor started seeking submissions independently, offering contracts, promising publication without the proprietor's knowledge. Then the editor disappeared with the manuscripts, leaving Holly Lisle to try to untangle the mess with the authors, holding the bag. “I walked away, about $25,000 poorer.” Sometimes it doesn't pay to take folk on faith.

RED HOT PUBLISHING — rhpublishing1.com/. I was queried about this, so added it, though it seems to be primarily a print publisher, though it also does electronic. They call themselves a micro publisher, with under 24 titles a year. The site does not seem to provide submission information, but I saw their contract, which is unusual in that it is in the form of a letter. They buy all subsidiary rights, which is a Grab, but it is non-exclusive, so you do retain them. Another oddity is that they make quarterly statements, but pay royalties monthly. There's no audit clause. I am not clear on exactly what they want in genre or length. I understand they require the author to have his manuscript professionally edited at his own expense. I would say be cautious here; I'm not sure they really know what they're getting into.

RED LILY PRESS - www.redlilypress.com/. "Words Written by Women for Women." They range from short stories to 150,000 word novels. They want submissions that move them emotionally. They have a list of links useful to writers. April 2007 update: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are not accepting any further ebook submissions." June 2008 update: Unchanged. June 2009 update: Gone.

RED ROSE PUBLISHING - www.redrosepublishing.com/. Started by Wendi Felter, who was booted from Mardi Gras. Opinions about her are highly mixed, positive and negative; now we'll see how she does on her own. Sliding scale for royalties: 40% first 300, 45% next 200, 50% above 500. They are seeking all variations of Romance and Erotic Romance, with the usual restrictions. Authors must be 18 or older.  October 2007 update: A favorable report from an author, who has good sales, and another who feels very nicely treated. December 2007 update: Wendi reports that they now have authors in the 45% and 50% range, meaning that they are selling 300, 500 or more copies. She is pleased with the progress of the company. I also have a very favorable report from an author who was actually paid early. This is almost unheard of with publishers. A separate report gives about 50 copies in a month for a republished title, which seems good. February 2008 update: There are nonetheless some concerns about retaliation. April 2008 update: The editor is perplexed by that report, as she does not practice retaliation at Red Rose. Considering that she has herself been the victim of retaliation — I know from reports I received a year back — I'm inclined to believe her. But misunderstandings have made for hard feelings with at least one author. So this may be a he said, she said situation. There was an amusing confusion when a RR author sent an encomium/refutation/lecture to Preditors & Editors addressed to Piers Anthony, apparently believing me to be an employee there. "I know you haven't done any homework..." Dave Kuzminski of P&E set her straight. It would help if folk who are not well informed were more cautious about correcting those who are. Regardless, I have another satisfied author report. Another says that a fracas with a cover artist was the artist's fault. On balance, Red Rose seems okay. June 2008 update: The artist refutes that. Some very hard feelings remain. On the site there is a notice: "665,271 requests since Friday 13 July, 2007." They are evidently getting a lot of business in their first year. August 2008 update: Another negative report of lost contracts, lost editing, lost release dates, nonresponse. A general impression not of malice but of chronic disorganization. December 2008 update: There was a problem, but it has been resolved. A head was offed. But some artists have not received statements or checks, with little or no response to queries, and there are reports of retaliation. February 2009 update: I received a report saying that Wendi Felter was not booted from Mardi Gras, but that there was a campaign there against her by Teresa Jacobs, who used something like 23 aliases, and Wendi finally cut her losses and left. At Red Rose she hired an Editor in Chief who was not up to the job, had to replace her, and since then things have improved. They are now going to print publication as well as electronic and have been swamped preparing books for print debuts. Another report says Red Rose is doing a good professional job. April 2009 update: But another report of retaliation with enough detail to be persuasive. I omit the detail for that reason. And another positive report from an author. Apparently opinions differ. June 2009 update: Wendi points out that authors can rip off publishers, as well as vice versa, and gave examples. Sometimes she has gone out of her way to help authors, and not had much thanks. Sigh. My normal stance is with authors, but Wendi has a point. September 2009 update: It continues. An author suffered bad editing by an editor who then disappeared without notice. A new editor had problems with both the manuscript and the prior editing, then claimed that requested changes had not been made, when they had been made. That editor, too moved on. In the end, correspondence about the manuscript was ignored, and the book was not published. Finally giving up, the author asked for reversion—and was threatened with contractual breach. In sum: bad editing followed by neglect and a threat. This suggests to me that there are problems that are not being properly addressed. October 2009 update: They have increased to six releases a week. That's a heavy schedule, and there is concern whether it will dilute the sales of individual titles. January 2010 update: Even at that rate, they have a backlog of a year. They are reorganizing following the loss of their Lead Content Editor (maternity), and things are slow, with some reports months late. I'd say avoid this publisher until they catch up. February 2010 update: negative reports continue, and sales appear to be low. They have been called an author mill instead of a quality publisher. There is also a protest about a $100 termination fee, especially when it is the publisher at fault. The theory is that the publisher invests this much setting up for a novel, but if the publisher then does not perform, I suspect that fee should be forfeited. It seems to take a year to publish an ebook. Yet the publisher does seem to be trying to catch up on the backlog, and says it paid out more than $75,000 in royalties in the year 2009. I hope to simplify this entry in the future, as it is dragging on. May 2010 update: The termination fee is theoretically divided between the editor and the artist, but they are not necessarily getting it. That's another bad sign. June 2010 update: More mischief. One author saw her book published months ago, but saw no promotion. The cover looked trashy, as if to solicit an erotic market though this was not an erotic novel. No royalties paid. Another made a deal for multiple books, but the editing was so horrible she now regrets it. Royalties were late, low, or nonexistent despite feedback from readers who purchased the books. Another spoke of the publisher demanding $100 for a reversion. August 2010 update: At this time they are accepting submissions for only holiday-themed, Gothic/horror, and interracial/multicultural books of any heat level. October 2010 update: Yet more material has come to light, and there has been serious blogging about this publisher. In fact unhappy RRP authors have started their own group. The essence is that while some authors are satisfied, many are not, and they get treated with discourtesy and tirades. It takes a lawyer to make Wendi yield rights, and those why try can get banned from the author's loop. This appears to be a good publisher only as long as there is no problem, like an insurance company that is easy to get along with until you make a claim, then nice Dr. Jeckyll becomes cruel Mr. Hyde. A leaked document quotes Wendi: “I have repeatedly busted my ass so even those WHO DO NOT SELL GET A CHANCE TO GET THEIR BOOKS in print, well F* me, for going out of my way to help any authors, take out ads or even do contests...Right now I am so upset I am requesting that NO ONE get in touch with me unless it is an emergency or you are dying, because I am a little pissed off to put it mildly..." Caution. There is speculation that RR is about to crash. November 2010 update: It continues. It seem there is a large number of authors upset with RRP and trying to get their rights back, and others who fear retaliation or are bound by non-disclosure agreements (NDA). I recommend that authors not sign NDAs; there seems to be little valid reason for them other than covering up inconvenient truths. Even registered letters can be ignored. The problem is that other publishers don't want to take a novels that haven't been formally released, so contractually required releases are being nulled by inaction. This stinks. Every sort of foul-up has been described. One blog column describes how they even published a novel without a contract. Stay away. December 2010 update: word from an editor at Red Rose, who has never felt disrespected or mistreated there, has always received statements and royalties. He defends the kill fee, as otherwise professional editing would be free as authors game the system. January 2011 update: complaints continue: lack of statements, nonresponse to queries, likely inaccuracy when the issue is forced and statements are obtained, inadequate explanations. March 2011 update: Five more reports from four authors, all negative. One forwarded the BBB report on Red Rose, which gives them an F. Others report failure to send 1099 forms despite claiming to have done so, fracturing of author groups so disaffected writers can't get together to compare notes, failure to report known sales, and constant bullying via the NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), which seems to apply only to authors, not the publisher. Others report failure to pay money owed, intimidating tactics, failure to return rights, publishing books without contracts, bad editing, and failure to respond to inquiries, even from lawyers. I understand that 42 authors have gotten together and are trying to warn others away from this publisher. The expectation is that Red Rose will crash this year. June 2011 update: It continues: statements and payments not made; more than one title sharing the same ISBN, and authors who complain are blacklisted for posting on author Yahoo groups.

RED SAGE PUBLISHING - www.eredsage.com/. "For all the secrets that touch a woman's heart." Apparently this is a Romance print publisher that now also does ebooks. They are currently open to submissions in many genres, and want provocative material. I was unable to find terms for authors. July 2010 update: they are looking for lengths 20,000-50,000 and 50,000-100,000 words in length, with their greatest need in the longer category. They prefer that you write what your heart likes, rather than trying to fit a category, but their heart is in erotic romance without being at all limited to that. "We are open to anything new and different. In fact we would prefer new and different!" They pay an advance, variable. My impression is that this could be a good place to be.

RESPLENDENCE PUBLISHING - www.resplendencepublishing.com/. I heard from Editorial Director Jessica Berry. Romantic fiction, offering titles in both electronic and print formats. Their initial titles will be released in October 2007. An early report says that they are very considerate and professional. From the site I learn that they are looking for Historical, Paranormal, Horror, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, and Erotic Suspense, 12,000 - 90,000 words. 40% royalties on epublication, 7% on print books. They have 5 levels of heat. February 2008 update: They are now accepting submissions in new categories, in preparation for their mainstream launch in June 2008. Literary Fiction, Horror, Action/Adventure, Romance, Women's Fiction, Self Help/Spirituality, Nonfiction (How-to, History, Biography, etc.), Mystery, Young Adult. But not Science Fiction, which other publishers cover well. They have launched their print program and are receiving orders, though this is complicated by different policies at different stores. Their electronic books are available, and will come soon to Fictionwise and elsewhere. June 2008 update: They try to respond within 12 weeks, will consider multiple submissions, but accept only 1-3%. Royalties are now 35-40%, or 30% on third party sales, on gross rather than net. (That's good.) August 2008 update: they launched their first Fictionwise titles mid-April, and now have 40 titles listed, several of which sold above 100 copies in their first month, with a few breaking 200 and one 300. They have sold more than 1,000 print copies and 1,200 e-copies in April and May. June 2009 update: I noted that they had a considerable presence at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention, which I attended. The impression is that they are a sharply rising publisher. June 2011 update: They are open for submissions, but their current rate of acceptance is less than one percent. Their royalties on print books are 7%.

RENAISSANCE E BOOKS - http://renebooks.com/. This is dedicated to a variety of genres with splashes of erotica, but they do not publish pornography. Novels and collections of short stories for mature audiences. They give fair warning to underage or socially conservative readers: stay out. Lengths are 30,000 to 100,000 words, for first or second electronic rights for one year. Books are sold to readers for $4.00 with $1.60 (that's 40%) royalty for the author. If a book is sold via an Internet reseller, the author gets $1.08 (27%). That's because the resellers take part of the cash; it is a reasonable reduction considering those sales probably would not occur at all otherwise. Reports are monthly and royalty checks are quarterly. Overall this looks good, and I have a favorable report from a writer published there.They hope to add a new imprint in spring or summer: PageTurner Books, to include both fiction and nonfiction for all audiences, no erotica. Update: the PageTurner Imprint is now active and looking for good submissions, no erotica. Now they have the sexy Sizzler-imprint. 2003 update: Sizzler wants plotted erotica, not sex for sex's sake. Five sub-imprints: Scorchers, Bondage & Submission, Sappho (lesbian), Wylde (gay male), Sexpert (nonfiction). They try to respond within one week. They license only electronic rights, for three years.  October update: I have a report that payments are a bit slow but okay: $200 or more in half a year per novella for one author. June 2008 update: I have a report that the editor no longer responds to email from her authors. This is a bad signal. The posted sample contract says that if the Publisher suspends operations, all rights revert immediately to the Author. The Author may also withdraw all rights to a book after 120 days if it isn't in process for publication. So if you have a problem, invoke one of these clauses, saying that you will consider nonresponse to be agreement for reversion. That should get results, one way or another. April 2011 update: An author report says happy to be here, and recommends this publisher.

REPLICA - I was sent news of this POD publisher that was so bad I thought I'd better mention it here as a warning to aspiring writers. Apparently there have been wrongful charges and non-deliveries that have caused a mess, so that going to law is the only remedy. So I have no Web address here, just the notice.

RFI WEST - http://rfiwest.com/. This seems to be effectively out of business. That may be just as well.

RIFT MAGAZINE - RiftMagazine@aol.com.    I received a Call for Submissions of original works up to 3,000 words in creative writing in many genres. Deadline was June 1, but presumably there'll be new deadlines for later issues.

RIPTIDE PRESS - www.riptidebooks.com/. July 2010 update: It is now a general information site.

RJ's EBOOKS - www.rjs-ebooks.com/. UPDATE: Suddenly they're gone, I understand without paying their authors.

ROCK WAY PRESS - www.rockwaypress.com/.   This is a small traditional print publisher that really doesn't belong on this list, which focuses on electronic publishing. But someone asked me about it, so I looked it up. It is open to new authors and to previously published books, and has annual book contests, so may be worthwhile. It is looking for quality books and fine writing, rather than commercial efforts, and is not afraid of a small print run. A commendable attitude. Query first; it does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. The site is helpful, even telling you how to "pitch" a book to them. In essence, do it in one sharp sentence, if you can. This looks like a good place to be, if you can make the cut. June 2005 update: They have useful discussion of things like the costs of bookstore distribution. There is an education to be had here. April 2006 update: a warning that they can delay unduly and be unresponsive to queries. This, unfortunately, is typical of traditional print publishers.  June 2006 update: I have several responses from writers saying that Rockway is great, and that it is highly responsive. These are credible reports, so I think my prior complaint is in error.  August 2006 update: They don't pay advances, but do give the author 12 copies of his book. Royalties are on a sliding scale from 10% to 20% depending on volume of sales; this is good., for traditional print. They don't remainder titles; that's good too. June 2007 update: no longer accepting queries for new books until at least 2009. You can still enter their contest, however. February 2008 update: Another negative report, that the publisher will not or can not deal with her writers on a professional level, causing much stress. June 2008 update: Page cannot be found. December 2009 update: They're back, but closed to queries until January 1, 2010. July 2010 update: Due to the recession, they are suspending submissions, but their books remain on sale.

ROGUE PHOENIX PRESS - www.roguephoenixpress.com/. They are open for all submissions in Romance, Sci-Fi, Young Adult, Historical Fiction and Mystery. Royalties of 40% of the cover price, or 35% if books are sold through other outlets. Two year contract. I don't think they have a track record yet. July 2010 update: They are open for submissions.

ROMANCE AT HEART - www.rahpubs.com/. They are accepting submissions in all Romance genres, including erotic, not over 150,000 words. As a new publisher they lack a track record, but they look competent. I found no information on royalties or terms. June 2007 update: No simultaneous submissions, no pictures included in the text, and the usual restrictions for erotic fiction. See their guidelines for formatting. Word counts are actual rather than calculated, so you can use your computer tally for length. Still no information on terms.  October 2007 update: a complaint about not getting paid in the past year. Then came a check for sixty four cents. Hmm. June 2011 update: They remain open for submissions.

ROMANTIC SHORT LOVE STORIES - www.romantic-short-love-stories.com/. December 2006 update: This is now a relationships advice site. December 2007 update: the site appeared, but with a yellow banner saying "This Web page could be a scam. Proceed with caution." February 2008 update: I have been advised that this message is caused by an often malfunctioning Earthlink browser helper. June 2011 update: Now the site is in Chinese or Japanese characters.

ROSE DOG -   An imprint of DORRANCE. I have a negative report of butchered text and delays. 

ROWE PUBLISHING - www.rowepublishing.com.   August 2005 update: this now sells desktop publishing software; no sign of anything else.

RUTHIE'S CLUB - www.ruthiesclub.com/. This is a weekly erotic magazine. "Ruthie's Club is the classiest, sexiest, illustrated erotic fiction site on the Net." Indeed, their site pictures are classy and sexy, a pleasure to see. They are looking for tastefully sexy adult stories. They take a 6 months license for assorted short fiction lengths ranging from $10 for 300 words or less to $75-$350 for above 14,000 words, but they're not eager for long stuff. October 2009 update: they are folding, after nine years: health issues. They may return, if they can. June 2011 update: The site remains, but they don't seem to be a publisher any more.

SAMHAIN PUBLISHING- http://www.samhainpublishing.com/. A new publisher currently accepting submissions in all genres of fiction and nonfiction. No pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia, racism. Royalties of 40% of the cover price. Allow 4-6 weeks for a personal reply. They take full rights for digital and print, for (I understand) 7 years, but the contract is negotiable. This is a dog-in-the-manger Grab; they should not have more rights than those they need to publish. Things like recording and movie rights should certainly be excluded, and print rights unless they specify serious intention to use them.  April 2006 update: I received an email from one of their authors saying that Samhain does use the print rights, and expects to print some of the longer works later this year. Then I heard from the publisher with much more information, including a sample contract, and from other writers. Their contract seems reasonable to me, though it lacks an audit clause, and they are indeed using the print rights. Clauses are negotiable, they do not take movie rights, but do take half of translation and book club sales, which is a lot. I heard from one writer that when she had interest from a big traditional publisher, Samhain released her contract and wished her luck. This is Publisher-from-Heaven territory. In sum: they take a lot, but their writers love them.  December 2006 update: Now they are including an audit clause.  February 2007 update: Another author reports that there were some problems, but they were good about fixing them, and in the end sales were phenomenal. April 2007 update: A report of over 250 sales in the first two weeks a title appeared. This is phenomenal. June 2007 update: Temporarily closed to open call submissions, but keep an eye out. Another report on sales: 25 to 50 copies a month for re-releases from other publishers, which is very good. If there is a problem, management discusses it without blacklisting or yelling. One author reports sales of 30 copies, which is much lower than she has at other publishers. December 2007 update: But another reports excellent sales and great treatment. February 2008 update: and another negative report of discourteous rejection and ridicule at RWA. April 2008 update: A response from Angela James, executive editor: "I am shocked and more than a little dismayed by this report... Certainly I ... would never damage my company's reputation with authors by ridiculing anyone." Okay, I run the reports I receive, playing no favorites. I find Angela's denial credible, and suspect that the February report was a distortion. General feedback I have had over the years suggests that Samhain is one of the best electronic publishes extant, noted for its courtesy. The gentle tone of Angela's response is a sharp contrast to some of the blasts I have received from other publishers. Distributor All Romance Ebooks gave Samhain the Best Publisher Award in February 2008, of more than a hundred publishers and imprints they deal with. June 2008 update: an author reports sales of 150-200 for the first month on non-erotic work, and steady sales of 50 a month thereafter. This seems very good. But another very negative report of bad treatment, specifics deleted for fear of retaliation. August 2008 update: they are now open for submissions to all Romance, Erotica, Fantasy, and romantic Science Fiction, and closed for now to other genres. Preferred length is 60,000 words or longer, but they will consider shorter works of 12,000 up. July 2009 update: They remain open for all genres of romance and erotica, as well as fantasy and science fiction, but not other genres for the time being. Word lengths range for 12,000 to 120,000. They are also looking for submissions for their space opera anthology, until August 10, 2009. June 2010 update: Incidentally, my dictionary says this should be pronounced SA-win; it's a Celtic festival. I have a report from an author who was rejected, but the rejection was so courteous and informed, with specific other publishers recommended, that he was quite favorable impressed. That's rare. July 2010 update: They are now open to General Submissions, especially for their Red Dot Winter Anthology. July 2011 update: the link put me on their blog, which was interesting but not immediately relevant to this listing. It started with the top six reasons you might be a dragon, such as virgins and firefighters looking nervous in your presence. Then the problem of being buttonholed by wannabe writers desperate to get published though they have not yet written their opus. The answer? Keep writing and keep submitting. In short, hard work. They don't want to hear that. Reminds me of the time I gave similar advice, and he responded “You don't understand. I need the money now!” I do my best for aspiring writers, as it seems this publisher does, but there are limits. I suspect I would like it at Samhain, though our paths may never cross. January 2012 update: a favorable report from a new author who is quite pleased with their performance.

SAPHIRE BLUE PUBLISHING - www.sapphirebluepublishing.com/. This is gearing up to launch in August, 2008, with variable but competitive royalty rates, open to many genres, and will also do reprints. 12,000-100,000 words. But submissions are by invitation only. July 2009 update: They are open to submissions in several genres, including erotica. Royalty rates begin at 45%. Electronic only; no paper submissions. July 2010 update: They are open for submissions, no longer by invitation only. July 2011 update: “We are open to anything your imagination can conjure up.” December 2011 update: They are closing as of the end of November 2011.

SATIN ROUGE PRESS- www.satinrougepress.com.  A site set up by Teresa Jacobs-Wayne in August 2006, a year ago, parked. She ran Mardi Gras, which has folded indecently; this was intended to be its erotic line, but the authors wanted to keep MGP as it was. July 2009 update: gone.

SCHEHERAZADE TALES ROMANCE E-NOVELS - http://scheherazadetales.com. June 2006 update: Folded.

SCIENCE FICTION QUARTERLY — www.sfquarterly.net/. This is a new online magazine of science and speculative fiction, a conscious emulation of the pulpzine SCIENCE FICTION QUARTERLY published in the 1940s and 1950s. "We believe that in the last several decades, science fiction has fallen astray from its short story roots; and while we cannot ourselves resurrect them, we can at least provide an outlet in which they may be explored." Ah, yes; I grew up on science fiction of that era, and share the nostalgia. They welcome all submissions of short fiction and artwork rooted in the genres of science and speculative fiction, as well as essays and reviews of science fiction books, films, and television shows. They are especially interested in "think pieces" related to topics in science fiction as a genre and a craft, and in profiles of science fiction writers and editors. They accept original written submissions of up to 60 pages. They don't pay specific rates, but authors may received some share of ad revenues. August 2008 update: oops, I typoed the site address. I have fixed it now. Their inaugural issue will be uploaded in March 2009. July 2009 update: they are open to submissions of short fiction, essays, reviews, and artwork. July 2010 update: I got a blank screen. July 2011 update: they are there, but still dated 2009, looking forward to their first issue. Be cautious.

SCI-ROTICA — www.sci-rotica.com/. They are looking for the best in erotic science fiction and fantasy. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome year round, 8,000 to 90,000+ words depending on category. There are a number of series, plus anthologies and collections. They are also open to art. I did not find terms for authors. August 2008 update: This time I looked at their contract. 40% royalties on electronic, 15% on POD, based on cover price. There is a good audit clause. July 2010 update: Not Found.

SCORPIUS DIGITAL PUBLISHING - www.scorpiusdigital.com/. This specializes in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in Microsoft Reader format. They publish a very limited number of titles, almost exclusively out-of-print novels, collections, and anthologies. So Scorpius is not a market for an unpublished writer, but if you have an out-of-print classic, this is for you. June 2004 update: But they will consider new material, if properly queried first. I found no information on terms. August 2008 update: The domain name expired 7-16-2008, so they must be out of business. July 2009 update: But they are there now, though I'm not certain they are functional. July 2010 update: Still there, selling books, but I think not buying them.

SCRIBD — www.scribd.com/. "Scribd is the largest publishing company in the world, the Website where tens of millions of people each month publish and discover original writings and documents. On Scribd, you can quickly and easily turn nearly any file — including PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel — into a Web document and share it with the world." The company was launched in March 2007. Uploading is free. If you wish to sell your book, rather than providing it to readers free, you can keep 80% of revenue, with no monthly membership fees. To do this you have to sign up. I have not tried this process, but it seems like essentially free publishing. I will be interested to hear from writers who try it. I understand from the AUTHORS GUILD BULLETIN that Simon & Schuster is selling digital copies of its books here, including authors Stephen King, Dan Brown, and Mary Higgins Clark. That argues well for the legitimacy of this platform. July 2011 update: But when I tried to check it, it never loaded and would not let me get out of the attempt.

SEABURN - www.seaburn.com/. I looked this up because a writer queried me about it. It seems to be a print publisher, with hard copy distribution, so doesn't really belong on this list. I was unable to find terms for authors. They say that if they like your manuscript they will offer a contract.  August 2006 update: they specialize in General interest, African-American, Greek, Ibo, and Spanish language books. June 2007 update: An author was told to send $1,500 for editing and printing. This sounds like self publishing. August 2008 update: But it says there is no charge for publishing your book. July 2011 update: They remain open for submissions in all genres.

SECOND WIND PUBLISHING - www.secondwindpublishing.com/. I was asked about this, so looked it up. It seems to be a general publisher. I found no indication of terms for authors.

SECRET CRAVINGS PUBLISHING — http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/. Electronic and paperback formats. A report says they are quick and friendly in response to emails, with a standard contract. Their more erotic works sell better than their sweeter romance. They are now accepting submissions for all genres of Romance. They promise a response time of two days to three months. 40% of the cover price on e-sales, 30% on third party sales, 20% on print copies. Author pays nothing. The usual restrictions on erotica. 5,000 to 120,000 words. But I also have a negative report on bad editing, with mistakes not corrected.

SEE SPOT BOOKS - www.SeeSpotBooks.com. Apparently it is out of business.

SENSORY PUBLISHING INC - www.sensorypublishing.com/. out of business.  

SERIAL BOOKS - www.serialbooks.com/. August 2006 update: gone.

SERENDIPITY SYSTEMS - www.s-e-r-e-n-d-i-p-i-t-y.com. Publisher John Galuszka notified me of this one, which has been publishing electronic books since 1986. They don't want paper manuscripts or straight prose. They take only electronic rights. No advance, royalties of 33% of wholesale or retail sales. In one place they say they want hypertext novels, but in another they say "no hypertext or multimedia," so you may have to ask. They want interactive fiction, experimental works, and references on writing/publishing. This strikes me as leading-edge, not for old stick-in-the-muds like me who turn out old-fashioned prose manuscripts. UPDATE: Couldn't find it. 2003 UPDATE: They are back and open for submissions. June 2005 update: They are not accepting new manuscripts the first half of 2005.  August 2006 update: They have an interesting bookselling system: you download the book, but it's encrypted, so you can't read it until you pay for it and get the key. The site was last updated April 7, 2004, so I suspect they are no longer a market for writers. June 2007 update: Now the last reference is dated early 2005. August 2008 update: The site remains, selling books, but there's no evidence they are buying them. Still no updates since 2005. July 2009 update: now the latest update is August 27, 2007. Several of their listed books are no longer available. July 2010 update: still the 2005 notice that they aren't accepting manuscripts. I think they are no longer publishing new material.

SEXY EBOOKS http://sexyebooks.a1adultebooks.com - I received an email saying that any erotic books can be published here, entirely free, and there is no catch or downside. August 2008 update: gone.

SHADOWFIRE PRESS - www.shadowfirepress.com/. They publish all genres of fiction except literary, young adult, and inspirational. Lengths from 5,000 words for new authors, or down to 1,500 for inhouse authors, up to 125,000; they have taken longer, but reluctantly. Term is 2 or 3 years for ebook rights only. Their contracts is standard but negotiable. There is an audit clause. If they decide to do a print run, they will negotiate a new contract. Author is responsible for registering the copyright. Ebook royalties are 40%. July 2009 update: Submissions remain open for erotic romance and genre stories and books. They say to check often, as their needs change. November 2010 update: they are closed to submissions for the remainder of 2010. They will reopen early in 2011 but will be very selective. July 2011 update: Now open for submissions. Among their cautions is “No felching.” I don't know what that is.

SHADOWROSE www.shadowrosepublishing.net/ - A new small press that publishes romantic fiction of all sub-genres in ebook and print formats, specializing in romance and erotic fiction. SHADOWMERE is their imprint for traditional fiction, including sci-fi, fantasy, YA, and mainstream fiction. Lengths range from 5,000 to 100,000 words, in categories. They are currently seeking stories of 10,000-15,000 words for an erotic anthology planned for November 2007. They don't want pornography and have the usual taboos. They are happy to read manuscripts by new authors. April 2008 update: I am informed that though they published the anthology, they have not been filling orders for it, and that their website is no longer working. These are bad signs. I checked, and the site is gone. Apparently their proprietor had a health crisis, and it was a one-woman operation. Authors are currently stranded.

SHN www.shnpublishing.net/ - The letters stand for the name of the proprietor, Stephen Hamilton Nicol. This seems to be a startup, publishing books free or for printing, for now. He says he believes in karma and this is his way of giving something back. The site does not discuss costs or terms, merely says terms are very generous. It features a four step plan: Bring your creativity to life, submit your manuscript, get your book into print, and sell it to the world. The site has a good deal of information for aspiring authors, and is very positive about their prospects. July 2009 update: gone.

SILKS VAULT www.silksvault.com/ - July 2010 update: It is now a site for funerals, embalming, and burial. That seems appropriate.

SILVER LEAF BOOKS SilverLeafBooks.com/ - I received a query about this one, so looked it up. It appears to be a small print publisher rather than electronic, so is not properly in the province of this listing. Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, intended for ages 10 and up. Open to aspiring authors. August 2008 update: their royalties seem to be 10% on the wholesale price of the book. That is not high, but within bounds for print publication. July 2009 update: They are no longer accepting electronic submissions. July 2010 update: But now they require electronic submissions. July 2011 update: Maybe I have it straight now: they will accept only submissions for electronic publication, but these must be sent through the mail. Manuscripts for print will be discarded; electronic submissions will be deleted. “Here at Silver Leaf Books, we like to approach our authors a bit differently.” I'll say! I'd be extremely cautious about attempting to submit to this arrogant outfit.

SILVER PUBLISHING - http://spsilverpublishing.com/. I was asked about this, so looked it up. They are an e-publisher looking for erotic romance in its various sub-genres, 5,000 words to full length. Their screen was black, and took time for my dial-up to load, so I may have missed something. They say the do not pay advances, but do pay royalties of 60% on the net.

SIREN - www.sirenpublishing.com/. A Preditors & Editors reader poll in 2007 rated them the #1 for 2007. They are accepting submissions for Erotic Romance ranging from 25,000 to 150,000 words. Their response time is eight weeks. The usual restrictions on content. They have a sister publisher, BookStrand.com, which I haven't yet looked up. I did not find information on terms. August 2008 update: book lengths range from 15,000 to 140,000+ words. October 2008 update: their contract has useful information, and is standard. December 2008 update: in the first few weeks an author's book sold over 125 copies. February 2009 update: report from a very happy author whose book sold more than 100 copies in the first week. January 2011 update: a response to that suggests that sales of over 100 copies in a week is surely unusual. Editing is not good, and promotion nil. February 2011 update: I received a response from Amanda Hilton, the Publisher which I quote intact: "Siren (www.sirenpublishing.com) has published nearly 900 titles and has over 270 authors. We release our titles for sale at BookStrand.com, which is our sister company. The following facts are based on royalty payments, which are reported and distributed to our authors quarterly. While every title will not sell 100 copies in a week, it is not at all unusual for a Siren title to sell over 100 copies in a week. Many of our bestselling titles have sold over 300 copies on the day of their release. Currently, to enter the top 100 on the bestseller list at BookStrand.com, a book must have sold at least 50 copies in 30 days. To enter the top 50 on the bestseller list, a book must have sold at least 100 copies in 30 days. To reach the #1 spot on the bestselling list at Bookstrand.com, a book has to sell between 800 to 1,200 copies within 14 days. These numbers do not include distribution. From all sources, we are rapidly approaching 3 million copies sold of our own titles. More than a dozen of our authors earned a 5-figure quarterly income in 2010. A few of our authors have earned a 6-figure annual income in 2010. Our most popular authors earn anywhere between $10,000 to $25,000 per title. We have spent well over $100,000 each year for the past 3 years advertising our company and our authors. We employ 18 people who work at our headquarters full time. All of our 11 in-house editors have at least a 4-year degree in English or Journalism. Siren has been in business for 5 years. Since January 2006, from the very first quarter, we have consistently paid our authors on time, all the time." July 2011 update: Submissions are open. November 2011 update: a report of professionalism, excellent editing, and good sales.

SIRIUS PUBLICATIONS - Established by Kerri Kadow, said to be an author and imaginative. Publishes in all genres. Standard contract that authors can modify as required. Like many epublishers, this offers good terms but is probably underfunded, so that performance may lag behind promise. However, I was not able to reach this site when I tried. 2003 UPDATE: I heard from the proprietor, who gave me a link--but the link didn't work. At any rate, for those whose systems relate better than mine does, there is someone there who will be happy to have you visit. Second 2003 UPDATE: now it connects. They are open for submissions, except for pornography or religious material. The author gets up to 70% of the net profit. That could be less than it seems, if the profit is small. June 2004 update: I got a timeout trying to reach them. Past experience suggests that this doesn't necessarily mean they're gone. June 2005 update: Sure enough, they remain, are accepting short stories or previously published books.  August 2006 update: Their submissions guide seems not to have been updated since 2002; that's not an ideal sign. June 2007 update: Now a notice that the store will be closed from April 19-May 31, 2006. So maybe they have caught up to a year ago. August 2008 update: The site hung up, trying to load. July 2009 update: No problem this time. They accept about 20% of submissions. They are especially interested in nonfiction and romance. July 2011 update: “It waits in the shadows/ A dark companion waiting to devour your free time.../ That's right, it's a good book.” They remain open for submissions, but still accept only 20%.

SIX GALLERY PRESS - www.sixgallerypress.com. This was founded the spring of 2000 as a publisher of experimental and progressive poetry and prose. There's an associated magazine, JACOB'S LADDER, still in the planning stage. Keep submissions under 8,000 words. The proprietor, Tim Miller, says the site is massive and growing day by day. Jacob's Ladder is currently accepting submissions. Review previous issues to determine if your work is right for it. June 2005 update: They have reached their fiction manuscript limit, and are closed to submissions until October 2005. Theory articles remain open.  August 2006 update: They are inviting manuscript proposals, not direct submissions. They are extremely choosy, seeking experimental and esoteric literature; study their material before you go near them. But a writer reports that all their contributors have to pay, so it's actually more like a vanity press. June 2007 update: their requirements are confusing. In their call for submissions they discuss their needs in detail, but also say NO SUBMISSIONS OR QUERIES. "These are the rules; break them at your peril." I'd be nervous about even glancing in their direction. July 2009 update: I checked their submissions section and it gave me nothing. July 2011 update: Now you must click an email link for submission information. They certainly don't seem eager.

SKOOBE - www.skoobe.biz That's ebooks backwards. August 2006 update: they are now a web directory of Internet Resources.

SKOOBEBOOKS — www.skoobebooks.co.uk. I'm not sure whether this is a reincarnation of the entry above or a new one. (The answer is No, not associated.) It is a British self publisher and book store service. May 2010 update: I heard from them. "We are a completely new company set up in the UK. We have launched the Online Bookstore which is now selling all the in print books available in the UK to any delivery address in the world with Free Delivery. We are now completing the work to allow authors to upload, publish and sell their own books from the store as Paperbacks, Hardbacks, Audio books and Multimedia books. We hope to have a lot of this finished by the end of June. Our intention is to offer a serious alternative to authors to both get their books published and SOLD, we will not be taking editorial control of the books. If they are good they will sell. We will be using social networking heavily and allowing people to discuss, Review and comment on books which will determine the good from the bad." November 2011 update: Now new authors can upload and sell their work thorugh Skoob.

SMASHWORDS - www.smashwords.com/. A digital self publishing platform. The founder says that 80% of written works are never published for widespread distribution in stores, are never promoted, go out of print after the first printing, and authors never receive royalties beyond their advances. Smashwords hopes to do better. August 2008 update: If you want to publish with them, you have to sign up for an account. December 2008 update: I checked a sample Author Page, and it had an author bio and listing of books that I admit made me curious about them. The proprietor feels that all authors should publish in multiple digital formats, so readers can consume their books in their own way. "Our goal at Smashwords is quite simple: It's to create the single best ebook self-publishing platform for independent authors." Authors select the sale price and receive 85% of the net proceeds. The Founder advises me that they have added Stanza integration. "For authors who wish to publish with us, it means their works are now easily readable by the 500,000 uses or the Stanza app." I am not familiar with Stanza, but am told it's a cool ereader for the iPhone. April 2009 update: checking through this I found a huge amount of sensible commentary; this is a prime browsing site. June 2009 update: A very positive report on their performance. November 2009 update: another positive report: "They are becoming an amazing resource to authors with no other publishing company support..."

SNM HORROR MAGAZINE - www.freewebs.com/snmhorrormag. The letters may stand for the proprietor, Steven Marshall. A free online magazine. It does not seem to be well recommended. February 2009 update: A refutation from the proprietor: "Yes, we are a freepress where new authors get seen by about 1500 visitors a month and we have only been around for 8 months. We have bi-monthly paying contests, which helps writers get into HWA if they are paid $25 or more 3x. We offer free editing and coaching and are also free to the public. We publish 8 new stories per month and host new author interviews and reviews. I've maintained the same staff and writers and we get lots of good praise from writers for what we offer them." July 2009 update: "We are open to submission all year and the floodgates have opened! Horror writers wanted dead or alive..." July 2010 update: They have no contracts, and retain only one-time rights.

SOLSTICE PUBLISHING www.solsticepublishing.com/ — I understand this is the new name for the defunct Hearts on Fire Books. I haven't yet checked the site, which I'll have to guess at. I understand that their contract is for three years and there's a $100 early termination fee. This strikes me as reasonable; publishers do have costs, and writers should not commit unless they plan to see it through. July 2010 update: they have added an erotica imprint at www.solsticeafterdark.com. The site lists some of their books and says I must be 18 to view it. Sigh; I'm 75 but maybe can pretend to be 18. I did not find information on submissions or terms. Royalties are 40% on ebooks and 10% on print books. July 2011 update: They are open for submissions in assorted genres, and take about 30 days to respond.

SONS OF LIBERTY PUBLISHING - SonsofLibertyPublishing.com/. They specialize in fiction and nonfiction books featuring New England themes, characters, and settings. Ebooks for now, eventually traditional publishing. Royalties are 40% of net profits. They are looking for two or three works for 2009. July 2009 update: Server Not Found. August 2009 update: The proprietor advised me that it may not work with the www. So I deleted that and tried it — and my browser insisted on putting it back in. I hate self-willed browsers! So I tried it on a different system, and it worked okay. The site is definitely there; just don't use the www, if your browser allows that. They are moving to print publishing already. They remain open for submissions.

SOUTHERN GOTHIC ONLINE - www.southerngothic.org. A new bimonthly ezine dedicated to Southern Gothic fiction and poetry. It is now accepting submissions. Authors are not paid money, but do receive ad space. August 2008 update: Currently closed to submissions. All manuscripts sent after 7-16-2008 will be deleted unread. "So don't send 'em," they conclude. That's clear enough. I presume it is a signal of the approaching end. July 2009 update: Server Not Found.

SPEAK WITHOUT INTERRUPTION - www.speakwithoutinterruption.com. They have 50 active writers who contribute to their magazine, representing 14 different countries. They are actively looking for additional writers and contributors. The topics covered are highly varied.

SPOKEN BOOKS - www.spokenbookspublishing.com. Now accepting submissions for audio book recording. You can choose from dozens of narrators. They will accept self published authors.  August 2006 update: Set-up fees ranged from hundreds to thousands of dollars, so this is a self publisher. August 2008 update: Royalties roange from 15% to 50% or even higher, depending on circumstances.

STARDUST - www.stardustpress.com/. StarDust press is folding. They are doing it in a legitimate manner, paying authors and editors, taking books off the website as of the end of September 2007, reverting rights to the authors without hassle, and dealing personally with queries. Their email address will remain functional until March 31, 2008. July 2009 update: And of course they are gone.

STARK RAVEN PRESS - www.starkravenpress.com/. New small press specializing in horror, science fiction, and dark fantasy. Currently focused on anthologies of stories appearing in their companion magazine Macabre Cadaver (see their entry, above). They hope to publish about 10 books in 2009, with the first release in May. July 2009 update: "Stark Raven Press is not a traditional publisher; we are a hybrid publisher extending into many different areas: self publication, subsidized publishing, and traditional. We do not pay royalties or advances in all cases." But if they really get interested in a book, they will do what they can.

STARLIGHT PUBLISHING - www.starpublications.com. Gone. It has merged into RFI West.

STASIA PRESS - http://stasiapress.blogspot.com/. A new electronic publisher of poetry, literary fiction, creative non-fiction, and fiction. They pay 40% of the profits the first 60 days the ebook is listed online. After that the royalties will increase by 5% every 60 days, up to 75%. This is a very interesting schedule, and could be very nice if the book sells well. They are looking for fresh, evocative, and well thought out works that will enhance the literary scene.

STEALTH PRESS - www.stealthpress.com/. August 2006 update: gone.

STEEL CAVES - www.steelcaves.com/.   August 2006 update: gone.

STONEGARDEN PUBLISHING - http://stonegarden.net/.  They publish what they like, and don't have too many guidelines. Categories seem to be Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller, Historical, Comedy, General, and Poetry. Royalties are 50% paid monthly or when there is $30. A report from one of their authors says the sales are very small but the publisher is nice.  October 2007 update: I heard from the owner. All genres are welcome except erotica. Royalties are now paid quarterly. They are booked up for 2007 and 2008 but considering for 2009 and 2010. Review their guidelines before submitting. August 2008 update: submissions should be at least 21,500 words long. They are full for 2008 and 2009, so submissions will be considered for 2010 and 2011. July 2009 update: Their publishing schedule has been filled, so they are not accepting submissions. Their submission department will re-open in November 2009. July 2010 update: "Check back on July 1, 2010 for our grand re-opening." July 2011 update: I checked, but you have to log in to get information. I don't do logins.

STREET SAINT - www.streetsaint.com/.  June 2004 update: Gone.

STRATEGIC BOOK PUBLISHING - www.strategicbookmarketing.com/. I know of this only from a bad report. It seems to be a masked self publisher presenting itself as traditional. They offer assorted paid services like promotion book signings, and interviews, which may or may not help an author. Pay $625 up front, and editing for $50 an hour. I recommend checking out an open self publisher instead.

SUBJECTIVE BOOKS - www.subjectivebooks.com/. This is aimed at writers who have been rejected by traditional publishers because they weren't writing to the market. Looking for fiction of ansy length, but is skewed towards "literary" writing, intellectually stimulating nonfiction, or really good poetry. But when I checked their site, I couldn't get it. July 2009 update: Now it seems to be a collection of links.

SUBTERRANEAN PRESS - www.subterraneanpress.com/. Their site does not seem to provide submission information. My impression is that this is a small press long active in the horror, suspense, and dark mystery genres. It is now publishing Jack Vance, and that's a considerable recommendation.

SUBSTANCE BOOKS — see the Services section.

SUNPIPER PRESS - www.sunpiperpress.com/. A literary online magazine, open to anything positive--poetry, short stories, novellas, or excerpts from novels. Make people think. I did not find information on what they pay. June 2007 update: Now they are also publishing books, but I did not find their terms.

SUPERIOR BOOKS - www.superiorbooks.com.  June 2007 update: I had no trouble getting the site, but it now appears to be a bookseller, not a publisher.

SWIMMING KANGAROO BOOKS - www.swimmingkangaroo.com/. New publisher, established in 2006, both electronic and print editions. Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance, or reasonably close if they like it. Not all their subsections seem to work yet, so I didn't get terms from the site. But an email from the proprietress, Dindy--she says she was the fourth girl in her family, so her father named her that for revenge--says they pay 38% of the gross for books sold from their site, less if sold by a third party. Send a short synopsis and 36 sample pages. August 2008 update: they accept short stories in several categories, with token payments. June 2009 update: times are tough and the long-term outlook is uncertain, but they'll see. They are closed to submissions for the rest of the year. August 2009 update: They have folded. They are reverting contracts to authors, but will complete publication of some books already in process. This is sad; they were one of the nicer publishers, but economics and illness in the family are stifling them. They are not entirely gone; they will maintain availability of current releases, but will not accept any new works. In short they are expiring as they lived: decently.

SYBARITE PRESS - www.sybaritepress.com/ Sister press to TWENTY OR LESS PRESS, this one for erotica, opened January 2011. They are looking for decadent, sensually luxurious stories 10,000 words or under in all sub-genres, but no depravity, pedophilia, necrophilia, bestiality, rape, incest, or extreme violence. Contract is for two years, 40% royalties on net, paid quarterly, negotiable. Allow 1-2 weeks for a response to your query; don't just send the story. July 2011 update: I found no submission information, and their site Welcome is dated January 29, 2011. I guess they are still in business.

SYNERGEBOOKS - www.synergebooks.com/. Founded in March 1999 by Debra Staples. Electronic, CD ROMs, paperbacks. 40% royalties on electronic, 30% on paperbacks 25% on children's books, 60% to Independent Authors (I'm not sure what that means). They publishe most genres of fiction and nonfiction, some poetry. They accept less than 30% of submissions. Query first, with your manuscript as an email attachment, MS Word or RTF formats. They'll respond in 4-6 weeks. But they are presently closed for submissions. June 2005 update: until November 2005.  August 2006 update: Closed for submissions until August 2006. So they should be just about due to reopen. June 2007 update: They no longer put any of their books into print, just electronic formats. August 2008 update: They are closed to submissions until at least September 2008. July 2009 update: They are not accepting submissions until October 1, 2009. Except for authors already there; they can submit in July. July 2010 update: Submissions are closed until 2011. July 2011 update: They remain closed to submissions.

TANTALIZING TALES - www.tantalizingtales.com/. They publish tantalizing titillating books with explicit sex by new and established authors, from 15,000 to over 100,000 words. Three general categories: super-erotic, romantic erotica, and mainstream sexy, with the usual restrictions. They will consider gay and lesbian fiction and nonfiction. Royalties of 35% of the cover price of ebooks, paid every second month for the first year, monthly thereafter (that's interesting); print books to be negotiated separately.  August 2007 update: they are considering how-to and nonfiction works that deal with relationships, romance, and sexuality, 15,000-50,000 words. Other categories seem to be open for submissions.  October 2007 update: they have a free book give-away through December 31, 2007: The Lodestone by Kathryn Fairfax, a historical romance they feel is awesome. It has had excellent reviews, and they believe the word will spread once people read it. August 2008 update: they are still giving away The Lodestone, so if you missed it last year, you have another chance. July 2009 update: They are open for submissions 15,000 to over 100,000 words. July 2011 update: They remain open to submissions.

TATE PUBLISHING - www.tatepublishing.com. This is a Christian based publisher looking for new authors. 40% royalties. 50 free books printed. Author retains all rights. This appears to be a small print self publisher, but they don't give information about fees. August 2004 update: an author reports that they charge several thousand dollars. February 2008 update: I am told they charge a fee of $3985 up front, which covers it all, and they are very professional. August 2010 update: Yet the site says they are a traditional royalty-paying publisher that accepts only 4% of submissions. That's deceptive.

TERRIFIC BOOKS - www.terrificbooks.com. Gone. June 2004 update: They are back, but appear to be a bookseller for just one book: Autobiography of Howard Hughes, which they represent as the most famous unpublished book of the 20th century. So if you are not a notorious dead aircraft builder, this is not a prospect for publishing. April 2008 update: I have a report "This is a con man selling books that are no longer in existence. His contact info is bogus as well." July 2011 update: Now the domain is for sale.

THE AUTHORS BOOKSTORE — www.theauthorsbookstore.com/. A self publisher with a one time $49.99 set-up fee for distribution, and a $450 one time set-up fee for their POD package. Once things are set up, the author gets 100% net royalties. August 2008 update: But their "publishing" link leads to a nonexistent page. July 2009 update: it seems to be a referral site, not any kind of publisher.

THE CELEBRITY CAFE - www.fictionworks.com. "The Internet's longest running entertainment magazine. Read by 4.6 million people a month." I wasn't going to list it, as they have a number of in-house writers, but they assure me that while they have 16 writers and are always hiring more, they also do free-lance pieces. So this is a market for those who make the grade. I did not discover their rates of payment. October 2006 update: they have three magazines they need writers for: http://CDInsight.com/news.php for anything entertainment; http://ToTheCenter.com for US News and Political Stuff; http://TrekkerTime.com for the travel guide for the world. August 2008 update: they are presently closed to submissions. July 2011 update: Now the link leads to The Fiction Works, listed below.

THE DARK CASTLE LORDS — see Dark Castle Lords

THE EBOOK CREW - www.theebookcrew@gmail.com. I received a flier. Their objective is to encourage authors to self publish here, paying nothing until their books are sold, then getting between 70% and 85% of the price. They will have their own spaces for photos, videos, and blog, and can participate in forum discussions with other authors.

THE FICTION WORKS - www.fictionworks.com. The publisher is Ray Hoy, and he is said to be very author-oriented and fair minded. This one covers the full range of genres and also audio. There is a free monthly newsletter, too. Last time I could find no indications for writers to submit work here, but now there are comprehensive guidelines. They are accepting submissions of Historicals, Inspirationals (all faiths), and Juvenile Literature, and are closed to all others. They pay 30% of the retail price of the book for copies sold directly, down to 20% for those sold through distributors, paid quarterly. The contract has an audit clause. It is renewable after three years by mutual agreement. Now closed to submissions. 2003 UPDATE: Unfortunately all may not be well in paradise. I have a report of late royalty statements and payments, and a question whether they are accurate. Sometimes well meaning folk get overcommitted and fall down on details. June 2004 update: they seem to be doing audio, paperbacks, and ebook publication. August 2005 update: they seem to be struggling.  August 2006 update: Closed to submissions until January, 2007.  August 2007 update: I didn't find any information on submissions. You have to contact them by email. This is not a good sign. August 2008 update: They are presently closed to submissions. July 2009 update: still closed. August 2010 update: The site remains, but there is no indication that they are buying books.

THemESTREAM - www.themestream.com. Defunct

THE READERS RETREAT - www.thereadersretreat.com/. August 2007 update: I got a can't-be-found message. 

THE YOUNG WRITERS' SHOWCASE - www.cedarpost.com. This is now a furniture and antique shop.

3RD MILLENNIUM PROS - Dead.

THIRD MILLENNIUM PUBLISHING - http://3mpub.com. This is a cooperative of online writers and resources. The writers' services link did not work when I tried it, but others did. The author retains control, getting 65%-75% of the price of the book. There is a set-up fee and a charge of one dollar per book sold, plus a credit card charge. The minimum book order is one book, for trade paperbacks. It costs $300 for hosting one book for two years; progressively less for subsequent books.
August 2004 update: I have a very favorable report. August 2007 update: The site seems to have been last updated in August, 2006. A year between updates is not a good sign. Now the writers' services link works, though. August 2008 update: Now there's an update of 6-30-08, so they evidently remain active. July 2009 update: last edited 6-12-09, so they do remain active. But I found no indication that they are other than a bookseller. July 2011 update: Last edited 11-09-2010.

THREE OWLS PRESS - http://3owlspress.com/. August 2007 update: this does not seem to be a publisher any more. 

TIGER — www.tigerpublications.com. I was asked about this, so looked it up. It's a traditional print publisher, so outside the proper compass of this Survey, but can be checked by those interested. Their advances range from $500 to $5,000, with royalties of 7% to 10%. They have no word count or genre restrictions. In short, wide open. August 2008 update: But now the site seems to have closed.

TITAN PRESS LLC - http://www.titanpress.net/. This was an imprint of Venus press, dead, because Venus died.

TORQUERE PRESS - http://www.torquerepress.com/.   They are now reading for year 2006 novels. Especially interested in novels featuring lesbian characters; this is a gay/lesbian/transgender publisher. They will consider physical manuscripts but prefer electronic. Allow 2-3 weeks for a response. Stories in anthologies may receive flat fees of $20. June 2005 update: They have a new imprint, High Balls, and are accepting submissions for it for the year 2006. They need artists too. December 2007 update: a favorable report: “I'm delighted with the way Torquere does business and would recommend them to any writer of gay romance or erotica.” August 2008 update: They are open to submissions in all categories. July 2009 update: They remain open to submissions in all categories. October 2009 update: and a negative report: late royalty statements, sloppy handling, lack of communication. August 2010 update: still open to submissions in all their categories. March 2011 update: There is a big difference between editors and editing styles, so an author should hope not to change editors. Royalties are paid on time. Questions are answered in a timely manner. Cover art is not necessarily what the author requests.

TOTAL-E-NTWINED LIMITED — www.total-e-bound.com/. An Erotic Romance electronic publisher. Royalties of 40% of the cover price. Currently accepting stories of 8,000-15,000 words, any genre, but very erotic. Anthologies, four a year. The usual restrictions about pedophilia etc. Four levels of ratings: sizzling, burning, melting, taboo. I get the impression that writers can push the limits further here than elsewhere, so check the site. August 2008 update: Now they have many story volumes, all of which seem to be wide open, and wordage for books can go up to 100,000 words and beyond. March 2010 update: A favorable report of decent royalties arriving promptly the first of every month. Good editing, great covers. July 2011 update: They remain open for submissions. November 2011 update: A report says they are slow, but have excellend editing.

TRAFFORD - www.trafford.com. This is a Canadian self publisher with several packages in US dollars, depending on how much service you want. It has comprehensive information leading prospective authors through its offerings, all the way from the manuscript to marketing. There is a sample contract. They seem enthusiastic and eager to please. They say that your book could be published and publicized in six weeks.   Rates are $699 for the lowest, $999, and to $1399 for the top. Royalties are 60% of the gross margin: that is, the price the book actually sells at, minus the single-copy printing cost. So in effect the author gets more than half the profit. They have set up their own in-house print shop, enabling lower costs. They now also do full color children's books, and offer editing, ghostwriting, illustration, extended publicity and such, at additional expense. They have established offices in England, Ireland, and Spain. June 2009 update: I understand they have been sold to the same outfit that bought Xlibris, iUniverse, and AuthorHouse. No confirmation on their site, however. July 2009 update: an author with a book ready for printing discovered a loss of response when this publisher was sold, hanging up the process, and no response when errors needed correction. It may be that confusion surrounding the change in personnel is losing some projects. Caution. October 2009 update: but now the July complaint has been abated; Trafford seems to have gotten its act together under the new auspices and has become responsive.

TREBLE HEART BOOKS - www.trebleheartbooks.com. Contemporary, paranormal, time-travel, futuristic, historical, romantic suspense, mainstream romance, nonfiction, mystery, metaphysical/spiritual guidance. Takes electronic and print on demand rights for two years, renewable by mutual consent. 35% royalties on POD, 40% on electronic sales, net. There is an audit clause.   I have a highly favorable report about their positive attitude. June 2004 update: they will not accept multiple submissions; they want three months to consider your manuscript exclusively. No erotica. October 2004 update: I have a negative report that this is essentially a one-person operation, thus prone to mistakes such as losing authors' final edits so that the wrong galleys go to the printer (that's annoying as hell; it has happened to me in traditional publishing, and I get the blame for uncorrected errors), repeatedly changing dates of publication, and taking over a year to get a book into print. When there is a complaint, the author is blamed and the contract terminated. This is a flashing red signal; beware. February 2006 update: I have an emphatic concurrence from one of their authors.   February 2007 update: I understand this is essentially a one-person operation, so any personal glitch can mess up the company.  October 2007 update: an author is very satisfied, but wondered why it isn't listed on Amazon. That's because Amazon squeezes small publishers mercilessly, so it's not worth it. July 2009 update: submissions are open only during the first two weeks of each month. August 2011 update: an author discovered that this publisher requires authors to purchase a minimum number of POD copies, or the book won't be published. This is policy with some electronic publishers, but is annoying when they are not upfront about it at the outset.

TREELESS PRESS PUBLISHING - www.treelesspress.com. June 2004 update: out of business.

TREESIDE PRESS - www.treesidepress.ca. December 2005 update: dead.

TRIANGLE GOLD BOOKS - www.trianglegoldbooks.com/home. June 2005 update: gone.

TRISKELION PUBLISHING - www.triskelionpublishing.com.   They are filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy as of July 2, 2007. All assets, including contracts, are frozen. This publisher has had a troubled history, which seems at last to be ending. 

TRUEFIRE - http://truefire.com. June 2005 update: They seem to have morphed into a sales outlet for assorted instructions, mainly musical.

TRISPEC - www.geocities.com/z4ho.rm/TriSpec-Main.html. August 2008 update: Their update is dated April 5, 2003. I'm pulling the plug on this entry.

TURN THE PAGE PUBLISHING - www.turnthepagepublishing.com/. I am told that this publisher launched in October 2011 with one title and will expand to five or six. They are actively seeking submissions for their imprint, and also offer their services, such as editing, to authors interested in self publishing.

TWENTY OR LESS PRESS - www.twentyorlesspress.com/ New publisher launched in January 2011; I received a note from its senior editor. They accept submissions of stories of 10,000 words or less in all fiction genres except erotic, for which their sister press Sybarite is set up. Electronic publication only. Their contract is for 2 years and pays 40% royalties on net, quarterly. Query first, and allow one to two weeks for a response, which may detail the reasons for rejection. Not interested in depravity, profanity or gore. July 2011 update: But I found no submission information on their site.

TWILIGHT FANTASIES PUBLICATIONS- http://twilightfantasies.com/. I just learned of this publisher, which opened in May, but already it has folded, ironically. Apparently it never really got off the ground, stiffing authors, cover artists, and editors.

TWILIGHT TIMES - www.twilighttimesbooks.com. I was put on to this one by Celia A Leaman, one of their authors who will now be their Submissions Editor. They are looking for Fantasy (including Dark), Literary, Magic Realism, Mystery, Non Fiction, Pagan, Paranormal, Science fiction, Slipstream, and Specialty/New age. If your work is in a "blended" genre, is too "literary," or quirky in tone for other publishers, they're interested. Just tell a great story. Send a cover letter, synopsis, and first chapter in the body of the email query; no attachments. They say they offer a standard epublishing contract; that should mean electronic rights only and good royalties. December 2003 update: I have a very favorable report on this publisher.    June 2005 update: They are still there, apparently doing well. But I found no information on terms.  August 2006 update: They evolved from an epublisher to a traditional print publisher with initial print runs of 500-750 books. That's good, for a small publisher. They will be open for submissions until August 5, 2006. So about the time you see this note, it will be too late.  Sales: up to 145 downloads per title per year.  August 2007 update: They say they launched 21 titles in 2004. How about 2007?  July 2009 update: a negative report: "My experience with this publisher has been nothing short of frustrating." Royalty payments were six months or more late, communications were often confusing, and there seemed to be little followthrough. No evidence of this at their site, of course. July 2011 update: The site remains, but I did not find sumbision information.

TWISTED SHIFT - www.twistedshift.com/. June 2007 update: Folded, as of July 1. 

TYBORNE HILL - www.tybornehill.com. Specializes in fiction, poetry, and reference. They will take material from new authors. December 2005 update: now that information. They are not a printer, don't prepare stuff for print, and don't offer services for authors they don't publish. They don't charge a fee for publishing; they are a straight conventional publisher. They no longer want poetry. Author retains copyright, and gets a 40% royalty on monies actually received (i.e., the net rather than the gross) for ebooks, 12% on paper books. But they revise their structures every few months, so check with them to be sure of what's current. August 2008 update: This time I find no indication that they are open to submissions. July 2009 update: They are in the process of switching web hosts. Check back in two months. August 2010 update: A year later, the same message. This is not a good signal. July 2011 update: Still the same message. They must be defunct.

UKG PUBLISHING - www.ukg-publishing.co.uk/, and www.rpgnow.com. This is a group of independent writers, artists, and proofreaders who have set up as a self publisher on a shoestring. They charge no upfront fees, rarely reject anyone out of hand, and pay up to 80% of net to the author. August 2008 update: This time I don't find much indication that they are actually publishing. August 2009 update: They do seem to be issuing books and a game. August 2010 update: Still no indication that they are actually open to new manuscripts. August 2011 update: I still can't find any submissions guidelines. They seem to produce their material in-house. Hey have a Twitter address, so I presume interested authors can reach them there.

UNCIAL PRESS -  www.uncialpress.com/. I understand that this is a startup founded by two competent editors from Awe-Struck. It will release its first titles on October 2006. Present needs are for Georgian, Regency, Victorian, and Western American Historical Romance, Fantasy/Paranormal, mysteries, and nonfiction books and humor. Query if you have something else; they might be interested. They hope to respond to all manuscripts within 60 days; nag them if they don't. Royalties are 42% on books sold from the publisher's site, less otherwise. They have a sample contract, and it has an audit clause. August 2009 update: I learn that it is pronounced UN-see-ul or UN-shul/, derived from Greek and Roman scripts, part of the chain of developments that brought about the modern book. April 2010 update: Word from the publisher that now they publish short stories over 5,000 words as well as full length books. They release only two titles a month because they feel that's all they can manage while adhering to their standards of excellence. Even so, this summer they will release their one hundredth title. They have done well in the EPIC contests. They remain primarily an ebook publisher, but do also publish a few college-level textbooks in paper.

UNIVERSAL PUBLISHERS - www.upublish.com/upb01a.htm. This is another self-publishing outfit, charging a fee of $495 and paying royalties of 20-40%. It specializes in nonfiction, and has a non-exclusive publishing agreement which can be terminated on 90 days notice, and says many submissions are ready to promote and distribute in just four to six weeks. That's fast. I don't know this company, but if you have nonfiction to publish, it looks good from here. I would appreciate feedback from writers who use this service, or any of the publishers listed here, so that I can report on actual writer experience. That makes a huge difference.

UNTREED READS PUBLISHING — www.untreedreads.com. A report that they are friendly and answer all questions. June 2010 update: I heard from the publisher's editor-in-chief, who appreciated the mention here. He's a fan of mine. I like to think that this implies a superior person, and therefore a superior publisher. I hope it proves out. August 2010 update: They are now accepting submissions in all genres except erotica, romance, and poetry of any length; they prefer quality rather than size. All net earnings are split 50-50 with the author. May 2011 update: a very favorable report on their treatment of an author. August 2011 update: They seem to be open for submissions in a number of categories. September 2011 update: And now a very unfavorable report of lack of promotion, overcommitment so thoy can't do right by what they have, and lack of response.

VAMPLIT PUBLISHING — http://vamplitpublishing.ning.com/. I had trouble figuring out whether this is a publisher or a club. Apparently you can post your material there, but there's no money for it. August 2011 update: Not Found

VAMPLIT WRITERS' EZINE VAMPLIT WRITERS' EZINE — http://vamplit.com/. A magazine for readers and writers who love the night. To submit your writing for publication you must be a member of the site. They are now accepting short stories, poetry, reviews and articles on the vampire culture.

 VANTAGE PRESS - www.vantagepress.com/. This is a well-known subsidy publisher. I figure that if I'm listing self publishers, I should list subsidy, also known as vanity, publishers too, though I don't recommend them. They tend to cost far more, but if you have the money, they'll do the job. August 2008 update: Now I have their web site: www.vantagepress.com/. It is informative and reasonable, but they decline to give prices, saying every manuscript is different. That is misleading; most manuscripts will have very similar costs, depending on author preferences, so a general range could readily be given. But I will give you this word: if they want to charge you more than $500—and they surely will—don't commit until you have checked out a regular self publisher, or Lulu, or Create Space, which is close to free. Royalties are 40% of the retail price.

VAN GOACH BOOKS - www.vangoachbooks.com/. Out of business The link now leads to Barnes & Noble.

VANILLA HEART PUBLISHING — www.vanillaheartpublishing.com/. Despite the name, this seems to be a general ad site.

VENUS PRESS - www.venuspress.com/. February 2008 update: The site reappeared in January, but seems not really functional, so it's probably the server's error. Its manifestation was a shock to me and a number of other writers, somewhat like encountering an awkward ghost or zombie. We prefer that the dead stay dead. April 2009 update: "The VP family is happy to announce their (sic) soon reopening." They promise new releases soon. The page is under construction, but their Submissions link works, and says they are open and pay 35% of gross (cover price). Length ranges from 5,000 to 80,000 words. I presume authors left in the lurch when they faded out before are not included in the new order. I was one of those; I took my book to Phaze.

VEROBELLE - www.verobel.com/.  August 2007 update: The Domain is for sale. 

Vignette - www.vignettepress.com.au. It used to be Wannabee Publishing, but no longer does self publishing. "We publish quirky books and magazines with a literary bent that are focused on promoting writing that is fresh, diverse and unique." August 2009 update: They are celebrating they May Madness Sale. They don't seem to have updated since then. August 2010 update: They seem to be out of business. August 2011 update: Then again, maybe not. The site is back and they are open for submissions, or they were through July 2011. Lisa, who I gather was the founder, is leaving, but the press continues without her.

VINTAGE ROMANCE PUBLISHING - vrpublishing.com.   This set up in February 2004, specializing in vintage romances set in the 1920s to early 1950s. They promise fast and good service to authors, with good promotion and contests, and they will never be closed to submissions. But I found no information on terms.
August 2004 update: It is run by four women. They are looking for manuscripts 35,000 to 75,000 words, or novellas of 25,000 words, and true-love non-fiction, old fashioned romance without controversy, undue erotic content, violence against women, sex crimes, or gruesome murders. Their "Pet Peeves" section is a good guide to how not to write for any publisher. But I still found no information on royalties. April 2005 update: Royalties are 40% for download and 10% for print. They do seem to move fast, and market actively. February 2006 update: now they are all-print, no longer selling ebooks.  August 2007 update: They are closed to submissions until the fall of 2007. August 2009 update: I had trouble loading their newsletter, but they do remain active as of June, 2009. But they remain closed to submissions. August 2010 update: They have a new name, Vintage Reflections Publishing. August 2011 update: now they seem to be Vinspire Publishing, but I saw no entries after 2010.

VIRTUAL BOOKWORM - www.virtualbookworm.com. Accepting manuscripts in all genries that aren't too far out. Publication ranges from free to $50, depending, with royalties of 50-60%. I was told that their basic program costs $190, but did not find that on their site. June 2003 Update: My system timed out trying to reach them. I don't know if that means they're not there. There is a complaint against "virtualbookroom" which I assume means this outfit: they tend to be nonresponsive.
August 2004 update: Found them okay this time. Royalties are 50% of net proceeds, paid monthly if they exceed $25 (this is reasonable) but it may take up to 90 days to get the money in from outside sales. October 2005 update: I have a very negative report on them, including failure to deliver on paid-for services. February 2006 update: I have a response from the publisher, saying that they try to be sure to complete all services that an author contracts for, and asks that any authors who feel wronged contact them directly, and they will be sure everything is taken care of. This strikes me as a fair response. August 2010 update: The site is still there. They proffer a free publishing guide. I presume that means that the guide, not the publishing, is free.

VIRTUAL LIBRO - www.virtuallibro.com/. June 2003 Update: They seem to be gone.

VIRTUAL PUBLICATIONS - www.virtualpublications.com. October 2006 update: they seem to be gone. 

VIRTUAL PUBLISHING GROUP, INC - www.eBooks2Go.com. August 2004 update: this now seems to be a search engine.

VIRTUAL TALES - www.virtualtales.com/. They publish novels in installments of 1,500 to 2,500 words in a variety of fiction genres, but not erotica. Author gets 60% royalties. They are looking for artists, too.  April 2006 update: they are the evident inheritors of the late KeepItComing, but need editors; they won't begin evaluating authors or stories until they have a full slate of competent editors. They want their stories to be a professional as possible. The split for subscription proceeds is 60% for the author, 20% for the editor, 10% for the cover artist, and 10% for site maintenance.  August 2009 update: They are currently looking for talented authors, editors, and artists to help them add to their fiction catalog. January 2011 update: a report indicating that they are not bad, but not great. August 2011 update: I am told they closed in early spring.

VIVISPHERE - www.vivisphere.com/. I had a report from one of their authors that this is a print-on-demand publisher, but its site says it is traditional small press and is not at the moment accepting manuscripts. Yet it is part of Netpub.net, which is a POD publisher. UPDATE: The publisher contacted me to correct my typo flubbing of its address--my fingers got on the wrong keys, and evidently my proofreading too--and with a clarification: they are traditional in the ways that count, manuscripts accepted, editing, contracts, cover design, copyright, book registration, return policy, and general quality, but do use the POD technology. They are hurt when bookstores ignorantly condemn them as being without standards. They are a small press using Internet technology. They do have a point; the use of the Internet or POD is a method of publication, not a definition of it. It would make about as much sense to say that all physical bookstores are warehouses, because some buildings are warehouses.
UPDATE: Not considering new submissions at present.  October 2006 update: they are now considering submissions only in Bridge and Science Fiction. Nothing else.  August 2009 update: Still considering only Bridge and Science Fiction. August 2011 update: The connection timed out. that's not a good sign.

WALTSAN PUBLISHING - www.waltsan.com/. October 2006 update: they folded as of the end of 2005. 

WANNABEE PUBLISHING - www.wannabee.com.au/. August 2009 update: gone at this address.

WASTELAND PRESS - www.wastelandpress.net/. A self publisher offering publication for as little as $200 or as much as a scant $2,000. "Wasteland Press makes money from your book—not you!" This set me back; why should a writer go with a publisher that makes all the money, leaving none for the writer? Until I realized that they mean they make their money as a share of the earnings from the book, not by charging the author up front. They charge for printing copies only, they say. Royalties range from 15% to 30% depending on the package. So despite their protestation, I would say they do charge up front and along the way, like any other self