To participate in the program, you'll need to sign an agreement and pay
the one-time $250 fee. You should sign a new agreement for each project,
and fax it to ABA's chief program officer, Len Vlahos at 914-373-6679.
The "Wide Distribution" agreement will allow your book to be distributed
and sold through Applewood Books and through Lightning Source to all
retailers. You can earn royalties on sales to retailers outside of the
program. The "Narrow Distribution" agreement restricts distribution only
to those stores participating in the BooksellersPTO program. There is no
royalty paid in Narrow Distribution agreement.
BooksellerPTO Co-publisher Agreement: Wide Distriubtion
BooksellerPTO Co-publisher Agreement: Narrow Distribution
Who is eligible?
Any ABA Regular member in good standing.
What does the program cost?
There is a one-time $250 set-up fee per title to be published. If you elect to have a custom cover created, there is a $50/hour labor cost.
What books are eligible?
Any book that is currently out-of-print is eligible, provided you have a physical copy of the book. If the book is not in the public domain, you will need to acquire the rights.
How do I determine if my book is in the public domain?
Works published before 1923 are in the public domain; unpublished works are under federal copyright for at least the life of the author plus 70 years. For details, you should consult the U.S. Copyright Office website.
If my book is not in the public domain, how do I acquire the rights?
If the book is not in the public domain, you need to identify the copyright holder. For out-of-print books, copyright typically reverts to the author or the author’s estate. You will need to negotiate the right to publish the book with the author or the author’s estate. You can find a sample author contract here.
How are the books digitized?
Applewood uses state-of-the-art scanning and photographic technology to create a digital image of each page of your book. Those pages are then assembled into a master file and transmitted to Lightning Source for production.
Can my book have photographs?
Yes. Photographs can be reproduced through this process. The better the quality of the original photo, the better quality of the finished product.
Will the original book be destroyed in the digitization process?
No. The spine will have to be fully open, but Applewood has many years of experience in dealing with digitization, and will return your book unharmed.
Do I have to design my own cover?
No. There will be three template covers to choose from. Those templates will be posted in the coming weeks to http://www.booksellerspto.com. This URL will be live in the coming weeks. Watch BTW for details. However, if you wish to design your own cover, Applewood has staff to help. There is a $50/hour design fee for this work. If you have a print ready cover, there is no cost, though Applewood reserves the right to determine what is and what is not “print ready.”
How do I purchase the books?
Program participants purchase the books through a special Web portal located at http://www.booksellerspto.com. This URL will be live in the coming weeks. Watch BTW for details. This portal is only available to ABA member booksellers participating in this program. Books are available according to this discount schedule set by Applewood:
DISCOUNTS
| 0-14 units | 50% |
| 15-249 | 60% |
| 250-499 | 65% |
| 500-999 | 70% |
| 1000+ | 75% |
| (Titles do not combine for discount.) | |
Will the published titles be available to my store only?
All books published through this program will be available for purchase by all booksellers participating in this program. For example, if ABA member XYZ Books produces a book through this program, and ABA member LMNOP Books produces a book through this program, each will be able to purchase the other’s books through the Web portal, and according to the program discount schedule (see above).
You may also optionally elect to make your books available to the general trade. This means that the titles will be included in ONIX feeds to all Lightning Source customers, and will be sold through the Applewood catalog and by the Applewood sales force.
If others purchase my books, do I get a royalty?
Books purchased through the Web portal do not yield a royalty. Books purchased through other means (Ingram, Applewood, etc.) yield a 10% royalty—7.5% to the store, 2.5% to ABA for administering the program.
How are the books priced?
Applewood determines the book’s list price according to the page count, trim size, and whether or not the printing is done in black and white or color.
How long is the process from application to finished books?
From the time you submit your application to the time you receive a production proof is typically anywhere from three to six weeks, depending on the complexity of the digitization and the backlog of work.
Where do I go for more questions?
If you’ve read this FAQ and the contract, and still haven’t had your questions answered, please contact:
Len Vlahos
Chief Program Officer
American Booksellers Association
914-373-6650
len@bookweb.org