Going through traditional publisher but retaining ebook rights?

[RahKnee]

Hi all,
This is my first post on the Millionaire Fastlane Forums. I read M.J.'s book last year and have been at work for a while on becoming financially independent. I've dabbled in a few things here and there, but I've constantly been returning to writing. Whether I'm any good at it or not remains to be seen, but I've always been able to write rapidly about virtually any topic. Recently I've decided to give it a go in turning this into income. I've finished a few short books and I'm looking to get them published now. Which finally leads to my question: Is it possible or at all common to find a publisher who will produce physical copies of my books, but allow me to retain the rights to the electronic distribution (amazon, apple, barnes and noble etc)?

And bonus question, has anyone here gotten a publisher to pick up their book without using an agent?

Thanks,
Rahknee

 

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[AllenCrawley]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

MJ's book was self published and part of the reason he chose to go that route was because he maintained control. Have you considered self publishing?

Here are two threads by very successful self published authors you should read:

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/in...ger-corrupter-youth-harbinger-apocalypse.html

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/in...006-hello-denver-self-publishing-success.html

 

[RahKnee]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

MJ's book was self published and part of the reason he chose to go that route was because he maintained control. Have you considered self publishing?

Here are two threads by very successful self published authors you should read:

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/in...ger-corrupter-youth-harbinger-apocalypse.html

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/in...006-hello-denver-self-publishing-success.html

Thanks Allen, I'll check those out right now.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

And bonus question, has anyone here gotten a publisher to pick up their book without using an agent?

I've been approached by a big name publisher. I have no agent.

All my international translation licenses, except 1, have been through no agents.

If you sell enough books (or have a documented following) the agents and the publishers will come to you. Until then, you're just another manuscript on a pile 4 feet thick.

And of course, if you have a large following, IMO, you shouldn't allow a publisher to leech your profit from something YOU built. I find that akin to going through the toil of building a log cabin by hand and when you're done, some guy comes along and says "Hey, beautiful place, mind I rent it out for you for life? Ill give you 15% of the profit."

As for your original question, I've heard of big name authors getting deals like this. I doubt they will spring for it from a newb.

 

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[RahKnee]

I've been approached by a big name publisher. I have no agent.

All my international translation licenses, except 1, have been through no agents.

If you sell enough books (or have a documented following) the agents and the publishers will come to you. Until then, you're just another manuscript on a pile 4 feet thick.

And of course, if you have a large following, IMO, you shouldn't allow a publisher to leech your profit from something YOU built. I find that akin to going through the toil of building a log cabin by hand and when you're done, some guy comes along and says "Hey, beautiful place, mind I rent it out for you for life? Ill give you 15% of the profit."

As for your original question, I've heard of big name authors getting deals like this. I doubt they will spring for it from a newb.

Thanks for the response MJ. It's encouraging to see that you can get it done on your own. I'm still a total newb in this endeavor, though. Zero name recognition, zero following. Hopefully one day I'll be in a situation closer to yours than to mine right now haha.