Pastor Rick
The Reeve
Registered: 07-2005
Location: Texas
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Publishers and...
I have two different publishers that have expressed interest in my "Timeless Hymns" project! It seems so strange to have someone actually interested instead of just getting the "rejection/not interested" letter...
Of course, now I have to buckle down and finish the project!
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10/8/2014, 5:33 pm
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Firlefanz
Lady of the Land
Registered: 05-2003
Location: Germany
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Re: Publishers and...
Dear Rick, first of all, congratulations!
Second... please be very, very careful. Check if those publishers are connected with Author Solutions. If they are, RUN.
Check what they want you to pay for. Do NOT pay for editing, cover or marketing, in addition to giving the publisher your rights. Insist on a very clear reversion clause - so that your rights revert to you after a certain amount of time. This is even more important for ebook rights.
Ask an expert before signing a contract.
Self-publishing has become both easy and professional. A the same time, publishers have reduced their marketing efforts for all but their best-selling authors, so going with a publisher as not best-selling author is rapidly losing most of its advantage.
All the best for your project!
Last edited by Firlefanz, 10/9/2014, 9:05 am
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10/9/2014, 9:04 am
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ReneeS
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Registered: 05-2011
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Re: Publishers and...
Congratulations, Rick! Best of luck!
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10/18/2014, 1:09 pm
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Pastor Rick
The Reeve
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Location: Texas
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Re: Publishers and...
There are some things that are giving me trouble, not "project killing" but way more time consuming than I always thought before I actually started getting serious. My book is now projected to be 500+ pages... kinda scary for a "first real publishing project."
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10/25/2014, 5:42 am
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Firlefanz
Lady of the Land
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Location: Germany
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Re: Publishers and...
Take as many pages as you need for the story. Or words, really. Do not inflate a story to reach a page goal.
Because seriously, pages no longer matter for ebooks. They do not *have* pages, because readers can change the size of the font to their liking, and that will kill any page format.
Even in print, "page" is only determined after formatting, by choosing certain fonts, sizes and margins, and actual book size.
That's why most publishers and authors think in words (in the US), or in "characters including spaces" (in Germany). That's how they measure stories, or set limits for short stories.
How many words to you think you'll need?
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10/25/2014, 7:53 am
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ReneeS
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Re: Publishers and...
What size are the books projected to be, Rick? Small paperback sized, or a bit larger?
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10/25/2014, 11:59 pm
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Joxcenia
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Registered: 11-2005
Location: Whoosher House
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Re: Publishers and...
He is putting together a hymnal/hymnbook.
http://www.google.com/search?q=hymnal
https://www.google.com/search?q=hymnbook
---
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10/27/2014, 6:53 am
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ReneeS
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Re: Publishers and...
Very cool!
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10/29/2014, 12:24 am
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Pastor Rick
The Reeve
Registered: 07-2005
Location: Texas
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Re: Publishers and...
One of my publisher contacts has suggested that I split the hymnal into two volumes! I am not sure I want to do that given my primary audience target but...
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2/5/2015, 4:01 pm
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Joxcenia
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Re: Publishers and...
I would think that would depend on how many pages you're talking about. Most hymnals aren't very thick. Well, the ones my Church have aren't. But, how would you divide the songs? By theme? Years written? Favorites?
The problem with the books at my Church is that the ones we tend to sing the most are not all in one book. And some of the old favorites are no longer included in the new hymnals out. And our old books are falling apart and no longer used, so the old favorites don't get sung much anymore. When they do, someone makes copies on the copy machine and passes them out.
Maybe a type of songbook that can grow as you add new song sections to it? (Like some of those recipe cookbooks?) *shrugs*
---
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2/6/2015, 1:03 am
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Pastor Rick
The Reeve
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Location: Texas
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Re: Publishers and...
The only thing I can think of is maybe publishing a short "Holiday Edition" of Easter and Christmas hymns as part of my fund raising efforts to get the larger hymnal published.
If anyone gets the chance and wants to look at it I have a list of the hymns I have collected (over here). I am not adverse to adding more hymns to the list despite what one of my publisher candidates is saying...
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2/8/2015, 3:03 pm
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Joxcenia
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Re: Publishers and...
I have a few of my Church's song books. I was going through them to type up all the lyrics to the songs we sing to put in one booklet. I never finished the project.
Your idea seems to be perfect. We no longer have a piano player. We have a computerized piano, and had someone record the music to the songs we sing onto DVDs. It's worked out well, so far. Though we don't have recordings for all of the songs we like to sing.
---
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2/9/2015, 4:05 am
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Firlefanz
Lady of the Land
Registered: 05-2003
Location: Germany
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Re: Publishers and...
Rick, I think a "Holiday Edition" is a brilliant idea.
I'm not sure how it is for you, but here, churches are much fuller on holidays, and people are not used to hymn books. So a smaller one that contains the "holiday favorites" would be much easier to use for those who are unfamiliar with the thick hymn books.
Plus it could be helpful for people who want to sing at home or in other facilities where regular services may not happen.
So I think there is a market for it.
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2/9/2015, 8:11 am
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tryingtowrite
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Registered: 03-2007
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Re: Publishers and...
Congrats, Rick!!
--- I'd procrastinate now, but it would be easier tomorrow.
A fantasy tongue twister: Sputtering silver sliver Sphinxes spit splinters.
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3/5/2015, 12:02 am
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Syrakynn
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Registered: 05-2012
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Re: Publishers and...
Congratulations! I hope it is all still going well.
--- Author of the Dragon's Call series, and the Bound novels.
Website http://www.adtrosper.com/
Blog: https://adtrosper.wordpress.com/
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3/21/2015, 6:08 pm
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Pastor Rick
The Reeve
Registered: 07-2005
Location: Texas
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Re: Publishers and...
Round one is still going well. That is the initial collection of hymns and what can be found on the Internet to provide basic mp3 music support.
Round 2 will be harder since I have to deal with copyright holders for both the music and the lyrics. While doing that the fundraiser's also begin to pay for studio musicians and create mp3 files specific to and owned under the TGH copyright application.
One nice part is the publishers will do the typesetting for each hymn which is a huge relief on my side...
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4/1/2015, 5:28 am
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Firlefanz
Lady of the Land
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Re: Publishers and...
Sounds like you're getting good progress there, Rick.
That's wonderful!
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4/1/2015, 7:10 am
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tryingtowrite
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Re: Publishers and...
Awesome!
--- I'd procrastinate now, but it would be easier tomorrow.
A fantasy tongue twister: Sputtering silver sliver Sphinxes spit splinters.
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4/9/2015, 2:05 am
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Pastor Rick
The Reeve
Registered: 07-2005
Location: Texas
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Re: Publishers and...
I used to think that the one who compiled the hymns in a song book was getting way to much credit since all they did was "compile the hymns." Now I think their job is incredibly difficult and they do not get anywhere close to the respect they deserve!
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5/5/2015, 2:48 pm
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Firlefanz
Lady of the Land
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Re: Publishers and...
Hehehe! You deserve a lot of respect, Rick.
How is it going?
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5/6/2015, 7:48 am
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Pastor Rick
The Reeve
Registered: 07-2005
Location: Texas
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Re: Publishers and...
My project is going both better and worse than I expected when I started. My original idea over on the message board was to have each hymn in its own topic and in alphabetical order. That hasn't worked out but I have a alphabetical list that gets keyed to the hymns as well so that part is minor.
The most difficult part is working/dealing with hymns that are still under copyright. For the project to work the printers and publisher need a manuscript showing the hymns and music score and I need mp3 files of each hymn to key to the hymn books selections. So until I purchased a scanner it was almost impossible to create the manuscript side. Audacity has made it possible to create mp3 files that will act as guidelines for the musicians in the recording studios and now I have both a piano player and guitarist that are helping determine if the songs I know and can sing are what the sheet music says so that I don't create the wrong page for the manuscript. Some of the songs have changes to the tempo depending on if they are used by singing group with a audience or a group setting where the singers are the audience (the latter is my main target audience group). I was totally unaware of that when I started.
I have first draft renditions on 200 of the songs/hymns now which says I am not on track to finish by either of my publishers deadlines (I am about two months behind thanks to the difficulties of dealing with other peoples copyrights) and that is frustrating.
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5/6/2015, 4:58 pm
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Joxcenia
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Re: Publishers and...
I hope you get it all worked out. And that you get all the copyrights. Our Church doesn't have a piano player. We do have a piano that plays CDs though, and we have someone record the music for us to play during our song service.
---
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5/6/2015, 9:55 pm
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Firlefanz
Lady of the Land
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Location: Germany
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Re: Publishers and...
Rick: Yes, copyright can be very, very tricky. Best of luck with that.
Jox: A piano that plays CDs? Wow, the world is getting strange!
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5/7/2015, 7:32 am
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Joxcenia
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Re: Publishers and...
It's a digital piano. Somewhat like this one:
http://www.roland.com/products/kr-107/
When a Church member's husband died, she bought the piano for the Church in his name.
---
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5/7/2015, 9:43 am
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tryingtowrite
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Re: Publishers and...
Wow, sounds very complicated! I'm going to have to show Mom your list and see how many she knows.
--- I'd procrastinate now, but it would be easier tomorrow.
A fantasy tongue twister: Sputtering silver sliver Sphinxes spit splinters.
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5/10/2015, 11:13 pm
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