Frequently Asked Questions
What is partnership publishing?
In partnership publishing, the author invests in the publication costs of their book.
What's the difference between self-publishing and partnership publishing?
Partnership publishing allows the creator to financially invest in their book while receiving all of the services and benefits of a traditional publishing house. Partnership publishers work with the author to provide design, production, editing, distribution and marketing. Self-publishing only allows the creator to buy a quantity of printed books. As opposed to traditional publishing, partnership publishing allows authors to receive a larger percentage of the profits from book sales and retain ownership of the rights to their work.
Is Little Steps considered vanity press?
No. Vanity publishers and self-publishing firms do not have any kind of selection criteria when it comes to the books they publish. All of our submissions are reviewed by our publisher and editorial team, to see whether they fit into our list before being accepted. We pursue books that we will be proud of and that have potential to become successful. We are proud of the Little Steps name and will never ever publish a title that does not meet our standards.
What is a distributor?
Publishers distribute through a distribution service, which has representatives that actively sell books to bookstores. Our distributor has representatives that visit bookstores throughout the UK.
How much money am I going to make?
Becoming a published author (traditionally or otherwise) is not the quick road to quitting your day job and paying off the mortgage to go party with Elton John on his yacht. That being said, we have had authors sell over 6K copies, which is a lot more than is generally sold in traditional children's publishing. We cannot guarantee that your book will sell x amount but we will direct you towards the choices that will improve your book’s chances. We are also invested in the title and for many of our authors we are a platform to getting their published book into the market and starting their journey of publishing books. Furthermore, around 20% of our authors will go on to publish a second or more titles with us.
Crunch some numbers for me!
We keep our model simple. Little Steps pays 60% royalties. This is for domestic, trade, international sales and licensing. Whatever net income Little Steps receives from the sale of a book or its rights, we pay 60% of that amount to the author. In sales made by the creator, the creator will receive 100%
How will I know how the sales of my book are going?
The royalty statements every 6 months will denote how many sales are made by the distributor.
How often are royalties paid?
We pay royalties every half financial year, though it takes us up to 3 months to process the royalties for that period. So for example, the period 1 January - 30 June will be paid out in October.
Will I be able to know what bookstores my books will be sold at?
Due to the large amount of titles bought by the large amount of bookstores, we cannot put this data on the royalty statement. Following the processing of royalty statements, you can request a bookstore sale breakdown.
As a first time author, what are the chances of a major bookstore taking on my book?
Many major bookstores have taken up titles of first time authors. This is not to say that EVERY major bookstore will take up your title, and this depends on factors like trends in publishing, the final look of your book and its perceived attractiveness.
What happens when my printed books arrive?
Little Steps will take up to 750 books into distribution for the first print run of each title. The remaining copies in the print run will be sent to the creator to promote and sell. All copies remain the property of the creator until sold.
Can I customise a package?
Yes! The package prices are only the standard prices and are completely customisable. If you would like your book to be bigger, have coloured foils and die cutting, then the package price will change to reflect these additions.
What about illustrators?
Illustrator fees are not included in Little Steps packages, however we can suggest illustrators if needed.The fees normally start at £2000.
Are there any hidden costs?
No. Our costs include all that is needed to get the book published and into stores. You are responsible for the additional cost of an illustrator. The only thing we may have to charge extra for is anything additional, like extra finishes (e.g. embossing).
How is payment processed?
A 50% deposit is due upfront and the remaining 50% is due once the creator has signed off on the proofs. After the creator has signed off on the proofs, no further changes can be made.
How is my book going to be promoted?
Little Steps will send copies of your book out for review and promotion and our distributors will be promoting your books to retailers. We will also create press releases and can assist you with book signings and book launches. Little Steps will register your books on Nielsen which is the national database of books that booksellers use. We will also provide your book with an ISBN number. We encourage the creator to contact local schools, their local paper and promote their books through local radio stations. The Public Lending Rights remains in the responsibility of the creator, with Little Steps happy to assist if necessary.
As a first time author, what are the chances I will get reviewed in the mainstream media?
We send out review copies to channels we know have a high chance of publishing a review. Quite often, these are blogs etc. We have had many books published in local and national newspapers and magazines. However, the best way to achieve this is by making contact with the media and putting your request out there for the story.
What happens if a bookstore takes on my books, but then they are not sold?
Bookstores work on a ‘sale or return’ system. Each store has a period (usually two months) to sell the books and can choose to return them if they have not been sold. For first time and unknown authors, this is great as it means the bookstore is more likely to take on their book because it has less risk for them. However, it does mean that a true ‘sale’ won't be known for a few months. However, the returned books can still be sold.
Why are online booksellers selling my book at a discount?
Booksellers purchase books (from us or the distributor) at a discount on the RRP. This is usually around 55%. This means that their profits are 55% of the RRP if sold at full value. Often, online booksellers can cut their costs (due to savings on bricks and mortar), and sell the books under RRP. But dont worry, you will still get the same royalty payment as the seller is still purchasing at the same amount!
What happens if the distributor doesn’t sell all of my books? Will they become pulp?
No - you own the books until they are sold (as opposed to the publisher owning the books in traditional publishing) and we wouldn’t destroy any without your permission. Pulping books only occurs when publishers print huge quantities of books in order to get a cheap print run and they have taken the gamble that the books will sell. When this gamble doesn’t pay off in these cases, it ends up with pulp.
