Introducting RIPPER

READS traditional

publishing

MAKE YOUR WORK THE

BEST IT CAN BE

We are launching a new imprint - Ripper Reads (Australia) - specifically to publish new paperback titles by emerging Australian (and International) writers. It's an initiative which offers selected authors a potentially free publishing opportunity. Our philosophy at eText has always been to try to make it as easy as possible for emerging authors to be published. We do not charge exorbitant up-front fees like many ‘vanity’ publishers. We produce trade-quality books on a cost-recovery basis (that is, we charge only what it costs us to do the work). In this way we hope to make the road to publishing less perilous for deserving authors and give the reading public a wider choice of titles than ever before. The 2023 Ripper Reads offering is even more exciting because: • Unlike ‘vanity’ publishing houses, every submission to Ripper (via eText Press) will receive a return written acknowledement as a ‘thank you’ for submitting. (The length of the evaluation will vary depending on the manuscript in question). • Unsuccessful submissions will be advised of such, and the manuscript will be electronically shredded (in accordance with standard copyright protection practices). It is therefore essential that all submitters should retain an original copy of any manuscript. • The author(s) of selected manuscripts may be offered a publishing contract with Ripper Reads on generous terms to the author(s)**. However, there is no requirement to accept any offer, pre-pay for any services or relinquish any copyright for the work at any time. • Ripper Reads reserves the right to make offers, or reject submissions, at its sole discretion. • Published Ripper imprint books will be available for online purchase 24/7 by readers worldwide. • (**) Authors receive applicable royalties for online sales of the book minus a small commission (currently 15%) retained by eText Press for administrative and set-up costs. Theoretically at least, this means an author who has produced a print-worthy book can have it professionally designed and typeset (including a bespoke cover) and published worldwide for FREE. So, what's the ‘catch’? There aren't any. But there are opportunities: • Aside from the obvious - quarterly royalties if your book is a success - once produced, authors can purchase copies of their book (to give away, sell directly or use as marking tools) from eText Press for cost (the cost of printing and typesetting etc). Typically, for an 80,000-word novel this would be somewhere in the region of AU$10 per book (plus postage & prices are subject to change). This isn't a ‘catch’ of course - if you don't want any copies of your book, you can still submit it and, if it’s chosen, it still gets published (if you're offered a contract of course) and will be available for sale online, worlwide. On the other hand, you might just buy 200 copies (say) and then come back for more when they are gone. The choice is yours. • Marketing and promotion are the responsibility of the author and/or his or her team. eText Press and Ripper Reads can offer only limited promotional services for your books. We make them available worldwide - but it's up to you (or an agent or a publicist) to interest potential readers in your story. There are, however, plenty of ‘self-help’ guides online and elsewhere to help authors promote a book through blog entries, Twitter™ and Facebook™ (to name just a few avenues of publicity). Manuscripts for consideration in the 2023 round are limited to works of fiction at this stage. 70,000 to 100,000 words is the preferred length (though longer and shorter works may be considered) but the genre is open (except for material deemed ‘pornographic' or otherwise objectionable at the sole discretion of our literary review panel). Auto- biographies, travel diaries and ‘picture books’ are not eligible for consideration at this stage. Manuscripts must be in Word for Windows™ format, sent electronically and be presented to a professional contemporary standard of layout and literacy. A full guide to the precise format requirements for submission is available as a PDF document HERE. (Manuscripts that do not adhere to these conventions will be rejected.) To assist further, a sample document in the required format can be downloaded HERE. (eText Press also offers all editorial services - like assessment, editing and mentoring - for reasonable fees and produces traditional hardbacks, paperbacks, and eBooks for vanity author clients however these paid services do not form part of this special ‘free’ offer which is applicable only to books contracted and published under the Ripper imprint).