Penny Authors – Progress, Developments and New Process
Background
Since the founding of the Penny Authors philanthropic project, we have continued to develop, grow and refine the project. We have now progressed to the 6th volume of the Penny Authors Anthology, The Book of Lived.
Throughout this journey, many of the original ideals and principles of Penny Authors have been successfully implemented and utilised to nurture and support the project and the writers who have become part of it.
The benevolent nature of the project has always been at its heart. However, as with any evolving project, some of the original arrangements have proved less beneficial, productive or sustainable than anticipated.
One such area has been the sharing of royalties.
The Royalty Arrangement
The original intention was for Penny Authors to become a self-financing project. The sales of each anthology would generate sufficient funds to help finance the production of the following anthology, while also retaining enough funds to distribute dividends or royalties to those entitled to receive them.
In practice, this model has not proved sustainable.
There has also been an additional administrative consideration. Where individuals receive payments or royalties, there are associated requirements relating to the declaration of income, taxation and financial accountability. Managing these processes for everyone involved has created additional administration, manpower and workload.
After reviewing how Penny Authors operates, it has therefore become necessary to simplify the process and remove arrangements that place unnecessary pressure on the administration of the project.
What's New?
Penny Authors has now streamlined its processes to better support the continued nurturing and development of the project and everyone who participates in it.
Penny Authors will continue to provide opportunities for all PAs to benefit from purchasing copies of the anthologies at special author rates.
These copies can be purchased to:
Give to friends and family;
Promote and share the anthology;
Sell on independently;
Support the continued development of Penny Authors.
The objective is to make the process simpler, clearer and more sustainable for everyone.
The New Process
The following process will now apply to Penny Authors anthologies:
1. Purchase the launch copy
All PAs are asked to purchase their launch copy directly from Lulu, at the price set on the Lulu website.
2. Leave an encouraging review
After receiving and reading the book, PAs are encouraged to leave a positive and constructive review of the anthology on the Lulu website.
Reviews are important because they help the anthology gain visibility and provide encouragement to the writers whose work appears within it.
3. Author-rate purchasing
Once the review process has been completed, PAs will be able to purchase copies at the Author Rate, in whatever quantity they require.
This provides greater flexibility for those wishing to purchase multiple copies for family, friends, promotion or resale.
Enquiries
For all enquiries regarding the new purchasing process, Author Rates or Penny Authors, please contact:
General Progress
There has been considerable progress around Penny Authors as a project.
The printing company has undergone a substantial revamp, including updates to its network, services and production systems. A number of its previous processes have changed.
As a result, Penny Authors has also had to review its own services and facilities so that we can take advantage of the improvements now available.
Adapting to these changes is an important part of the continued development of Penny Authors.
Progress and Benefits for PAs
One of the most encouraging developments has been seeing Penny Authors participants progress beyond the anthology itself.
A number of PAs have gone on to publish their own books, demonstrating how participation in Penny Authors can become a stepping stone towards further publishing opportunities.
The improvements within the printing industry have also opened up more possibilities for our publications.
The upgraded printing services now provide us with a wider range of options, including:
Different paper colours and finishes;
Greater choice of paper specifications;
Improved cover-finishing options;
More flexibility in production;
Additional publishing and printing possibilities that were not readily available to PAs in the earlier years of the project.
These developments give Penny Authors greater scope to experiment, improve and produce publications that are increasingly professional and varied.
Moving Forward
Penny Authors has always been about more than simply producing an anthology.
It is about nurturing writers, providing opportunity, encouraging creativity and helping people move forward with their writing and publishing aspirations.
As the project develops, some things will inevitably change.
The changes introduced now are intended to make Penny Authors simpler to administer, more sustainable and better positioned for the future, while continuing to provide opportunities for all those who participate.
The journey from the founding of Penny Authors to the 6th volume of the anthology demonstrates how far the project has progressed.
There is still much more to come.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to that journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment