Leg Iron Books

I now have a logo…

Derived from a picture of a crow I took years ago. I have the original image so I don’t have to worry about anyone claiming copyright. It’s fully monochrome so it can be inside books too. It won’t appear on front covers, but on the back, discreetly beside the barcode section.

The first book, the Underdog Anthology, was hard work to format but once it’s done, it’s done. Novels are easier to format but have an ongoing author royalty thing to deal with. I am in the process of hammering together a contract now, in discussions with the first two authors I hope to sign it. Fortunately one of them is a lawyer so he should find any awkward or unclear wording, or dodgy paragraphs.

Basically, I’m asking for worldwide print and eBook rights, in English only, for a period of five years. At the end of that, the author can sign up for another contract if they want. If they can move on to bigger and better things, that’s okay. That, after all, is the whole point of this little business. It’s a starting point.

Hey, if I can one day brag that my authors are now with the big publishers after starting with me, that’s seriously good advertising!

The Underdog Anthology is already on Amazon as paperback and Kindle books. I hope to have it on Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and other places soon – only as eBook though. Getting print books onto those places can get expensive. There will be a hardback version (horribly expensive but available if you want it) on Amazon as soon as I get the proofs and check they’re okay.

All rights to the stories in that anthology revert to the authors on publication. I only paid for the right to use the story once, in that one book. They can now republish the same stories anywhere they like. As I said at the beginning, I’d like it if they added a link to the anthology if they republish but realistically, I don’t have the time or resources to check.

For novels, I’m going for a split of profits (every book sold will show a profit, no creative accounting here) because the price will vary depending on the country the eBook sells in and depending on exchange rates. Amazon pricing fixes the dollar price but the price in every other country varies along with the exchange rates. Then there is the VAT on eBooks sold in the EU, and that’s different in each country. Working out a royalty based on cover price while accounting for variations in international prices and VAT would drive me insane.

I’m not asking for audiobook rights or film and TV or merchandising or anything else. I don’t yet have the facilities to do anything with those rights so there’s no point demanding an author sign them over to me. Therefore, the author can produce an audio version of the same book, or make a film of it,  with someone else and won’t be in breach of contract.

I’m setting up separate publishing accounts with each distributor to keep Leg Iron Books separate from my previous self-published work. Again, this makes it easier to work out what money goes where. The anthology went out under existing accounts – doesn’t matter, there are no royalties involved and to be honest, bugger all money either. I think I’ve just about covered the cost of one story so far but hey, it’s early days.

The next publication will be Hugo Stone’s ‘Cultish’, a masterpiece of filth and depravity that isn’t going to suit everyone. It’s what eBooks were designed for – you can read it on the train and the person sitting opposite can’t see the cover.

Then, Justin Sanebridge’s ‘The Goddess of Protruding Ears’ which will follow quickly (with allowances for the Christmas chaos). Both these authors have produced their own cover art so there won’t be any photographic delays.

Leg Iron Books is under way. Here’s a preview of the next book…

(Both images copyright Hugo Stone)

We’re discussing the finer points of the contract now. If all goes well, this will be on Amazon in a matter of days. Followed quickly by ‘The Goddess of Protruding Ears’ and then I have two more novels submitted, and another likely to arrive early next year.

Plus, I have my own writing to catch up on…