OPEN BOOKS encourages contemporary authors to publish their work and to help gain exposure.
OPEN BOOKS was launched on the basis of accompanying the author through the production process, when designing their book and also during the distribution process.
Publishing comes with a great investment that sometimes the author cannot cover financially. Because of this, OPEN BOOKS is an advocate for collaborative economy through solidarity funding.
Solidarity funding consists of applying of three different kinds of financial aid: The first contribution is given to the author by the OPEN BOOKS publishing house, which consists of discounts/bonuses that are applied to the quote. The second financial aid comes from private funds, such as donations and crowdfunding campaigns. The third financial aid comes from public funds, which include subsidies or collaborations with other organisations. Through collaborative economy, the main goal of these financial aids is to ensure that the work gets published.
When OPEN BOOKS was launched, its main goal was to help authors release an economic and viable publication. To achieve this, OPEN BOOKS offers discounts in their publishing services, with accessible prices and always ensuring that the quality of the book is maintained.
At OPEN BOOKS we work as a team, and during the production and distribution phases we work alongside professionals who are experts in the publishing field as well as with cultural organisations at a national and international level. Working hand-to-hand with professionals grants our publishing house with their experience at a great price, in order to publish something original and high quality.
What services does OPEN BOOKS offer?
1. Dual correction. The book is proofread with regards to two different levels: style correction and correction of orthotypographical errors. With these, the appropriate writing of the work is examined, and the coherence between both levels is checked. The suggestions are outlined in a report alongside the correction notes. The goal of these suggestions is for the author to decide which changes he or she wishes to keep, which to remove and whether there are new words or sentences that they would like to add. Once the author has made the necessary changes, they can request another correction service until they are satisfied. Each proofreading comes at an additional cost.
2. Content creation. Creation of the text used in the introduction or prologue of the book.
3. Layout. We export the Word document to a format suitable for printing, with the necessary measurements as well as the required metadata for ebook visualisation.
4. Graphic design. The front cover, back cover and book flaps are created following the author’s request. If the book is part of the OPEN BOOKS catalogue, there is an agreed style convention within the publishing house.
5. Paper book production. The book is set up for paper formatting and we export the document to be published as a physical book, whether intended for online platforms (on-demand basis) or to be sent to a printing house.
6. Ebook production. We produce the ebook based on the paper version. We create a digital version to be sold and disseminated online.
7. ISBN acquisition. An ISBN code is created for the physical book and for the ebook. An ISBN code (International Standard Book Number) is the formal and legal requirement for the publication of any book.
8. Printing management and advice (for books not part of the OPEN BOOKS catalogue). OPEN BOOKS can assist in creating personalised books of a short print run in paper format, by organising this with a printing company at the minimum expense. The printing expense must be paid directly to the printing company chosen by the author, or to a printing company recommended by OPEN BOOKS according to the requirements of the book (format, pagination, volume of print run and additional characteristics, such as flaps, weight, in-book colour prints, heat sealing).
9. Book dissemination. The book is disseminated and we prepare virtual and in-person presentations. Events are communicated using advertising campaigns, social media and reaching to local and national mass media through press releases, which includes newspapers, magazines, radio shows, local and/or national TV that participate with Open Art Association. Upon the author’s request, we can also create promotional videos, posters and flyers. Some of the dissemination events include poetry recitals, reading clubs and participating in book fairs. The author is invited to attend all these events. These events are held following the current health and safety guidelines for the prevention of Covid-19.
10. Newspaper article composition. A review of the book is arranged (with the option to interview the author) in a local or national news media who collaborates with Open Art Association. A meeting with a journalist is arranged. Nonetheless, the final decision on whether the review is published lies on the publishing house, the newspaper and/or the magazine.
11. Management service. The management service we offer includes the property registration of the book, proprietary rights and copyright. Other services include illustrating and taking photos of the book, providing spaces for book presentations and a service to manage the sales of both the physical book and the ebook on the platforms Amazon and Todos tus libros.
12. Distribution.We distribute the book on an on-demand basis through Amazon and Todos tus libros, but we also distribute them to local bookshops for in-store sales and to municipal libraries in Catalonia. In-store sales are only available for authors who are part of the OPEN BOOKS catalogue and only after having had a contract with us for a year.
13. Webpage creation.For authors who are part of the OPEN BOOKS catalogue, we include the book specifications and links to their events, press releases, links to obtain the book through Amazon and/or Todos tus libros, as well as a photo and video gallery.
14. Home delivery.OPEN BOOKS will deliver the copies requested by the author in paper format to their home. The cost of this service varies depending on the parcel and the distance.
HOW DOES OPEN BOOKS WORK?
Those authors looking to publish with OPEN BOOKS must fill out a request form in order to assess their viability and to obtain specific information with regards to the book they wish to publish. Once the request has been received, and once an interview with the author has been conducted, we will confirm whether the book will be part of the OPEN BOOKS catalogue or whether it will be considered as an independent book.
There are two categories: catalogue books or independent books.
If the book bears literary quality and artistic value, it can be part of the OPEN BOOKS catalogue. This type of book is called a catalogue book. The final selection will be determined by the editorial board at OPEN BOOKS. If the book differs greatly from the publishing house’s catalogue range, it will be considered an independent book and the author can still freely request the editorial services offered by OPEN BOOKS.
QUOTE AND CONTRACT
The quote is based on the solidarity economy. Discounts/bonuses are applied to the total quote, and they are only applicable to the first ten books published by OPEN BOOKS. This offer applies to both categories, for catalogue books and independent books.
Once the quote has been agreed between the author and OPEN BOOKS, the work can begin. If the book were to require a greater investment, it would be possible to arrange other types of private or public funding. Because of this, the production process will be temporarily suspended until this type of funding is received.
For books within the OPEN BOOKS catalogue a contract is written. Regarding independent books, the quote given will exclusively list the publishing services offered.
The catalogue books operate under a fixed-term one year contract (renewable). By signing the contract, both parties commit to working collaboratively and to deliver the materials in the agreed times. The contract lists the conditions and it establishes that a sales result will be presented at the end of the year. The author is awarded 15% of the total royalties for the first 99 sales and 20% from the 100th sale onwards.
Once the contract has been made, the author will have a maximum of 30 days to deliver the final text alongside illustrations, if any. To kickstart the work, the author must pay 50% at the beginning and 50% once the book is exported for publication.
STAGES OF THE SERVICES
OPEN BOOKS’ publishing services are divided into three stages:
- Production
- Publication and distribution
- Dissemination
PRODUCTION
At this stage, we carry out the style correction, the correction of orthotypographical errors, the layout, and the graphic design (front cover, back cover, flaps) as well as in-book illustrations, if any.
The author may submit the book to OPEN BOOKS with a pre-designed layout. If they only wish to submit the text, OPEN BOOKS takes care of the rest. Once the final text is received, the text is proofread and the design and the layout are prepared.
At this stage of production, the author is consulted regarding the progress of the book until its preliminary presentation. The author is given a preliminary proposal. The appropriate corrections are put in place. Once the final proposal is accepted, a copy is sent for printing so that it can be reviewed by the author, in order to get their final approval. Appropriate adjustments will be made if necessary.
PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION
At this stage, the document is prepared for physical books and ebooks. The work is exported and uploaded onto our publications section on Amazon, which covers almost all countries worldwide. It will also be published on Todos tus libros. In this way, the book will be published both nationally and internationally.
The books within the OPEN BOOKS catalogue can also enjoy our distribution service to local bookstores for in-store sales as well as to municipal libraries in Catalonia.
At this stage, the author can proactively participate by forwarding contacts from other distribution points —other bookstores and/or libraries from other regions not covered by OPEN BOOKS—, in order to manage the distribution in these locations.
OPEN BOOKS will always welcome the author’s suggestions to enhance the exposure of their work.
DISSEMINATION
In this stage of dissemination, the main objective is to ensure not only that the book reaches the public, but also that it reaches as many readers as possible and that it has a cultural impact.
OPEN BOOKS dissemination strategy is divided into four categories:
- Advertising campaign
- Social media
- Management of virtual and in-person presentations
- Media coverage: press, radio, local and national TV (suitable only for books within the catalogue). A dissemination campaign is implemented for the book presentation. During this campaign, the author is invited to participate by sharing the event with others.
- The event is advertised on social media and we encourage the author to also share the event on their platforms.
- For those publishing an independent book, we also offer a facilities management service to organise in-person book presentations as well as services for virtual and in-person presentations. These presentation events can be supported by a dissemination service, through advertising campaigns and social media.
- For books in the catalogue, the following dissemination strategy is offered for the presentation of the book and other related events:
- Press releases are sent to media networks linked to Open Art Association, such as local newspapers and national media. However, sending the press release does not guarantee its publication and/or airing of the news. The news is subject to the publisher of each pertinent media network. During this stage of dissemination throughout the media, the author is encouraged to share media platforms that they know and that they consider essential to include and send the press release to.
- A virtual presentation is arranged through Facebook or YouTube Live.
- An in-person presentation is prepared with a recital that brings together at least three authors who present their work collectively. Open Art Association has a camera set, as well as an IT and artistic team to carry out dissemination events like recitals. The recital event will be held in a venue in Barcelona. These are places where the Association has a bond with the leisure staff and the organisers of the venue. These include Sala de Torre Barrina, Auditorio Sgae, Auditorio Aura, Salas de Teatre La Colmena, Teatre Carro de Baco and Sala de Torre Jussana, amongst others. The recitals scheduled for book presentations are accompanied by music, cocktails, book signings and book selling. Open Art Association can consider holding reading clubs and participating in book fairs. The author may suggest another venue for the presentation if they hold access to it. They may also participate in the events creatively. For instance, if they are a musician, they might play an instrument. The events will be held following the current health and safety guidelines for the prevention of Covid-19.
The authors within the OPEN BOOKS catalogue will receive five free copies (specified in the contract). However, more books can be purchased with a discount, so that the author can increase their profits through private sales. (Although the contract states that sales must be made exclusively by OPEN BOOKS, the author —and exclusively the author— will be allowed to make book sales. The contract will address this information in detail).
The author’s work with OPEN BOOKS consists of co-creation, of active participation and of mutual collaboration.
The adjective OPEN resonates with OPEN BOOKS eagerness to innovation and creative freedom. We are a publishing house that is open to dialogue and suggestions, which helps us optimise the design, production and dissemination resources.
More than a publishing house, OPEN BOOKS is a PUBLISHING HOME, willing to open its doors to those writers who wish to be part of a new literary generation.
Translated by Ana B. Vela