Writing a book may feel like a walk in the park but getting published is where the plot changes. Many writers know how hard it is to get in touch with a good publisher, and Dorrance Publishing Company promises authors a more straightforward way through the publishing world.
Dorrance Publishing Company has been around since 1920. It is one of the oldest publishing companies in existence today.
If they've been around for so long, they are probably doing something right, surely?
If so, why do so many authors want to know is Dorrance Publishing company is a scam or whether or not they can be trusted?
Well, here’s everything you need to know...
Hopefully, once you are finished reading this article you have a better understanding of the company, its practices, and whether or not you want to publish through them!
- Dorrance Publishing Contact details
- How to contact the company
- Where they are based
- What services do they offer?
- What people have said about Dorrance Publishing?
- Reddit Users Have Shared Their Concerns About Dorrance
- Quora users have the same sentiment.
- Here's how publishing works – with legitimate publishers.
- Any concerns you should be aware of
Dorrance Publishing Contact details
Website: www.dorrancepublishing.com
Phone: 1-800-695-9599
Fax: (412) 387-1319
Mail:
Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc
585 Alpha Dr Suite 103
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
How to contact the company
Call the number listed above if you have any questions about publishing or any other questions.
You can also send mail or fax your queries to the company’s Publishing Services Consultant using the fax and mail details listed above.
Where they are based
Dorrance Publishing Company is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The company operates under several alternate names, including Red Lead Press, Whitmore Publishing Company, Rose Dog/I-Proclaim Books, etc.
What services do they offer?
The company’s services include:
· Ghostwriting
· Distribution
· Promotion
· Book production
When it first started, its focus was printed books which would make sense because the internet didn’t exist back in the day. Today, Dorrance Publishing Company published eBooks too.
What people have said about Dorrance Publishing?
People on sites such as Reddit, Quora, and Trust Pilot have more negative opinions and experiences with this publishing house than positive things.
According to a discussion on Reddit, Dorrance Publishing Company:
Have costly upfront charges.
Their upfront charges on the author can quickly add up to a few thousands or even hundreds of thousands. Another Reddit user agrees that publishing should be accessible unless you are dealing with a vanity publishing company.
When working with a vanity publishing company, you are the customer, and their goal is to sell products to you. Once you buy that package, the company will probably have zero or no motivation to sell or even market your product.
You may never make the money you spent on upfront charges.
Make sure you work with a legitimate publishing company or opt for self-publishing on Barnes & Noble Press or Amazon KDP.
Fees Subject To Change
Even after the initial agreement on the cost, the publishing company may decide to change the initial costs as the work on the book proceeds.
That's because they charge an hourly rate that isn't based on the contents or length of your book.
Unclear Terms
Generally, Dorrance Publishing Company is known to be unclear about the terms and conditions of your working agreement with them right off the bat.
Whether or not everything is made more transparent as the contract is drafted is still unclear.
Reaching Out To Clients
Another red flag is – there are many instances of Dorrance Publishing Company reaching out to potential clients. Publishing companies rarely contact authors.
You get in touch with their agent, who will do all the heavy lifting if they decide to take on your book. This is usually on a non-payment basis.
The goal should be to sell your book to potential customers. Vanity publishers make money off your desire to be published.
Reddit Users Have Shared Their Concerns About Dorrance
According to another Reddit user who goes by the name Milovich, there are two types of publishers. Some publishers make money by selling their products to authors, while others make money selling their clients' products to potential readers.
An author is a customer of the former, while the latter has book lovers as their target market. You want to go after publishing companies that sell books, not "vanity" publishers who are out to make money from authors.
Similarly, a Reddit user known as Constansos, states that Dorrance Publishing Company emails authors with tempting offers on publishing deals.
While that may sound flattering and boost your ego a little, when a company (or somebody claiming to be from a company) operates under these rules, it is generally a sign of something being wrong or too good to be true, proceed with caution.
Quora users have the same sentiment.
If a publishing company asks you to invest in them, RUN!
Instead, you should invest in:
- An excellent cover for your book.
- Editing and proofreading services.
- How you can get published as an Indie author.
- How you can land a publisher willing to pay you in advance.
- Etc.
Why should you have to invest in a book after writing it if you are going with a publishing company? Why would you pay money to publish a book? You may as well self-publish and have full control, if that's the case.
Here's how publishing works – with legitimate publishers.
If a publishing company agrees to publish your work, they’ll give you an advance. The “advance” is money you’ll pay back in the future from your book earnings.
Most, if not all, publishing companies pay the advance three times: as soon as the book is accepted, during the publishing process, and once it is published. Suppose your book makes more money than what you were given in advance?
You will be paid again; publishers call it "royalties."
Even a legitimate publishing company will benefit from the profits generated from your book: rightfully so! There's so much work that goes into the book once accepted.
A big team of editors, marketers, artists, and other specialists will work on your book for long hours. Still, the publishing company won't ask for one penny. If the book doesn't get picked, they are in trouble.
On the contrary, a vanity press will ask for a certain amount of money in exchange for your manuscript, which they will turn into a book.
They’ll pass the manuscript on to an editor who’ll try to remove obvious mistakes. Sometimes, they’ll pay someone to create the cover.
The money you pay upfront helps them turn your manuscript into a book. And it’s improbable that you’ll see a product of vanity press on Barnes & Noble.
The bottom line is – it’s a vanity press when they ask you for money! Vanity houses are not legit publishing houses.
No one can give you an exhaustive list of all predator publishers. New ones crop up every second. Maybe there is another one being set up as you are reading this.
It's your responsibility to educate yourself on the difference between a good and a predatory publishing company.
Here are some essential things you should look out for:
- Who’s paying whom?
- How does the company pitch its business?
- What are the characteristics of a predatory publishing company?
- What are the costs of design, editing, proofreading, other publishing services, etc.?
Any concerns you should be aware of
Many people have accused Dorrance Publishing Company of being a vanity publisher.
This means that they can be a little unbothered about submissions; unless an author in question pays for PR, they might not bother much about promotion, operate under high costs, and may even claim rights to published work to a certain extent.
Alternatively, an author may opt for self-publishing. As a self-publisher, you will have complete control of the editorial and publishing process and maintain all rights to your work.
You will have control over your work to a certain extent if you decide to work with Dorrance Publishing Company. However, it’s still unclear how many distribution rights Dorrance Publishing Company has over your work.
The company has no refund policy.
So many things have been said about Dorrance Publishing Company. Whether it’s a legitimate publishing company or not is for you to decide, just make sure everything is laid out on the table upfront before you start working with them.
