Why should I use TEACH Services, Inc. as my publisher?
It is best to have your title published under a well-known imprint. Most national chains and book distributors will not purchase self-published titles. Our excellent reputation and distribution system make your book available nationwide and internationally. We also offer amazing features such as e-book publishing. If you would like more information on our imprints and printing, please go HERE.
Will Adventist Book Centers (ABCs) buy direct from me or my non-Adventist publisher?
As an Adventist bookstore, would you buy a book from a non-believing publisher selling mostly worldly books, offering you an unknown book from an unknown author, purportedly a believer just like you?
Unlike non-Adventist publishers, our retail buyers and bookstores know that we only publish materials based on Adventist beliefs, thus saving them the worry and time of reviewing new titles or getting them approved before purchasing. Bookstores also know they can buy one or 100 books with fast service and huge savings on bulk shipping.
Why do I need BISAC, ISBN, and LOC codes on each book?
Most chain and larger bookstores require correct bar codes on each book for their electronic scanning at check-out counters. Your title will be registered with Books In Print using the industry’s BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) topic codes, ISBN (International Standard Book Number), and LOC (Library of Congress) number at no extra charge to you.
Is the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) involved in my payments?
We are required by law to report all royalty sales over $10 to the IRS as follows:
For USA Authors:
Those who receive a royalty payment and are United States citizens must mail us a completed W-9 before a royalty payment will be mailed out. You can find a W-9 copy online at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf
For Non-USA Authors:
U.S. tax law requires us to report royalty payments made to entities and persons residing outside the United States and withhold and remit taxes on such royalty payments to the IRS. You may also be required to report and pay taxes to your government, but we are not involved in this process and must follow U.S. tax laws.
The standard tax-withholding rate applied to royalty payments made to residents outside of the United States is 30%. If you are a non-U.S. author and your country of residence has an existing income tax treaty with the U.S., provided you furnish us with a valid IRS Form W8-BEN https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf and/or other required documentation, you may be eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. tax withholding on the royalty payment you receive. We must withhold, report, and pay 30% in taxes without the completed forms. To learn more about this requirement, please refer to the IRS 515 Publication https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p515.pdf and go to pages 39 and 41 to find your country under the “Copyrights” section.
Should I have the copyright in my name?
When you wrote your book, its content was automatically copyrighted. However, you may want to have the copyright officially filed with the Library of Congress by filling out the required paperwork yourself—there is a filing fee for this process. Copyright information can be found at www.copyright.gov.
How long does it take to get my book published?
The typical book publishing timeline is 6–12 months, though more complex projects may take longer. This includes time for editing, author approval, typesetting, design, flow, pagination, artwork and proofing stages. The most common time consumer is the author refusing to return approval on a finished phase of the book.
The publishing schedule depends largely on the author. How quickly will the author provide feedback and approval on drafts and proofs. Significant changes or delays authors make during production can also extend timelines. Even slight delays in returning proofs can add much longer increases in delivery because other jobs take that place in the production line. A three-day delay on approvals could result in a 7–12 day increase on delivery. Adding additional work (i.e., formatting requests, indenting, adding additional copy, or updating material) will require extra time. Requests or adjustments to artwork and the artist’s scheduling can increase delivery time, too.
Your Publishing agreement will give you an estimated total production timeframe. With this, you can estimate how long each stage — editing, design, cover, and marketing implementation — will take. For example, on a 11.5-month schedule:
Editing: 4 months
Interior Design: 3 months
Cover Design: 1.5 months
Marketing Implementation: 3 months
Do I have to pay for my job all at once?
No. Most books are paid in three (3) equal installments. One-third down when you begin, the second third when editing of your manuscript is complete, and the last third before your book goes to press. (Six-, nine-, and twelve-payment options are also available.)
May I sell my book retail, through seminars, book signings, etc.?
Yes. TEACH Services sells your book via our website and to wholesalers. Unlike other publishers, we do not prohibit you from selling your own discounted copies. We encourage you to sell your book by any means and retain all the sales profits.
What happens if I am unable to finish my book? Can I get a refund on my Publishing Agreement?
Sometimes, an author (or heirs, when an author passes) finds that they cannot finish the publishing process. Getting a refund on your Publishing Agreement is simple. Just request a refund by filling out this form HERE and choosing “Cancel my Publishing Agreement”. Canceling after a book is completed has different requirements.
You are responsible for all work already completed up to the time of cancellation.
Any advertising booked may have cancellation charges from the advertising company, and those changes will be deducted from your refund, along with any shipments for the return of materials. All Royalty Advances applied to your work will be canceled.
As all sections begin simultaneously but finish at different times, a minimum of 10 work hours will be deducted from all refunds.
Publishing Trends
From an article written by Steven Piersanti:
- Book volume has exploded: Annual US publishing now reaches ~3 million new titles (2.3M self-published, ~500K–1M traditional), a tenfold increase from 2005’s 282,500 titles.
- Market saturation is severe: Over 40 million ISBN registrations exist, yet the market isn’t growing. Industry revenue stayed flat at ~$25 billion from 2000 to 2020, representing a 38% decline when adjusted for inflation.
- Sales per book are plummeting: Average new books sell fewer than 300 print copies through retail channels. Even among top publishers, only 6.7% of new titles sell over 10,000 copies in their first year.
- Bookstore placement is highly competitive: Each shelf space has 100–1,000+ titles competing. For example, business sections typically stock 100-1,500 titles, while hundreds of thousands exist.
- Marketing burden falls on authors: Publishers have shifted marketing responsibilities to authors to maintain profitability. Author platforms and marketing plans are now crucial parts of book proposals.
- Books mainly sell within communities: Most books now only reach the author’s and publisher’s immediate networks, as readers prioritize essential books within their communities.
- The industry faces ongoing disruption: Thin margins and high complexity. Since COVID-19, hyperinflation, intense competition, and supply chain issues have increased printing costs. This constant turmoil in publishing has created frequent closures and consolidations.
How do book royalties work?
Simply put, a book royalty is the amount a publisher pays an Author for the rights to publish their book. Royalties at TEACH Services are calculated as a percentage of the SRP (Suggested Retail Price).
Authors also have plenty of ways to make money besides selling their books. They can book seminars/talks, generate new clients, consult, launch a product, become a coach, or build a personal brand. Of course, having a book that sells a million copies is excellent, but that’s an infrequent event.
For publishers, royalties are the only way to earn money. It doesn’t matter if an Author gives fifty talks to packed rooms of thousands each year. If those talks don’t translate to direct book sales, they have no value for a publisher. Most Publishing Agreements include tiered royalty rates.
TEACH Services offers the following rates:
Trade paperback and hardcover sales: 10-12%
Mass-market paperback sales: 5-10%
Audiobook and e-Book sales: 25-50% (rental amounts over $0.30 will be split between the publisher and the author)
TEACH Services pays royalties based on the book’s SRP price. That means for a $10.00 book with a 10% royalty rate, you will earn $1.00 per book sold.
NOTE: Don't get scammed by promises of higher royalties. Royalty rates based on net sales (after deducting all the price differences, deals, and operating costs) may have a higher royalty percentage but offer less total income to the Author. For example, a book with a $10.00 SRP sold at a 70% discount would be a $5.00 sale. If TEACH Services pays a 10% royalty on a book with $10.00 SRP, you would receive $1.00 for each book we sell; however, a publisher paying 12% of Net would pay the Author $0.36.
Book royalties sound great at this point. You’re making money on every sale, and 10-12 percent of the SRP on every sale the publisher and their distributors sell can add up very quickly.
Who makes all the profit on a sale? We sell most of our books to bookstores with discounts of 40-50% and to distributors with discounts of 50-70%. They promote in-store and online, hire salespeople, take care of rent on their store, utilities, advertising, etc.
Using Pictures in my Book
Why do publishers (including TEACH Services, Inc.) refuse to publish any copyrighted photo or picture without notarized written permission?
Federal law prohibits the publication of photographs and graphic art without the copyright owner’s permission. If an author submits a copyrighted image that they do not own or do not have written permission to use, and the publisher includes it in a publication, a federal court may find both the author and the publisher liable for copyright infringement. Requiring notarized written permission to publish photos or art protects both the author and publisher from being found guilty of copyright infringement. The author and publisher can be ordered to pay up to $150,000.00 in statutory damages, or if actual damages are greater, a court may order both the author and publisher to disgorge (pay) all revenue and profits to the copyright owner.
What forms of permission for photos or graphic art does TEACH Services, Inc. require prior to publication?
TEACH Services will not accept any form of permission to publish copyrighted photos or graphic art except notarized written permission signed by the copyright owner. Verbal permission is not accepted. Written permission that is not notarized is not accepted. Only notarized written permission granting commercial publication is accepted. (Permission forms are supplied upon request.)
Who owns the copyright to a photograph?
The person who took the photograph owns it.
Can I publish a picture or photograph that I created?
Yes. Since you took the photograph or created the graphic art, you own the copyright. However, you may need permission from people in the photo before publication.
Do I need notarized written permission to publish from other people who are in a photograph I took?
Yes, if the person is recognizable, a publisher needs permission to publish even when the publisher has permission from the copyright owner to publish the photo. This is because a person’s likeness is an asset (i.e., property) that has value, and using someone else’s property without permission is theft. Certain exceptions may exist if your photograph is used strictly for journalism, education, or commentary; however, caution is advisable to avoid portraying someone in a false or misleading light.
Do I need notarized written permission from a family member to publish his or her likeness?
Yes. You may decide that verbal permission from family members is sufficient for you to publish photos of them on social media, but TEACH Services, Inc. and other publishers require notarized written permission before publishing a photograph with a recognizable person, even when that person is a close friend or family member.
Does this law apply even when the photograph was taken of a person in public, where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy?
Yes. The law against publishing a person’s likeness for commercial use is not about privacy. It is about ownership. It may sound strange, but a person’s likeness is an asset (i.e., property), which he or she owns, and using a person’s property without permission is theft. (See above for possible exceptions.)
Who owns a work of graphic art (drawing, painting, digital art, etc.)?
The person who created the picture/work owns it unless that person is under a work-for-hire contract, in which case the person or company that hired and paid the creator becomes the owner.
What is the difference between Exclusive and Non-Exclusive Publishing? Will either option allow me to have someone else print my book at the same time as TEACH Services?
If you choose Exclusive Publishing with TEACH Services, we will be your book’s sole publisher and printer. This means we handle all promotion, printing, and distribution. Because we do not have any competitors, we can offer double the royalty rate compared to Non-Exclusive Publishing.
With Non-Exclusive Publishing, you can have other printers for your book besides TEACH Services. However, since buyers can get your book from another source, our promotional efforts are cut in half. Since we don’t control all distribution and sales with Non-Exclusive Publishing, we can only offer the lower standard royalty rates.
What is a Royalty Advance, and how does it work?
When TEACH Services, Inc. is interested in acquiring a book manuscript, it usually offers the writer an advance against royalties, or a Royalty Advance for short. TEACH Services, Inc. applies advances on royalties to reduce the author's out-of-pocket expense to get the book into print.
A Royalty Advance is assigned to your Publishing Agreement to reduce upfront costs. Royalty Advances are against future royalty earnings, which means that for every dollar you receive in your Royalty Advance, you must earn a dollar from future book sales before receiving any additional royalty payments.
For example, if you receive a $1,000 advance with a royalty rate of $2 per book sold, you need to obtain sales of 500 to recoup the Royalty Advance. Royalty Advances are guaranteed; TEACH Services, Inc. takes the risk, meaning we do not ask you to pay this back if your book does not sell well. For additional information, see HERE and the infographics below:
When are royalties paid?
After publication, before June 30 every year, authors receive annual sales reports via eMail.
Royalty checks for the previous year’s sales are mailed by the end of June each year unless the check amount is less than $10.00. Authors’ failures to update their physical addresses may result in a delay or a Inactive Address Change charge to your royalties payable (see “Publishing Options”.
RIGHTS QUESTIONS:
How do I request a Review Copy of a TEACH Services book?
TEACH Services will provide reading copies of most of our titles for those wishing to translate or print after rights are approved and paid. Copies that are desired before rights are approved must be purchased online.
I want to use material from a TEACH Services, Inc. publication or translate a book that TEACH Services, Inc. published into another language. Do I need permission?
Answer: Yes. Whether it is just one chapter, a small segment or excerpt (e.g., “only a few recipes”), or the entire book, if TEACH Services, Inc. used someone else’s copyrighted material in the publication, we may have permission only for that specific use. Please apply for usage from us, just like any other publisher you would seek permission from. Fill out the Rights Request Form, and we will return the cost estimates to you in a few days.
How are Rights charges calculated?
The royalties we pay our authors and agents are the starting amount for determining rights fees. These fees vary for each title based on your specific requests and restrictions. For example, restricting sales to certain countries like Mexico or regions like South America, adjusting the size of print runs or views/listens, and adjusting for income disparities between the U.S. and your target markets will impact your final fees.
COMMON SCAMS AUTHORS RECEIVE:
The publishing industry is experiencing a rise in sophisticated scams targeting writers. Many sites report from members of those who have been tricked or barely avoided fraud by scrutinizing suspicious offers. With generative AI making impersonations easier to execute, these scams are more complex to detect. It’s not just authors at risk—publishers, literary agents, and film professionals are also targeted. If an unsolicited opportunity seems too good to be true, approach it cautiously!
Below are a few author scam sites: