[log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> Reading the contract that the publisher  sent me is very interesting.  Not
> only do they want all rights for using the artwork in every known medium,
> they also reserve the right for any future, but now unknown, technology for
> publishing!
>
> Thanks to everyone who helped me |:-)
> Darcy



The more I hear and read about working with publishers, the more they
sound like my husband - can't live with him, can't live without him.

I have an uncle who writes and publishes math texts. He started as a
high school teacher, moved on to be the district math superintendent,
and started writing algebra books for a big publisher. Then he got a
good idea (writing texts incorporating the use of calculators, back when
calculators were just starting to enter classrooms) - started his own
company, self published, while continuing to rake in royalties from the
algebra books. It's a small company, but he's doing very well. It's
interesting that the company which publishes his algebra books (which
has gone through a number of mergers), is no longer asking him to update
- he suspects that his royalty agreement from years ago was too good,
and the company wants new writers who'll settle for less.

He does a color catalog every year - which he says is his largest
expense in terms of marketing - it gets sent to about every school in
the country. He attends a couple of big conventions per year. He's
developed a very good reputation, and has excellent word-of-mouth
referrals. He operates out of a three-room office, from which he fills
mail orders, etc. (Also sells calculators and other peripherals - and he
recommends selling manipulatives, as well, that teachers can't just
reproduce on a copy machine.)

I guess I have an entrepreneurial nature, which makes me want to be able
to be in control of my products - and ideas. I enjoy the conceptual and
developmental side of projects, as well as the rendering, which is why
I'm not sure I'd work well with other publishers. I really rather not
have to dicker with them at all. It's my dream to do something like my
uncle has done, which would be hard work, but certainly not impossible.
He started with one product, and built from there.

Have any of you out there done any self-publishing, or considered it? If
so, what have your experiences been?

Also, I'm wondering about Science Insights - have the powers that be
considered expanding to publish other materials as well - say, forming a
publishing company for illustrators, run by illustrators, that would
publish and market a line of quality products, say for the educational
market? I know of a couple of companies run by teachers' co-ops that
would be along the same concept lines. Would there be any interest in
this sort of thing?

Cindy