The publishing industry has an interesting way of making complicated decisions look deceptively simple.
An author finishes a manuscript, searches for publishing companies, requests a few proposals and begins comparing prices. Before long, the decision can start to feel like choosing between two contractors who perform roughly the same job.
That is a mistake.
The company you choose can affect much more than the appearance of your finished book. It can influence your royalties, your publishing rights, your marketing options, your ability to end the relationship and, perhaps most importantly, what happens to the book after it becomes available for sale.
That makes a comparison between MindStir Media and Dorrance Publishing particularly interesting.
Dorrance is one of the longstanding names in author-funded publishing and offers authors professional assistance with editing, design, production, distribution and promotion. MindStir Media provides professional publishing services as well, but its model differs considerably in several areas that serious authors should examine before signing a publishing agreement.
Those differences become especially noticeable when you look at rights, royalties, marketing, mentorship and reputation.
Start With the Question Most Authors Ask Too Late: Who Controls the Book?
Authors tend to spend considerable time negotiating design details and surprisingly little time thinking about publishing rights.
It should probably be the other way around.
Dorrance states clearly that the author’s copyright is registered in the author’s name rather than Dorrance’s. That is important, and authors should give the company credit for making that distinction.
Copyright, however, is not exactly the same thing as the contractual publishing rights granted to a publisher.
A publishing agreement can allow an author to retain copyright while still granting a company certain rights to publish, distribute or sell the work during the term of the agreement. Dorrance’s public FAQ explains its copyright policy, but authors should review the actual publishing agreement carefully to understand precisely which publishing rights are being granted, how long those rights remain in effect and how they revert when the agreement ends.
That is particularly important because Dorrance itself has referenced the reversion of rights following contract termination in responses to authors.
MindStir Media takes a considerably more direct position.
MindStir states that authors keep 100% of their publishing rights and copyright rights, and the company says authors are not locked into a long-term publishing contract and may cancel.
For an independent author, that simplicity has real value.
You wrote the book. You financed its publication. You should understand exactly what you own and what contractual control, if any, you are giving someone else.
Before choosing any self-publishing company, read that section of the agreement twice.
The Royalty Comparison Raises an Even Bigger Question
Here is another area where transparency matters.
Dorrance says that its authors receive a percentage of the retail price of every book sold. However, its public FAQ does not state one universal royalty percentage that every prospective author can expect. Instead, the applicable terms appear to depend on the author’s publishing agreement.
That does not automatically make the arrangement unfavorable. It does mean that an author considering Dorrance should obtain the exact royalty calculation in writing and understand it before signing.
Ask what percentage you receive.
Ask whether that percentage is based on retail price, wholesale receipts or net proceeds.
Ask what happens with heavily discounted sales.
Ask how ebook royalties are calculated.
Ask how often royalties are reported and paid.
These questions sound mundane when you are excited about publishing your first book. They become much more interesting after the book starts selling.
MindStir Media’s royalty structure is much easier to understand from the outset. Depending on the publishing package selected, MindStir offers authors 50% to 100% royalties, with its higher-level programs offering up to 100%.
That is a significant distinction.
An author who is paying for professional publishing services should not have to treat the royalty clause as an afterthought.
Dorrance Is Surprisingly Candid About Book Sales
There is one statement on Dorrance’s website that every prospective author should read carefully.
In answering the question of how much authors can expect to earn, Dorrance cautions prospective clients that they should proceed because they want to see their work published rather than because they expect significant sales. The company also acknowledges that self-published books typically do not earn enough from book sales to recover the cost of publishing.
There is something refreshingly candid about that statement.
Most self-published books do not become runaway commercial successes, and no reputable publishing company should guarantee that they will.
Where MindStir Media differs is in what it has built in response to that problem.
Instead of viewing publication itself as the primary objective, MindStir has developed an extensive collection of marketing and publicity programs intended for authors who want to actively pursue visibility once their books are released.
That distinction changes the entire publishing conversation.
Publishing a Book Is Relatively Easy. Getting Attention for It Is Not.
This is the part of self-publishing that catches many first-time authors by surprise.
They assume that finishing the book was the hard part.
Then publication day arrives.
The book appears on Amazon.
The author tells friends and family.
A few copies sell.
Then things become quiet.
There is nothing unusual about this. Retail distribution gives readers the ability to buy a book. It does not give them a reason to discover it.
Dorrance does provide promotional support. Its FAQ lists activities that may be included in a campaign, such as a press kit, digital press room, online news releases, search engine marketing, retailer listings, trade-directory exposure, bookstore outreach and direct mail. Dorrance also offers additional promotional opportunities.
Those are legitimate marketing services.
MindStir Media, however, has made book marketing a much larger part of its overall business.
MindStir authors can access an ecosystem of marketing and publicity campaigns that goes well beyond simply making a book available and announcing its release. Depending on the service selected, an author may pursue publicity campaigns, advertising, bestseller campaigns, reader outreach, social media promotion, media opportunities and other forms of author exposure.
For someone who simply wants to hold a professionally published book in his or her hands, that distinction may not matter very much.
For someone who actually wants to compete for attention, it matters considerably.
There Is a Difference Between Promotion and Marketing Strategy
Almost every publishing company now offers some form of “book marketing.”
The phrase has become so broad that it can mean practically anything.
A press release can be called book marketing.
A social media graphic can be called book marketing.
Listing a title with retailers can be described as marketing.
Those activities are not useless, but authors should distinguish between marketing deliverables and an actual marketing strategy.
A serious campaign begins with the objective.
Are you trying to sell copies?
Build reviews?
Gain media coverage?
Establish authority?
Reach bestseller status?
Build an email audience?
Generate speaking engagements?
Use the book to promote a business?
The correct strategy depends on the answer.
This is an area where MindStir Media has a substantial advantage because marketing is not merely an ancillary department added to its publishing operation. It has become one of the company’s primary specialties.
For an author with ambitious goals, that can make the relationship considerably more valuable after publication.
MindStir Media Also Includes Something Dorrance Cannot Easily Duplicate
Publishing services themselves are relatively easy for competitors to replicate.
Any established publishing company can hire editors.
It can hire designers.
It can provide formatting.
It can arrange distribution.
It can sell marketing services.
Personal experience is harder to duplicate.
MindStir Media publishing packages include mentorship from founder J.J. Hebert, a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who has spent years publishing and marketing books himself.
That means authors can receive guidance from someone who has sat on both sides of the table.
Hebert understands publishing as the owner of a publishing company, but he also understands it as an author whose own name appears on the cover.
That perspective can become valuable when an author needs help making decisions that do not fit neatly into a production checklist.
Should more money be invested in editing?
Is the cover commercially strong enough?
How should the book be positioned?
Which marketing opportunities make sense?
What should the author do after launch?
Those questions often determine whether an author merely completes a publishing project or builds something meaningful around it.
What About Dorrance Publishing’s Reputation?
This deserves a fair answer because internet discussions about publishing companies can quickly become exaggerated.
Dorrance Publishing is not a fly-by-night operation.
The company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and currently holds an A rating. BBB’s customer-review page also shows an average rating of 4.19 out of 5 from 119 reviews at the time of this writing. Many reviewers describe positive experiences with Dorrance’s staff, communication and finished books.
Those facts should not be ignored.
There is another side of the record that prospective authors should consider as well.
BBB currently reports 64 complaints filed against Dorrance during the preceding three-year period, including complaints categorized around service, customer service, billing and orders. Some complaints were resolved, while others received responses from the company without the customer indicating that the matter had been resolved to his or her satisfaction.
Individual complaints do not prove that every customer will have the same experience, and companies serving large numbers of consumers will inevitably receive some complaints.
They are nevertheless worth reading.
Publishing can involve thousands of dollars and months of an author’s life. Reputation should therefore be part of the decision, but it should be evaluated using actual evidence rather than anonymous accusations or sweeping claims found in a search result.
Authors Should Pay Particular Attention to Communication
A publishing project can last for months.
During that period, an author may go through editing, cover design, formatting, proofreading, revisions, printing, distribution and marketing.
When communication works, the process can be enjoyable.
When communication breaks down, even relatively minor problems can become maddening.
Several recent Dorrance complaints published through BBB involve allegations concerning communication delays or difficulties receiving responses, although Dorrance has responded publicly to many of those complaints and disputes some of the customers’ characterizations.
At the same time, numerous positive Dorrance reviews specifically praise its communication and project coordinators.
That mixed record makes an important point: authors should investigate not only what a publishing company promises but also how the working relationship is structured.
Who will manage your project?
Who do you contact when there is a problem?
How quickly should you expect a response?
Will one person understand your project from beginning to end?
Those details become surprisingly important once production begins.
Being Old Does Not Automatically Mean Being Better
Dorrance has history on its side.
The company traces its roots back more than a century and has published books for generations of authors.
Longevity matters. A company does not survive that long without developing systems for producing books.
It is also possible for newer publishing models to offer terms and opportunities that older models were not originally designed around.
MindStir Media was founded in 2009, during an era when independent publishing was becoming dramatically more sophisticated.
Its model reflects that environment.
Authors retain their rights.
Royalty options can reach 100%.
Professional production can be combined with substantial marketing.
Authors can receive direct mentorship.
The relationship is designed around an independent author retaining control rather than reproducing the economics of traditional publishing while asking the author to finance production.
For today’s author, those differences can matter more than the date on which a company was founded.
MindStir Media vs. Dorrance Publishing: Which Is Better?
Dorrance Publishing can professionally produce books, has decades of operational history, maintains BBB accreditation and has many authors who report positive experiences with the company.
That deserves acknowledgment.
However, when the comparison moves beyond basic book production, MindStir Media presents several compelling advantages for an independent author.
MindStir clearly states that authors retain 100% of their publishing and copyright rights.
Its royalty structure offers between 50% and 100%, depending on the program.
Authors are not locked into a long-term publishing arrangement.
Bestselling-author mentorship is incorporated into the publishing experience.
The company has also developed extensive marketing and publicity capabilities for authors who want to do more than simply release a book.
Taken together, those differences create a more author-controlled model.
They also make MindStir Media particularly attractive to authors who see their books as something more than personal keepsakes.
The Contract Matters Almost as Much as the Book
Authors spend months examining every sentence in their manuscripts.
They should devote at least a little of that attention to the publishing agreement.
Before signing with Dorrance, MindStir Media or any other self-publishing company, understand exactly what happens to your rights, how royalties are calculated, what promotional work is actually included and what happens if you decide to leave.
Do not rely on assumptions.
Ask questions.
Get answers in writing.
Then consider what you actually expect your publishing company to do for you.
If your goal is simply to see your manuscript turned into a professionally produced book, there are several companies capable of doing the job.
If you want to retain clear control of your rights, have access to potentially higher royalties, receive guidance from a bestselling author and tap into a company that has made professional book marketing one of its specialties, MindStir Media deserves a very close look.
Publishing should not require an author to surrender clarity in exchange for opportunity.
You should know who owns the rights.
You should know how you get paid.
You should know what your publisher will do to market the book.
Most importantly, you should know exactly what you are paying for before you sign.
For serious independent authors, those questions can make the difference between simply getting published and choosing a publishing partner that is built around their long-term interests.