As indie authors, we might not depend on publishers for our paperwork, but we can be very dependent upon the platforms we use to publish, distribute, and then pay us for our books. And when those platforms run into trouble, it can create a real headache. The most recent time this happened was with the slow-motion car crash that brought Unbound to a halt. Thanks to The Bookseller for drawing my attention to the latest and providing some hope for those affected by it.
ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway
The company in question is Self-Publishing Partnership (SPP). SPP provided services to authors to publish and distribute (through Gardners) their books. A little over a month ago, it seems, SPP sent an email to their authors informing them that the company would be ceasing to do business.
That’s obviously bad news for all the authors affected, and quite possibly for the company’s directors, who found themselves in the position of having to take such drastic action. Where it gets interesting, though, is in what happened next. Thanks to The Bookseller again for their work in following up with some investigation. Because apparently, following the announcement, no formal action was taken: one might have expected administrators to be called in to begin the winding-up process, call in monies owed and, most importantly, pay out monies due.
Action only came following questions from The Bookseller. At that point, at least one payment of some money owed was paid out, though the slate was very much not cleared. And physical books remained with Gardners, with sales still being made. Gardners has said that it will help authors find alternative distribution arrangements, and it has stopped forwarding royalties to SPP, but there is a general lack of information as to when or even whether royalties for sales already generated will be paid. The Society of Authors has said that its members who are affected should get in touch.
I am not going to cast judgment, but what I will note is this: Whenever a story about a company like this going under hits the news, it’s not the fact that the company has stopped trading that is the real story. It’s the lack of transparency in subsequent communication with the authors owed both money and the return of any outstanding rights to their work. There is a lesson there, surely.
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
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