Is Warrington Publishing a vanity press? Will I need to buy my own books?

No, and no. Vanity presses make money off authors. Warrington earns money by selling great stories to readers. Authors have the option of requesting copies for personal use (most distributors provide them at a discount), but we will NEVER require authors to purchase copies.

Are you currently accepting submissions?

Yes, we are accepting a limited number of authors whose works are primarily fiction novels. We will consider non-fiction in certain circumstances.

Do you charge fees to your authors?

That would be counterproductive. We succeed when you succeed, and that doesn’t mean fleecing authors for nickels and dimes. There are no hidden or additional fees. There are certain responsibilities an author has specified in the publishing contract (i.e. maintaining their own website), and there is a cost to that . While authors may also contract third parties for things like newsletters and face those expenses, they won’t be billed by us.

Do you offer advances?

No, we do not offer advances on royalties. If you are interested in that, you should inquire with traditional publishers or hire a literary agent to do that for you.

How do I submit my book for consideration?

The details on how to do this are located on our Submission page. Please note that we only accept digital submissions in .doc, .docx, or PDF formats. No physical copies will be accepted.

How long will it take to hear back from you after submission?

We strive to respond in 2-4 weeks, although it may take longer during certain times of the year. If we need to catch up, we will contact you with an updated window.

Is there a guarantee that Warrington will publish my novel?

The only guarantees in life are death and taxes. We promise to look at your book, and can even provide direction to you if it isn’t initially selected for publication. The books we publish must have a prospective audience, be well-written, and most importantly, tell a good story. They also have to be right for us as a publisher, and we have to be a good fit for you as an author.

Do you guarantee a certain level of sales?

Please be wary of any company that promises this. We promise excellent book covers, high-quality editing, and marketing effort to introduce your book to the world. As our contract makes clear, we succeed when you succeed. That said, there can be no guarantees made about the sales performance of any book we publish. Making any promises to the contrary would be dishonest and counterproductive.

Will I still own the rights to my work?

Yes! Our contracts are for a set number of years to act as your exclusive publisher and distributor, and the contract is renewable following that contractual period. The purpose is to help recoup any outlays we make on an author’s behalf. There is an escape clause if certain sales targets are not reached. If an author chooses not to renew with us, they can republish their work(s) under new ISBNs independently or with another publisher. Unlike traditional publishers, we do not own your work in perpetuity.

How much time does publishing with Warrington take?

It depends on a myriad of factors, the primary one being the completeness of the story. Once a contract is signed, you should expect publishing in 3-6 months. Sometimes, it could take longer. Sometimes, it will be quicker. We will fully explain the process and work with you on timeframes.

How do royalties work?

Warrington publishing pays authors 60% of net profits. There is too much information to include here, but we invite you to check out our Royalties Explanation page for more details.

Do I need my own following to publish with you?

Not at all. In fact, we assume you don’t have one yet. That’s part of the journey we take together. While Warrington does assume marketing responsibility, authors are encouraged to create their own brand identity. We can offer guidance and best practices for that. Readers love to connect with their favorite authors, so we strongly encourage social media usage and newsletters that our authors run on their own.

What kind of marketing do you do?

It starts with helping you make your novel the best it can be. Nothing is more powerful than word of mouth. The key is to foster it. It’s nothing that many successful authors haven’t put in the time, energy, and money to do themselves. Giveaways, discount deals, social media marketing, blogs, reviews, Amazon and BookBub advertisements…there are a lot of avenues to explore to make your book a success. Unfortunately, there isn’t a silver bullet that propels an author to the best-seller list. If there was, everyone would be doing it!

How do you distribute books?

This isn’t a shop that just dumps your book on a website and calls it a day. We use Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) for Amazon (paperbacks, hardcovers, and e-books) and Ingram for other major retailers, bookstores, and libraries. We also strongly suggest enrolling in Kindle Select, but will support authors who opt for wide distribution of e-books. That often depends on genre. We also use ACX for audiobooks, and can be either exclusive with Audible and Amazon or help with wide distribution.

Why don’t you have a phone number?

Our staff is small, so we do not accept unsolicited calls. After submission, we will set up follow up meetings via Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or over the phone. Our authors will know how to reach us, and that’s the important part!