Below are some of the more common frequently asked questions before and after joining the 4 Horsemen Publications, Inc. team. These are concerns, clarifications, further details, and more that have hit our desks, asked via chats, or realized might need highlighted outside the contract jargon to help authors and possibly, incoming authors.
How do I become a 4HP Author?
Got to our Submissions Page and fill out the form there. This goes to our submissions team for review. Be sure to submit clean, well-edited piece for the utmost chance of being asked to the next phase. We return rejections and acceptance with feedback. Depending if you are interested after upon reviewing a snapshot of our editing and feedback, we then schedule a video call to get to know one another and make sure we are a good fit. This is a partnership that we take very serious and always want to be transparent of who we are as a publisher and our expectations of you as an author.
Where do I send my Query letter?
You don’t need to! Simply fill out our submission form here on our Submissions Page.
Do you publish Stand Alone novels/stories?
No, unfortunately we do not. As of right now, we are focused on authors who wish to do series, or multiple series/trilogies style book writing.
Why tiers and series for all authors?
Series sell. We are designed in reflection of research, survey results, successful self publishers, and even past success of publishers such as Harlequin where series have been in the forefront of increasing the profit and success authors experience. After much consideration, our team has developed key tiers that reflect specific genres, types of authors, and market data. We have chosen those numbers, those expectations, and those timelines so they are achievable and will help an author develop a strong readership to fuel their careers long-term.
Do you take in stories that aren’t Romance/Paranormal/Erotica/Fantasy?
We consider all speculative fiction. Though we do not do literary, we will consider almost anything if you can pitch it to us in series format. Keep in mind, that we have limited resources and some scenarios may need custom production costs outside of our normal tiers. We do not do memoirs or non-fiction unless its writer resources or related to content that we are producing. Again, this would require the submissions team to review the submission.
Do you take previously published books?
Yes! Keep in mind it will need to be unpublished if we choose to accept it and you must own the rights to the work. Again, these books and stories should be well edited and be your best work for a better chance of being accepted and considered for contract.
How much do you pay authors?
No money is exchanged upfront, and should never be paid to a publisher for traditional publishing. We are not author services or a vanity press, and we are restructuring the dynamic of what we believe traditional publishing should be doing; in short, no allowances or advances are paid to authors, in our case. 4HP authors receive 40% profit split. At the start, 100% profit goes towards a low, in-house only set cost to produce the book (cover, typeset, editing) because at the end of your contract the author gets to leave with these! We don’t make money until you make money. We work as a team to make your book profitable for us both. The payment agreement is defined on our IO (Insertion Order) and outlines any special arrangements as needed. Please refer to our MSA (Master Service Agreement) for the official contractual details.
How long does your contract last?
Our contracts start on the day you sign and last 5 years, with auto-renewal in 5 year intervals. 120 day written notice is needed to cancel or opt-out of auto-renewal. Please refer to the details outlined within the MSA (Master Service Agreement) on the specific contractual requirements and expectations.
Where can I find your MSA (Master Service Agreement) or contract?
This is only accessible to authors we have gone through our submissions process, a video call interview, and have still shown interest. At this point, they are given access to all the contracting materials to consider and may pass or sign on as an official 4 Horsemen Publications author.
Do I own the rights to my books?
Every 4HP book is copyrighted in the author’s name. We simply own the right to publish and produce the book per the contractual obligations. Our authors are also allowed to produce books and submit stories to collections outside 4HP, just as long as they make our pre-determined deadlines on time there’s no reason not to grow!
Can I make my own covers or pay someone else to do it?
Yes, BUT that has to be agreed to prior to signing the IO (Insertion Order) and all those covers have to be approved and reviewed by our team.
Do I have to attend author events?
Not every author we sign will be able to do this, for example, many of our erotica and select fiction authors wish to keep their identities a secret. We work with our authors and make sure they can attend said events before even scheduling. In the MSA (Master Service Agreement) and Author Code of Conduct we outline stipulations and that may apply when and if that time comes about.
Why does my preorder link only have ebook?
Ebooks can be put on preorder instantly whereas print books have a longer process. Remember your books has to first complete editing, then be typeset, and after that, goes to the printer for approval. This can takes weeks depending on the length of work and if any issues come about.
How long does payment for a sold book take?
The industry is slow, hence why we pay our authors quarterly, and many others do so annually or bi-annually. It can take a vendor 30-90 days to pay our book distributor from the “last day of the month it sold within” and our book distributor pays us quarterly. So yes, it can take roughly 120 days to see payment on a book when you first release your work.
I’m making book swag or bookmarks, can I use the cover on them?
YES! Please do! And if you need the title, the cover image sans-text, and similar graphics, please reach out to the team! We love seeing your creativity and it benefits your readers moreso!
HELP! I’m trying to send in my submission but the form cycles! What should I do?
YIKES! Emails submissions@4horsemenpublications.com and let us know! We will provide instructions and reach out to our Interwebs Experts to fix the form. You may also message us on social media too! Sometimes clearing cookies and your cache can fix the problem, but that may not always be the case.
