Century Press

Century Press was formed in 1997 to offer an alternative to the large over-priced vanity presses. Since then its slant has changed. No one should use the vanity presses because 1) they accept anything, including very poorly done work. Your work becomes junk by association. 2) It won't work. If they could sell your book, they wouldn't need a subsidy. Let's face it; anyone with a job can have a book published. Big deal, without readers, you've got nothing. Our program helps you get readers. 3) They're outrageously expensive, costing four or five times more than is justified.

While our other two presses are limited in what they can accept, Century Press can accept any genre. But no matter the genre, you need a marketing plan that will produce about $1,500 to $3,500 (exact amount depends on book size and presentation of the manuscript) in advance sales. This requires that the author be a working writer. If you're good enough not to need to be a working writer, don't submit to the small press.


There is no charge for publishing with Century Press. We require a manuscript of excellent literary quality, submitted on a disk we can read. But, before submitting anything, you must submit a marketing plan that demonstrates the viability/marketability of your book. We will start with a mailing to your personal mailing list. If that produces the necessary sales we're on the way. If it doesn't, other options must be under taken (like maybe a mailing to your city/state libraries). There is no problem with seeking advance sales. If we make our goal the book follows quickly. If we don't all money received is immediately returned.

If the marketing plan makes minimal sales look possible, we then request the complete manuscript (including cover art and mock-up, and all front matter) in hard copy. If we like the book more than other options we have we'll send a contract offering royalties of 10% on first 2,500 copies, and 15% on all thereafter. Additionally, every author is treated as a distributor and gets maximum distributor discounts of 50% on all orders of 25 or more copies. There is an additional 10% C.A.L., member discount.

Most books are offered with a hardcover edition and a paperback edition. Both employ a full color cover/dust jacket. The hardcover edition features smaller discounts, but does pay standard royalties and there is a C.A.L. member discount of 10%.

Once final proofs are received back from author, publication happens in very few days. (Our record is 3 days.)

Books will normally be priced at $16.95 in paperback and $39.95 in hardcover. It usually takes only a few advance sales to reach our minimum start up goal. Usually fewer than 80 orders will get us there. Any working writer should be able to produce that many orders. That gets us in print, with listings with major distributors, including Baker & Taylor, who reach all libraries, Ingrams, who reach all bookstores, and amazon.com who reaches everyone. Additionally we'll reach Borders, b&n.com and five or six lesser ditributors, plus about 10 in the U.K.

While this exposure is great, keep in mind that these entities do nothing to create a market. They are just order takers. But knowing the books are available there does make it easier to get book reviews.

Our books are all beautifully produced, on a par with the best commercial publishers.

Remember! And we can't say it enough. We are a small press. No one should mess with a small press until all efforts at finding a large press have been exhausted. We are small because we can't sell books in commercial quantities. But with working authors we do sell books, and any working author with continuing sales of only two books per week can bring out a new book every two or three years, all at a profit. Do this for twenty or thirty years and you may become an overnight success. Create an audience. If you do that you won't need to find a commercial publisher, one will find you!