A division of Harlequin Enterprises, which publishes Harlequin Books, Dellarte is specifically concerned with providing “the opportunity for women’s fiction writers and romance authors to self-publish their books and achieve their dreams.”
As is the case with most self-publishers, Dellarte requires authors to begin by selecting one of several publishing packages. They include:
- Basic – For $599, you receive a “Simple Book Layout” which “includes the transformation of your manuscript file and the insertion of up to tenimages, tables or text boxes, as well as minimal manuscript cleanup. Your book designer will select appropriate fonts, chapter starts, and style for your book’s genre, and will also apply page numbers and headers if appropriate.” As part of the Basic Package you also get a “Standard Cover” which you select from among four cover templates, distribution to 25,000 retailers, and other features.
- Booksellers – Costing $1,599, this package includes the Basic Package plus additional features such as the “Standard Publicity Program,” which is designed to “Pique the interest of editors across the country with a professionally scripted press release about you and your book.” You also receive a “Book Signing Kit” that includes posters, flyers and postcard invitations featuring your book cover, and the “Enhanced Cover Design,” for which Dellarte’s graphic design experts will “create a truly customized cover for your book to make it stand out from the rest.”
- VIP Publicist – The most expensive of the packages at $4,999, it includes the “Simple Book Layout,” “Enhanced Cover Design,” “Book Signing Kit” and other features, including the “Personal Media Valet – National.” Your Personal Media Valet will, over the course of 45 days, help you use “varying media coverage and mediums such as press releases and personal follow-ups with media contacts.” You will also receive a variety of tools including a Press Kit for your book and a Custom Marketing kit complete with postcards promoting your book. Your press release will receive “national distribution via the National Newswire whose website has over 840,000 visitors each month.”
In addition to the initial package you can choose from several individual services, including:
- Editorial Review – Dellarte’s “trained editors take a portion of your work—typically the first chapter or about 1,700 words—and give you a sample edit.” The cost for this service is $342.
- Data Entry – Standard – Your typed manuscript will be converted into a digital file. The cost for this service is $4 per page.
- Data Entry – Difficult – Your “handwritten, faded, damaged or difficult to read manuscript” will be converted into a digital file. The cost for this service is $6 per page.
- Social Media Setup – Once you provide the essential information, Dellarte will set up a WordPress blog, Facebook and MySpace pages, a Shelfari social book account, a Goodreads account, and other social networking items designed to promote your book. The cost for this service is $959.
- Hollywood Book Trailer – If you believe your book would make a good movie, Dellarte will produce a 60-90 second “live-action video book trailer,” which will be placed on YouTube, Blip.TV and other sites. A personal e-mail campaign with links to your trailer will be sent to 1,000,000 potential readers, a national press release showcasing your book and video will be released; and more. The cost for this service is $19,999.
As for ownership of the book, Dellarte states, “Our contract is non-exclusive and allows the author to keep the rights to their book so that our authors can publish with a traditional publisher in the event they are signed.”
We at Taylor-Fox can help you create your business book, health book, memoir, biography, inspirational book or other book and get it ready for publication. We’ve helped scores of people achieve their goals, and some of their books have landed on bestseller lists. Let us help you! Call us at 818-594-0379.
Note: All of the information in this blog entry was found on the company website. Before signing with Dellarte or any other firm, read the contract carefully and check review sites to see if there are any problems or special issues regarding this firm. I’ll address these issues in future blogs.
Nadine Taylor and Barry Fox write, ghostwrite, rewrite and edit books in many genres, including health, business, inspiration/ spirituality and memoirs. Their resume is long and varied but there’s one thing that never changes: They love to work with words, creating books that are clear, compelling and pleasurable to read. If you’re interested in writing a book, editing a book and/or publishing a book, you’ve come to the right place!
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