Before sending anything to Commonwealth Publications Inc., you should be
aware that they are a subsidy publisher -- that is, they use your money
to publish their books. They have a very large in-print list, and their
books can be ordered, but the books are not generally marketed in major
chains in the United States--or if they are, then not in my area, South
Florida, where, as of late last year, neither Border's nor Barnes and
Noble nor Waldenbooks had a book on the shelf with a Commonwealth
imprint.

 Here's my history with them:  I sent them a query for a novel. They
asked me for the novel almost immediately. I sent the novel. Within two
weeks I got a contract proposing among other things, 1) to purchase all
rights to the work, forever and ever, which any literary agent will tell
you not to agree to; and 2) to do an enormous print run (10,000, if I
recall correctly, which is way more than industry standard for a first
novel), asking me to pay 10% of the production cost, which was about
$4000. I spoke to an editor there, who said I could pay in three
installments instead all of at once, but would not let me deduct my
share from the anticipated profits at the other end. I spoke to another
subsidy publisher, a friend of the family, who told me that the contents
of the contract were questionable, and that the claims made by
Commonwealth--in terms of stock, advertising, expenses, etc. were
unrealistic. The Commonwealth editor held out the possibility of a book
promotional tour -- which is VERY rare for a first novel -- but could
not identify any other promotional strategy beyond internet
advertisements. Although it wasn't specifically discussed, I did not get
the impression the editor I spoke to knew the actual content of my book.

Although I am not stating Commonwealth is dishonest, I do believe the
claims they make may attract naive writers who, lacking any professional
knowhow, routinely submit their work inappropriately to major presses.
Many subsidy publishers use these writers for their client list;
Commonwealth, however, uses mass-promotional techniques to gather them
in, and projects the image of a major commercial publishing company to
do so. I would advise anyone, before signing a contract with
Commonwealth, to investigate whether their operation is as large as
their promotional material suggests. Although I don't know of a
connection between the two enterprises, some of their promotional
methods remind me of those used by a publishing scheme, DimeNovels in
Seattle, that took a lot of money from writers and then went out of
business without publishing anything beyond its initial promotional
run.  Caveat emptor, my friends.

DRM


-- 
My signature file, attending all mails:

Neither titles nor eloquence do we require, he said, nor an insidious
tongue
nor familiarity with saffron myths on painted scrolls, but patience to
disengage difficulties until matters disclose their essence without
opposition, because the most subtle understanding outweighs mountains.
          -- from Evan S. Connell, _The Alchymist's Journal_