What is an advance payment? And why do I have to pay it back?

 

An advance payment is a payment paid to the author before the acquired book is published. It is paid against future royalties, which means it must be paid back in book sales before you receive additional royalty payments. This payment is not a ‘bonus’ payment. It is a prerequisite of book sales and usually isn’t close to a book's earning potential. 

 

You are also not technically paying for the publishing house like you do with vanity publishers. We deduct the advance payment from your royalty payment each month until paid in full. If book sales do not out-earn your advance, you will not owe the publisher anything at the end of your contract period.

 

Why is Skye High Publishing’s advance lower than other publishing houses?

 

Skye High focuses on an indie approach with authors. Shandi started this company simply to help struggling authors take the next step. Publishing is daunting, not to mention the costs associated with it. Before a book is published, editing, cover design, and marketing can be in the several thousand. Skye High understands that not many authors can invest so heavily into their writing. They have the skill, and a manuscript at the ready, but a lack of resources.

 

That’s where we come in.

 

We offer a lower advance, sometimes none, for a much higher royalty share. We’re also determined for our authors to succeed because by the time a book is published, we have invested several thousand into that book. 

 

An advance payment is merely the tip of the iceberg for the potential earnings of an author.

 

What is your contract length?

 

We base our contract lengths purely on the author. We have authors who are more than happy for us to overtake all aspects of their careers. They want to write, and that’s it. We can do that, however, with our founder being an Indie author for many long years. She understands how much can change in a few years. 

 

What you may struggle with now (Ie: marketing, social media management, and funds) you may not struggle with as much in the future, so we don’t want you locked down with a contract anymore than we don’t want you to feel pressured to write the next No. 1 bestseller every time you sit behind a keyboard.

 

Our average contract length is 5 years. They generally include print, ebooks, and hardbacks. You maintain the rights for film, foreign translation, and audio. Sorry, we do not offer any lower than 5 years.

 

What is the process of submitting a manuscript?

 

Once you’ve filled in the submission form and uploaded your first four chapters, the chapters are sent to either our trusted beta reader, our editor-in-chief, or more times than not, Shandi will go over the details herself. If your submission dazzles either of these people, you will be contacted to forward the manuscript. One of the above then read it in full to gauge the storyline, potential sales impact, and what form of editing will be required (content, line-editing, etc). 

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If you are once again successful, they will request you to go over the tiers we have on offer. This is when contract discussions start. Shandi is very hands on with this part. She wants every author to succeed, and since it is technically her company and brain-child, we value her input.

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Once details are ironed out, if both parties agree, a contract is drafted and forwarded to the author. It will have the works we are purchasing, the contract length, and any royalties/advance payment stipulations included. We advise any author to seek legal advice before signing an official contract.

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After that, we begin the publication process. Covers are designed, manuscripts are edited, and our marketing team strategizes the perfect marketing plan that will drive sales and encourage a sticky release. 

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Please note: for the best possible sales, we recommend all manuscripts be changed to US spelling. We market heavily in the US. Our readership is 90% US, so we prefer all manuscripts under us to be changed to US spelling to save misunderstandings with readers regarding edits. 

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How often are royalties paid?

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Royalties are paid on the 15th of each month, but as per most sales channels, there is a 90 day delay from first sale until first revenue. We will discuss this in detail with the author once the contracts are drafted.

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How are royalties paid?

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By either direct deposit into your bank account or via PayPal. 

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Will you consider future works by authors you’ve already published?

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Absolutely! Because if you’re already umbrellaed under Skye High, we know you are the bomb!

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𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝?

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Skye High is a brand new publishing house that began in December 2021. It is the brain-child of USA Today Bestselling Author Shandi Boyes. At the time of hitting publishing on this post, we have 67 books published under the house, 34 under contracts, and another 30+ submissions in various stages.

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Our authors:

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Shandi Boyes

Kiera Jayne

Amanda Mackey

Laura Farr

KT Black

Alessa Hale

Isabella Zoller

Susan Horsnell

Sienna Grant

Jo-Anne Joseph

Suleidy Merced.

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Do you accept all genres?

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We accept all genres of romance, however, we favor steamy romance books. We know how to sell steamy book, and we can market them like no one else, so we veer more toward those heat-filled novels.

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Any more questions?

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Drop us an email at: info@skyehighpublishing.com