Frequently Asked Questions

What costs do I face if you publish my manuscript?

When you work with VDM, you don't need to pay for anything. We believe that the business risks of publishing a book should be borne solely by the publishing house. For this reason, we will always be honest with you as to what we think of the quality of your manuscript. We only publish topics and texts, which we can fully support.

Will I receive a free copy of my work?

You will receive one free copy of your book.

How long does the production of the book take?

It takes about six weeks to create the block and the cover. When the cover is finished, the four-week production phase begins. After these two weeks, you will receive your free copies. Then, it will still take some time before the first bookseller has your title. These times can, however, only serve as an estimation as a large number of people are involved in the making of your book - in-house and externally - and therefore, unforeseen delays in the individual production phases must be taken into account.

What will be the anticipated retail price of the book?

The binding selling price, which is to be determined by the publishing house, depends on various factors, such as the estimation of the marketable circulation, the specification and evaluation of the respective audiences, the variable production costs, depending on the text volume, the project-related fixed costs, the anticipated marketing measures and the distribution channels and, more than anything, our experience and a grain of that certain 'publishing feeling'. For these reasons, the price will only be determined at the end of the production phase. You will receive a notification regarding the final selling price together with your free copies.

How is the settlement carried out and what do I have to do?

The settlement with you will take place annually on 30 June for the previous year. Let's assume your title had been available in the bookselling trade as of 21 August. This means that the first billable period is from 21 August to 31 December of that year. The author will receive the agreed upon royalty fee for all copies sold via the bookselling trade within this period. Your royalty fee will be paid to you by 30 June of the following year.

How much influence do I have over the final outcome?

Very much. We are open to your ideas and suggestions. You are welcome to make changes or amendments to your work until the final submission. As of that moment, no further changes are possible.

Will my manuscript be edited by VDM?

Since the manuscripts we accept are already of a high standard, we tend not to edit works. Proofreading is not performed as it would not be financeable.

Why do you not ask money from your authors?

We do not ask money from our authors because we see ourselves as the author's partner, and we finance ourselves exclusively by selling their books. We therefore reserve the right to decide ourselves, which books we publish in order to stand by the high standard that we have set. We take pride in having the chance to publish and market many excellent works and we are happy to stick to this successful model.

I am worried about giving out my bank details/ My account details changed in the meantime. How can I make sure to receive royalties?

In Germany it is common to ask for your bank details in order to use bank accounts to transfer funds. The EU rules make these procedures a safe mode of currency exchange. We are aware that authors from the USA assume that it is some type of identity fraud when we ask for the bank details. Please note that we only need your bank information to transfer your royalty deposits once a year to your account. The input of bank details is compulsory to receive royalties. For your reassurance we use VeriSign security system, which offers the highest level of safety. It may also be useful for you to know that some of our authors set up a separate account for safety where money can only be deposited. Should you leave the field  "bank details" blank while registering, you need to type in your correct bank details until the 30th of June the following calender year when your royalties are due. If you refuse to provide with your bank details in time, or they are not correctly typed in, or the data is not valid/actual anymore by the deadline, you will not receive any royalties.

If we received your correct bank details, your royalties are calculated on the 30th of June each year, we will then update you regarding your actual amount of royalty and transfer the money to your account.

If you wish to change your account details or personal data in our system after you have finished your book project, please use your author login data to access VDM Online as usual and type in the actual information.