Frequently Asked Questions, Faith Works

HOW DO I SUBMIT MY PROPOSAL/BOOK IDEA TO VMI?
When sending your initial query/proposal, you should not send us your entire manuscript. Please send us a synopsis (one page or less); an outline (two pages or less); and one or two sample chapters. Send them in a common font (Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica, or Verdana), and double-spaced in a Microsoft Word document (a .doc file). Then email your proposal to: bill@vmipublishers.com. We do not accept proposals by mail, only by email.

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WHAT ARE THE VMI ROYALTY RATES PAID TO AUTHORS?
VMI pays author royalties on all books we sell through the retail trade. The current royalty rates are 12% for the first 10,000 copies sold; 15% for the second 10,000 copies sold; and 18% for all copies sold above 20,000. This will be spelled out in the author contract.

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HOW IS VMI DIFFERENT FROM SELF PUBLISHERS. HERE ARE 7 UNIQUE DIFFERENCES First, self-publishers or POD (Print on Demand) will usually take anyone who can write the check. They are a “book mill” with no risk in the outcome of the book. Whereas VMI carefully screens manuscripts in an effort to select only books we think have a chance to succeed in the broader marketplace. We, in turn, pass on hundreds of manuscripts for every manuscript our editorial review team accepts. And we risk our time and resources with yours. Second, most self-publishers do a glorified spell check and call it editing. VMI works with some of the best editors on a freelance basis. We do extensive back and forth editing with the author in both concept and technical editing, making sure the book is the best it can be. Our editors point out the areas where the book can be improved and it is the authors decision to accept the suggestion or reject it. Editing is one of our strengths that our authors rave about. Third, most self-publishers make a few revisions to a stock cover template they have and slap it on the book. VMI hires some of the best (award winning) cover designers in the industry who are required to read the manuscript and then custom design the cover to fit the contents of the book. Our cover designers give us two to four concept ideas from which we select the best layout, then tweak it to be as good as it can be for the final cover. Good covers are crucial to bookstore sales. Fourth, most self-publishers have a standard “template” they use to flow in the type, so virtually all their books look the same on the interior. Same layout, same boring fonts, little creativity. Whereas VMI’s interior designers custom create a template for every book we do, so that the interior design goes with the cover design and has a fresh look and flow to the book. Fifth, self-publishers use Print On Demand. Basically that means the can print one copy at a time, which is exactly what they do. They print the copies you order and usually only the copies you order. There is no effort to print enough copies to stock them on the shelves of retail stores across the country and no distribution centers that stock books for upcoming orders. VMI uses offset printing. And we not only print the copies you purchase, we print many more for our retail sales efforts and our two distribution centers located in Tennessee and Nevada. Most of our initial print runs range from 1500 copies to 12,000 copies, depending on the pre-sales numbers from our sales team. We also supply many wholesale distributors with books to stock in their warehouse for future orders from both stores and individuals. And we have a “just-in-time” inventory system that triggers a reprint when the warehouse supply reaches a certain level so we have books flowing out in a seamless manner to the retail trade.Some authors question why the costs are higher with VMI than they are with a self-publisher. Keep in mind that the retail price of a book is not just based on printing costs. There are thousands of dollars of costs in editing, cover design, marketing, and sales. There are sales commissions to pay as well. Stores require an average 50% discount margin off the retail price so we end up selling books for substantially less than the retail price. Self-publishers never intend to sell any copies to stores, so they don’t have to deal with the wholesale margins required by us. Not to mention that bookstores have 100% credit return options on all books not sold....copies the publisher prints and then has to “eat” if they are returned. So our margins are completely different. Sixth (and here is one of the most important differences), most self-publishers list your title at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and call it distribution. In truth, anyone can list a book there as they take all comers. Your title is then buried among millions of titles listed there and has little or nothing to do with exposure or sales. VMI has a 15+ member sales team who work full time selling our books into the retail trade. We have sales people (boots on the ground) who live in regional parts of the country and have territories where they make face-to-face calls to bookstore buyers who represent over 2000 bookstores every quarter. We also have key account reps who call on the big box stores and distributors. And we pay competitive royalties to the author on everything we sell through the stores. Last, but not least, we have a promotions team that helps get exposure for our authors. We do email blasts to our list of 1200 media contacts, we feature our titles at major book trade shows, we help develop the promotional materials, we place catalog ads, and we send out review copies to major publications. Our authors have appeared on many of the major radio networks and major television talk shows across the country. They have been featured at the International Christian Retail Trade Show and at BookExpo, as well as other major book shows. We also have contacts with outside PR firms who offer our authors discounts on various services should the author decide to do even more. All of this is included as a part of the VMI Partnership. All in all, it is more accurate to compare VMI with a traditional royalty publisher. The ONLY difference is that we ask the author to partner with us in the initial print run by purchasing a minimum quantity of books.

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WHY DOES VMI REQUIRE THE AUTHOR TO PURCHASE BOOKS IN THE INITIAL PRINT RUN?
There is considerable risk in publishing. That risk increases with new authors. VMI is dedicated to helping new authors get published, but our business plan dictates that we will not do it alone. The money we receive from author purchases helps pay for the initial editing, cover design, typesetting, printing, advertising, sales team costs, overhead, etc. That is why we tell our authors up-front that this is a "partnership" between publisher and author. Our goal is to make a profit and pay you a royalty when your book sells in retail stores.

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WHAT IS THE COST OF THE BOOKS PURCHASED BY THE AUTHOR?
The costs to the author for his copies depend on the quantity ordered. The minimum order is 1000 copies. Click here for the latest discount schedule. Payment for your books can either be scheduled in a two or three payment program. The first payment is due as a deposit when signing the author agreement, the last payment due when the books are ready to ship.

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IN ADDITION TO THE NUMBER OF COPIES THAT THE AUTHOR ORDERS, HOW MANY COPIES DOES VMI PRINT?
We always print a minimum of 1500 copies. Often it is much more, depending on the presales figures for the book from our sales team's efforts. In additon, the number we print with the initial print run depends on several things. First, it depends on the target audience for the book. Obviously, if the book is geared to a specific and smaller sector of the Christian population (for example, pastors or youth directors) then we would print fewer than if it were geared to a broad general audience (for example, Christian women). Second, our print run is influenced by the subject matter. If there are many books on the same subject already out there, we print less than if this is a fresh idea. Third, it depends on the author. If the author is well known or has a broad speaking ministry already established, we tend to print more than if he/she does not. Finally, we use "Just-in-Time" technology. What that means is that we get a daily report from our distribution system as to exactly how many books are ordered and how many we have in stock. When our computer system sees a book moving and our stock reaches a certain level, it triggers additional printing that arrives in our warehouse in a seamless system of providing books on time to the retail trade. This helps avoid waste. We are not a POD or "Print on Demand" publisher. All of our books are done on state-of-the-art offset presses.

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HOW ARE VMI BOOKS DISTRIBUTED?
Send the Light (STL) in Tennessee performs VMI's distribution. They are recognized as one of the best and they do it for many major publishers. They do the warehousing, picking, packing, shipping, invoicing, credit returns, etc. and keep track of our inventory.

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IS VMI A "VANITY" PUBLISHER?
VMI is not a vanity publisher. But sometimes we are accused of being one because, as stated above, we do require the author to participate financially in the initial print run by purchasing books at discount. That makes us different from some of the other full-service publishers who may not have this requirement. But we do this because we are dedicated to NEW authors, and we require that they share the risk. Read more about the unique differences in question #3 above.

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DOES VMI ACCEPT ANY AND ALL MANUSCRIPTS FOR PUBLICATION?
VMI does not accept any and all manuscripts. We only take quality works that we feel have a chance to succeed in the Christian retail trade. We turn down far more manuscripts than we accept. We have an editorial review team that reviews selected proposals and they are the ones who make the final decision on what we publish.

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HOW LARGE IS A NORMAL MANUSCRIPT?
A normal size trade paperback book is about 200 pages when finished, which is about 60,000-75,000 words. Obviously, some books are smaller than that, but if substantially smaller, unless a specialty book with other graphics or photographs, they are very thin books, even using larger type. We like to see manuscripts that are at least 30,000 words in length, and we prefer manuscripts of at least 60,000 words. Fiction can be double this size, up to 120,000 words or 400 pages.

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WHAT CATEGORIES DOES VMI PUBLISH?
VMI does not target a single category as much as we target good writing from new authors. Because of this, we publish all kinds of Christian books, which include, Christian Living, Bible Study, Fiction, Family & Marriage, Devotionals, Inspirational, Church Growth, etc. We have recently started a Children's line of books, but we require the author to be working with their own illustrator and furnish samples of the illustrations when submitting their manuscript for review. We also publish books on Theology and Doctrine, but under a different imprint.

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HOW DO I KNOW IF VMI IS RIGHT FOR ME?
VMI is not for everyone. If you do not have a way to sell your copies to your constituency, we do not want you to end up with a garage full of books. If, however, you have a way to sell your own copies (church, seminars, speaking, students, radio, mailing list, website, etc.) and you let us handle all the bookstore retail trade, then VMI may be a fit. The only exclusive rights you grant to VMI are the retail trade. You are still free to sell your own copies anywhere except to bookstores.

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WHAT MAKES A BOOK A "BEST SELLER?"
Contrary to most people's thinking, advertising does not necessarily sell books. Advertising can support the sales of a good book, but many books that have had hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on various kinds of advertising did not sell well. Books sell if they can find their audience. (We suggest you read "The Tipping Point." It will give you a better idea of how bestsellers 'happen'.) Having said that, there are three key things that we think make a book a bestseller:
- First, you have to have a good manuscript that is fresh, crisp, lively...with a great title and cover.... that gets talked about and recommended by the reader after it is read. Our expertise at VMI can and will help you make your book as good as it can be in format, content, and design.
- Second, as an author, you have to have a good handle on your audience and initially be able to get the book into the hands of its audience. Notice all the authors who are pitching a new book on the talk shows? That is not an accident. Authors are the key to helping jump-start their book. We also suggest you purchase the book, "1001 Ways To Market Your Book," available at most bookstores.
- Third, you have to have an excellent distribution system set up to handle the demand if and when the book takes off. (And VMI has the best!)
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ONCE THE BOOK IS PUBLISHED, DOES THE AUTHOR HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH CREATING SALES FOR THE BOOK?
The author has EVERYTHING to do with creating sales for their book! Good authors know where their readers are...and they certainly know how to get to them better than most publishers do. Authors find them via radio, TV, seminars, speaking invitations, the Internet, etc. A publisher is really the second wave for bigger sales volumes with a good sales team and, most of all, a good distribution system to get books out there fast and efficiently to meet the demand. (And VMI has an excellent system for this... as good as any Christian publisher, big or small.)

Remember, this is your book, your story, your life, your idea, and your audience. VMI, or whomever you choose, is only a partnering facilitator. In the end, it is your book, your talent, your passion, and your audience that will get the ball rolling. The truth is, authors should consider their publisher as a support, a coach, and a partner; not as a "magician" that can make your book a bestseller. Many authors are disillusioned because they have expectations from a publisher that are not realistic. A PUBLISHER CANNOT MAKE A BOOK A BEST SELLER! Only a good book that finds its audience can make itself a best seller.

VMI enjoys working with authors who understand their vital role in marketing their book. Some writers think that their job ends when the manuscript is finished. But books that sell well do so because the author takes an active role in marketing their work. Read the article "Writing Your Book is Just the Start." Authors that frequently speak to groups of people (pastors, teachers, seminar leaders, workshop leaders, convention speakers, CEO's, men's and women's retreats/groups, evangelists, radio and television talk show hosts or guests, celebrities, business owners, etc.) have built-in opportunities to market their books. When a potential reader can hear you in person, they are much more likely to purchase your book than if they just see it on a shelf somewhere.

That is why we like to work with authors who have some ministry or constituency already in place. Nothing kicks off good sales for a book better than "word-of-mouth" advertising. The books you buy personally in the initial print run will not only earn you a good profit, they will also help jump-start the sales process, giving your book a better chance to succeed.

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SO, IF VMI CANNOT MAKE ME A BESTSELLING AUTHOR, WHAT CAN VMI DO FOR ME?
We can only tell you that should we become your publisher, we will do everything we can to make your book a success. We will tell you the truth about your manuscript and push you to rewrite or edit where we think it is needed to make it better. We will tell you the truth about titles and cover design, and insist that we not finish until we all agree it is the best it can be. We will make sure your book has the best distribution system anywhere. Our partnership with STL distributors is the very best. We will stack our sales team up against anyone's.

VMI may or may not be right for you. But know this: we will not lie to you, and we will not just "print" your book to make a quick buck. If we do your book, VMI will take the time to work with you to make your book better...hopefully the best. But we cannot guarantee that your book will sell well, and any publisher that tells you otherwise is not being truthful. Our growing family of authors is the best way to judge our work. View our Endorsements page from VMI Authors.

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HOW CAN I KNOW THAT MY MANUSCRIPT IS REALLY A GOOD BOOK? HOW CAN I BE OBJECTIVE ABOUT THIS?
First, ask yourself hard questions:
- "Do I believe in this book?"
- "What is this experience of trying to find a publisher telling me about my book, about me?"
- "Am I on a quest to get published because I have a passion for my message and my writing, or do I want to get published for other reasons?"
Then, if you still feel a passion for your manuscript and its message, submit it to more than one publisher and see what happens. Don't be discouraged by rejection letters. Keep trying.

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WHERE IS VMI PUBLISHERS LOCATED?
Central Oregon...just outside of Sisters, Oregon. Sisters is the home of many writers, graphic designers and other publishing professionals.

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WHAT DOES V.M.I. STAND FOR?
VMI is a completely separate Limited Liability Corporation, but the inspiration comes from Virtue Ministries Inc., our original company and still the non-profit organization we conduct our Marriage and Family Seminars under. Virtue Ministries was founded nearly thirty years ago, when we began publishing Virtue Magazine and Christian Parenting Today magazine. While many of our titles are published under the VMI logo, we also have four other imprints, TrustedBooks, DeepRiver, VMI Fiction, and Citadel.
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DOES VMI DISTRIBUTE BOOKS FOR SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHORS?
No. We only market and distribute the books we publish.

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WHAT IS VMI'S STATEMENT OF FAITH?
The Statement of Faith of VMI Publishers is as follows: I. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God. II. We believe there is only one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. III. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. IV. We believe that for the salvation of the lost and sinful, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. V. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. VI. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation. VII. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. This Statement of Faith is essentially identical to that of the National Association of Evangelicals.
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