For Authors

Partnership, Not Gatekeeping

BloodTie Publishing operates on the principle that authors deserve transparency, respect, and partnership throughout the publishing process. This page outlines what you can expect if you're contracted with us or considering working with us.

We treat publishing as a collaborative process. You retain creative control over your work while benefiting from professional editorial guidance, production quality, and strategic positioning. We communicate clearly, respond promptly, and make decisions with your career in mind.

The Publishing Journey

Our publishing timeline is structured to ensure quality without unnecessary delays. Here's what you can expect once your manuscript is accepted.

Manuscript Requirements

BloodTie Publishing accepts manuscripts between 65,000 and 120,000 words. This range reflects industry standards for the fantasy and romance genres we publish. Our focus on paranormal romance, dark romance, epic fantasy, LitRPG, horror, thriller, and romantasy means this word count range allows for proper character development, world-building, and narrative depth while remaining commercially viable within our digital-first publishing model.

Manuscripts outside this range may be considered on a case-by-case basis if there's exceptional editorial justification, but our standard acceptance criteria remain within the 65k-120k range.

Contract and Onboarding

Contracts are written in clear language. We don't bury problematic clauses in legal jargon. You'll receive a contract outlining rights, royalties, publication timeline, and editorial expectations. We encourage you to review it carefully and ask questions before signing.

For Publishing Partnership authors, contract terms are tailored to your career stage:

• Emerging Author Partnership (3-5 years): Standard term for debut and early-career authors with full editorial and marketing support
• Career Partnership (5-7 years, renewable): For authors with 1-2 published titles, includes strategic career planning and series development
• Strategic Partnership (Negotiated): Custom terms for established authors, may include longer terms with performance-based reversion clauses

Once contracted, you'll be assigned an editor and receive an initial publishing timeline. Timelines are project-specific but generally realistic. We don't promise what we can't deliver.

Editorial Development

Editorial collaboration is substantive. We work with you on structure, pacing, character development, world-building, and genre positioning. This is not line editing or proofreading—it's developmental work designed to strengthen your manuscript's foundation.

You'll receive an editorial letter outlining recommended changes and areas for development. Revisions are collaborative. We explain our reasoning and work with you to implement changes that serve the story. If you disagree with a suggestion, we discuss it. You're not required to accept every editorial note, but we expect you to engage seriously with the process.

Most manuscripts go through 1-2 rounds of developmental editing, followed by copyediting and proofreading. Timeline depends on manuscript length and complexity.

Cover Design and Production

Cover design is handled by BloodTie Studios' professional design team—the same designers who create assets for games, streaming media, and interactive content. They understand genre positioning, visual storytelling, and how covers perform across digital platforms.

You'll have input on cover direction, but final approval rests with the publisher. Covers are designed to sell books, not to satisfy personal preference. That said, we won't publish a cover you find objectionable.

Interior formatting, ebook conversion, and print layout are managed by our production team using the same quality standards and technical expertise applied to our studio's digital products. You'll receive proofs for final review before publication.

Publication and Distribution

We publish in both ebook and print formats. Distribution includes major retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books) and library channels where feasible. Print editions are available through print-on-demand and, when appropriate, short-run offset printing.

Publication dates are set in consultation with you. We coordinate release timing with marketing plans and seasonal positioning when relevant.

Communication and Interaction

We maintain regular, professional communication throughout the publishing process. Here's what you can expect.

Response Times

We aim to respond to author inquiries within 1-3 business days. For time-sensitive matters, we prioritize accordingly. If a delay is expected, we communicate that upfront.

Editorial feedback timelines are established at the start of each project. We meet our deadlines and expect the same from you. If circumstances change, we adjust timelines transparently.

Editorial Communication

Your editor is your primary contact for manuscript-related questions. Editorial feedback is direct, professional, and grounded in craft principles and genre expectations. We explain our reasoning and provide examples when relevant.

You're encouraged to ask questions, seek clarification, and engage in substantive discussion about editorial direction. We respect your expertise in your own work while providing outside perspective grounded in publishing experience.

Production and Marketing Updates

You'll receive updates at key milestones: contract finalization, editorial completion, cover approval, publication preparation, and release. We don't inundate you with unnecessary check-ins, but we keep you informed of progress and any issues that arise.

Marketing efforts are coordinated with you. We discuss positioning, audience targeting, and promotional strategies. You're not expected to be your own marketer, but collaborative engagement improves outcomes.

Rights, Royalties, and Transparency

BloodTie Publishing operates with transparent contracts and author-favorable terms. We believe authors deserve fair compensation and control over their work.

Rights and Licensing

We negotiate rights on a project-by-project basis. Hybrid contracts allow authors to retain specific rights (e.g., audio, foreign translation, film/TV) while licensing others to the publisher. We don't demand all-rights contracts unless the business case justifies it, and even then, reversion clauses are included.

Rights automatically revert at contract end. For Emerging Author Partnerships, this is typically 3-5 years. However, if the partnership is working well and your books are performing, we offer renewal options with improved terms—often shifting to a more author-favorable revenue split or hybrid rights arrangement.

Rights also revert early if sales thresholds aren't met or if the publisher fails to keep the work in print. We don't hold books hostage. But if a book is selling well and you're happy with the partnership, we're invested in continuing that relationship on terms that reflect your growing success.

Royalty Structure

Royalty rates are competitive and clearly stated in your contract. We pay on net receipts with transparent accounting. Royalty statements are provided quarterly or semi-annually, depending on contract terms.

There are no hidden deductions or creative accounting. If we earn from your book, you earn from your book.

Career Development

We're invested in long-term author careers, not single-book transactions. If your first book performs well, we're interested in publishing more. If it doesn't meet expectations, we discuss what went wrong and whether another project makes sense—or whether an amicable parting is better for both of us.

For authors whose books perform well, we offer:

• Contract renewals with improved terms: Better revenue splits, expanded rights retention, or longer terms with performance-based early reversion options
• Series support: Multi-book planning, coordinated releases, and cross-promotional strategies
• Career tier advancement: Move from Emerging to Career to Strategic Partnership as your platform and sales grow
• Co-investment opportunities: For ambitious projects, we may increase marketing spend in exchange for extended (but still time-limited) partnership terms

We don't guarantee multi-book contracts upfront unless the project and author track record justify it. But we're here to build careers when the partnership works—and we structure renewals to reward success.

Author Support

Working with BloodTie Publishing means access to professional resources and guidance throughout your publishing journey.

Editorial Guidance

Beyond manuscript development, we provide guidance on series planning, genre positioning, and career trajectory. If you're writing a series, we help structure it for reader engagement and commercial viability. If you're considering a genre shift, we discuss market positioning and audience expectations.

Marketing Collaboration

We handle core marketing activities: cover design, retailer positioning, metadata optimization, and promotional planning. You're not expected to manage your own marketing campaign, but we coordinate with you on promotional timing, audience targeting, and messaging.

We provide guidance on author platform development, but we don't require you to have a massive social media following before we'll publish your work. Platform matters, but craft and story matter more.

Professionalism and Respect

We treat you as a professional collaborator. That means clear communication, honest feedback, and respect for your time and creative vision. We don't vanish for months, we don't provide vague or contradictory feedback, and we don't make promises we can't keep.

In return, we expect the same professionalism: meeting agreed-upon deadlines, engaging seriously with editorial feedback, and communicating openly about concerns or challenges.

When Partnership Doesn't Work

Not every author-publisher relationship is the right fit. We acknowledge that upfront.

If you're contracted with us and the partnership isn't working—whether due to creative differences, communication issues, or changing career goals—we're open to discussing options. That might mean contract renegotiation, rights reversion, or mutual termination.

We don't believe in holding authors in contracts that aren't serving their careers. If the relationship isn't working, we address it directly rather than letting resentment build.