A self-published playwright pays the cost of producing the acting edition of a play, then handles the marketing and distribution.

With Self-Publishing You:

• Control the creative process of printing and selling of the play in book form
• Collect and keep fees connected with the sale of the books
• Collect and keep royalties connected with the rights of the play

Therefore, the finished editions of your play, the copyright, all subsidiary rights and all revenue derived from sales of the the book belong to you.

Production or profit may not be the primary objective for writing and publishing your play. You may have written a play to record your political viewpoint or to dramatically preserve a family history. Speert Publishing can print short run quantities of 200 to 5000 books economically, so you can publish the number of books that meet your personal objective.

• Self-publishing gets your book into print.

  We all know how difficult it is to get the attention of a publishing house or licenser. If a publishing house or licenser/publisher picks up your book, you will do most of the promotion yourself. A publishing house may guide you, but you do the selling. A licenser will concentrate on productions of the play, not selling the book. Productions do help sell the play, but you have to get produced -- often several times over -- to get a licenser's attention.

• Your book is your calling card.

  Your acting edition is a promotional and marketing tool. With it, you present your play to an agent or literary manager in a theatrically accepted format rather than a cumbersome manuscript. Each edition clearly states that the book is self-published so an agent will know the play is not handled by anyone else. Having the book available in quantity eliminates the time-consuming step of copying and binding a manuscript before sending it out for review. The book is smaller, lighter to carry, and says you are willing to be a partner in professional representation.

• Self-Publishing is fast.

  Publishers and licensers can typically take months to print your book, sometimes longer if there are extensive negotiations. When your play is ready, self-publishing gives you a finished book in weeks, not months. It will be ready for that special occasion, for that long sought-after production you just obtained, or for sale in a book store.

• Self-published plays make revisions very easy.

  There is no waiting for the second printing by a publishing house or licenser. You can order a second or third printing whenever you want, making changes and sending out new scripts in no time.

• You keep 100% of the profits from sales of the book.

  You can sell the books at each production. You keep all the profits, or share them with the theater if you like. Also, if you market your play to bookstores - brick and mortar or e-stores - you keep the profits from the sales.

• You retain control of all rights.

  You control the copyright, the right to copy and reprint, the right to license. Later, If you are represented by a licenser, you are free to give them the acting edition publication rights, and negotiate the handling any other rights as is customary.

No.

Speert Publishing is not a Vanity Press. A Vanity Press (also known as a Subsidy Publisher) claims to market and distribute your book to wholesale and retail outlets, often including advertising and sales assistance. Because Vanity Presses make more money in the printing -- often in larger quantities than you may need -- than in the distribution of the book, the effort to sell the book is minimal at best. Some Vanity Presses even hold on to the copyright of the publication.

Speert Publishing is dedicated to publishing plays. It was created as a new venue for playwrights to get their work out into the producing and publishing world. We are dedicated to those who write for the theater, offering theater expertise in a way few other publishers can offer.

Speert Publishing provides playwrights with self-publishing services that turn their manuscripts in acting editions. Playwrights can choose from a total package of technical and advisory services from industry professionals, or choose from a selection of stand-alone services such as: editing, script formatting, cover design, printing and registrations. Speert Publishing specializes in producing high quality, short run perfect-bound acting editions of original plays. We take care of the technical and advisory aspects of publishing so the writer can concentrate on writing and marketing the play.