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[cknow]

Yes, I think those who've replied about VDM's poor editing quality (if any editing occurs) are probably right.  VDM accepted my dissert. manuscript after having had it for only a day.  Granted it's only 210 pages in length (and well written, if I may say so), but it's dense, not so easy to get through. 

For my field, English/American Lit., it makes more sense to try publishing through a UP. 

[happycat]

Hi, have been reading you posts with interest. Perhaps I can pick your collective brains? I research & write health care, life-style & therapeutic/medical articles for journals, newspapers & magazines, as well as having lectured & authored distance learning courses. In my field, it was not necessary to publish my thesis, however, now I would like to "test the water", so to speak!

As my first proposed work is a combination of new research, unpublished drafts & articles already written it's not a life-consuming thesis, but still serious stuff. I quite like the idea of no cost to the author....but don't, at the same time, want to end up with a nightmare on my hands. Peer review at this stage is not of great concern, although it could be somewhere down the line for further work. So, this might just be the first step.......

The book I have in mind will sort of bring everything revolving around in my head into one place, hopefully for the interest & benefit of others.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but essentially VDM will print your book for you only when someone wants it, pay you some small royalty, allow you to still use most of the material but it's up to you to ensure quality content, no typos & to try to find a market for it? Apart from the hardcover option, can anyone tell me how this differs from Yahoo who also offer an e-book publishing service? If you do not provide a bank account number, how do VDM pay you? (assuming someone even buys your book!!!) How do you know how many of your books they actually sell? Is there anything I've missed?

......meanwhile I've got 500 words to get down & it must be getting time for a coffee......cheers.

[johnpane]

Note: the likelihood of actually getting money from them seems low unless you have a very popular dissertation. As I understand it, there is a provision in their agreement that you will not be paid in cash unless your average monthly royalty exceeds 50 euros per month for the year.

This means the royalty must exceed 600 euros in one year. At a royalty rate of 12%, sales must exceed 5000 euros per year. Thats about $7,900. If your book sells for $79, you must sell 100 copies per year.

If you do not reach this threshold, VDM will give you scrip that can be exchanged for books from them. I guess you can get more copies of your own book, or choose from the wealth of other dissertations that are available.

John

[johnpane]

...there is a provision in their agreement that you will not be paid in cash unless your average monthly royalty exceeds 50 euros per month for the year.

This means the royalty must exceed 600 euros in one year. At a royalty rate of 12%, sales must exceed 5000 euros per year. Thats about $7,900. If your book sells for $79, you must sell 100 copies per year.

I received additional information from VDM. The 12% royalty, after taking into account discounts and other factors, translates into 5.6% of the book's selling price. This means, you need sales of $16,780 to reach the threshold for cash payment. At a hypothetical book price of $79, this is 212 copies per year.

John

[rubees]

Thanks for posting other VDM links.  I received an e-mail from this company last month, and responded a few weeks later.  I was surprised at how they found my actual website address and connected the address to my dissertation.  There is no information regarding my academic work on my [spiritual] website.  The links you listed led to more links, and all appears to be well.  However, the banking information asked by VDM [noted within my e-mail ]was a bit mysterious, but was clarified by stating that some authors elect to set up a new account for deposits only.  In other words, monies can be deposited, but cannot be tampered with by the depositor. 

rubees

[schoolhouse]

I too recently received the same email-with my name and disseertation title---after doing alittle home work too, I found that the person who I am communicating with and is titled the acquisitions editor named

*Mr. Edeen Bhugeloo*whose title is the Acquisition Editor in the the Editorial Department /Mauritius Operations of
*VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG*

has a Facebook account and he is a 19 year old--who seems to make his own videos of music singers and has many friends...so, does VDM Verlag, in order to cut costs, outsource its acqusitions editors? and they essentially are savvy at connecting the dots to find us? 

[infopri]

I too recently received the same email-with my name and disseertation title---after doing alittle home work too, I found that the person who I am communicating with and is titled the acquisitions editor named

*Mr. Edeen Bhugeloo*whose title is the Acquisition Editor in the the Editorial Department /Mauritius Operations of
*VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG*

has a Facebook account and he is a 19 year old--who seems to make his own videos of music singers and has many friends...so, does VDM Verlag, in order to cut costs, outsource its acqusitions editors? and they essentially are savvy at connecting the dots to find us? 

Are you sure it's the same person?  The name may be unusual to you, but that doesn't mean it's unique.  When I looked up the guy who contacted me on the VDM website, I saw photos of him and several other editors, and none of them looked anywhere near that young.

[cmfischer]

In January I also received an invitation from this company. There was a short time line during which I had to respond to their offer. Due to computer problems, I was not able to meet their deadline. I have tried to contact them about this but have received no reply as yet.
There is one caveat I would offer. On the author agreement (contract) they ask for your bank name and account number. Of course, I did not give this infromation to them, nor should anyone. Sounds as if it may be a scam???

Cynthia

[starfleet_grad]

On the author agreement (contract) they ask for your bank name and account number. Of course, I did not give this infromation to them, nor should anyone. Sounds as if it may be a scam???

The common way to transfer money in Germany is a wireless transfer between bank accounts. That's how it's been done for decades, and German companies routinely ask customers for banking information and for permission to withdraw money from or deposit money directly into their accounts. It's standard procedure and nothing to worry about, so I wouldn't judge the company by this feature alone.

[infopri]

On the author agreement (contract) they ask for your bank name and account number. Of course, I did not give this infromation to them, nor should anyone. Sounds as if it may be a scam???

The common way to transfer money in Germany is a wireless transfer between bank accounts. That's how it's been done for decades, and German companies routinely ask customers for banking information and for permission to withdraw money from or deposit money directly into their accounts. It's standard procedure and nothing to worry about, so I wouldn't judge the company by this feature alone.

Also, EU privacy laws, which place restrictions on how personal information can be collected, used, and shared, are much more stringent than those in the United States.

[seniorscholar]

Indeed, it's the only way to get money into a US bank account from several distant places without paying a large amount in conversion and transfer fees. It's how I've been paid several times for being an external examiner (in writing, not in person) for dissertations in New Zealand, Belgium, etc.

[professor_pat]

On the author agreement (contract) they ask for your bank name and account number. Of course, I did not give this infromation to them, nor should anyone. Sounds as if it may be a scam???

The common way to transfer money in Germany is a wireless transfer between bank accounts. That's how it's been done for decades, and German companies routinely ask customers for banking information and for permission to withdraw money from or deposit money directly into their accounts. It's standard procedure and nothing to worry about, so I wouldn't judge the company by this feature alone.

Maybe this is standard procedure somewhere, but I'd never in a million years give my regular bank account number to someone under VDM-type circumstances (email contact only, no independent verification of identity, etc.). The only thing I'd even consider is setting up a new, empty bank account and giving them that number. I'd happily forego the "fame" of having my dissertation published (and happily-er forego the ensuing embarrassment should someone actually read it...) to protect my financial assets. Such as they are.

[lordofchill]

Hello,

I have just published with VDM and I am very happy to have done it. The book is available in 7 counties, US, Canada, Europe, and Japan, through 30 or more on-line book sellers, like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Alibris, etc.

They do not charge the author anything to publish, and I may even get a few dollars if it sells enough copies. However, I didn't publish it to obtain money. If I hadn't published it with VDM, it would most likely never have been available in the full form except in my university library.

Sure, I will publish some articles from the diss, as many as I can, and I am able to publish up to 80% of the diss at any time, without checking with them. When the articles are published, I wont receive any money either, just the knowledge that my research is available to other scholars and the prestige of publishing. So why not put it out there, unless you can publish it elseware. I asked my mentors in my field and they were unanimous in support.

The best part is that I have a book published, and while in some academic circles the VDM publishing model may not be considered with great favor, for my friends and family outside academia, they are thrilled by the result, as am I. A published book to them is a great achievement, regardless of who the publisher turned out to be.

I see no downside to VDM, and I am thrilled with how it all turned out. Maybe I'll get enough from it for a nice meal :)

[ajman]

Hi, I'm new.  I was looking for some perspective on this VDM solicitation to publish my thesis.  The posts on this thread have been very helpful.

Yes, I received a Facebook message in June from a Ulla Vacaj (speaking on behalf of VDM) who quoted the full title of my MA thesis ('the otherness of I:  narrative, pedagogical being and fulfillment') and said their publishing co. was "planning a publication in this subject area".  I'm into, generally speaking, postmodern educational philosophy.

I always thought my MA thesis was topical enough to deserve being published and read by as many as possible.  But I never tried to have it published.  I considered it a big stepping stone for a follow-up project (book) that I would direct at more of a general audience.  Although, my 'project' is going rather slowly, I don't know why.  Maybe it's this whole publishing business:  'the vanity and necessity of 'being published' has become a kind of petty thing, hasn't it?

At the same time I am interested in getting my work out there.  And, being sollicited, I have responded to VDM and read the information they sent.  It all seems fine to me.  But, I don't like the dubious reputation of such a publisher, as detailed in this forum.

Anyway, in the past week or so, since hearing about the possibility of publishing my MA thesis, I've been polishing it up and making it more 'book-worthy', trying to make it appealing to more than just academics.  And I think what I have now is really book-worthy.

So, maybe I don't have to settle for a publisher with a questionable reputation. 

So, my question:  if I feel that my work could withstand peer-review and a more reputable, scrutinizing publisher, can someone please tell me who some of these publishers are?

Maybe I should try a 'better' publisher first.

If anyone can direct me to a more reputable publisher that I can try, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks.

[dr_dre]

Yes, I received a Facebook message in June from a Ulla Vacaj (speaking on behalf of VDM)

I would be wary of an editor who made an initial approach via Facebook.

As for presses, you might start on your bookshelf. Who has published the books that you respect?