Category: FAQ Series Page 1 of 2

Many of you have sent us the same questions over and over via email. That is why we created a very detailed FAQ and Philosophy pages to help you.

But we wanted to make things even easier by breaking down all the questions into easy-to-digest posts.

Today’s question is: “How do I achieve the 300 ppi resolution you ask for images?“

Here are two solutions for you:

Option 1: Use a camera that allows you to take photos in the RAW format. Then, open your image with Lightroom or Photoshop and export / save it as a JPG or JPEG file, selecting 300 ppi (resolution), sRGB (color space) and 1,500 px (long edge).

See photo below: 

Option 2: Scan your work at a high resolution (e.g. 600 pixels per inch). Save it as a TIFF file. Then, open your image with Lightroom or Photoshop and export / save it as a JPG or JPEG file, selecting 300 ppi (resolution), sRGB (color space) and 1,500 px (long edge).

Why do you require images that are 300 ppi (resolution), 1,500 pixels on the longer side and less than 5MB in size?

Most smartphones, tablets and point-and-shoot cameras offer a maximum resolution of 72 dpi. Our digital anthologies will be available for purchase from many online stores and platforms like Kobo require 300 ppi for optimal display. Also, some distributors have file size limits, which means that ebook files exceeding a certain size will not be accepted. Furthermore, heavier files incur extra costs, which would force us to increase prices.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out our latest submission calls!

Many of you have sent us the same questions over and over via email. That is why we created a very detailed FAQ and Philosophy pages to help you.

But we wanted to make things even easier by breaking down all the questions into easy-to-digest posts.

Today’s question is: “Do you accept simultaneous submissions?“

No, we do not. Here is why.

We know that simultaneous submissions are standard practices in the online magazine/journal industry. Unfortunately, we are not a standard platform; we are actually an exclusive digital content provider.

Every submission we receive takes us between thirty minutes and a couple of hours to review/discuss. This is time we cannot spend on other things, including other submissions. The more entries we receive, the heavier the workload. This means often having to work well into the weekends and late at night.

This, in itself, is fine of course. The real issue is when you withdraw your work because it has been accepted elsewhere. It means that our time was wasted.

What is even worse is when artists do not respond to our emails and suddenly decide to withdraw their submissions as soon as the anthology is ready for publication. It has happened to us on more than one occasion.

That is the reason why we do not accept simultaneous submissions. Furthermore, no amount of pressure will get us to change this decision, so be sure to send us material that is not being shared elsewhere if you want us to seriously consider your submission for publication.

See you soon for another topic covered in our FAQ series and don’t forget to check out our latest submission calls!

Many of you have sent us the same questions over and over via email. That is why we created a very detailed FAQ and Philosophy pages to help you.

But we wanted to make things even easier by breaking down all the questions into easy-to-digest posts.

Today’s question is: “Do you accept content previously published elsewhere?“

Yes, we do, as long as:

• It is NOT widely available on the internet via a blog (no matter its size and traffic), Facebook, Twitter, Wattpad, etc. – This rule is due to Amazon’s restrictions.
• The rights have reverted back to you for publication and you are allowed to re-publish your piece(s). However, we ask that you wait for at least a year after the rights revert back to you before sending it to us.

You are free to submit your art elsewhere that is published in our anthologies. You retain all of the publishing rights to your work. We ask for first international publication rights to your work that we publish, which then revert back to you after three months.

NB: We will never use your work in any context other than its inclusion in our digital anthologies, which you give us permission to do when submitting work to us.

See you soon for another topic covered in our FAQ series and don’t forget to check out our current submission calls!

Many of you have sent us the same questions over and over via email. That is why we created a very detailed FAQ and Philosophy pages to help you.

But we wanted to make things even easier by breaking down all the questions into easy-to-digest posts.

Today’s question is: “Do you produce print copies of your anthologies?“

No, Auroras & Blossoms is a digital platform. We only release digital copies of our publications, which can be purchased from all major online bookstores.

The reason is simple. The cost of printing multimedia books that contain visual content is very high, while the demand tends to be very low. Should we were to consider offering a printing option, the price per copy would run very high and become too expensive for many people. This is especially the case for anthologies, whose quality is extremely important and which can contain up to fifty pieces, which further drives up printing costs.

Other questions:

• Do you offer contributors copies of your publications at reduced prices? – Yes, every time an issue of an anthology is released, you will be able to purchase a copy at a reduced price for two weeks.
• Can I read extracts from the work you publish on your blog? – No. We use our blog to share art-related content, and our news / announcements. We also feature inspirational artists there. You can read extracts on Amazon. Just click the cover of your choice to access the first pages of the issue.

See you soon for another topic covered in our FAQ series and don’t forget to check out our latest submission calls!

Many of you have sent us the same questions over and over via email. That is why we created a very detailed FAQ and Philosophy pages to help you.

But we wanted to make things even easier by breaking down all the questions into easy-to-digest posts.

Today’s question is: “Can I expect to be paid for publication?“

Yes! We are now offering royalties to adult paying contributors (who have opted for the $6 submission fee) via our distributor Draft2Digital. All you have to do is open your own Draft2Digital account, complete your payment settings and fill in your tax interview directly on the D2D website.

The next step will be to send us the email address you used to sign up for the account, so we can let D2D know that they can finalize the royalty payment process with you.

Please note the following:

• We cannot set up your D2D account for you.
• We cannot help with the issues you may encounter with the site. Please contact the support team instead.
• D2D will handle royalty payments, not us. D2D will also handle sales reports for your publication, which you can access via your D2D account. Questions about the royalty payment process should be sent to them, not us.

How Much Money Can I Make?

We cannot answer this question directly, as royalty payments depend entirely on sales. We can only share potential (and very conservative) numbers with you. With that said, we anticipate sales to be higher than the sample ones quoted, especially if featured artists actively promote our anthologies to their networks, family members and friends. 

• Entry fee: $6 per piece or $15 for three pieces.
• Average sale price per anthology copy: $8.99.
• Revenue per copy: 60% of the sale price, which works out at about $5.30. 
• NB: Draft2Digital and the bookstores that sell our anthologies keep the other 40%. 

Potential Earnings for Writers

Royalty rates are based on the total number of words we accept from your submission. Everything starts at 1% royalties for 6-100 words, up to a maximum of 3.5% royalties (6,001+ words). 

We receive a lot of poetry and the written submissions we accept average 350-400 words or at a 1.5% royalty rate. Here is your earnings potential: 

• 1 copy: $0.08.
• 10 copies: $0.8.
• 10 copies / month over 1 year: $9.60.
• 10 copies / month over 2 years: $19.20.
• 10 copies / month over 4 years: $38.40.
• 10 copies / month over 6 years: $57.60.
• 10 copies / month over 10 years: $96.
• 10 copies / month over 20 years: $192.

Now, let’s do the math with 1,550 words, at a 2.5% rate. Here is your earnings potential: 

• 1 copy: $0.13.
• 10 copies: $1.30.
• 10 copies per month over 1 year: $15.60.
• 10 copies / month over 2 years: $31.20.
• 10 copies / month over 4 years: $62.40.
• 10 copies / month over 6 years: $93.60.
• 10 copies / month over 10 years: $156.
• 10 copies / month over 20 years: $312.

Potential Earnings for Visual Artists

We offer a 1.5% royalty rate per image, up to a maximum of 4.5%  for 3+ images.  

Here is your earnings potential for one image: 

• 1 copy: $0.08.
• 10 copies: $0.8.
• 10 copies per month over 1 year: $9.60.
• 10 copies per month over 2 years: $19.20.
• 10 copies per month over 4 years: $38.40.
• 10 copies / month over 6 years: $57.60.
• 10 copies / month over 10 years: $96.
• 10 copies / month over 20 years: $192.

As you can see, even with very low projected conservative numbers regarding sales, you can quickly recoup your submission fee and start earning money over an indefinite amount of time. All you have to do is help us promote the anthologies as often as you can, so you can really increase your earnings potential. It is seriously a worthwhile investment for anyone who is interested in submitting to us!

As a reminder, you are free to submit your art that is published in our anthologies elsewhere. You retain all of the copyright and publishing rights to your work. We ask for first international publication rights to your work that we publish, which then revert back to you after three months.

See you soon for another topic covered in our FAQ series and don’t forget to check out our latest submission calls!