Is Finishing Line Press an MLM?

Finishing Line Press (FLP) operates a little too similarly to an MLM. 

You're encouraged to bring in your friends. Think: Cutco Knives, Tupperware parties, Mary Kay, Primerica, Herbalife, the list goes on. 

Basic concepts that make an MLM an MLM include that the person making sales is not a company employee. Instead, they are selling a product or service to others on behalf of the company.

The person working on behalf of an MLM is encouraged to make use of their personal network.

Starting to sound familiar?

In some instances, they encourage you to get others you know to sell for them, too. This is where it gets weird. A publisher like FLP benefits from someone selling their friends because they're also selling themselves.

Here's the kicker for MLMs. They reward you for bringing others in. Does FLP press do this? Well... turns out, yes. Yes they do. You're paid a percentage based on how many pre-sale books you can unload on your friends. 

FLP stops short of one classic MLM technique to the best of my current knowledge— they do not compensate you for directly getting others to successfully publish with them. This would make it come full circle. 

The Trap

There's an understandable psychological reason behind why we so easily fall into this trap.  We’re always in search of justification and validation. We need to be able to rationalize our decisions. We published with X which means we are saying X is worth publishing with. We want to tell ourselves this.

We are also validating the publisher to others by the very act of having chosen to publish with this market. There are other options, in theory. The result is more people you know will think it's a good place to publish.

No one is intentionally doing anything wrong here except the publisher, to be clear. If "wrong" sounds too harsh, then let's go with disingenuous.

Once the publisher has a big list of people who have published with them, then they are set. In the small world of literature, let alone the smaller niche of contemporary poetry, means a bad actor can infiltrate the ecosystem and start a problem that is hard to manage. 

Your cred as a writer gives FLP cred as publisher of good art.

Same goes for related publishers/presses that use a related pay-to-play model. This is also true for hybrid publishers and vanity presses. It’s a big win for them if someone with truly good work publishes with them. If someone is already name recognizable (and/or has a substantial following) this is even better [for the press].

All this helps improve the image of the publisher/press and produce a snowball effect resulting in the situation we now find ourselves in. This is not the fault of the poets and writers who are simply eager to see their words out in the world and their hard efforts rewarded. The publishers/presses are guilty of being predatory.

Who Endorsed FLP??

I'm frankly disturbed by a list of those who are described by FLP as poets who have endorsed the publishing house. I mostly doubt this is true. If it is true, I would be extremely interested to hear why the endorsements were given and when. Is it possible the model has changed and was previously more aboveboard? 

I would like to hear from the poets who FLP claims will vouch for them as quality publisher...

This list is no joke:

"Billy Collins, Claudia Emerson, Dana Gioia, Nikki Giovanni, Robert Pinsky, Maxine Kumin, Stephen Dunn, W. S. Merwin, Timothy Liu, Molly Peacock, X. J. Kennedy, David St. John, Richard Garcia, Mark Doty, David Citino, J. P. Dancing Bear, Diane Ackerman, Demetria Martinez, Simon Perchik, Cecilia Woloch, and Virgil Suarez."

Some of these individuals are no longer around to tell us how they really feel and that seems like another problem altogether. 

The thing is (based on searches), as I expected, it doesn't seem that any of those poets have published with FLP. I think what has happened is that enough poets with connections published with FLP were able to get those name recognizable poets to blurb their books. FLP decided this was reason enough to say that constitutes an endorsement for the press, which certainly a blurb is not. I would be upset if someone said I endorsed a press on this premise alone.

Has it always been this way?

One question I keep coming back to is wondering about the history of a publisher like Finishing Line Press. Did they start out this way? Or, over time, is this what the press has become? The intention matters. It’s more nefarious if these are longstanding practices. Regardless, we have to deal with the situation as it stands in the here and now.

Other sources that address concerns about Finishing Line Press:

Thanks Authors Publish for all your good work!

Reddit thread ‘Watch out for Finishing Line Press…’

Why I Bailed on a Book Deal

(This section may be updated as if I am made aware of new information.)

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What follows is an acceptance letter that Finishing Line Press sent:

Thank you for submitting to us. Your manuscript has been accepted for publication. 

We would love to publish your poetry book. Here is some information about our terms: Finishing Line Press pays on a royalty scale system.

Your book will be perfect bound. The retail price of the paper edition of the book will be $15.99 per copy. Depending on your presales, you may also have an option for a hard cover edition of your book. The price of the hard cover book depends on the length of your manuscript.  Chapbooks with inside color art or photos will have an increased retail price.  Please let us know if your chapbook includes inside art. We must adjust the retail price of the book. Remember, you are NEVER required to purchase any copies of your book, nor pay anything toward its production.  

Your book will have an ISBN number and will be listed in Books in Print.  

After publication, your book will also be available through Ingram Book Group, a leader in print and electronic wholesale and distribution serving over 39,000 retailers, libraries, schools, internet commerce companies and other channel partners including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo (Canada), and other well-known retailers and wholesalers of books.

All FLP books have a preorder sales/prepublication period in which the royalty scale is determined. This is the only way we have successfully been able to publish chapbooks. Your official prepublication/preorder period will last 9 weeks and will be determined by your editor. We determine your royalty payment by the success, or lack thereof, of the advance sales. Below you will find our preorder sales goals. 

Your royalty percentage rate (RPR) for the life of your book is determined as follows:

*Preorder sales between 55-104 copies sold = 8% net proceeds of book sales. Your payment will be 8% net sales on all copies sold thereafter.

*Preorder sales between 105-154 copies sold = 12.5% net proceeds of book sales. Your payment will be 12.5% net sales on all copies sold thereafter.

*Preorder sales between 155-204 copies sold = 15% net proceeds of book sales.  Your payment will be 15% net sales on all copies sold thereafter.

*Preorder sales between 205-749 copies sold = 20% net proceeds of book sales. Your payment will be 20% net sales on all copies sold thereafter.

*Preorder sales of 750 or more copies sold = 30% net proceeds of book sales. Your payment will be 30% net sales on all copies sold thereafter. 

You will be paid your first royalty payment within 30 days of the book’s release. You will receive all other royalty payments once per year (more information below). Presales are especially important because they will set your royalty rate for the life of your book.  During presales, all books sold, even books purchased by the author at the full retail price, will be used to calculate the author’s royalty payment.  After publication, author purchases are not calculated into author’s royalty payment, as is industry standard.

Once your royalty percentage rate (RPR) is set by the preorders sales, this RPR will remain the same on all future book sales through our wholesale network.  It’s important to note that orders through the wholesale network are already discounted by at least 40% off the gross retail.  The best opportunity to make money on your book is during the preorder sales period.  Your royalty percentage rate during the preorder sales period is based on the net revenue of the retail price. After publication, royalty payments will be based on net revenue on the discounted price.

After publication, we offer all our authors the opportunity to buy additional copies of their books for 40% off the retail/cover price plus shipping costs (after the prepublication copies of the book are sold for the retail price.) We have a no returns policy on all books sold during the prepublication/advance copy sales period. All prepublication sales of the book are sold at the retail price only. Please note: You are never required to buy copies of your book!  This will require your help in promoting the book via word of mouth and social media.  (At this time Finishing Line Press does not receive any grant or sponsorship money to help fund our publication projects.) 

Royalty payments will be paid electronically via PayPal.  You will need to create a PayPal account to receive funds.  Manual checks can be requested with a $25 processing fee deducted.  You will receive your first royalty payment within 30 days of your book’s release.  Additional royalty payments will be made annually before February 15 of each year.  The total sales on your book for the year will be available within the month of January of the following year.

We are a small press and strongly depend on our authors to help in promoting their books. FLP will run promotions on social media announcing your new book.  We will purchase ads on social media outlets.  We have found that print ads are no longer effective, but social media ads can generate sales.  In addition to our paid ads, we encourage you to give out handcards/postcards to potential buyers. It is best if you handwrite a note on the cards.  This adds a personal touch that will encourage people to support your art. We will give you a pdf file of a postcard for advance/prepublication sales. You can send or handout this card to friends, family, coworkers, colleagues, individuals, organizations, or whomever you think will buy copies of your book. You may also want to send them to your state and local libraries, and, in addition to our ordering information, include your contact information on your postcards or flyers, so they can contact you to do readings and book signings. Please be advised that libraries can be slow to respond unless you contact them personally. Your editor will inform you when it is okay to start prepublication orders for your book. Please take note that all preorder sales must be prepaid. 

We will be sending you a book publishing contract via email. In order to email the contract, we will need the following information (it is fine to email this to us or send via regular mail):

Social security number or Tax ID number (You can write this directly on the contract) 

Date of birth, 

Permanent address, and 

Full legal name (this information must be put on the contract.) 

Please email or send the above information to Kevin as soon as possible so we can email you a contract. Concerning your SS#, it is fine to write in your number on the paper contract when you print it out and return it to us. When emailing us your contract information please put “CONTRACT INFO” in the subject heading.  We cannot schedule your book until we have your contract. Please email your contract information directly to Kevin at kevinmaines@finishinglinepress.com . (It usually takes Kevin about one month to email the contract to you.  After sending us your contract information, if you don’t have a contract from Kevin within a month, please check your spam folder.  If it’s not in spam, please email Mimi at finishingbooks@aol.com, and she can help you get the contract.)  Please note some .edu email addresses will block our contracts.  You may email us your contract information; however, we need you to physically mail us two copies of the signed paper contract.  

Please read the contract carefully, sign it, and return it to us as soon as possible via priority mail with delivery confirmation. Please do not send via Fed Ex or UPS (they will not deliver to a post office box.) We cannot publish your book, or start production, without a signed contract. 

Please email or send us your contract information as soon as possible so we can start the process of getting your book in print. Please email your contract information directly to Kevin at kevinmaines@finishinglinepress.com .

Please mail the signed contract to us via regular post (Fed Ex and UPS will not deliver to a post office box) to: 

 Finishing Line Press, Post Office Box 1626, Georgetown, KY 40324

Copyright will be deposited in your name; however, Finishing Line Press will hold exclusive publication rights to publish in chapbook format, as is explained in your contract. Any or all the poems in your chapbook collection may be published by you (or a different publisher) in a full-length collection.  We only ask that you give Finishing Line Press publication credit in the acknowledgments. 

Please keep this list for future reference.   After we have your signed contract, we will need the following items emailed to AuthorStuff@finishinglinepress.com:  

 *A virus-free copy of your manuscript (Microsoft Word is preferred) emailed to AuthorStuff@finishinglinepress.com

*Two or three photos of yourself to use for the postcards, book promotion, our website, and for the back cover of the book. The photographer must give us written permission to use the photos for the book and any promotional material. In return, we will give the photographer credit in the book. We will accept a signed PDF to be emailed to AuthorStuff@finishinglinepress.com or they can mail their permission to our PO Box.  The photos should be in jpeg format of 300 dpi or higher. 

*A short paragraph bio for the book's back cover, and a longer (no longer than one page) bio for the inside of the book.  

*Original artwork or photograph to use for cover art. The artist or photographer must give us written permission to use the photos for the book and any promotional material. In return, we will give the artist or photographer credit in the book (including artist/photographer website, if available).  We will accept a signed PDF to be emailed to AuthorStuff@finishinglinepress.com or the permission may be mailed to our PO Box.  Please email a jpeg of your artwork.  The photos/artwork should be in jpeg format of 300 dpi or higher. We can’t open files from a third-party sender.  The FLP team will design your cover.  

*One to Three endorsement blurbs (one or two sentences to one paragraph long) from a poet or writer who likes your manuscript. Our books have been endorsed by Billy Collins, Claudia Emerson, Dana Gioia, Nikki Giovanni, Robert Pinsky, Maxine Kumin, Stephen Dunn, W. S. Merwin, Timothy Liu, Molly Peacock, X. J. Kennedy, David St. John, Richard Garcia, Mark Doty, David Citino, J. P. Dancing Bear, Diane Ackerman, Demetria Martinez, Simon Perchik, Cecilia Woloch, and Virgil Suarez, among many, many others. However, if you do not want to search for a blurb writer, don’t worry; I will be happy to write a blurb for you. (I am the Poet-in-Residence Emerita of Northern Kentucky University, and the author of two poetry books.)  

Please feel free to visit our website and see some of our new releases at 

https://www.finishinglinepress.com

 [finishinglinepress.com].

 IMPORTANT EMAILS ADDRESSES (Please keep this list for future reference):

You will  be working with some of our assistants at finishingbooks@aol.com. Please email Mimi David if you have any questions at finishingbooks@aol.com.

It is important to email your contract information to our managing editor Kevin at kevinmaines@finishinglinepress.com. (Please make sure to mail your signed contract via regular post to us Finishing Line Press, Post Office Box 1626, Georgetown, KY 40324.)

Your editor is [redacted for confidentiality]. Her email address is [redacted for confidentiality. 

All of your book items (manuscript, photos, permissions…) should be emailed to AuthorStuff@finishinglinepress.com.

After publication, to order copies of your book please email us at AuthorBookOrders@finishinglinepress.com. 

Now that you have been accepted, it is particularly important that you contact us via regular email and not submittable. Please email your questions and concerns to Mimi at finishingbooks@aol.com so she can check your file, and see where we are with your timeline, etc....

Again, congratulations. We look forward to working with you.  

Sincerely,  Leah Huete de Maines, Publisher

Finishing Line Press is an award-winning small press publisher. 

Best, Mimi  Mimi David, FLP staff member (I work part-time so my response may take a few days. I am not an editor.  I do not read manuscripts.  To submit, please use the link below.)

Finishing Line Press 

https://www.finishinglinepress.com

To submit your work: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/submit/

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Your feedback is welcome. Please share in the comments.