DragonCub is an advertising medium - a shop window if you like - where you can sell written work. You provide the Work. We arrange the sale. All you have to do is enter your information very simply, then bank your payments each month.
Are DragonCub publishers?
No, we are not. Our business is like that of a newspaper in which you advertise. You are your seller and publisher. You have all the rights and obligations of a publisher.
Do you read what you sell?
No, not automatically. If however, our staff notice a publication which may cause conflict, we will assess whether it should be withdrawn from sale.
What is your policy on material you accept?
No-one can rely on our acting as policeman in respect of items placed on our site for sale. We accept all material until an issue is brought to our notice. However, we do take a properly responsible attitude to any issue which may arise. We favour freedom of speech and thought. We do not permit material which denigrates any minority, or which is sexually perverted. We accept discussion of religious and sexual issues, and criticism of religion or religious or sexual attitudes. We will not accept material that is clearly intended to offend. Would you like to see our terms and conditions for sellers?
Can you help with presentation for sale?
Not directly. But it is important that your material is professionally presented. If it is not, bad reviews may reduce future sales.
We certainly do. But you must provide the “fulfilment” of the order; that is to say delivery. That is why we are able to work with only a 20% margin.
How can I record what has been sold?
We provide for you a control panel where you have a record of all matters relating to your account, including sales, of course. Second, we will send you a report by email after the end of every month, listing all sales for that month.
What happens if I cannot deliver immediately?
You can ask us to remove any item from sale for a specified number of weeks while you are unable to dispatch.
If we receive a complaint of non-dispatch, we remove your pages from the site until your problem has been resolved.
Do I have to use the post for delivery?
No, you can use any method you wish. You specify what and how much. It is then up to your customer to choose whether or not to buy on your terms.
How small a quantity must I have ready for sale?
You can sell as many or as few as you wish. Of course, there is no point in trying to sell less than 100 of an item in hard copy.
I have no storage. Will you deliver too?
Sorry, not yet. Our space is limited too. The only “hard” material we will deliver for you in sealed packets.
I sell now through Amazon and other outlets. Can I sell through you too?
Of course you can. You just give us your price and we will sell your book. Your percentage profit is likely to be greater in selling through DragonCub than through any other medium known to us.
How does it work in detail?
Here it is step by step:
There are a few more things you need to know:
Tell me about customs declarations forms?
We all read material in soft copy every day. We are all getting used to printing material and reading it in hard copy. However, we do not recommend that an item longer than 200 pages should be sold in soft copy.
What do you mean when you say I can sell “software”?
We are looking primarily at the sort of material which would have been sold in a book ten years ago, but which can now be best sold as a download - educational material, management systems, business marketing, “how-to” material, sheet music and so on. We will offer technical software downloads, but we do not yet promote such material outside of our website.
How shall I present my soft copy book for sale?
All the same aspects of presentation apply as they do for a book in hard copy. You need to paginate, edit thoroughly; format neatly, add illustration or images if appropriate and so on.
Shall I use A4 or A5?
That is up to you. A5 format cannot be read (sideways) on screen, but prints to make a traditional book shape. If you use A5, we recommend that you should prepare an introductory first sheet in A4, so that the reader knows that he must print it for easy reading.
I need professional help here!
DragonCub can help you to find a good professional. Click here to contact us.
We place the information you give us on a specific page on our website. That page is search engine optimised for the best rank in a search by anyone interested in your subject. However, it may take some weeks for “your” new page to be found by the search engines. This is labour intensive and cannot be automated, but we make no charge for this service and give no guarantees.
What other advertising do you do?
We recommend that you allow us to use Google Adwords to promote your publication. We have a special arrangement with SEO experts from www.SEOfirst.net to manage your programme. We aim to provide this service at neither profit nor loss to ourselves. Our profit comes from the sale of more books. Full details of our advertising service are here.
DragonCub can certainly help you - even though we do not provide any personal service. First, you can use our directory to source those vital help services. Second, you do not need to go to the expense and trouble of printing until you can see that your publication will sell enough to justify the cost. Instead you can sell by download. Third, you can use the directory to find a low cost printer. Fourth, and above all, we can place your book before the World for sale.
For sums up to £100 / €150 / US$200, we pay by cheque drawn on a UK bank, in pounds sterling.
For larger sums, we pay by bank transfer, at our expense, in the same currencies.
What do you charge?
We deduct only 20% of the sale price you choose. You get the other 80% plus 100% of your delivery charge, if your product is in hard copy. We pay you monthly for sales made in the previous month. Note: we also deduct VAT on our 20% charge.
When do you pay me?
We pay you for money received in month one during the first week in month three. This is to allow for payment to us of money by our merchant service provider and also for the chance that your customer may charge back his payment and so deprive us and you of the money he has paid.
How often do you pay me?
We pay you monthly, provided the amount due is greater than £50 / €75 / US$100. If the sum due is less, we carry it forward to the following month.
Do you accept charges back?
We have no “say” in the matter. The law in most countries places the obligation on the seller to satisfy the buyer. The UK Distance Selling Regulations give a buyer specific time scales within which to give notice and subsequently return products. As soon as we receive notice of a charge back, we will tell you. From there, it is up to you to deal with the complaint. When we receive such notice, we shall immediately debit your account with us. We shall re-credit your account when the dispute is resolved in your favour, after deduction of the charge back fee by our payment service provider.
What happens in the case of unjustified charges back?
Our buyer terms and conditions are as strong as we can make them. Nonetheless, unlawful charges back are sometimes made. When that happens we may decide to refuse further access to all the sites controlled by us to that person.
You certainly can. What else you do with your work is entirely up to you.
How do I withdraw my work from sale with DragonCub?
Very easily, subject to proving who you are. We strongly respect and uphold your rights to do what you like with your work.
Is my material safe with you?
It is as safe as we can reasonably make it. But our terms make clear in that we are not liable in law if your material is stolen. We assume you have retained at least one perfect copy.
How can you protect my work from copying?
The short answer is that we cannot protect a download from copying; neither can anyone else. We know of no system which can prevent down-loadable software from being copied by someone authorised to download it. Of course, copying is not only a breach of copyright, but in many countries it is also a criminal offence.
So will I get copied and lose sales?
That depends on your product. The World market for down loadable products is worth $billions. An e-book on an esoteric or specialist subject is unlikely to be copied. Music may be copied. It is your call. But would you rather sell 1,000,000 copies and have them copied another 100,000 times or would you prefer never to have sold at all?
Also . . . . getting your material copied may be a brilliant way to get your name around. You will not be the first author, musician or photographer to find fame from free material.
They are covered by our returns policy. You must agree to this when you enter a book for sale.
Do you deal with complaints?
No, complaints are not our responsibility. The sale and purchase contract is between you and your buyer. Any complaint is passed immediately to you.
DragonCub takes no responsibility for your obligation, if any, to charge and pay VAT. You must investigate and apply the rules as they are relevant to your business or sales. DragonCub will sell at whatever price you request and buyers are, by law, entitled to assume that your price includes VAT. However, as far as we are aware, books are exempt from VAT.
Why do you charge VAT of your fees, if books are exempt?
Because that is how the law is applied. We have no choice. Our sale to you is a sale of services, not a sale of books.
