two simplified examples, second example, pepper books

Second example: pepper books publishing

Molia, a writer who lives in the Amazon, completes his third novel. After a few days rest, Molia travels to Manaus where a pepper books team has some offices.

At the offices, Molia is introduced to the terms & conditions for becoming a pepper books author which includes agreeing with the principles of pepper books publishing such as zero tolerance towards superiority complexes, discrimination, sexism, racism and exploitation.

Molia could have done all the paperwork online, but he wanted to know more about pepper books publishing before committing to working with them.

It is after the meetings with the editors and with a local illustrator that Molia decides to give pepper books publishing a try. After all, the contract with pepper books publishing is not exclusive, and he likes the way they do business and support all members of the network. He also decides to go all in and opens his novel for the worldwide trade in licences for local pre-book offers, book prints, bespoke books, Braille books, audiobooks, sign-language recordings, theatre adaptations and the like. Since Molia keeps his copyright, he can veto any production or withdraw any permission he doesn’t want to keep up.

It takes two weeks before Molia receives the email with the confirmation that his book has been accepted. The email includes an invitation to Manaus to take photos, discuss some minor changes with the editor, to finalise the details for the first edition, including the illustrations, and to discuss the prices & shares for the various editions. A second meeting is suggested for a video interview at his village, and a third for a video recording of Molia reading the first chapter of his novel.

Three weeks later, pepper books publishing presents Molia’s novel and all the additional material on the pepper books website. E-books of the novel are already available. And pepper books opens the novel to members of the pepper books network for translations, transcriptions, prints and other productions around the world.

A book workshop in Rio de Janeiro is the first to get enough orders for a print. This first edition is celebrated at the local bookshop with Molia present.

A reader in Mongolia bought the e-book and is eager to get a printed copy. But so far not enough regional orders have been placed. Some two months later, the regional book workshop gets in touch, informing the reader that the books will be printed within the week.

Molia is already working on his next story, but once a day he takes a look at his pepper books online profile and watches as more and more dots appear on the world map, indicating where another workshop just started to print a copy of his novel. Admittedly, he is also happy about the total sum of his shares in the sales, which constantly grows — at least for now. His smile broadens when he sees the first group of actors coming together in Lima to produce the first audiobook for his novel, and he contacts the workshop in Johannesburg who print the first Braille transcription of his story, and he asks them for a copy.

Colour codes on the sales map

white dot = pre-book sold
orange dot = first book orders are in, but not enough to start production
blue dot = books in production
green dot = books delivered
brown dot = bespoke book(s) in production
gold dot = bespoke book(s) delivered
yellow dot = a book with a history has been passed on
lilac dot = Braille transcription, audio version, sign language video or another production is in preparation
plum dot = a production is completed
light red dot = a new translation is in progress
dark red dot = a new translation is completed