Ten Speed Press

Even though this deal was in the works for about 3 months I just learned that Ten Speed Press was sold to Random House: 

See these articles:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/books/02arts-RANDOMHOUSEB_BRF.html?ref=arts

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6640884.html
 

This could mean that I am an orphan if Random House does not adopt me.

I owe much of my success to Phil Wood, who started Ten Speed Press 35 years ago.

I never met Phil but I talked to him on the phone several times.

Even though his people rejected my book The Joy of Not Working in 1992, Phil offered to publish it in 1997 after it sold 50,000 copies in Canada. Phil offered me a royalty of 30 percent of net receipts which works out to about 15 percent of retail price. For a tradeback, this is unheard of in the industry. When I told Marc Allen from New World Library about this deal, he was amazed.

Phil Wood also allowed me to self-publish How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free with the Ten Speed Press imprint on it and have Ten Speed Press distribute the book for me.  The book has now sold over 100,000 copies worldwide and has been published in 7 foreign languages.

I was hoping to meet Phil Wood at Book Expo in New York but he won't be going the year that I finally decided to attend.

Now here I am trying to decide how many copies of How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free to print given that Random House may want to continue with the arrangment I had with Ten Speed Press.

But I have to be thankful to Phil Wood and Ten Speed Press for all the things that they have done for me. 

Note: How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free and Career Success Without a Real Job, two great business prom giveaways by VIP Books are now distributed by the National Book Network.

See this Great Review of How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free