Job Discussion Forums

saint57 · Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:34 am Post subject:

I agree that good conversation books are seriously limited. I've seen many that are pieces of poop.

I teach pre-university business studies. It's a real course that counts just like biology or math. A textbook is required. I have had 240 students this year. I'd say about 50% of these students bought a textbook. In total, I'd estimate that less than 15 new textbooks were purchased this year. The vast majority of studets who buy textbooks will buy them used. What I'm saying is that you won't make much money unless your book is an international hit. The majority of sales would go to English teachers who photocopy pages and pass them out to students.

Anyways, I think it's great if you pull it off. Go for it.

Itsme · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 624 Location: Houston, TX

Wow! Good job in going for it.

I am interested in knowing how you, as an author, can ensure the safety of your intellectual property while waiting for approval, especially in China!

Even in the West, how does an author go about marketing his/her book to publishers while maintaining the right of ownership over the material?

I would ask this question before allowing the semester test.

If you are so serious about publishing, why don't you go for the out of China option????

Any good sources of information on how to go about publishing your work?

Malsol · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1976 Location: Lanzhou

Malsol · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1976 Location: Lanzhou

winterlynx1 · Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:40 pm Post subject:

Congrats! Publishing internationally is hard enough.

I have this little light of hope in me that the 'powers that be' in this country are gradually getting over the notion that 'all foreigners are enemies' and coming around to the idea that international partnership is a possibility. Your 8 to 2 vote is encouraging. Nice. Encouraging. Worthwhile. Thank you for persisting!

Malsol · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1976 Location: Lanzhou

Leon Purvis · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 1:50 am Post subject:

Malsol,

Your best bet for copyright protection is through the U.S. Copyright Office. Intellectual property rights secured through the U.S. are honored in China through the Hague Agreement and the Bern Accord. Securing a copyright is simple. Go to this link and follow the instructions.

http://www.copyright.gov/forms/

Anyone who has written a masters thesis in America should be familiar with this procedure.

The most obvious thing lacking in the books I've seen is the textbooks' failure to teach the students to speak about their own culture. I was astounded to hear ten year-olds talking about what they had for dinner : hamburgers, french fries, and pizza. NONE of the kids had ever eaten this food. Even some college students had no idea what the word "dumpling" meant. Worse, some students didn't know the word "mother." It was "mum".

Good luck to you.

Malsol · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1976 Location: Lanzhou

Itsme · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 624 Location: Houston, TX

Can you save time by pointing out movies in your textbook which have already been previously approved in other textbooks?

also, If you are in a partnership with a Chinese person, what percentage, legally do you control over the company?

For example, is there a law stating that the partner could drop you at any time and take over the company and its profits???

Wasn't there a post on here a couple of weeks ago about the writer of some popular magazine getting the shaft somehow?

Anyway, go for it. Sounds like a great experience.

Will your book have pictures? Do you do the artwork yourself?

What legal recourse would you have if a university were to purchase one copy of your book and photocopy the other 1000 copies???

Malsol · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1976 Location: Lanzhou

Leon Purvis · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 11:46 am Post subject:

Malsol · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1976 Location: Lanzhou

Steppenwolf · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 1769

Sounds harsh, yes, and I believe this is what you must expedct normally.
But some books do get published locally, with an ISBN.
The tricky problem is a foreigner's name. The rule is they only buy such books from publishers abroad after these books have proven to be good sellers. And often foreign publishing houses enter into cooperative agreements (see LONGMAN, for example). This is to substantially lower printing costs.

I once picked up a Taijiquan manual with an ISBN; the book was printed in Guangxi and written by a Hong Kong author. The guy must have been rather lucky - he certainly didn't have to deal with the central censorhship.

You might be better off pubolishing in HONG KONG - easy if you are willing to pay the printing costs, then handle the importation to the mainland (an approval will be needed!).

The alternative is to make "house copies" - a limited edition for strictly in-house use (if you can trust your employer). I have seen self-published works in a Zhongshan, Guangdong training centre years ago. Royalties, what royalties?

AussieGuyInChina · Joined: 23 Nov 2006 Posts: 403