Backstory
While the first book of the In The Eternal 今 trilogy was out for initial review and feedback, Seann Aswell (Strong Medicine's Technical Director) contacted a publisher with a large presence in the Mind, Body, Spirit space. After reviewing the manuscript, they expressed interest and sent over a copy of their contract for review. Initially their interest was reassuring, but after reviewing the contract, a few disadvantages of traditional publishing became evident.
All books in the series will initially be available in English and Chinese, as overseas Chinese will likely be a significant part of the audience. However, after reviewing the contract there were some concerns about foreign distribution rights, and after making a few inquiries, it was clear that was not something they were willing to negotiate.
Publishers are in business to make money, and a small percentage of very successful books cover the losses incurred from a majority of the books they take on. Therefore, it's in the best interest of a publisher to make concessions if it results in sales. This particular publisher had 40 years of experience and a good reputation, so the contract was not unreasonable.
However, after considering the potential long term implications of the contract, including clauses regarding multimedia formats, the process of researching alternatives to traditional publishing began.