FlameNet DistributionsLLC · Zero Telemetry
Rights & Exclusivity

Who actually keeps the rights? Read before you sign anything.

Most authors don't learn what they gave up until they try to leave. Here's an honest, side-by-side look at ownership, exclusivity, and fees across the common publishing paths — and where FlameNet stands.

  Traditional
Publisher		 Vanity /
Subsidy Press		 Big Self-Pub
Platform (exclusive tier)		 FlameNet
Distributions
You keep your copyright Usually licensed to them for yearsoften life-of-copyright Varies; sometimes claimed Yes Yes — alwayswe claim no copyright, ever
You own the ISBN No — publisher's Often theirsa common hidden catch Their free ISBN = their imprint Your choiceSovereign tier = you own it, portable
Distribution exclusivity required Yes — they control it Often locked in Exclusive tiers require ite.g. 90-day digital exclusivity Neversell with us AND everywhere else
Can you leave / take your book elsewhere Hard — contract-bound Often difficult Yes, but lose perks / wait out exclusivity Anytime, freelyportability is the default
Upfront / setup fees None (they pay you advance) High — the business modeloften thousands Low / none Transparent & modest$29.99–$74.99, all published
Who they answer to Shareholders Their own profit Shareholders / ads The missionprofits donated to nonprofits
Tracks & monetizes your data Varies Varies Yes — ads & analytics Neverzero telemetry, no data resale
Reaches bookstores & libraries Yes Sometimes Yes (via their channel) Yes — via Ingramthe real wholesale network
Sovereign catalogue listing of your work In their catalogue, on their terms Varies In their database, tied to their platform Yes — the FSBN cataloguea sovereign registry FlameNet keeps; free for digital-only works
Cryptographic proof your content is authentic & unaltered No No No Yes — end-to-end verifiabledual SHA-256 / SHA3-512 scrollchain; anyone can verify the record wasn't tampered with
Consent-ready record (your terms, revocable) No No No Yes — built into the FSBNyour usage terms, privately held & revocable
✓ in your favor ● depends / mixed ✗ works against you
What's an FSBN, and why those last three rows matter. An ISBN is just a number in a commercial database — it proves nothing about your actual content. The FlameNet Sovereignty Binding Number is different: your work is recorded in a sovereign catalogue FlameNet keeps, and bound to that record by a dual-hash cryptographic chain (SHA-256 + SHA3-512). That means anyone can verify a work is authentic and hasn't been altered — end-to-end, no trust required. No ISBN, and no other publishing path, offers that. The consent layer (your revocable usage terms) is being finalized by the FlameNet council; the record already reserves its place. Digital-only creators can get an FSBN free.
The honest part: none of these paths is evil, and each suits someone. A traditional deal can be right if you want an advance and don't mind giving up control. An exclusive platform tier can pay off in specific genres. What FlameNet refuses is the hidden cost — the rights you didn't know you signed away, the exclusivity you didn't realize you accepted, the data quietly taken. We put every term in front of you. Compare freely; that's the point.

The one question that cuts through everything

Before you publish anywhere, ask: "If I want to leave in a year, what do I keep, and what do they keep?" If a service can't answer that in one clear sentence, that's your answer. Ours: you keep your copyright, your readers, and — on the Sovereign tier — your ISBN. We keep nothing of yours.

Notes on accuracy: competitor columns describe well-documented, category-level patterns, not any single named company, since terms vary and change. "Big self-pub platform (exclusive tier)" reflects publicly documented exclusive-enrollment programs that require digital exclusivity (commonly a 90-day commitment) in exchange for promotional perks; the same platforms' non-exclusive tiers do not require exclusivity. Always read the actual current terms of any service before signing. This chart is a starting point for your own due diligence, not legal advice.