Beware The Self Publishing Sharks http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:14:09 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc349 This article is very helpful and I\'m so glad to see someone looking at the big picture on a topic. That concept seems to have been lost in most areas of life, these days. Thanks again, A fetus of a beginning writer Grant Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:36:26 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc399 Sid: Just wanted to take a moment to thank you for this wonderful site on writing and publishing. It is top of my todo adgenda to get this book written, after that I\'m not sure what to do about it. At the very least I\'d like to give it a good send off. My book is a true story and it covers a lot of issues. It starts off really well but will probably end up leaving the reader with more questions than it started with. So I think I got something that people will enjoy reading. Thanks again for this wonderful resource, seeing you show up in my email is very encouraging. - Perry Perry Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:06:43 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc415 I\'ve been looking at self publishing over the last three years. So far my investigations has unearthed a most underhanded and scabby bunch of companies that quite honestly should be banned from trading. If the true value of self publishing is to realised then it is with the technological advances in the printing process...and nothing more...You do not need others to order your book for you. Free yourself from ego, publish and be damned. Baz Barrie Ornzitt Sat, 29 Dec 2007 05:44:13 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc448 I\'ve been racking my brain and going back and forth between the decision to self-publish or not. I would love to hear stories from people who have decided to take the plunge (or not). It would also be nice to have some experiences from people who stuck it out with traditional publishing. I\'ll take the goods and the bads. How do you decide? Thanks so much. Lee-Ann Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:01:03 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc513 I am presently finshing the process of self-publishing my own novel. It has been very interesting as I set up a \"publishing company\", bought my list of ISBN numbers, obtained a local business license, shopped for the best printing/binding contract, established bank and credit accounts for the new company, contracted with a graphics artist for the cover art, purchased a cover layout program and, last but not least, I paid a local editor to review my manuscript. Total cost to date: $5,900 for the first 1000 books. In addition, I will soon be laying out about another $1,200 for an e-commerce enabled website. Books are no different than any other \"product\" to be sold; they don\'t sel themselves! My next step is to find and engage advertising media...Lord know how much that will cost! Why would I do all this? One of my lifetime dreams was to one day offer a novel of my own creation to the world. It really doesn\'t matter if I sell even one copy. The process of writing and selling the book was the life goal. As a 30-year entrepeneur, I decided to do it all; write, publish and market my own book. Tell me any other business you could start for less than $10,000. At my target price of $12.99 per book, I can recover my entire start up cost by selling only 500 books. Yes, I looked carefully at traditional publishing houses and made a startling discovery. Their advertising and marketing numbers are misleading! They make it sound like they assign a reasonable advertising budget to their authors but, in truth, those advertising dollars are focused entirely on the already successful authors. Neophytes are pretty much on their own to promote their stories. How does that differ from the marketing demands for self publishing? It doesn\'t!!! So the only advantage I saw for traditional publishing is that they would pay for the first few hundred books to be printed and, if the neophyte writer is lucky, he or she MIGHT get a couple thousand dollars of an \"advance\" (this is a nice term that really means you\'ll probably never see another dime for your book!) What about Print-On-Demand? Can you say \"rip-off\"? I seriously considered this approach but soon discovered they produce books that are alomst assured of failure because they are priced waaay above the typical paperback market. Sure, POD is viable for a Physics professor who is forcing his students to purchase the overpriced book he wrote for Physics 101 but the general public is resistant to paying too much for a typical action story, history, biography, etc. As far as I was concerned, with retail pricing around $20 per book and \"my\" cost up over 50% of retail, POD was not commercially viable. Well, that\'s how I ended up starting my own publishing company. Simple economics. My first 1000 books will cost a little less than $6 per book (460 pages). If I\'m lucky enough to have a second printing of 1000 of more, the price will drop to $4.50 per book because I will have already recovered the graphic art cost for the cover. And, I have lots of profit margin at the $12-13 retail price to sell the book through brick\'n mortar stores, Amazon, or chain stores and STILL make a profit after they take their piece of the pie. I must admit, I never realized how much there was to learn about the physical layout and printing of a book. WOW! That was an education and I do have some appreciation for the services performed by the publishing houses. But, I also discovered the process ain\'t rocket science. Anybody can do it. If you really believe your book has REAL market potential, then consider creating your own publishing company. If your book is a life goal but not likely to have wide marketing appeal (like...How I Grew the Wichita Fair Blue-Ribbon Winning Geraniums), then use a POD or vanity press to get the minimum number of copies you need for your friends, family - and go to your grave with a smile on your face. As far as traditional publishers, I don\'t feel they make a bit of sense for any neophyte writer who has 1) a compelling story with good market potential and, 2) the desire and will to handle your own marketing efforts. If your book only sells 1200 copies and your traditional publisher \"royalty\" is $.67 per book, then you would earn less than $1,000 AND if you reveived a $1500 signing bonus up front, you might never see another dime for your book. But, you could easily turn a $7200 PROFIT for the same number of books sold from your own company. This is just my personal opinion. In six months, I might come back here and tell you how much money I lost in this crazy adventure! LOL! Either way, no regrets! D S Sault Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:59:45 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc514 [quote=D S Sault]Total cost to date: $5,900 for the first 1000 books. In addition, I will soon be laying out about another $1,200 for an e-commerce enabled website.[/quote] OK, everyone... stay tuned for a guide to self publishing that will explain how to do it for only a few hundred dollars instead of $10,000. Glad to hear that you\'re willing to invest so much in your book, but it\'s not really necessary. Sid Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:03:17 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc517 What\'s your backend for the book? Here is a quote from Jay Conrad Levinson, Father of Guerilla Marketing: “Someone once asked me how much I made for my first Guerilla Marketing book. The answer I gave was $10 million. The book itself only paid me about $35,000 in royalties, but the speaking engagements, spinoff books,newsletters, columns, bootcamps, consulting, and wide open doors resulted in the remaining $9,965,000.” Robert Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:05:45 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc562 I self published one in 2005. I have another ready to go, but just fired my second self-publishing company for incompetence. They are nothing but wallet vampires, and you are just a number. They make money off of you for no investment on their part. You pay for everything. They always have another package to sell you. They also take half or more of your royalties, while you do all the selling. My advice, unless you just want to put a few books in print for family and friends--stay away, stay far far away. Joe L. Wed, 27 Feb 2008 03:20:38 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc578 Quite frankly I know there has to be a better way for self publishers. My husband and I have already processed the equipment to bind my books. It wasn\'t cheap but it will save me a ton of money and in the future I want to bind books for other self publishers. The whole industry is really out of control. If you do publish through the big houses they take most of your money and you still have to market your book. What wrong with that picture? Are writers a bunch of gups? What difference does is make if the book is good or bad? I mean, I\'ve read best sellers that sucked. You take the book back or you forget about it. I saw misspelled words in \"A Million Little Pieces\" and that came from Random House. So it doesn\'t matter because businesses and people make mistakes. I just wish there was an affordable marketing plan for the self publisher. PR firms are so expensive. It\'s just a shame how this industry takes advantage of creative people. S Wilson Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:19:25 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc593 I\'m a high school student who wants to become an author, so for my senior research paper I\'m writing about publishing. I wanted to thank you. This article has been very helpful, and if anyone is willing to give me more information it would be appreciated: wolvendragonzareenas@hotmail.com Thanks again WolvenDragon Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:52:23 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc596 This information is very helpful. I have a matter to be given to the world about \'life\', that is,I find meanig for any thing we do or have but for human? I mean for human living? \'the purpose\' Thank you for the information again. dayakarrao_hum@yahoo.co.in Dayakar Rao S. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:57:54 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc598 I have written a book, which took me about a year to write. Then I spent about another year going back over it, editing it. The I spent another year, writing agents begging to be represented. A lot of rejects, and one interested. I\'ve been waiting another year for her to make up her mind what she wanted to do . I have e-mailed several times , last June she said it would be soon...I think she\'s a flake. Now, I\'m down to self-publishing, I don\'t really want to go that route, but I think my book is readable and interesting. Everybody is so expensive though, I\'m not sure what to do, or who would be the best one to use. Any ideas? F. Pate Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:45:53 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc611 Looking for reliable printers. I\'m ready to self-publish, going to purchase ISBN\'s today for my company, Horseshoe Publishing, however, haven\'t picked a printer. My first book is about 30 pages, full color, hardback. Printed a prototype via shutterfly (great tool) and liked the concept design. Now I need galley prints for reviews/comments from other horse-people. Been shopped by the POD trolls and now could use a referral for a printer who might give a crap. And I have my art printed for galleries, you\'d think I\'d have a clue. Any suggestions? horsepix@mac.com [url]http://www.equusmagic.com[/url] Tami Jo Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:24:49 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc663 There all, I live in the Netherlands and I just finish writing a book and starting on my second one.I wrote the book in English so now am seeking a English Publisher here in the Netherlands. I was wondering if you guys know any Publishers here in the Netherlands. Thanks in advance Stacey Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:03:44 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc843 I\'ve self published two books using one of the major \"Print on Demand\" publishers. The first I sold only on my own website. The second I intended to reach a much wider audience. The company\'s distribution plan (which includes an ISBN and barcode) got the book listed on Amazon and many other websites. My own marketing efforts resulted in a local newspaper article, mention on various websites related to the book\'s subject (the NJ shore) and three library book signings. Unfortunately, it\'s very difficult to get Print on Demand books into bookstores. Many blame this on booksellers\' reluctance to handle self-published books, and certainly this is part of the problem. The bigger part of the problem is economic. Book wholesalers and chain stores expect around a 55% discount off the cover price of your book. Given the high per unit cost of Print on Demand titles, you will probably be unable to offer this discount--unless you price your book much higher than comparable books from major publishers. That said, it\'s not my intention to discourage Print on Demand publishing. For new authors, it\'s definitely the quickest way to get your work into print. If you edit properly (or have someone edit for you), and if you spend the time or the money for good interior and cover design, you can produce a very professional looking product. If you\'re creative about promoting, you may even make some money. Kevin Woyce Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:34:34 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc844 You\'re absolutely correct. POD (print on demand) is for all intents and purposes an extension of what used to be called \"vanity press.\" The idea is that ANYONE can publish ANYTHING, which means that there\'s a tremendous amount of awful stuff out there. Book stores have limited shelf space, so they\'ll put books on a shelf if: a) the publisher PAYS for space; or b) the book is in demand; and c) they get that 55% discount AND can return the book if it doesn\'t sell. If you become your own publishing company (buy a block of 10 ISBN\'s and print your books through Lightning Source), then you can offer whatever discount you like, price your book any which way you like, and offer returns... basically everything the books stores want. But you still have to prove your book will fly off the shelves. Sid Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:57:34 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc1088 Can anyone tell me about Arbor Books? I a proposal from Arbor Books to edit, market,contact literary agents, publishers, etc. Linda D. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:48:37 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc1170 i\'m 13 years old and am in the process of writing a novel.unlike many other writers,young and old,i am shy to show it to anybody else but my little sister.i\'ve told my mum about that i want my book published and she said she doesn\'t have a clue where to start on publishing.does anybody have any advice on how to the best way is to publish it cheaply yet get the most money?? if it helps,my book is about teenagers at high school dreaming of living the high life and falling in love.theres some romance,alot of humour,and a bit of hearts being broken.aswell.please please give me some advice. calvehl@aol.com Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:13:47 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc1526 im 12 and i have started writing 1 book and i was think about how to get it published but where jasmine Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:54:00 +0100 http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/publishing/self-publishing/beware-the-self-publishing-sharks/#josc2350 I used a self-publishing company for my first book. I was all excited and they were able to sell me on all of the packages, including marketing (some business cards and postcards); access to online bookstores, etc. Now that I am in the midst of finishing my second book, I think I\'ll try the print-on-demand service. I can save by using other resources to print my business cards and postcards; do my own marketing via the internet. I did profit from my sales but realize I could have had my costs lowered by using print-by-demand. The services the self-publishing company offers are not worth the costs. Thanks. toni Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:45:20 +0100