The Tears and Triumphs of a New Author Chapter 12
After spending hours on the Internet checking self-publishing websites, we compiled a short list of five possibilities, which included Authorhouse, X-Libris and I-Universe.
As I was scrolling through the web pages, I found a page that read, “ don’t sign with Authorhouse until you read this”.
It turned out to be a page from the website of a publishing company called Dog Ear. They had a whole section of their website dedicated to comparing all of the packages of the top self-publishing companies side by side.
We found that each company offered multiple publishing programs from “bare bones” to “all the bells and whistles”.
The Dog Ear website compared the packages and prices of their various programs to that of their competitors. Just looking at the prices published on the various websites, it looked like Dog Ear was offering a pretty good deal.
Each website had a link to request more information and I sent my name and phone number to each company.
I soon received calls from each of them, eager to explain their services, programs and prices.
When they discovered I was not signing up immediately and that I was shopping several different publishers, I was informed that they were conducting a year-end close out (this was in September) and they could give me a special deal if I acted quickly. Imagine my surprise!
I soon started receiving e-mails detailing the “specials” and follow-up phone calls.
I have never been a hard-ass when it comes to buying something. I look at the product and the price and if it’s what I want and reasonable, I get it ---- if not, I don’t. But I soon found that if I shared with one publisher what I was offered by another, the deal became sweeter.
After a week or so of negotiations, I decided on Authorhouse. They are the largest company and offered the most for my money. I wound up with their most expensive, fully loaded package for $600 less than the website price.
The only company that would never negotiate the price was Dog Ear. Their price was the lowest in the beginning, but by the time negotiations were over, it was all about the same.
I saved EVERY e-mail, especially the last one that detailed all that was to be included at the final negotiated price.
One detail that is not included in any company’s package is the price they will charge you, the author, to purchase your own book for resale. Dog Ear was one that used their price as a selling point and I had negotiated a two cent per page plus $1.28 for the cover.
In my final pitch to Authorhouse, I said I would take their package if they would match that price. After several days, I received an e-mail confirming the price.
We had a deal.
It turned out that Authorhouse had a separate department for each phase of the process, selling the package, building the book, marketing, book orders, etc, and I discovered that in many cases the right hand was not aware of what the left hand was doing.
Thank God I saved all those e-mails with the details of our final negotiations.
They came in handy later on.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Tears and Triumphs of a New Author - Chapter 11
The Tears and Triumphs of a New Author
Chapter 11
Although we were discouraged by the lack of publishers who would pay us to publish our book, we were amazed by the vast horde that would take our money to publish.
How to decide?
We personally knew two other published authors, so why not pick their brains and learn from O.P.E., other people’s experience?
We met with our two friends on separate occasions. They were both supportive of our efforts and more than willing to share their publishing adventures and advice.
Although neither of these authors was self-published, both shared that while their books were selling well locally. They were not getting the national coverage they had hoped for.
They both cautioned that we should read any contract offers very carefully and be sure to retain the ownership of our manuscript.
We learned that even traditional publishers don’t necessarily offer all of the services a new author should have.
The publisher of one of our friends left the job of obtaining the copyright to the author. He applied and had been waiting two years for a response.
Not a happy story.
With their experiences in mind, we began searching the Internet websites of the self-publishing companies.
Knowing absolutely nothing about the publishing business, I had always assumed that once your book is ready for publication, your company will print the first edition, store multiple copies in a big warehouse and have them ready to ship when the orders come pouring in.
DUMMY!
What I found was that all self-publishing companies are P.O.D., print on demand.
What’s that?
In my limited experience, I pictured printing a book to be a long, laborious process.
In POD, apparently a single book can be printed and shipped in 72 hours.
Live and learn.
As I continued my research, I discovered why self-publishing companies are POD instead of printing multiple copies to warehouse ---- they don’t expect to sell any!
I also found that there was another name for the self-publishing companies --- vanity publishers.
Apparently, there are lots of folks out there who just want the thrill of seeing their work in print and don’t give a hoot if they sell anything.
Then there are those who publish poorly written and unedited manuscripts that are doomed to failure from the beginning.
But the message to the author is the same ---you pay the price, we’ll publish it.
Because this is the nature of the business, the self-published author is at the bottom of the food chain, the step-child of the publishing industry.
Unfortunately, all self-published authors, regardless of the quality of their work, carry this stigma.
You can’t submit to a mainline publisher without an agent and a legitimate agent won’t take you if you don’t have a track record.
So, you bite the bullet and self-publish, and like Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter, you are branded with the big “SP”.
Where is the justice in this?
Chapter 11
Although we were discouraged by the lack of publishers who would pay us to publish our book, we were amazed by the vast horde that would take our money to publish.
How to decide?
We personally knew two other published authors, so why not pick their brains and learn from O.P.E., other people’s experience?
We met with our two friends on separate occasions. They were both supportive of our efforts and more than willing to share their publishing adventures and advice.
Although neither of these authors was self-published, both shared that while their books were selling well locally. They were not getting the national coverage they had hoped for.
They both cautioned that we should read any contract offers very carefully and be sure to retain the ownership of our manuscript.
We learned that even traditional publishers don’t necessarily offer all of the services a new author should have.
The publisher of one of our friends left the job of obtaining the copyright to the author. He applied and had been waiting two years for a response.
Not a happy story.
With their experiences in mind, we began searching the Internet websites of the self-publishing companies.
Knowing absolutely nothing about the publishing business, I had always assumed that once your book is ready for publication, your company will print the first edition, store multiple copies in a big warehouse and have them ready to ship when the orders come pouring in.
DUMMY!
What I found was that all self-publishing companies are P.O.D., print on demand.
What’s that?
In my limited experience, I pictured printing a book to be a long, laborious process.
In POD, apparently a single book can be printed and shipped in 72 hours.
Live and learn.
As I continued my research, I discovered why self-publishing companies are POD instead of printing multiple copies to warehouse ---- they don’t expect to sell any!
I also found that there was another name for the self-publishing companies --- vanity publishers.
Apparently, there are lots of folks out there who just want the thrill of seeing their work in print and don’t give a hoot if they sell anything.
Then there are those who publish poorly written and unedited manuscripts that are doomed to failure from the beginning.
But the message to the author is the same ---you pay the price, we’ll publish it.
Because this is the nature of the business, the self-published author is at the bottom of the food chain, the step-child of the publishing industry.
Unfortunately, all self-published authors, regardless of the quality of their work, carry this stigma.
You can’t submit to a mainline publisher without an agent and a legitimate agent won’t take you if you don’t have a track record.
So, you bite the bullet and self-publish, and like Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter, you are branded with the big “SP”.
Where is the justice in this?
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The Tears and Triumphs of a New Author - Chapter 10
The Tears and Triumphs of a New Author
Chapter 10
Our research so far left little doubt that we had the proverbial snowball’s chance in H--- to get picked up by a mainline publisher or represented by a legitimate literary agent.
Discouraged? Of course!
Whipped? Not by a long shot!
I’m sure the careers of many writers are nipped in the bud at this point.
Everyone dreams of being accepted by a publisher or agent. Naturally, we had visions of advances and royalties, travel and fame. But when those things didn’t come, the only other alternative we found to get ‘Lady Justice’ in print was to self-publish, and that takes hard cash.
Not everyone has the financial resources to self-publish, so I’m sure many great novels die at this point along with the dreams of their creators.
As we began to dig into the tangled web of self-publishing, we had some serious moments of soul searching. “Is it good enough?” “Is it worth the investment?” “Can we make it work?” “Can we afford it?”
Did we have doubts? You bet we did!
When my character, Walt, suffers a serious setback in his law enforcement career, his old friend and mentor, Professor Skinner offers this advice:
When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with it’s twists and turns
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won if he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow-
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit
It’s when things seem worst that you must not QUIT!
OK Professor, we won’t throw in the towel yet.
Let’s take some time and study the many companies who are eager to take my money to publish my book.
Sucker? Maybe. We’ll see.
Chapter 10
Our research so far left little doubt that we had the proverbial snowball’s chance in H--- to get picked up by a mainline publisher or represented by a legitimate literary agent.
Discouraged? Of course!
Whipped? Not by a long shot!
I’m sure the careers of many writers are nipped in the bud at this point.
Everyone dreams of being accepted by a publisher or agent. Naturally, we had visions of advances and royalties, travel and fame. But when those things didn’t come, the only other alternative we found to get ‘Lady Justice’ in print was to self-publish, and that takes hard cash.
Not everyone has the financial resources to self-publish, so I’m sure many great novels die at this point along with the dreams of their creators.
As we began to dig into the tangled web of self-publishing, we had some serious moments of soul searching. “Is it good enough?” “Is it worth the investment?” “Can we make it work?” “Can we afford it?”
Did we have doubts? You bet we did!
When my character, Walt, suffers a serious setback in his law enforcement career, his old friend and mentor, Professor Skinner offers this advice:
When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with it’s twists and turns
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won if he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow-
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit
It’s when things seem worst that you must not QUIT!
OK Professor, we won’t throw in the towel yet.
Let’s take some time and study the many companies who are eager to take my money to publish my book.
Sucker? Maybe. We’ll see.
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