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Has anyone used CreateSpace?
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I use Georgia 11 font and 1.5 spacing in my books. easy to read.
Candace wrote: "Thanks everyone... I noticed CS offers editing services for around $.016/ word. Did any of you guys use them? Was it worth it? I've thought about using a freelancer, but if CS has vetted ones for h..."$1600 for a 100,000 word novel!!!! Hell, I'll quit AKW Books and work for that kind of money any day, as long as I can stay busy. And I'm probably better than the average pro they field.
Seriously, you can do better elsewhere. The hard part is finding someone who's actually good at the job, not some English major who'll just correct your punctuation and spelling -- including messing up your character dialog. Read some of the books your proposed editor has done with a critical eye before you plunk down your money. And to keep your costs as low as possible, make sure your ms is as clean as you can make it yourself. Time is money for these folks and if your ms is almost clean, they can do the job for a lower cost.
There are two types of editing: Story (content) editing and copy editing.
The story editor is only going to be concerned with making your yarn better (eliminating info-dumps, getting off to a good start including a "hook", eliminating unnecessary sections, and even swapping some scenes around).
A good copy editor will correct the usual mistakes as well as help you use better action verbs, eliminate dialog tags, spot awkward sentences, catch logical errors, and a host of other problems.
Finding someone to do both jobs well is a real problem. The psychology that makes someone good at one job, usually makes them unsuitable for the other. Story editors are concerned with large ideas and "flow". Copy editors are born nit-pickers, able to delve into minutia without going mad (they also make good computer programmers).
So, you'll probably have to work with two people. Use the story editor first because s/he might make major changes, messing up any copy editing. Not all "story" editors are really story editors, they'll end up doing a half-baked copy edit instead.
Al wrote: "Candace wrote: "Thanks everyone... I noticed CS offers editing services for around $.016/ word. Did any of you guys use them? Was it worth it? I've thought about using a freelancer, but if CS has v..."Excellent post, Al. I'm looking for a copy editor at the moment. I had both story and copy editors for my first book. One seriously needs at least the copy editor as you read what you think you wrote not what you did write when self-editing.
Valerie wrote: "Smashwords also offers a print version, or did, but it's more expensive and harder to format than CreateSpace. Generally, I format for Createspace myself - set indents (don't use tabs) at .3, set m..."Thanks for the tips Valerie.
C. wrote: "Al wrote: "Candace wrote: "Thanks everyone... I noticed CS offers editing services for around $.016/ word. Did any of you guys use them? Was it worth it? I've thought about using a freelancer, but ..."Try: https://www.elance.com/ or https://www.odesk.com/
I don't know any really good copy editors that are available right now (I'm tied up at work), but you might find someone at one of those places. Just remember to do your homework before plunking down your money. Fee size does not necessarily = ability (just ego).
I'm thinking of retiring the first of the year and might do a job a month, but I really want to do some writing of my own on a daily basis, rather than just on Sunday afternoons when the Seahawks aren't playing.
Back to the question of sales through B & N, as noted the CS Extended Catalog gets you in Internet stores, not bricks and mortar. And tracking them is possible only in the broadest sense: my CS reports indicate when a sale is through the Extended Catatlog rather than Amazon, but not which retailer sold it (royalties are also much lower as there is another middle man).Kindle has simplified their formatting. When I did my first book, it was different from Smashwods and harder. Now I just get the format perfect for Smashwords and it will work perfectly on Kindle (note that while they may accept less-carefully formatted MSS now, that doesn't mean they will look right on the Kindle, let alone the many other tools people now use to read Kindle books).
The hard part is finding someone who's actually good at the job, not some English major who'll just correct your punctuation and spelling -- including messing up your character dialog. Read some of the books your proposed editor has done with a critical eye before you plunk down your money."Thanks, that's great advice. I really don't know what is a reasonable fee. I've seen everything from $.013-.023/word. I know copy editing is a lot of work, and a good copy-editor is a specialist deserving of a fair wage. I just don't know what that is, or how to weed out the amateurs.
Candace wrote: "The hard part is finding someone who's actually good at the job, not some English major who'll just correct your punctuation and spelling -- including messing up your character dialog. Read some of..."I wouldn't pay more than $500 for a good copy editor and that only if my ms was fairly "messy". But, to tell the truth, I have no idea what the market is. Our editors subcontract for a lower price because we can keep them busy and they don't have to go looking for work.
Remember, that your income from your book has to repay your investment. The average eBook doesn't make enough to pay back a $1000 investment over 2 years. In fact, the average self-published book makes far less.
Independent editors make most of their money off of starry-eyed authors who are sure their book is going to sell well because it's so good. The reality is that SOME books actually will, but most won't. If you don't have a substantial outside income to support your writing addiction (and that's what it is, or you shouldn't even be here), you're going to have to go bargain hunting and find the gem who realizes that his customers can't really afford high prices.
Look at me. I'm talking myself out of high rates when I retire.
I like CreateSpace and think that it's fairly easy to use, although I struggled with my table of contents the first few times. I format for myself with help from my more tech-orientated husband. Indents are a must instead of tabs, and I think that that page breaks can work, unless you need to create something different for a section (like for the front matter not to have the same page numbering system as the main body of the book). Overall, I think Createspace is a great way to get published in print and have copies for live book signings.
I prefer to use section breaks/odd page to make sure that my chapters always end up on the proper side when they open.
Tyrean wrote: "I like CreateSpace and think that it's fairly easy to use, although I struggled with my table of contents the first few times. I format for myself with help from my more tech-orientated husband. In..."I agree with you on these points, Tyrean.
I've checked out Lulu and Lightening Source for hardback companions to my CreateSpace paperbacks. CreateSpace has a lot of things I wish more such platforms, like cover creator and the POD means I'm not responsible for books that don't sell. But Amazon doesn't play well with others and CreateSpace doesn't to hardback easily. You have to pay a hundred dollar upgrade fee and then only you, the author, can order hardbacks. Wish they'd make it a regular publishing option. :/
Heather wrote: "I've checked out Lulu and Lightening Source for hardback companions to my CreateSpace paperbacks. CreateSpace has a lot of things I wish more such platforms, like cover creator and the POD means I..."All good points, Heather. I didn't know one could even get a hardcover from CreateSpace. I can't afford one, so I guess it's not an issue, LOL. At least you get a quality paperback from them.
Candace wrote: "I currently have my first novel on Kindle only. It's been well received and I'm wondering if it's worth trying CreateSpace. How have others' experiences been?Thanks."
I do use them, primarily for sales during in-person appearances. Remember, not everyone has an eReader (Kindle or otherwise).
C. wrote: "Heather wrote: "I've checked out Lulu and Lightening Source for hardback companions to my CreateSpace paperbacks. CreateSpace has a lot of things I wish more such platforms, like cover creator and..."I've heard of people using them for special editions. I'm not so upset about authors needing to special order them, but the fee, in addition to normal ordering costs, annoys me.
I hadn't heard about the hardback option. Too bad about the fee--I'd happily get a few copies of mine in hardback for the library, etc. but I can't pay that much extra.
Rebecca wrote: "I hadn't heard about the hardback option. Too bad about the fee--I'd happily get a few copies of mine in hardback for the library, etc. but I can't pay that much extra."That's what they told me when I asked about it. They've been changing some things, so maybe it's different now? Couldn't hurt to ask.
also if you have sigil and calibre its easy making ebook versions. I use my copy of the smash words edition to create my kindle/ebook versions . that way they're the same format.