Publishing Questions

[Gary]

The results I've had with both books I've published through CreateSpace have been terrific. The quality is great - I've never had a complaint about print quality or condition of the books.

[Christopher]

Shawn wrote: "Christopher, I've not had any problems with CreateSpace quality. In fact, we designed book 2 to match what my publisher did with book 1 and no one can tell the difference when asked to examine them..."

Shawn, my comments regarding my perceived lack of quality in CreateSpace books is more a commentary on materials quality and not necessarily print or manufacturing quality. In fact, I have at this moment five Lulu/LSI-printed books that came to me with various print defects. When I report them, Lulu will more than likely replace them free of charge, as they have before.

With regards to materials quality, I was at an outdoor event (Houston, Texas following a rain storm in the summer... very muggy) with our Lulu/LSI printed books and some CreateSpace printed books. Well, the CreateSpace covers had curled up completely, while the Lulu/LSI covers only waved slightly; the CreateSpace book covers never fully recovered. Also, the page paper for the Lulu/LSI books is thicker than the CreateSpace books (I think it is either 50# versus 60# or 55# versus 60#). I have also noticed better cover wear on the Lulu/LSI printed books than with the CreateSpace books.

While I do think print or manufacturing quality is important, any good book printer will make restitution for mess-ups, and it seems both Lulu/LSI and CreateSpace have that trait in common. The quality of materials should also not be ignored. Not every 100# cover paper is the same or Print-on-Demand printer ink. If you are concerned about the longevity of your book, look into the quality of the materials your printer uses.

Cheers!

Christopher Dunbar

[Bruce]

Nanette wrote: "Mich wrote: "Absolutely! Almost any other publisher you go with will eventually end up at lightningsource. So, if you are willing to do all your marketing, cover design, isbn, etc on your own this..."

Nanette -- We do our printing with CreateSpace and if you sell a steady flow of books, as we do, you can make a decent profit off CreateSpace through their Expanded Distribution Program. The EPD is nice because the cost is very small compared to Lightning Source and it gets the books out so B&M Stores can order it and your big online retailers list them in their catalogs as long as you have your own ISBN number.

[Bruce]

Christopher wrote: With regards to materials quality, I was at an outdoor event (Houston, Texas following a rain storm in the summer... very muggy) with our Lulu/LSI printed books and some CreateSpace printed books. Well, the CreateSpace covers had curled up completely, while the Lulu/LSI covers only waved slightly; the CreateSpace book covers never fully recovered. Also, the page paper for the Lulu/LSI books is thicker than the CreateSpace books (I think it is either 50# versus 60# or 55# versus 60#). I have also noticed better cover wear on the Lulu/LSI printed books than with the CreateSpace books.

Christopher -- we've been using CS since September and have done four major novel releases through them. We haven't had the curling issue at all with their products as far as I am aware. The quality is, I would say, overall a shade below the big-boys that you'd find in B&N but not noticeable. The biggest criticism I have of their quality is what you mentioned -- the covers are on the thin side. It wouldn't kill them to use a slightly heavier stock on the cover.

My really really big criticism with them is that whenever you make a change they force you to purchase a proof... no matter what the change is. I can understand if you make a substantial formatting or cover change, but if I am simply correcting typos I don't want to have to shell out another $5-12 (depending on the title) for a book that I can't even resell.

[Christopher]

Bruce wrote: "My really really big criticism with them is that whenever you make a change they force you to purchase a proof... no matter what the change is..."

Unfortunately, TextStream (Baker & Taylor), Lightning Source (Ingram), and Lulu all charge change fees and require a new proof. That seems to be a standard practice. Also, I intended to stress that the CS cover curling occurred in a high-humidity, high heat environment outside.

Cheers!

Christopher Dunbar

[Bruce]

Chris -- And you could very well be right, they may curl under the right conditions that we haven't seen yet.

I don't mind ordering a proof when needed... just hate to waste the time/money especially when our budget is really tight... just ask my editors :)

[Christopher]

Bruce wrote: "... I don't mind ordering a proof when needed..."

FYI, LSI (Lightning Source) charges $80 an hour for revisions (in half-hour increments of $40) and file resubmission upload fees of $40 per file (upload fee for the original files are $37.50 for each file - cover and body). The paperback proofs are also $30 each (includes express shipping).

You might have it better with CS.

Cheers!

Christopher Dunbar

[R.C.]

Cave Of Forlorn
Another interview. This one by Reena Jacobs on the topic of editing.

http://reenajacobs.com/blog/

Kind regards,
R.C.
www.rcrutter.com

[Bruce]

Christopher wrote: "Bruce wrote: "... I don't mind ordering a proof when needed..."

FYI, LSI (Lightning Source) charges $80 an hour for revisions (in half-hour increments of $40) and file resubmission upload fees of ..."


...and that is a BIG BIG reason I don't do business with LS. You do get better distribution with LS but the price is way too high.

[[deleted user]]

Hey, can anyone recommend a good publisher for me? One that will be worth it and not empty my pocket at the same time? I'm looking at publishing my book, but don't know where to turn to. It's already on Amazon as an Ebook, but I want to get it in paperback or hardcopy, too. Any recommendations please?

Loraine.

[Sharon]

Loraine wrote: "Hey, can anyone recommend a good publisher for me? One that will be worth it and not empty my pocket at the same time? I'm looking at publishing my book, but don't know where to turn to. It's alrea..."

"Worth it" is a difficult question to answer, because value is not that easy to calculate. I am traditionally published through TreasureLine Books, but they also offer assistance to those who wish to self-publish. I have been absolutely delighted with their service. You can check out their page for those who wish assistance with self-publishing here: http://onestoppublisher.com/default.aspx

If you wish to expand your eBook market, I strongly recommend Smashwords. They have marketing agreements with Barnes & Noble, Sony, Apple's iBookstore, Kobo (in Canada), Diesel and Amazon (since your book is already there, you would imply opt out of that distribution), and one of the best royalty systems out there. You can check them out at http://www.smashwords.com

[[deleted user]]

Sharon wrote: "Loraine wrote: "Hey, can anyone recommend a good publisher for me? One that will be worth it and not empty my pocket at the same time? I'm looking at publishing my book, but don't know where to tur..."

Thanks Sharon. I'll definetely take a look at them both. :)

[Tracey]

Loraine I'd also highly recommend Amazon's CreateSpace for print copies - the only outlay to you is to purchase a proof copy which is usually under $6 US + postage. So long as you follow their guidelines in formatting one proof copy should be all you need and away you go, ISBN and everything

[[deleted user]]

Tracey wrote: "Loraine I'd also highly recommend Amazon's CreateSpace for print copies - the only outlay to you is to purchase a proof copy which is usually under $6 US + postage. So long as you follow their gu..."

Thanks Tracey, I've heard of Createspace before, but never thought of looking into it. I'll keep them in mind, thanks! :)

[Trish]

I cannot imagine going through a "traditional" publisher any more. I have used Createspace for two years now and I'm happy with them. As of this week, I have 5 published books (although another one is a compilation of my first 3 so I don't count it).

But seriously -- I make my own covers, I have a wonderful editor who is a former high school teacher, and I do all my own formatting. I have complete creative control. I don't think I could give that up.

I've heard horror stories of rewrites, delays in publishing, contractually being required to give notice if you leave town for more than a day...

I spend two weeks writing (that doesn't include the time I spend in conception which can take a month or more), one week in edits (while I do the book cover artwork), a few more days formatting and push the publish button. Within 4-5 days of pushing publish I have a book on Kindle (which I promote primarily on Kindleboards.com) and two weeks after that I have the paperback in my hands for a final proof.

I spend about $200 overall in ordering paperbacks and other very small fees and I make that back in about two months of books sales nowadays (I actually have a small fan base now which tickles me). The rest is gravy (not a lot of gravy but then I'm not into writing to make millions of dollars - it's more than enough that people are reading and like my books).

And THAT is my "secret" path to writing and publishing that some enterprising folks have stretched into pages upon pages into books that they sell on Amazon. Would I go with a traditional publisher now? I'd have to give up so much... I don't know... it'd have to be a pretty sweet deal.

Hope this helps someone out there,
Trish Lamoree
(search my name on Amazon.com to see my work)

[Tracey]

Well said Trish - I'd find it very difficult to go with a traditional publisher now. Having complete creative control over your work is so refreshing. I think the only thing the big houses can really offer is a huge, sustained marketing campaign - which I can't afford in terms of money or time - and they only seem to do that for the 'bestsellers' anyway.

[Susan]

Tracey, I'll admit to being on the fence about the two methods of publishing. I'm making better money as an indie, but a more traditional approach raises an author's visibility by getting our books into stores, for those impulse buys. They offer cover art and editing -- and I'm not talking about line editing so much as all my friends who say a good editor really gets into the meat of the book and helps strengthen ALL elements of it.

Those are the advantages and they are tempting. But they come with a caveat, and that's the Low Sales Stigma. I know writers who sold out their entire first print run but were dropped for "low sales" anyway. Their option after that? Pick a pseudonym or self-publish.

It's a toughie. To me, it seems that most roads these days lead back to self-publishing (unless you're a best-seller, or selling well enough to meet these largely invisible mile posts the publishers set). And like I said, the money's good.

Yet I did just start to work on something that I'll pitch and sub around to the biggies. Nothing ventured, nothing gained -- and if I don't like the contract terms that are offered, I don't have to sign anything.

[Cerena]

what are we talking about Im lost

[Tracey]

Susan wrote: "Tracey, I'll admit to being on the fence about the two methods of publishing. I'm making better money as an indie, but a more traditional approach raises an author's visibility by getting our books..."

That's the beauty of going Indie - you can still look for the big traditional houses for a contract but have the ability to say no which is fantastic. I'd love to have someone do all the editing, marketing etc for me though :)

[Cerena]

good morning

[Sharon]

Tracey wrote: "That's the beauty of going Indie - you can still look for the big traditional houses for a contract but have the ability to say no which is fantastic. I'd love to have someone do all the editing, marketing etc for me though :) "

Even major publishers are looking for their authors to do their own promotion/marketing/have a platform for budgetary reasons.

[Tracey]

That's so true Sharon. Writers today are expected to be a little bit of everything. I find that hard as I'm a bit of a hermit in many ways, and can be quite shy, really... so I find promoting my own work very hard. I think my books are great but how do you say that without coming off sounding like a used car salesman? That's the biggest reason I've so far put off doing book signings because I'm sure I'd get tongue tied or worse, say something stupid.

[Delaney]

My book is romantic fiction and was published with an e-publisher.

Tracey, I'm a little shy too. Which is kind of crazy, isn't it, since we're producing product for public consumption. I once heard someone describe writers as introverted extroverts.

That's why I love the fact that so much can be done online now. I can do a virtual tour, visit different groups and forums, chat with potential readers. All this from the comfort of my home and still maintain some level of privacy.

[Tracey]

Delaney I love that expression 'introverted extroverts'. That fits me to a T. I too enjoy the relative anonymity of an online audience but even there sometimes I hold back from actively promoting my books. I must be doing something all right as I'm slowly building a fan base, I just don't know how to be pushy and get those huge numbers I've seen from some other Indies.

[Christopher]

Tracey wrote: "Delaney I love that expression 'introverted extroverts'. That fits me to a T. I too enjoy the relative anonymity of an online audience but even there sometimes I hold back from actively promoting ..."

I think I am an extroverted introvert, Tracey, in that I usually enjoy private time, but I strive to get out there amongst the public and tout our works. I don't really feel comfortable going to book signings and other public events, but going there is something I need to do... well, and there is *some* enjoyment getting out there... *some*.

Cheers!

Christopher

[Susan]

Tomorrow (19th January) I've invited a publisher to talk about his work, his company needs etc., on my blog: http://lauracea.blogspot.com. It will interest everyone, but especially authors and debut authors - there's some interesting information.

[Susan]

Susan wrote: "Tomorrow (19th January) I've invited a publisher to talk about his work, his company needs etc., on my blog: http://lauracea.blogspot.com. It will interest everyone, but especially authors and debu..."
BYW - the publisher is asking for suggestions from writers on how the industry can help writers. Check it out.
Sue

[[deleted user]]

Let's see - shun the people who create the books, treat those who are contracted like dirt - then when the going get bumping and the business is on the verge of dramatic change - go back to those same people and ASK how to help them???

It maybe a little to late with cat our of the bag of self-publishing and ebooks.

[Susan]

LOL, Shawn. I think John (the publisher) is a little too new in the business to be as rotten as that ...YET! No, he's one of the good guys.

[[deleted user]]

Consider it my age, former Hollywood experience and publishing knowledge to make me cynical. :-D

[Susan]

Oh well then, you're excused!

[Paulette]

1. Podcasted 3rd draft (more work than I bargained for)
2. Agent hunt (5 months; 95% form letter rejections; 1 rejection with comments)
3. Rewrite based on rejection comments and podcast feedback
4. Listened to podcast interview with an editor
5. Responded to editor's limited open submission offer
6. Waited several months
7. Editor listened to the podcast then requested full manuscript (now 4th draft)
8. Waited several more months
9. Publisher sent contracts

In summary, I was damn lucky!

PJ

[Meg]

Question (and this may be a stupid one as I am new to the world of self-publishing): do I need to acquire a copyright for my book before I self-publish? Thanks!

[Meg]

Question (and this may be a stupid one as I am new to the world of self-publishing): do I need to acquire a copyright for my book before I self-publish? Thanks!

[[deleted user]]

No, Maegan, a copyright isn't necessary. As soon as you publish it with an ISBN and go through the proper channels, all rights belong to you.

However, what you should do is get a Library of Congress Control Number. Look inside each book and you'll see it in the same area along with the ISBN. Then, once the book is printed, send a paperback copy to the LOC as formal record. This doesn't cost anything, but it gets you registered with the LOC and is kept on file.

[P.J.]

I attempted to go down the agent/publisher route (you need an agent to get a publisher here in the UK - publishers no longer accept unsolicited manuscripts), but got no bites. So I first became published independently, using Amazon and smashwords.

Besides, even if an agent expresses interest in the material you send them, there's no guarantee your book will ever see the light of day. Unless I get interest from an agent/publisher in the future, I agree with CC - I won't be looking back.

After all the rejection letters, I did wonder if my book was any good, but thankfully, now it's published, I'm getting some very good reviews from book reviewers, which is encouraging!