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Then to hook you, if you had any doubts in the first place, it ends with the following statement:
Some of our authors have sold their books at the following locations:
Here it lists every well known bookstore you can think of, from Amazon to Barnes and Nobel. Impressive right? So are you hooked? Well, some of you are, some are wavering back and forth, and others, like my-jaded-self are turned off. The thing is, you never know if these people are legit or not, so you have to spend your precious time asking writer friends what they think, going to your favorite writer sites and posting questions then chatting with the other members, or checking the organization or company out at the Better Business Bureau, Amazon, or wherever…Fun, huh?
I’m really curious…What would you, as a writer, do in a case like this?
if you enjoyed this post, feel free to leave a comment
I would never go with a company that sends ads to my email. Big red flag there.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. I guess most of us here on She Writes have gleaned enough info from each other to know better.
DeleteLoved it & it can be so overwhelming. Amazon, B & N, Smashwords & Createspace (print book) are where I turned to publish my book. I followed there guidelines (with a LOT of patience). But, I love being my own boss! ; )
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm jaded too, but the first thing I think of is 'some' as a questionable phrasing - some can be two lucky people who hit it big with self-publishing and got a traditional contract and went on to have their books sold all over the place.
ReplyDeleteTo me the second they ask for me to pay I say sayonara, I don't care if its for 'formatting' or 'advertising' or what.
I suppose if you have a look at the publishers, try to see if you know any titles, or if you can find the blog of any of their published authors so you can see if that author had a good or bad experience(I'd be wary too of any blog which is too new or has only a very few posts in case it was a fake blog made for just this circumstance - man I am jaded...). If you can't find any authors I'd be suspicious.
Another option might be go to blogs that specifically review self published/indie books, find some books in your genre and see if you can ask who they used and what their experience was.
As you can probably tell by this novella sized comment I'm considering self-publishing, at the moment personally I'm leaning toward Amazon's createspace, but I am still pursuing traditional methods at the moment. Hope this helped.
I am trying the tradition route but I am also exploring epublishing at the same time. The publishing industry is in a flux - and sadly agents (our gate way to publishers) are overwhelmed and simply turning away writers because of bandwidth issues. I don't have an answer for you because I haven't done all my leg work. I have only looked at Amazon and Barnes.
ReplyDeleteHi Kirstie, Exactly. "Some" is always questionable. I also like Createspace. And I think SmashWords is pretty reputable. I've known several writes that went with them. Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteBrenda, I think you're safe with Amazon. If I were going to self publish, I'd go with them.
ReplyDeleteSelf-publishing is not for eveyone. It takes a lot of industry savvy to successfully pull it off. But Amazon's new Kindle Select program is great because veteran writers, who are tired of incompetent publishers and low royalty rates are now publishing their own books, including me. I've had ten traditional publishers over the years and last fall decided to go on my own. It's the best decision I've ever made. You read about those who have at my website: http://theviewfrommymountaintop.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteI know people who were very happy with Createspace and Lulu. However, one friend's Create Space book was a hot mess in the Kindle version, re: formatting.
ReplyDeleteIf you choose to self-publish, know you will need to pay to do it right. Time, money, or both.
Pay a good editor. Pay for a great cover design, even if it's an e-book (so many self-pubbed books I see with a cover that's really impressive for an amateur, but LOOKS amateur). Pay for formatting - OR, you will have to invest the time and sweat equity to learn how to do all these things yourself.
I may go in that direction eventually, but I hope to actually cross the trad publishing transom before then.
Jean, Thanks for the great comment and the link to your site. Enjoyed reading your article on self publishing.
ReplyDeleteBeverly, Thanks for the great advice. I think you're right on the money. You get what you pay for and editing is so important, whether you self publish or publish traditionally.
ReplyDeleteSheri, I know what you mean by being your own boss...total control can be a good thing, but also overwhelming at first. I am attempting to publish traditionally, but if it doesn't work out, I will definitely go the sel-publishing route.
ReplyDeleteGood plan Nancy. I think everyone has to find their own fit and even choose different paths to try. I self-published for free after a year of rejections. I'm really enjoying the ride and get such satisfaction from the many readers who are also following Lana's journey with the mer.
DeleteBut I agree with Anna about the money, self-pubs don't make enough unless they really find their niche. Joanna Penn is a great example of that and I'm enjoying her blogs/emails/podcasts of her journey and her willingness to help self-pub authors like myself.
I think the publishing world is changing and I have even heard of some who are being picked up by traditional publishers later. That was unheard of years ago. I think indie authors are now becoming trendy! ; )
Sheri, Thanks for the really informative comment. I want to learn all I can about self publishing, because if I don't get picked up by an agent, I will definitely go that way. I'd love to have a link to Joanna Penn's site, to see what she has to say. And, see if you can get Barbara Ehrentreu to stop by to add her two cents.
DeleteIf you don't care about making money, self-publishing is fine. Don't expect to earn money as a fiction or memoir writer unless you're a celebrity with a ready-made fan base.
ReplyDeleteReviewers at publications that matter for buzz and sales won't touch self-pubs. For them, it's a waste of time to go through that endless stack of books of unsure quality when the reviewer's deadline looms. Would you go to a mine to chip the walls, sift through tons of coal to find a diamond-in-the-rough if all you want is a single ring? Or would you go to the place that has dozens of rings, already polished and set, and choose from among those? Traditional publishers sift and polish for them.
Many self-pub companies put books on Amazon or Barnes & Noble for a fee. But how will buyers find your book on that site? Buyers looking for suspense will get a recommendation of James Patterson and his latest No. 1 title, for example, but will they see a self-pub book pop up among the suggested list? If obscure bloggers review your book, but not The New York Times or Los Angeles Times or online sites devoted to fantasy or your genre, will buyers know to search for your book online?
These are questions to ask before writing a check.
Anna, Thanks for all the info. Very much appreciated
ReplyDeleteI believe that self publishing benefits outweigh traditional publishing. One of the main reasons so many authors are self-publishing today is twofold. One of the main reasons is because there is a huge market to capitalize on for POD or "Print on Demand" publishers. The other reason is because traditional publishers want to sign a sure thing when it comes to authors and their books.
ReplyDeleteYou may be right, and if I don't get an agent, that's the way I'll go
DeleteI think, given how hard it is to get an agent or publisher to even sniff at your manuscript, that an unsolicited email is highly dubious.
ReplyDeleteRobert
I've had several requests for my MS so far, so I am actually getting some sniffing. We'll see how it goes.
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