My Coffee table book is ready. Today I discussed buying a complete package providing everything from design, technical, team support on everything required to get my book into book stores, marketing, eBook, etc etc. I have researched a lot & should I outlay $4.900.00 to get the complete package? It's a big world out there & I'm feeling quite unsure about which way or who to go with. I've researched Balboa Press & they assured me that they would uphold their testimony. Can someone reply and let me know I'm not a pebble on a desert island? Thank you so much. Kaye from WA.
Kay, if your book were to sell for 25 dollars, you'd have to sell 196 copies to make any profit at all. Check out what similar books go for and work out if/when you will be making any profit.
Never take the testimonial of the company themselves alone - they are not going to say anything negative, are they? Google them and see if anyone has any problems/good responses. They cannot promise to sell your book nor to get it into bookstores - that's down to the buyers in the stores, and their opinion of what sells.
The overwhelming desire for authors to get the book out there can make us the ideal prey for people who promise much but realistically cannot deliver. They will take your money upfront - they're happy; whether you see any return at all is debatable. I am not saying that the company you name is such a predator; but you do need to check, and not get carried away by your urge to be in print without doing a lot more research. What price do similar books sell for? Do they sell in large numbers? Is there a ready market for your book? Is it of local interest only? This all impacts on sales. Go to Amazon and look for that name, to see how many books they have managed to get out there and whether they are selling well; also you can see how well they are produced if there's a 'look inside' facility.
Do all the homework you can, and don't be seduced by promises people can't keep. I'd hate the only people making money out of all this to be the company.
I would never spend that amount of money unless I was confident of recovering my outlay through book sales.
I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, I think that is an awful lot of money. Have you explored the traditional method of publishing? what are you actually going to get for your hard earned cash?
Regards Paul.