A few weeks back I decided to contact a publisher and send my first three chapters and all the required info. My novel is nearly completed (editing and final draft being sorted). I informed them that it wasn't quite finished and hoped I may get some feedback as this is my first venture as an author. I was delighted when they wrote back to me. They have offered to do a short run of my book to see how it goes , if it sells then they will look at pressing more. The publishers specialise in a different genre of books than the one I'm writing so this would be a different path for them. Should I accept the first offer ( they are based near where I live, which would make it handy for meetings) or should I hold fire until other publishers have been approached?
I can't thank you all enough for your sound advice. I won't be signing anything yet until I know everything I need to know. I'm also thinking that unless I submit to other publishers I won't be able to compare? That's if I do get any other offers in the future, I may end up still writing songs for a living and have to realise that being an author is not my vocation.
sorry! I clicked on something that printed my comment before I'd finished.
So a "self-publishing agency" that charges you 499€ for a "special offer" that includes YOUR VERY OWN ISBN!!! is shelling out less than one cent for that detail. Of course, if you REALLY self-publish, you pay that 89€... But don’t let anybody fool you that they’re doing you this fabulous, very generous favour.
A short comment on a detail of Jeff Richards' point "they're going to risk the costs of registering for an ISBN [...]"
I contacted a "self-publishing agency" and this ISBN offer was presented as a BIG DEAL. I suppose that for inexperienced authors it seems so. Here are [some] facts:
(I'm a resident of Germany, so the amounts are German ones, but I'd guess that the general pattern holds for all countries.)
A self-publishing author is not obliged to buy an ISBN. It is, however, virtually necessary if you want to sell your book on amazon or in bookstores. In Germany, a single ISBN costs 89€. A 2nd (for your 2nd book... or a translation) will cost you 89€. A third will cost you... you're getting the picture: 89€.
A registered publishing house pays an initial "matriculation" fee of 139€. Once that hurdle is over, they can buy job lots of 1000 ISBNs for... 89€ - less than ONE CENT per title published.
So a "self-publishing agency" that charges you 499€ for a "special offer" that includes