Does anyone know of a self publishing company that doesn't rip people off??
Replies
As with so many questions, it depends what you want to achieve.
If you are epublishing, you have the option of publishing directly with the retailer (eg with Amazon's KDP program). You can publish exclusively on Amazon - the Amazon KDP Select program - for various benefits, but you may find you prefer to be non-exclusive. Those in the US can also publish on Nook and Kobo directly, but we UKers need to go via a third party distributor.
The main player is Smashwords. Pros include wide distribution (Nook, Kobo, Sony Reader, Itunes store, and many, many more), a well known name (Smashwords also retail the books although it's not a big retailer), and a founder who is passionate about self-pubbing. Cons include tackling the legendary Smashwords meatgrinder (the program which converts your Word file into mobi, epub and other formats - if you don't follow the style guide exactly, you will have to do it again), and a time lag on changes to the book in stores (an issue if you are running a limited time promotion).
The new kid on the block is Draft2Digital. Pros include: No meatgrinder! It converts the Word file quickly and effectively, reports suggest it's pretty quick to make changes, I'm told their help desk is prompt and helpful. Cons include limited distribution (although they are working on it and they supply to the Big 4), and they are still small - concerns have been raised about how well they'll do if they are dealing with the kind of volume Smashwords does.
Both these sites take a commission of every sale. There is no upfront fee.
If you are confident you will sell high volumes, you may be better using a service such as the UK based ebookpartnership (who get a name check here because of they also get you on Waterstones - something you can do your self, check their website for details - and because being in the UK there's none of the ITIN malarky to deal with). They charge a yearly fee for distributing your book but don't take any commission.
For hard copy, there's POD printing. Pros: no upfront fee. Cons: POD printing means the end price is far higher. Createspace (who will also list the book for sale on Amazon), and Lulu are again the two big names.
Second option for hardcopy: find a local printer who can do you a short print run. You will need to pay for them (obviously), but if you have the nous to sell them, you'll probably do better that with POD because the price point will be lower. If you don't, you've spend money and you've got a lifetime supply of firelighters.
Then there are also Vanity Publishers: those you pay and who ALSO earn Royalties from sales of your book. They are not always a hideous choice (although I've seen far many terrible ones than decent ones). Essentially, they have done a good bit of the legwork for you already, and that's what you'd be paying for. They've already got editors and typesetters and the rest - but you'll be paying for them and you need to be confident they are good enough for you. Not all editors are equal. Offhand, Matador are UK-based but that's not a recommendation, that's a starting point for your research.
As I began by saying, it depends what you want, what you're able to do, and how much time you are willing to put into it. Self-publishing is a heck of a lot of work. It's not for everybody, but it's also been the making of many. It depends on who you are and what you're trying to do. Never forget: when you self-publish, you are running a business. It's not something to be done lightly.
If you need any more information about Publish America, try Absolute Write and Writer Beware. Absolute Write is also a good source of information about publishers and publishing services. If there isn't a thread already, join the board and ask questions - a daft username doesn't mean they aren't a publishing professional, and not everybody will talk about their experiences in public.
From the research I have done creatspace seems to be a good bet.
Looks like you don't have to fork out any more than you want to, all depending in the level of design/artwork/editing you require.
The fact that you can go for Kindle format, especially with the kindle app for iPad now out, without having to do the paperback route must be a great bonus for some.
As with so many questions, it depends what you want to achieve.
If you are epublishing, you have the option of publishing directly with the retailer (eg with Amazon's KDP program). You can publish exclusively on Amazon - the Amazon KDP Select program - for various benefits, but you may find you prefer to be non-exclusive. Those in the US can also publish on Nook and Kobo directly, but we UKers need to go via a third party distributor.
The main player is Smashwords. Pros include wide distribution (Nook, Kobo, Sony Reader, Itunes store, and many, many more), a well known name (Smashwords also retail the books although it's not a big retailer), and a founder who is passionate about self-pubbing. Cons include tackling the legendary Smashwords meatgrinder (the program which converts your Word file into mobi, epub and other formats - if you don't follow the style guide exactly, you will have to do it again), and a time lag on changes to the book in stores (an issue if you are running a limited time promotion).
The new kid on the block is Draft2Digital. Pros include: No meatgrinder! It converts the Word file quickly and effectively, reports suggest it's pretty quick to make changes, I'm told their help desk is prompt and helpful. Cons include limited distribution (although they are working on it and they supply to the Big 4), and they are still small - concerns have been raised about how well they'll do if they are dealing with the kind of volume Smashwords does.
Both these sites take a commission of every sale. There is no upfront fee.
If you are confident you will sell high volumes, you may be better using a service such as the UK based ebookpartnership (who get a name check here because of they also get you on Waterstones - something you can do your self, check their website for details - and because being in the UK there's none of the ITIN malarky to deal with). They charge a yearly fee for distributing your book but don't take any commission.
For hard copy, there's POD printing. Pros: no upfront fee. Cons: POD printing means the end price is far higher. Createspace (who will also list the book for sale on Amazon), and Lulu are again the two big names.
Second option for hardcopy: find a local printer who can do you a short print run. You will need to pay for them (obviously), but if you have the nous to sell them, you'll probably do better that with POD because the price point will be lower. If you don't, you've spend money and you've got a lifetime supply of firelighters.
Then there are also Vanity Publishers: those you pay and who ALSO earn Royalties from sales of your book. They are not always a hideous choice (although I've seen far many terrible ones than decent ones). Essentially, they have done a good bit of the legwork for you already, and that's what you'd be paying for. They've already got editors and typesetters and the rest - but you'll be paying for them and you need to be confident they are good enough for you. Not all editors are equal. Offhand, Matador are UK-based but that's not a recommendation, that's a starting point for your research.
As I began by saying, it depends what you want, what you're able to do, and how much time you are willing to put into it. Self-publishing is a heck of a lot of work. It's not for everybody, but it's also been the making of many. It depends on who you are and what you're trying to do. Never forget: when you self-publish, you are running a business. It's not something to be done lightly.
If you need any more information about Publish America, try Absolute Write and Writer Beware. Absolute Write is also a good source of information about publishers and publishing services. If there isn't a thread already, join the board and ask questions - a daft username doesn't mean they aren't a publishing professional, and not everybody will talk about their experiences in public.
Good Luck.
From the research I have done creatspace seems to be a good bet.
Looks like you don't have to fork out any more than you want to, all depending in the level of design/artwork/editing you require.
The fact that you can go for Kindle format, especially with the kindle app for iPad now out, without having to do the paperback route must be a great bonus for some.
I would suggest Createspace.com(Paperback) or kdp.amazon.com(kindle)! I have self published 4 books and I have nothing to complain!