Dreaming Of Publication? Here’s Help…

By Yvonne DiVita - Aug 13 , 2007

Dreaming Of Publication? Here’s Help…

In the last month or so, I’ve met with and talked to probably a dozen budding new authors. Most of these talented individuals are writing business books, which is one focus at my publishing firm. Others are writing children’s books, poetry, and memoirs. There is one quality they each have that stands out in every conversation—they each consider publication of their work as “my dream.”

When opening a conversation with new writers, I commonly hear this declaration: “It’s my dream to get this book published.”

“I’ve dreamt of getting published for years,” is another comment I hear a lot.

“This seems like the best time for me to make my dream come true,” others often say.

There is a bright light shining in the eyes of these eager authors, a light I recognize because I had it in my eyes a few years ago. My light still shines bright, but it shines for others, these days, and not for me.

As we talk about their options for publication, some author get nervous. They know self-publishing is a good option, but they wonder if traditional publishing isn’t still a better choice. They ask a lot of questions about both options and, in the end, I answer all their questions to the best of my ability, and I feel confident they will make the right choice for their needs.

For those who choose self-publishing using POD (Print On Demand), here are a select number of publishers to look at (the following list is not a recommendation. I do not get anything from citing these publishers, either. But, in my work, I do have opportunity to review work done by other POD publishers, and I do a lot of reading to see what my competition is up to. So I routinely tell prospective authors to investigate other POD companies, and these are the ones I suggest. None is better than another, but all are worth exploring:

1. Lulu.com – Lulu is committed to helping all authors get in print. The company is affiliated with RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) and has professionals that can do the design and production work – editing, proofreading, cover design, page layout, but all that is à la carte. They will create a webpage for authors. But, do not mistake a webpage for marketing. Marketing is your job.
2. Booklocker.com – The folks at Booklocker say they offer the best price in the business. I don’t know how true this is, but I know they have been doing this for a long time. They are dependable. The reason I consider them a good option is because they truly seem to care about the author, and what the author wants. However, there is no personal attention. For writers who need hand-holding, this might not be the best choice. If your book is done, and you have a cover design already, Booklocker could be the answer you’re looking for.
3. iUniverse.com – I know a couple of writers that chose iUniverse. Their prices are in line with what other POD firms charge, and they offer some options for marketing your book. My only issue with them is that they are affiliated with Barnes and Noble, but if you publish with them, your book will still only be listed in the online store, not the physical bookstore. (It just seems to me that they should be able to create an option for this benefit, as a business affiliate and not just a publisher that sends books to B&N.)
4. Booksurge.com – This is a division of Amazon.com. They offer the typical on-demand packages and some à la carte options. A recent visit to their website shows they pay approximately 25% of retail price, in royalty payments. This is a bit below most other POD firms, with some paying as high as 35%. (Remember, traditional publishers pay 5-10%, and only after recouping the cost of the advance they paid.) With Booksurge, you have the advantage of a number of high-end options, due to the fact that the POD firm was bought by Amazon a few years ago. Of course, you will pay nicely for some of those extra benefits.

Others you might look into are Trafford and AuthorHouse. Trafford is out of Canada, which could present some issues. Somehow, it’s still not easy to ship books in and out of Canada. AuthorHouse was the POD firm I used. I have been open about my unpleasant experience with them, but they publish hundreds of books…so, they must have a lot of satisfied, or somewhat satisfied, clients. I was treated to the attention of at least four account managers when I was writing my book – and only the first one knew anything about me and my project. The others seemed pretty clueless.

The key to making a good choice about how to get published, and which publisher you want to publish your book, is in understanding about how much help you will need. If you are doing a second book, and all you need is a printer (POD is, after all, a printing function), any one of these choices could work. If you’re hoping to make money off your book, you’ll need to review the packages and the à la carte menus and be prepared to do a lot of your own marketing. If you are writing “book as business card” – to offer your book to new and existing clients – you will need to be very select, as this product will represent you for years to come, and may travel to places you aren’t aware of.

On the other hand, if you need a mentor or a coach or help actually finishing your book, none of these options will work for you. These companies still operate primarily as printers. And if you want your book noticed, I recommend you choose a POD publisher that specializes in your market. Rather than go with a company that publishes anyone and anything – much like a library or bookstore – choose a publisher that is devoted to your topic. They’ll be able to give you good advice on how to break into that market because they’ve already done so, themselves.

Dreaming of publication can sometimes cause good people to go bad. They can’t see beyond the stars in their eyes and, instead of choosing thoughtfully, they accept the first publishing firm they contact, and they end up with much less than they hoped for. Don’t let your dream turn into a nightmare — select your publisher with your eyes wide open, and your business sense tuned up.