Decisions On Publishing

By Grace G.

‘Writer’s don’t get rich, publishers do.’ (Unless you fell into the book lottery with a sign up bonus because you were in the right place at the right time.)

If your not one of the lucky few, you’re likely going to have to spend your own money to get your manuscript published. Thought I should get that out of the way upfront and then provide details on the least costly options.

You passed the first test: 'to write or not to write'.  You've become a writer.  And, now that your first manuscript is completed you are facing the question of publishing.   Now you must decide who you want to read your labor of love and how do you want it presented.  The difficult issues in attempting to get a novel published are the lessons that frustrate a writer who just wants to write:

1.    Do I need a book agent?  If the answer is 'yes', then the rest of the steps covered in this document will be part of the agents responsibilities and you can get back to writing if you have an agent.
2.    Do I need to find Editing Services?  What is the quality and what are the rates?
3.    What are the ‘first steps’ to take to become published?
4.    Finding a publishing house that will take your manuscript

If you don't have an agent, perhaps you began by sending your manuscript to the big, medium and small publishing houses.  At this moment it might all feel more like a nagging headache than fun.  At least you reached this milestone:  You’re now visualizing your first 'novel' in print.  If you're still simmering over the rejection notices as a reminder of reaching this goal, don't worry.  Most writers have either personal experience or know someone who has suffered the drama of sending their work to publishing houses.  It's important not to focus on the expanded folder of rejection slips as proof of what you see as a failure.

What is the first step to publishing?  (Specifically, self-publish?)

The first step to publishing is researching avenues and discovering the hundreds of possibilities in getting your work in print.  With your courage screwed back on from those rejections, you’re ready to start over again.  For those that are still stuck, here’s a hint about some players in the self publishing arena; Author House, Publish America, Lulu, iUniverse, New Leaf, Vantage Press, Blu Sky Media, BookSurge, Amazon.com, OutskirtsPress, CafePress; and hundreds of others with less familiar names.

The possibilities for finding a publisher are really ‘unlimited’.  The reason:  most authors who were rejected by the big firms eventually discovered the world of self publishing and started their own business.  Some of the posts in the blog repositories reveal a trend.  Now authors have options with self publishing houses to get their books printed.  In the trades, this is called ‘vanity’ books or whatever name is currently thrown around for the not yet famous writers.  How does this work and what can you expect?

Most self published authors report disappointments for the money spent with one of the growing established self publishing companies because of the ‘upfront’ money spent out of pocket.

It has been my personal experience that writers who want to become authors have some basic information that they need to ask when deciding to travel the road of self publishing:

1.  Packages from the self publishing companies can count you around $800 upfront; this includes $150 as a setup fee for your first book.  You must ask what the other costs include.
2.  Does editing the manuscript come with the fee charged? (Normally this is not the case and this can cost another $300-$4,000 depending on 'quality'.)
3.  What is the cost to print each book?  This should include the cost for the cover, back and spine plus the cost for each page in you work.
4.  What is the cost for shipping your book to buyers and do you pay this cost? 
5.  Do you get an ISBN number assigned to the work including the bar code? Some do not, but you can purchase your own ISBN numbers in a group of 10 for $375 or on the web for $55 per book title which may include an ISBN for electronic publishing.
6.  Does the upfront fee cover filing for copyright protection?  You can file with the Library of Congress for $45.
7.  How many ‘free’ to author books are included in the fee? This is the initial group of books you will use to advertise.
8.  What about the marketing of your book?  Have this clearly defined in your search.
9.  What does using the publishing firm do to the cost of your book when publishing; don’t stop at the sales pitch of ‘you decide how much you want your royalties to be” as this may price your book out of the market.  Items 2 and 3 work with this consideration.  For example, if you want to earn royalties of $4 per book, look at the total cost your book will sell for in the market place after your publisher applies their profit.  You will be very surprised how this drives up the overall price of each book.   It’s hard to sell a paperback novel for $23 and it’s next to impossible to sell a hardcover for $35, but this could be the outcome.  
10.  What is the discount you are expected to approve for your book to sell in book stores or online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble?  This is a very important consideration as most book companies will not sell your novel without a big discount to them for taking your book into their marketplace.  It is not unusual for you to be asked to discount your book by 50 to 60 percent in order to sell your book.  When you do not offer this type of discount, the price charged for your book will skyrocket or not sell at all.
11.  Does the fee you would pay to a publisher that will take on your 'self published novel' include distribution of your novel and if ‘yes’; which companies?  This fee initially is $50 and then $20 as your annual fee for placement in the digital catalog used by the distributors.  This cost might be hidden as part of your upfront setup fee.
12.  Does the upfront setup fee charged include advertisement and if ‘yes’ what does that ‘mean’?  How and what happens with this piece?  If this merely means notice is given to Amazon or Barnes and Noble that your book is for sale, this cost is already buried in the base cost for having your book setup in the digital library.  If it means interviews are set up for you, this is value added as this piece can cost you $2,000 for one week of radio ads or as much as $10,000 for a four hour radio interview 'tour' (you're actually not traveling but on the phone) or a one day 'media' blitz.  And remember, if you are told your book fees for setup include free advertising on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's web site, this simply means the day your book is made available to the digital library, it will appear for 24 hours on the web site for these two on line retailers and unless you go viral in sales, never again unless you pay the web stores for advertising your book.
13.  Does a cover for the book come with the price of entry?  Get samples too as you want quality artwork; otherwise, you can create your own cover just like you created your writing!
14.  Become informed about distribution.  It will serve you well.  Many times a book purchased through distribution channels has a 'return' policy and authors don't get paid when a book is returned.  I thought you should know that piece on the backside too! 

No matter which path you select, the one thing that you need to know more than any of the technical considerations is that you are the person that must market your product in the self publishing world.  This is going to take time and money; yours, and courage, yours.  A great agent will do most of this work for you, so work with them to assure your own success.  Really great agents are hard to find.   Either way, taking it on as your job or letting the agent do the work, publishing will take belief in self and a willingness to speak about the work publicly.  This much I am still learning so I know it’s true.  Take the time to research your options; you'll be glad you did.