Writers: Be Aware

With the help of today’s technology, publishing books has never been more affordable. New categories of printing and publishing companies emerge every day with services to prepare and format manuscripts for reproduction or electronic distribution.

Yet…the types of services and terminology can be very confusing—even to publishing professionals. New technologies have eliminated, combined, or added new steps to the publishing process. Inexperienced self-publishers may skip or ignore tasks that seem petty, but that could have a significant effect on the quality of the finished product. In addition, aggressive online marketers prey on unsuspecting self-publishers with sometimes unnecessary or over-priced services. All these factors combine to complicate and obscure the publishing process.

I talk to professionals every week who are trying to figure out what makes the most sense for their books. They express interest in my planning and coaching services, but are unsure about what other services they will need, how to find them, or who to trust.

The first thing I recommend to any aspiring self-publisher: educate yourself! I offer a FREE GUIDE that outlines all the steps that go into planning, writing, publishing and marketing your book. These are the steps that every book goes through, whether you get published by a traditional publisher, you elect to get help through assisted self-publishing services, or you DIY.

When it comes to learning, there are no rookie questions...It's all about investigating services and choosing the ones that match your budget, your own way of learning, and getting stuff done.

There are many service providers who are helping self-publishers prepare their manuscripts and final files for printing (and e-books). And many of them have several service levels to help authors at various stages. Most of these "one-stop shops" are adequate for producing books. But they tend to use basic templates for designing, which are a bit bland - you don't get lots of selection for fonts, layouts, chapter openings or any other bells and whistles.

If you are considering a one-stop-shop for your book production, research some of their books. Take a look at their layout templates and array of cover designs. Check out their services and prices, as well as FAQ to learn more. Service providers should be transparent and have an email contact as well as a published phone number available for prospective clients.

I'm a bit skeptical of editing services on these one-stop-shops. They don't charge enough to give me the confidence that their developmental editors are seasoned, experienced pros. A serious developmental editor charges around .03-.05 per word and will cost between ($2000-2500 for 160-200 pages, an average business book).

Make sure you know what these editors do. Learn the differences between a developmental editor, a copyeditor, and a proofreader. Learn how their work contributes and adds to your manuscript, and how to work with them. (Read more about developing your manuscript here.)

My belief is that every author should select their own editor for their specific genre...Working one-on-one with a professional developmental editor is very personal, hard work over many weeks - sometimes longer. Personal chemistry and matching to your genre are vital to the success of your book. The right editor can bring immense value to your project.

The many listings for pre-press services can be confusing. Many are barely adequate "churn and burn" shops. Some have very little education or help for authors inside. Many of the add-ons that they offer are minor tasks that any self-publisher can do themselves...or can do without. Ditto, most of the marketing services. Better to customize your own program. That's why I got into coaching - to coach authors through these distinctions and decisions.

Printing companies previously referred to as vanity and subsidy presses, are sharing boundaries with today’s new print-on-demand companies. Generally speaking, vanity presses make money from fees authors pay to print their work, and not so much from selling those books. Subsidy presses also take money from authors and contribute adjunct services, although sometimes only minimally. They usually retain publishing rights like commercial publishers and pay author royalties. And along with vanity and subsidy presses, print-on-demand companies offer ala carte services for novice and experienced publishers alike.

It’s not so important what these service providers are called, as what they do, how they do it, and what benefits they offer to self-publishers. The most important considerations for self-publishers working with any printing or publishing contractor are:

• Securing fair contracts
• Retaining rights
• Acceptable print quality
• Standard royalties
• File ownership
• ISBN ownership
• Distribution and marketing
• Total costs 

Use these points to measure the amount of control you want to have over the process of publishing. You definitely want to retain all rights to your materials, so you can opt to publish with others, and you also want to keep ownership of all digital files when possible.

Print-on-demand companies are in competition with one another and offer ongoing specials. The sales and distribution services of each service provider will vary widely. In some cases, you may want to take advantage of these opportunities, but be careful that you don’t get locked into exclusivity with one marketing channel. 

As a coach, the value I bring is in working one-on-one with writers to make a solid Book Plan. The Plan keeps you on target according to your goals and objectives. The Plan keeps you moving forward with confidence. My on-going coaching program assures that you have help when you need it — and you get my personal recommendations to leverage the most bang for your buck.

Plan for Success!

Lindsay

P.S. If you’re not sure if your book is a good idea, or you don’t have a clear plan, schedule a FREE DISCOVERY CALL with me to see how I can help.