Why Internet Publishing is Better (for authors)

More reasons why internet publishing is better (for authors)

If you ask most busy authors, they will agree on one thing.

They want to get published. They want a publisher.

Trouble is, in our modern world, it depends what you mean by 'a publisher'.

For more than two hundred years, we in the West have got used to the idea of a picture in our heads of some person - usually a man - who will be sitting at a desk in an office, usually somewhere in a big city, poring over manuscripts submitted to him by aspiring authors. Then, through a process of selection and ranking, 'the best' will be selected for publication. 'The publisher' will get the book to the public and the author will get rich.

Trouble is, it doesn't happen.

Usually.

One, the publisher doesn't select 'the best'.

To do that, he would have to read all the submissions.

No publisher has the time - or the inclination - to plough through a pile of manuscripts, many of which, let's face it, may be pretty dire, or even unreadable.

So, if he has any money or history in the trade, the publisher will hire a bevy of young people, many straight from University, to take the uncongenial task of scrutinising submissions. Great, except that they still won't be able to choose the best either. Most of these youngsters will have a great track record in reading books, but those will usually have been ancient manuscripts, Victorian novels or Shakespeare plays. While they were busy studying literature at University, they won't have had much time to read popular fiction. Faced by a mountain of modern murder mysteries and chick lit romance, they won't have any standards to work by. They might assess your submission in terms of George Elliot, Joseph Conrad or - even - Martin Amis, but they will have no idea what people these days really enjoy reading.

The chances of your hot new novel getting through this roadblock are minimal.

So, second piece of bad news for authors, even though the publisher has set up (and pays for) this busy office, he tends not to rely on this questionable process of getting manuscripts from authors at all. Instead, he relies on his friends.

In the first place, this means agents.

Now, many big literary agencies get swamped with submissions too, so they use the same system as the one outlined above, the inexperienced recruits from academia. But agents are canny. They need to make money, so they also rely on another avenue.

Their friends.

Authors they already work with will tell them about people they've met at conventions. Other agents will tell them about people they don't have the time to take on. People who work in the agency will have cousins and old pals from college who have written novels.

That's easily a big enough pool to find new books from.

Then all the agent has to do is ring his pal at the publishers. The publisher is happy because he has someone telling him that the selection process has been done (elsewhere) and a great new book was selected. The publisher tends to say yes.

Bingo, a new author.

If you're a hopeful new writer, the question then has to be - you know anyone in the business?

It's a lot safer bet than posting your new baby off to an address you got out of the 'Guide to Literary Agents', or whatever.

And, after all, that's how most successfully published authors did it.

(I said 'most'.

You won't get that impression from the media, or publishers' web sites, or magazines about publishing.

Instead, they emphasise the (occasional) lucky author who go picked off 'the slush pile', without mentioning how rare this is.

It is, though.

Very rare.)

Third, nobody, but nobody, will agree on what is 'good'.

Every author who has every tried to sell a book will be able to tell you stories about the one publisher who said a book was 'too long' and the next publisher who said it was 'too short'.

About the one agent who said the manuscript 'didn't have enough description' and the next one who said it was 'too flowery, overflowing with adjectives'.

Some advisors will try and tell you this a good thing. They will say that faced with such diversity, any author has a good chance of finding a firm, somewhere or other, to take them on.

You'd think so, wouldn't you?

No, think about it. If you went to a garage and the man said your car was suffering from a blown gasket, and you weren't sure about that, so you took it to the next motor engineer and he told you that the motor had a problem with the tappets, which would you fix?

Which would cure the problem?

Which would get the car back on the road?

It's like that with publishers. You could take the advice about 'too many adjectives' and strip them out of your manuscript, but the agent you're currently dealing with might still turn it down.

The next one you send it to might like florid descriptions. So, do you put the damn things back?

What if that second person didn't like your dialogue? Would you spend as much time at changing that?

Still, there's no guarantee. If the guy still turns it down, you've now got a manuscript with stripped down dialogue but overflowing language.

Which combination is the next one going to want?

Which one is going to get you published?

There is an alternative.

You go to http://www.Lulu.com/ and load your manuscript onto their computer.

No charge.

People will be able to download a copy to read on their own computers at home or they can ask for - and pay for - a print-out of the thing that looks and feels like a real book.

It is a real book.

You can carry on hawking your wares around publishers and agents if you choose, but meanwhile there's a definitive version - the one you like, without tinkering and other people's amendments - available to readers, direct from the internet, (and you can pay to have the thing put into the Amazon list, so people can order it through an on-line bookshop, just like it was a real book).

It is a real book.

Meanwhile, as an aspiring author, you can carry on your struggle - like we all do.

You can continue writing to publishers, who won't have heard of you.

You can try getting an agent, who will all have different ideas of what they want.

At the same time, you're a published author.

You know that for a fact because your friends and neighbours, your lover and your dear old Aunt Ada, will all have copies of your new novel, bought from Lulu.

You yourself ordered a few copies and persuaded your local bookshop to stock it, so you're on their shelves too.

You're being interviewed on local radio and picked up by your local newspaper.

You're beginning to get the recognition you deserve.

Of course, you're still getting rejection slips from publishers, just like we all do, and you'll be accumulating those comments we all get, like 'You'll never get anywhere' and 'Your books are not up to publishable standard'.

Those friends, relatives and well-wishers who bought your book won't have heard those comments of course, and won't know how bad you are. They will be saying to you how much they enjoyed your work and how they didn't know there was so much talent in the neighbourhood.

It will be gratifying.

After a while, you might start wondering why you bother soliciting so much abuse from the 'official' publishing profession. You might even learn to kick the habit.

Because, after all, internet publishing is the way of the future.

Back in the 18th century some printers spotted that these new-fangled 'novel' things were selling well and making money. They decided to commission their own. Then some guys saw what they were doing and wondered if they themselves could go out and find new books, arrange the printing and even distribution to bookshops. They would mean they would make a profit for themselves, without any of that tedious creative work.

They called themselves publishers.

For two hundred years they've dominated the world of books and dictated to the public what they can and can't read.

A new generation of authors are soon going to appreciate that they don't need these dinosaurs.

They can publish their own books and make them available on the internet.

They will be writers but they'll also be publishers.

Publishers of their own work, of course.

Which means that all they then have to do is resist the temptation to take on other authors who might be technophobes and aren't willing to learn the simple, straightforward process that Lulu provides. If they do that and sink to that level, they'll find themselves with the same bad old problems - a mountain of manuscripts they don't have time to read; a sliding view of what is 'good' and 'bad'; a need to make money and establish a reputation in the industry at the expense of authors........

If they can resist that temptation and stay authors first and publishers second, we will see a whole new way of doing things.

It will be a better world, for authors.

Authors will finally come to their senses and realise that hocking their future to people who merely arrange printing and distribution is not a good bargain.

They do that, and have done that for two hundred years, because they are under an illusion.

Authors tend to think that 'all they need' is to get a publisher.

They think that once they sign that contract their worries are over.

They will have money in the bank and their novels in the bookshops.

They get confused when it happens and they suddenly find that printing and distribution is all that's been done. There isn't any publicity budget, (usually), so they have to do that themselves.

(Just as if they were an internet author.)

And if the next book they write doesn't sell well, they will be dropped, almost as fast as they were signed up.

Then they become an author with a past, someone who has been published, but not been successful.

It's very hard to recover from that and get a new contract.

The answer? The internet.

Write the book you want. See it up on the screen. Download it or see it printed out and delivered to your customers.

All under your control.

It's the way of the future.

Best for authors.

Mike Scantlebury is an internet author. He lives in Manchester, England - famous for a football team and a moody singer called Morrisey. Mike mainly writes murder mysteries in his spare time. You can find them on Lulu.com/ He also has several web sites, many under his own name. Try http://www.mikescantlebury.biz/

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Four Ways For Authors to Publish Their Books

You've sweated over your manuscript, you're finished with your re-writes, and it's time to leave the dark of the writer's solitude for the bright wide open world of readers just waiting for your book. But how will you get your book into print? How will you publish?

Not so long ago, "getting published" meant one thing and one thing only. You would somehow find a way to get a contract from a publishing house-probably located in New York City-and then wait for them to create a book from your manuscript.

This was never an easy task and, with the consolidation in the book publishing industry, continues to become more difficult with each passing year.

But now there are more options than ever. Before you take the first step down the road to publication, perhaps you should look at the map, and see exactly where that road divides, and where the path you've decided to follow will lead you. To help you choose your path, here are the four basic (very simplified, to be sure) options you have to get "published."

1. Traditional Publishing

Most books produced by traditional publishing houses are brought to them by literary agents, and many acquisition editors prefer to deal with agents on all acquisition matters. For the prospective author, then, the chief task becomes acquiring an agent who understands the book, has had experience with the market for which the book is intended, maintains contacts with the relevant editors who publish for that market, who has integrity when dealing with authors, and who will arrange a sale to a publisher that benefits the author.

Unfortunately, there are far fewer agents than there are publishing houses, or acquisitions editors. This means that it can be an arduous task to find an agent to represent you and your book. By far the best way to meet an agent who might be a good fit for you is to be referred by one of their successful authors. This is not as rare as you might think, and if you have good contacts within your field, it pays to pursue this avenue.

Traditional publishers will offer a contract and perhaps an advance against the eventual royalties your book will earn. Depending on how the contract is worded-and many are different in these regards-you will receive somewhere between 8% and 12% of either the retail price or the wholesale price.

You will have to give up the reproduction rights to the book, and you may be required to release the electronic, first subsidiary, foreign translation, and other rights to the publisher. You may or may not have any control over the development of the manuscript and the final look of the finished book. The publisher will decide how to market the book, and will rely on you, your contacts, and your own marketing efforts as an intrinsic part of the marketing plan for your book.

They will attempt to distribute the book as widely as feasible, and may be able to place your book-if appropriate-into thousands of bookstores around the country, and create public relations opportunities with major media. The publisher will decide when your book no longer warrants any efforts to market it, and may put it out of print within one to two years of initial publication, depending on the sales your book has achieved.

Recommendation: If you believe your book can be a large-scale blockbuster, that Hollywood directors will line up to option your book, or you have already been on Oprah, this is the path for you.

2. Cooperative Publishing

Although not as well known as other avenues to getting into print, the cooperative publishing model has a lot to recommend it for the right book. Although many publishers who produce books cooperatively don't advertise that fact, it is advantageous for the right book and the right publisher.

In this model, a publisher who is already issuing books in your market, and who knows how to sell to that market, may offer you a contract different from the normal publishing contract. They will be interested in books that complement their existing line, and will have pretty high standards in both content and writing style for the kinds of books they will consider.

You will be asked to pay a publication fee, to cover some of the publisher's upfront expenses and, when the books are printed, you will be asked to pay the printer's invoice. In exchange for this investment-and these fees and printing costs can typically run to $5,000 or more-the publisher will take over all the functions that a traditional publisher provides.

In addition, rather than receive a royalty, you become the equity partner with the publisher in the profits generated by your book. So instead of 8% or 10% of the retail price, you will earn, for example, 50% of the profit. This arrangement removes the financial risk for the publisher, since all costs are substantially covered by the author, and it gives you the cachet and the editorial, production, and marketing capacities of the publishing house.

As an author you will still be responsible for helping to market your book but, with your equity participation, this is much more like a business venture for you and can justify your spending more time and expense to sell your book.

Recommendation: If you are a non-fiction author in a specific niche, and you can identify smaller publishers who aggressively service your field, you may find a great fit with one of those publishers, allowing you to concentrate on writing and selling your book, leaving everything else up to your publishing partner.

3. Subsidized or "Vanity" Publishing

In this publishing model, you pay to have your book published. Although you might pay a fee to a Cooperative Publisher, you and the publisher become partners in the success of the book. With subsidized publishing, you pay for a service only, since the company you will deal with has no need to actually sell any books. Their profits are derived only from authors, and this is why they have traditionally been known as "vanity" publishers.

You will contract with a company that may appear to be a traditional publisher, or with one of the ever-sprouting "Self-Publishing" websites. These companies follow two basic models; either you will pay a fee for the design, typesetting and production of your book, or you will pay a high price for any copies of the book you purchase.

In addition, you will be offered numerous "packages" of services including manuscript editing, marketing, premium interior or cover design, press release mailings, listings in industry directories, illustration, and so on. Each extra service will accrue an additional fee, and these fees can quickly add up to thousands of dollars.

When your book is printed, you will receive somewhere between 1 and 25 copies of the book, although the publisher may claim to print more that they are "holding" against future demand.

Most of the website-centered publishing services companies that offer these services also claim to distribute your book with the aim of furnishing copies to eventual buyers through "print on demand" technology. However, this distribution usually amounts to a listing in a database and nothing more (unless, of course, you purchase an additional "package").

Since these companies derive all their profit from authors, there are no barriers to "acceptance." The actual work of these companies is much easier to understand if you think of them more as manufacturers than publishers, and yourself more as a customer than as an author.

Books produced through this option may be well written, or they may be trash. It makes no difference to the "publisher" since they are actually just manufacturing products, not publishing per se.

Recommendation: If you would like to print up copies of a cookbook for gifts or fund-raising, or print a book solely for distribution within your company and you have the staff to do it well, this can be a viable option. As with all manufacturing, ignore the hype and compare on price.

4. Self-Publishing

Simply put, this path to publication is when the author decides to also become the publisher of his book.

As such, the author will form a publishing company of his own. He will obtain his own ISBN range, so book databases will recognize his company as the publisher of the book. The author now becomes responsible for all the functions usually provided by the publisher.

The author will need to provide-or contract for-editorial, interior and cover design, proofreading, illustration, indexing, proofing and manufacturing, warehousing if books are produced by offset printing, order fulfillment and shipping, accounting, marketing, publicity and sales. The author has gone from a lone worker in front of a screen, to a replacement for a multi-function, complex business designed to acquire, create, produce, and sell a product.

To address this daunting challenge the self-published author will need to educate herself about all the areas mentioned above, and will need to become familiar with the practices of the publishing industry and the bookselling trade. She will need to learn where to place her advertising dollars, how best to launch a new book into the headwind of the nonstop news cycle, and every other function that bears on the publishing of her book.

The self-publisher who is serious about making the transition to profitability will usually use free-lance contractors to accomplish these myriad goals. She will hire a professional editor, a book designer, and a public relations or marketing professional. She will contract for the proofing and printing of her book, and will run her own book review campaign and author tour. She will recreate the infrastructure of a publishing company, but devote it all to one book.

Recommendation: For niche non-fiction authors, authors with a strong existing "platform" from which to sell books directly to buyers, and for those who are energized by the prospect of marketing themselves and their ideas 24/7, self-publishing can be a rewarding path.

So, Who Are You?

I think it should be obvious by now that these paths diverge widely, although each will lead to "publication" of a kind. What's really critical here is your own self-examination. Why did you write your book? Who did you hope would read it? How central to your life is this book likely to be? What would you define as success with your book?

It's only by answering these questions, either alone or in consultation with a book publishing professional, that you can come to a rational decision about which path is right for you.

To learn more about self-publishing, book and cover design, and the intricacies of the publishing process, please visit Joel Friedlander's blog at http://www.theBookDesigner.com for new articles five days a week. An experienced publisher, book designer and self-published author, Joel guides authors new to the publishing process with care and integrity.

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Self-Publishing - Avoid the 5 Biggest Mistakes Authors Make When Self-Publishing

Self-publishing a book is growing more and more common these days. 

It may in fact be the only way new authors can get published.

There are lots of reasons for that. Commercial publishers are pulling back on the number of books they are publishing. They are less willing to take risks on new authors. In fact, increasingly they are looking to successful self-published authors rather than first-time authors who approach them.

Technology also makes it more attractive to self-publish. No longer do authors have to order thousands of books upfront, just to be published. (Requiring a huge minimum order is a red flag that you're dealing with the kind of company you want to avoid.) 

"Print on demand" technology means the book does not need to be printed until it's actually sold. An author's upfront costs need not be astonomical, nor do authors need to be stuck with a garage full of books they may or may not sell. (Publishers themselves are using POD technology for the same reasons.)

Given these realities, self-publishing can make a lot of sense, especially for first-time authors.

However, self-publishing is full of potential traps.

If you've ever done a search on Google for 'self-publishing companies," it gets even more confusing. The top search results are from self-publishers themselves, who of course will attempt to woo would-be authors with glowing promises. Many make it sound as if they offer the services similar to traditional publishers, when nothing is further from the truth.

Into this mix comes a welcome book by Mark Levine, The Fine Print of Self-Publishing: The Contracts & Services of 45 Self-Publishing Companies--Analyzed, Ranked and Exposed.

Now about to be released in its Third Edition, the book does authors a great service in ranking some of the most popular self-publishing companies, exhaustively going into the finer points of each company's contracts and ranking them in terms of how author-friendly their terms really are.

In a recent interview with Mark, we discussed the five biggest mistakes authors make when looking into a self-publishing company.

Mistake #1: Not knowing who the book is really for. As a book publishing consultant, I can't tell you how many times people say, "My book is for everyone." It may be, but "everyone" is simply too big a category.

Think about your own book-buying habits. What persuades you to buy a book? Aside from the number 1 persuader--a recommendation from a trusted source--don't you go by which author appears to solve the particular problem you have? If you had a self-help book you wanted to publish, would you be more likely to buy a book called "How to Successfully Publish Your Book" or "How to Successfully Publish Your Self-Help Book"? You might argue that the first title would appeal to every author who wants to self-publish a book, but in fact, a more targeted title and book will outsell the more generally targeted book.

Whether you self-publish or go with a traditional publisher, knowing your audience is key. A commercial publisher won't even consider you if you don't have a clear, demonstrated audience for your book. However, when you self-publish, you are free to write an unmarketable book. Nobody will stop you. You'll just be stuck with a garage full of unsalable books.

Mistake #2: Unrealistic expectations as to how many books you really can sell. Yes, all authors want to be the next big blockbuster phenomenon, but unrealistic expectations could make you vulnerable to spending too much money, especially in cases when you pay less per book if you order large quantities. So what if you pay $5.60 per book for 1000 books instead of $7.80 for 500? You're still out $5600 instead of $3900, and now you have to figure out how to store and sell 500 extra books.

Mark Levine says of his own expectations, "I'm happy if I can go out to dinner at a really nice restaurant once a month on the royalties for my book." A book can be a lot of things: a means of commanding higher speaking or consulting fees, an introduction to your knowledge that you can sell in other, more profitable ways. But in itself, a book is not the most profitable way to earn income.

Which leads to ...

Mistake #3: Not expecting to invest in marketing (time or money). In researching for this article, I was surprised at the number of people who warned against self-publishing because "they will not market your book." As if traditional publishers do. Yes, good ones usually do some kind of launch, but they concentrate their limited marketing dollars on authors they know will sell. Any author needs to accept full responsibility for promoting his or her book.

Traditional publishers now demand it. They won't even consider authors who are not interested in marketing their own book. Self-publishers don't demand it, of course. Some will offer marketing packages, but be very careful and very clear about what you will actually get for your investment. But do expect to invest something--if not money, then "sweat equity" in terms of getting the word out.

Mistake #4:  Not getting your book professionally edited and designed. Personally, the biggest giveaway to me that a book is self-published is the interior design. Amateurish artwork, sloppy layout (especially in terms of narrow margins), and unproofed copy will kill sales. A retailer (bookstore pro) can usually spot such a book and will reject it.  A potential reader may not be able to put a finger on exactly why a book doesn't appeal, but an unprofessional-looking book will be passed over.

You simply cannot skimp here. Get professional editors (a content editor and a copy editor--they are two separate things) to edit you. And a professional book designer to design the exterior and interior of your book. Make sure these people work with books, not other products.

Mistake #5: Getting published by the wrong publisher. There are good publishing companies with fair terms--and quite the opposite. The biggest way publishers gouge authors is in the printing markup, Mark Levine says. "Anything more than 15 percent markup on printing is simply not acceptable, unless you know what it is for and don't mind paying more than you should.'

To find a good publishing company, do your homework well. Don't be afraid to ask the publisher tough questions (this is how Mark Levine researched his book). Ask other authors their experiences, but be aware that they themselves may not have known there's a better way than what they chose.  Self-publishing can be a wonderful way to get your message into the world--or a sinkhole of time and money with disappointing results. With eyes wide open and the right knowledge, you can make your dream of becoming a published author come true.

To ask your own question about self-publishing, and hear his answers (either live or recorded, depending on when you access this), visit http://www.askaboutselfpublishing.com

For insider information on publishing, visit http://www.wordstoprofit.com and sign up to be notified of teleseminars, new articles and other resources for writing, publishing, and promoting a book or other information product profitably

--From Diane Eble, "Your Book Publishing Coach"

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New Author's Publishing Options

All your publishing options are as follows:

--Conventional publishing

--Vanity or subsidy publishing

--Print-on-demand publishing

--Self-publish yourself

--Get help with self-publishing

Let's compare the publishing options.

How to get in the publishing process and how long will it take to see your book printed?

Conventional publishing option

It is a very long and difficult process to get a publisher even if it is at all possible for a new author. First you need to get a literary agent who is willing to introduce / represent your manuscript to a publisher. The rejection rate is about 95% at each stage... It can take many months or even years to find an agent and then a publisher... If and when your manuscript is accepted by a conventional publisher, it usually takes up to two years to see your book in print.

Subsidy or vanity publishing option

It is extremely easy and fast to get a subsidy publisher. They will even solicit your manuscript through advertising or direct mail. They accept without question any and all manuscripts for publishing and print your book in a matter of months.

Print-on-demand publishing option

This is actually the same type as a subsidy publisher - soliciting your business, accepting anything and being ready to print your book in no time. The only difference is that they print one book at a time which costs you less up-front, but not in the long run.

Self-publish yourself

Starting your own publishing company is involved, not only in business terms but also in learning the art and science of publishing. After that you can move pretty fast - you manage the whole process yourself, interviewing and hiring all the expertise needed, such as book designers, printers, promoters, etc. And it's not cheap.

Get help with self-publishing

If you don't have time, money and/or inclination for running a publishing business, but still want to self-publish your book, you can find help in an advisory / promotional service for self-publishers that will lead you through the process. You still self-publish, but save time, money and effort.

How much will it cost you to publish your book?

Conventional publishing option

This doesn't cost you anything, the publisher will pay all book production expenses. By saying this we aren't considering the ultimate costs of losing most of your legal rights to your work, or for that matter your time spent on seeking representation, mailing copies of your manuscript to numerous agents, or the reading / copying fees that agents frequently charge new authors.

Subsidy or vanity publishing option

You will pay everything up-front, that's the way subsidy publishers make their money - from authors, not from selling books to the public. Most often it will be $10,000 to $20,000, sometimes more depending on the size of your book. You get about 200 copies of your book for that price and a promise of royalties if any book selling from the publisher happens in the future. Each book costs you about $50 to $100 up to this point, very likely precluding any profitability at all in the venture.

Print-on-demand publishing option

Same thing - they make their money from you, the author, selling you your own books one at a time, printing-on-demand. The difference is that it costs less up-front, sometimes even nothing depending on company policies. Don't expect them to be selling to public on your behalf either - they only sell to you. Each book will usually cost you about $10 to $20 which often makes it impossible to sell your books through retailers as you can't compete with other books' prices.

Self-publish yourself

We won't consider here the costs of starting a business and educating yourself on publishing through courses, books, seminars, etc.; these differ a lot for various people in different situations. However, after all that is accomplished, you can have 500 to 1,000 copies of your book printed for about $3 to $5 per book which makes it competitive in price with books of any big publisher. We are speaking here about an average retail paperback book cost.

Get help with self-publishing

The book price will be more or less same as above - you pay for services, but save on running a business.

How do you market / promote / sell your books?

Conventional publishing option

The publisher will take care that your book is delivered to distributors / wholesalers / retailers and that's probably it. The publishers don't spend money on promoting books of new authors as a rule. Since consumers don't know about your book, they don't buy it. The retail shelf space is scarce and expensive, your book will go off the shelves in several months and that's the commonly end of the story... You can change this into a success story of your book if you do the promotion yourself, however.

Subsidy or vanity publishing option

As already said, the publisher had made their money up-front. There may be a clause in your contract saying that the publisher will mail some number of your books to reviewers for publicity, but as Dan Poynter says: "The name of a vanity publisher on a spine of the book is a kiss of death" - your book will never be reviewed. That's because reviewers review books that will be in book trade distribution channels where subsidy presses never get.

Print-on-demand publishing option

Same thing - the publisher (really hardly more than a printer) won't do anything to market / promote / sell your book; it's all up to you to create a demand for your book. The print-on-demand publishing seems inexpensive at the first sight, but don't forget that it's only at the beginning of the process - you still need to do marketing and promotion yourself or hire help for this. And one more important thing in print-on-demand publishing - watch the list price of your future book and at the same time what you pay per book. If your book is more expensive than other books "from the same shelf", consumers will never buy your book. And keep in mind that if you want to sell retail, you must be able to give distributors / wholesalers / retailers their 40% to 60% share of the list price. Otherwise you can only sell to consumers directly.

Self-publish yourself

You are in the driver's seat and do everything yourself.

Get help with self-publishing

Hire help to do marketing and promotion for you.

Who keeps the rights for your work?

Conventional publisher always keeps all the rights. You don't have any influence on editing, changing the title, illustrations, cover art, publishing, marketing, etc. And you never get your rights back after you signed a contract.

Subsidy or vanity publisher and Print-on-demand publisher sometimes assigns right to themselves, sometimes only temporary, sometimes to you; the latter of course is much better. Watch the contract and negotiate if you are set on this course.

Self-publish yourself and Get help with self-publishing: keep all your rights. You are free to publish, re-publish, sell your rights in the future to TV and movie producers, etc.

Olga Kellen
AuthorsOmniscient Publishers
Advisory/promotional service for self-publishers
http://www.authors-sell-book.com/
A destination for independent authors
And those that love to read them

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