Spontaneous Musings

So done a little bit of research and have discovered the following self-publishing platforms:

1.

Create Space - which is an amazon platform. If you want the basic publishing package - line editing, cover design, ISBN, LOCN, distribution is approximately $1869. One of my cousin's currently uses this platform.

Another review can be found here and it's more recent: http://online-book-publishing-review.toptenreviews.com/createspace-review.html

Pros:
CreateSpace has all of the paid services you need from editing to marketing to get your book published with style, but there is no pressure to pay for services you don’t need.

Cons
Since it is eBook based, this service doesn’t provide you with free customer copies of your book.
The Verdict
: 9.15/10

CreateSpace provides flexible services so you can publish and market your book the way you envision it

On the pro side - they do have a lot of marketing services they offer, and profile new self-published books on their sites. On the con - distribution channels are a wee bit limited to Amazon, you can distribute elsewhere - but you have to charge more (Amazon likes to price fix as everyone already knows). Also, this bit gave me pause:

The below quotes are from the 2011 review:

RETURN OF DIGITAL COVER AND INTERIOR FILES: You might assume that this is a nonissue because, in the CreateSpace model, you provide all of the files and the book prints exactly as submitted. However, the CreateSpace agreement says that while the author owns all the rights to his content, the publisher owns all of the files created using its proprietary templates, including “source files, future-proof archive files, and packaging materials.”

When I asked the CreateSpace help desk if I would own the source files created using CreateSpace templates, I was told, “We own the sources [sic] files we create for our printer.”

If you want to sell your book outside of CreateSpace.com and Amazon.com, in addition to creating all new files, you’ll need to purchase your own ISBN. CreateSpace owns the ISBN it offers with printing, and its contract states that you can only sell books imprinted with its ISBN on Amazon.com affiliated sites.

So, maybe not.

On the other hand:

Like competitor Lulu, CreateSpace offer access to a thriving online community of CreateSpace authors well worth browsing if any author is seriously considering using this service. CreateSpace offers an abundance of other services from design and layout to editing, but again, CreateSpace’s strength lies in being a provider of DIY self-publishing services for authors who can provide print ready files and I would like to think that they will not go the way of Lulu and start to place more of an emphasis on some of the expensive packages listed above.
CreateSpace is now at the forefront of DIY self-publishing and the introduction of the Pro-Plan at $39 makes it a difficult choice to ignore. Short of working with Ingram’s Lightning Source (a more complex undertaking for the DIY self-publisher), CS beats Lulu hands down on front end pricing, and lacks some of the frustrations authors experience with Smashwords.

CS is still not for the faint-hearted, but with a well-edited and complete print file, you really won’t find a better DIY service. I’d take a lot of the added packages, bells and whistles, with a pinch of salt. Go to a freelance designer or marketer if you want those services.

http://www.theindependentpublishingmagazine.com/2013/01/createspace-reviewed-update-jan-2013.html


2.

1stBooks or AuthorHouse - this is the one that my Dad uses and it has some of the same draw backs as Create Space, but is slightly pricy, and has gotten mixed reviews. Dad, it should be noted, has had no problems with it - but he hires his own proofer.

It also has this clause:

RETURN OF DIGITAL COVER AND INTERIOR FILES: The AuthorHouse contract states: “You acknowledge that you may not utilize the formatted Work, International Standard Book Number (ISBN), and cover with any other publisher.” When asked whether a departing author could pay a fee for the files, the AuthorHouse representative said, “We will not be able to release any sort of master file of the book to you.”

If an author leaves to seek a more affordable and profitable self-publishing alternative, then the author will have to pay to have everything recreated, even though he or she has already paid AuthorHouse to create these files.

So this may well be typical. Wonder if Lulu has the same policies?

But...

The printing markups and royalties aren’t pretty. The contract isn’t either. Sections 1.4 and 1.5 make it clear that the author will not receive the production files (book cover, layout, etc.) from the publisher upon termination: “We will have no obligation to provide to you any submitted materials or production files at anytime [sic] or for any reason.” Further, “You acknowledge that you may not utilize the formatted Work, International Standard Book Number (ISBN), and cover with any other publisher.” Section 1.5 also gives the publisher the final say in your work’s appearance, price, style, and formatting.

Section 1.6 gives AuthorHouse 180 days from the date on which it receives your work to have your work published. This does not include copyediting or the time that the work is in your hands for any reason.

Section 1.8 makes it clear that AuthorHouse provides no promotional assistance unless the author purchases those additional services.

Section 5.6 is particularly troubling. AuthorHouse will not allow the author to transfer ownership interest or royalty rights to someone else without the express, written permission of AuthorHouse, which can be withheld at its “sole discretion for any reason.” My guess is that this clause exists to prevent disgruntled authors from transferring their rights to a third party and is held like a club over the disgruntled author’s head.

I'm thinking Create Space is actually better. And the review:

AUTHOR-FRIENDLY RATING: If after reading this book you are still considering AuthorHouse, then good luck. While the publishing fees are not unreasonable, the printing markups and low royalties are egregious. Further, any disagreement with AuthorHouse is a lost cause. The publisher’s contract makes it difficult to complain and see results. In fact, nothing about the AuthorHouse contract favors the author, with the exception of being able to terminate the contract quickly.

If you don’t mind paying a 139 percent markup on printing and receiving puny royalties, then AuthorHouse is probably okay for you.

But my Dad has successfully self-published almost 10 mystery novels through Author House, again without any problems or complaints - as have some of his friends. So...who knows? He also doesn't mind doing things over the phone not by email.

3.

Then there is Kindle Direct

Publishing through KDP will give authors a huge market reach for their e-books, but if you want the potential to reach all readers using an e-book, you will need to publish your e-book in e-Pub format (outside of Amazon’s walled garden) with another e-publishing platform as well.

Hmmm....

Publishing on Amazon’s KDP does not require an author to have an ISBN. Amazon allocates a unique number to every published book regardless, known as an ASIN. You can use an ISBN of your own, but note: KDP does not supply ISBNs and is not an affiliated agent. You have the option to specify the imprint name you registered with Bowker/Nielsen when you bought your block of ISBNs. Remember; even though you publish through KDP, you are still required to register publication details and copyright details with the relevant bodies in your country. KDP is a DIY self-publishing and distribution platform, and Amazon, its owner, is fundamentally an online retailer; you still remain the author-publisher and are responsible for all the legal and registry red-tape that goes with that.

So you handle the copyright registration..nifty. Not sure about this.

You can unpublish your book at any time on KDP, and you can change the internal file or cover, or other submitted details, pricing etc. Updates can take 24 to 48 hours to take effect online. Your dashboard will also allow you to alter set retail pricing depending on how many territories your book is available in.
You can choose to enroll in Kindle Select. This pricing and promotional program will let you set your e-book below $2.99 for a period of 90 days. During these 90 days, you will have 5 free promotional days to give your e-book out for free if you choose. Once the 90 days are up, your book will revert to its standard market price. The 90 day period is renewable (including the 5 day free period) but your book must be exclusively sold on Amazon Kindle and on no other online retailer.

Not bad...I can see doing this for a book of essays or something I don't want to charge anything for or want any aid with. Very DIY.

4.

Dog Ear Publishing which claims it's cheaper and better than Lulu, uhm...I don't know.

What Lulu.com really costs

Now we'll get more in-depth with Lulu.com. These are the real nuts-and-bolts of publishing a book.

The specs are pretty typical of the books produced in the trade category at any self publishing house. Information and self publishing costs are derived from the Lulu.com web site.

- 5X8 trim size, 144 pages, one color interior, 4 color cover, no interior images
- Paperback or hardcover
- ISBN, bar code and Library of Congress Control number
- Custom cover and interior design– no template designs
- a PDF or laser proof delivered to author
- Available at Amazon and most major online retailers
- Available through major distributors like Ingram and Baker and Taylor
- Available for order at over 25,000 retail bookstores.
- Inclusion in the Google Book Search Program
- Availability as a Google Editions eBook
- Author wanting to purchase 150 books
(The Dog Ear total cost for this package and options is $1,726, and our per unit book printing price is $4.18, and you get 5 free author copies of your book.)
Lulu.com

Publishing – $0
ISBN & distribution – $75
Premium Cover – $450.00 – from one of the leading designers on Lulu
Custom Interior Design – $350.00 – from a traditional industry designer – just like our team (children's books were $1,000 + for design).
Library of Congress Control Number – $10 (so your book is available to libraries)
Printing Services – $7.41 / unit X 150 units = $1,111.50 (ouch)
Total Expenditure- Lulu.com: $1,986.50 for a FREE SELF PUBLISHING company(vs. $1726 at Dog Ear)

$260.50 MORE EXPENSIVE at Lulu.com than at Dog Ear Publishing

But...they cost close to $2,000 for the full package and digital distribution.

5.

Lulu

This is the one most of my friends have used. It's cheap, almost free - if you do everything yourself. My old college roommate literally did everything herself - and just uploaded it all to Lulu. She hired the artist, designed the cover, hired a proofer, and bought the ISBN.

The upside of that is well, you own your book and have complete control. The downside - is you have to go hunt down and pay for all the other stuff yourself. Also, you don't get to make corrections as easily - apparently. But they will put it on all the platforms.

You can, of course, opt to use one of Lulu's publishing packages and have them help with this stuff - at additional cost.

There is in short a price no matter what you do.

PUBLISHING FEES: Lulu charges no up-front publishing fee for
authors willing to do all of their own cover design and formatting. In that case, there are distribution fees only. (See http://www.lulu.com/services/distribution.)

For authors who need design and formatting services, Lulu bundles together their most popular services, previously offered a la carte, into three publishing packages (for black & white interiors), which can be found at http://www.lulu.com/services/pre-publishing/

Best Seller: Priced at $629, this package includes:

ISBN

One galley (review) copy for author

Customized, template-based cover, based on author-provided images, blurbs, etc.; designers can also use images from Lulu's free image library

Inclusion in Lulu's globalREACH distribution service, making your book available to online bookstores and allowing brick-and-mortar bookstores to order your book upon customer request

Email support (no phone support)

Template-based formatting, including your choice of 6 interiors

Up to fifteen images

Table of contents

Editorial Review, in which an editor will suggest an editing level and provide you with a sample edit and price quote.

Masterpiece: Priced at $1,429, this package includes everything in the Best Seller package, plus:

Premium cover (includes two custom cover designs)

Phone support (three phone appointments throughout the publishing process)

Conversion of your book to the ePub format (ebook)

Ultimate formatting (an expansion of basic formatting, ultimate formatting includes unlimited images, but doesn't include resizing the images)

Laureate: Priced at $4,729, this package includes everything in the Masterpiece, plus:

Three additional phone calls during the publishing process

Twenty-five hardcover books (black-and-white interior, 6" x 9" trim size only)

One hundred paperback copies (black-and-white interior, 6" x 9" trim size only)

Editing up to 100,000 words

These prices are 2011 prices, my guess is they've gone up a bit since then, inflation and all that.

And unlike the others...

RETURN OF ORIGINAL PRODUCTION FILES: Lulu uses its own formatting system, so there aren't any original production files that would be useful to you. Not using a standard formatting program like Adobe InDesign limits your options should you ever decide to publish your book elsewhere in the future.

I'm guessing none of them provide you with the source code. A bit like the professional publishing industry in this regard.

For royalties on books sold through Lulu, the "manufacturing cost" that is $5.50 for retail sales purposes suddenly jumps to $8.50. I spent an hour on Lulu's live support and no one would tell me why they were different or which pricing was correct. I was told that someone would get an answer to me within one business day. It's been much longer than one business day, and I still haven't heard anything.

I then found a chart at https://support.lulu.com/Chart that shows the manufacturing/printing costs for books sold through Lulu and sold through other retail channels. This chart confirms that the "manufacturing cost" for a book sold on Lulu.com is $8.50 per book, while the "manufacturing cost" for that same book sold through retailers is $5.50.

I'm starting to understand why books cost between $8-20 bucks.

Hmmm...Lulu's royalties aren't much better than Create Space, about the same actually. But definitely better than Author House.

For the same 200-page book used before, here is how the numbers break down for sales on Lulu.com:

$4.00 Page cost ($0.02 per page)

+ $4.50 Binding fee

$8.50 Manufacturing cost

+ $4.00 Author Royalty

+ $1.00 Lulu commission (20% of profit or 25% of royalty)

$13.50 Retail price

So, on this transaction, back out the actual printing cost of $3.90 and Lulu makes $5.60 while the author makes $4.00, much more than the commission percentage it claims.

I wonder if you can just do digital distribution with print on demand as an option? Be cheaper.

It should be noted that the only type of distribution that Lulu offers is through online retailers. Brick-and-mortar stores can, however, order your book if a customer requests it. See www.lulu.com/marketing/retail_listing/?cid=publish_portal.

This may be what is killing brick and motar stores, actually. They are so limited in what they can acquire. I know that's my frustration with them and why I tend to buy mainly from Amazon or online - I can find the book.

I remember my father tried to get stores in his area to carry his books with little success. And he did manage to get one of his books reviewed - that is until professionally published writers like John Jakes and John Maximum ranted about it, stating reviewing books by "amateurs" was a waste of time. (Hmmm...I've read both,
and have to say, sorry fellas, but you're not as good as you think you are. Read quite a few self-published writers that are as good if not better.) That was admittedly 10 years ago. The stigma on self-publishing has lessened since then, much to the professional publishing world's considerable chagrin.

Publishing Agreement

Section 3 states that Lulu makes no claim to the copyright in your work but has permission to post and sell an author's work. This section lists all author representations and warranties, which are reasonable.

Section 5 discusses payment terms and agrees to pay you the "creator revenue" or royalty amount you chose. This section is general and refers back to the "publishing portal" (where the pricing is actually set). This section does tell you how you will be paid and when. Section 8 explains Lulu's return policy for both print-on-demand and "trade print" items. This section is more for the consumer who buys a book from Lulu.com than it is for authors.

Section 10 is significant because it explains how an author removes his or her work for sale from the publisher's website. It's a simple process that can be done at any time.

That's better than the above cites. Apparently you are responsible for your own copyright.And it's easy to remove your work from their site. So, less locked in, if you decide to go this route. Explains why so many of my friends went this route.

Lulu actually punishes authors who sell a lot of books because of its high printing costs, which result in artificially high retail prices. Lulu requires that you do a lot of the legwork yourself, and without much phone support, Lulu can be frustrating for the inexperienced author. I felt like I was going in circles and getting nowhere.

Most of the packages only include very basic covers and interiors. If you are a skilled designer, a basic book meets your needs, or you simply don't have enough money to publish any other way, Lulu is a company to consider, so long as you keep your sales expectations in check. And Lulu is well suited to the experienced author whose book is already designed and formatted and who only needs a simple distribution package.

Lulu has much more going on than just books (CDs, calendars, yearbooks, etc.), and in trying to be all things to all people, it's easy for one to get confused. There are simply so many offerings and packages. I've been doing this self-publishing stuff for a long time, and I still had a hard time sorting out the offerings and pricing models (especially when it came to printing costs).

If you want to dip your toe in the publishing waters, Lulu is a fairly low risk venture where, in some cases, you can publish without any up-front fees. Lulu also has a basic publishing package for $629. You won't get much for that, but you aren't paying much either.

Another review:

Pros
Turnaround is as quick as a couple weeks for eBook publication and Lulu provides stellar customer service.

Cons
You get only one free author's copy of your book with the basic package.
The Verdict
: 9.48/10

You can consult with a professional at any time during the process and publish your manuscript the way you want. From the editing, layout and design stage through distribution, Lulu is the best publishing service out there.

Hmmm...I don't know. I'm not really a DIY, and I'm uneasy about a few things. ie. I do need the book to be edited again, that's a no-brainer, and I need help designing the cover. Lulu may be too basic for my needs?


6.

Infinity Publishing

RETURN OF DIGITAL COVER AND INTERIOR FILES: The publishing guide I was sent states that Infinity Publishing will provide authors with a print-ready cover file after publication (for a fee of $100). Interior files (if not too large and if in Word format) are emailed upon request at no charge. However, Infinity does not use a standard interior formatting program, most likely all formatting would be lost, putting the author back at square one. When I inquired about this, a representative assured me that for $125 they would send a PDF of the interior; as long as the copyright page is removed, the author is free to do what he wishes with this print-ready file.

While they do return it to the author, unlike everyone but Lulu, it, like Lulu, may not be that useful.

UBLISHING FEES: The $499 publishing package (http://www.infinitypublishing.com/book-publishing-services/book-publishingservices.html) includes:

ISBN
Bar code
Custom cover and template-based interior: Includes royalty-free or author-provided artwork and placement of all interior graphs, photos, and illustrations. The graphic artist will design only one cover, and the author has one chance to respond with “reasonable adjustments.” After that, the author must pay $50 an hour for further adjustments.
R.R. Bowker’s Books In Print registration
Listing with online booksellers such as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com
Book and author webpage on Infinity’s online bookstore (http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/)
Three galley proofs—one for the author, one for corrections, and one for the U.S. Copyright Office for copyrighting: Includes up to thirty corrections. Subsequent errors can be corrected for a fee of $50 an hour (this pertains to all typos, including those made by the publisher).
Choice of trim size:
5.5″ x 8.5″8.5″ x 11″

8″ x 8″

OTHER SERVICES OF INTEREST: Infinity offers fewer additional services than some publishers, which include:

Photo Scanning: $7 per scan

Copyediting: Includes correction of syntax, grammar, and spelling at $0.013 per word. For more extensive editing, Infinity refers authors to outside editors.

Advanced Reading Copies: For $275, you receive twenty-four advance copies of the book with mailers, labels, and announcement cards.

Reasonably priced or appears to be, but rather rudimentary in offerings.

PRICE AUTHOR PAYS FOR BOOKS: Infinity bases the author’s discount on the book’s minimum retail price; they offer authors a 50 percent discount on their initial order and a 40 percent discount on every order thereafter. To figure out how much the printing markup is, first go to http://www.infinitypublishing.com/book-publishing-services/book-publishing-services.html and determine the retail price. For a 200-page, nonfiction paperback with a retail price of $13.95, the math on your first order of books from Infinity looks like this:

$13.95 Minimum retail price

x$0.50 Author discount percentage

$6.98 Author price per book

This is an 80 percent markup. On all subsequent orders for this same book, an author will pay $8.38 per book, which is a 115 percent markup. Infinity prints most of its books in-house, so I’m guessing that its cost is less than the $3.90 per book, as the printing is not subbed out. It’s okay for a publisher to mark up printing. Most publishers do it. You have to decide if you can live with 80—114 percent markups.

This is the problem with self-publishing formats - the markups. They appear to be between 75-80%. I wonder if I can limit to e-book?

AUTHOR-FRIENDLY RATING: The printing markups are high and the royalties low, so why is this company “Outstanding”? While both of these deficiencies are enough to cause most publishers in this book to drop in rank, Infinity stays at the top because its publishing package is one of the lowest-priced at $499, yet still comprehensive. (Even though, if you want the standard distribution that every other self-publishing company offers, you’ll have to pay an additional $149.) You are getting a very basic package, but the quality is still high. That’s why Infinity is great.

The website could be easier to navigate. The royalty section in particular is very confusing. However, upon request, Infinity mails out a short paperback, Become a Published Author. Not only will you benefit from reviewing a sample book, but you will also benefit greatly by having answers and explanations about the publishing process at your fingertips.

Again this is a 2011 review. I'd need to buy the updated book for the 2014 version, but so far Infinity has the best rating of the four, with Create Space a close second.
Depends on what you want.

More recent review can be found here by independent publishing: http://online-book-publishing-review.toptenreviews.com/infinity-publishing-review.html

It's ranked 9 on the list of self-publishing agencies, but is cheaper then the top three, oddly enough, on it's packages.
*********

I don't know, color me confused. Feeling a bit overwhelmed and depressed by the whole thing. I either have to do it all myself or spend a lot of money to get someone else to do it...while getting very little back in return either way. Good thing, I'm not publishing my book for the money. (Most writers, well fiction writers, like dancers, actors and artists aren't really in it for the money (lots of money)...it's rare you'll make that much. This is the sort of thing you do for love and often have a day job or someone else with a day-job to fall back on.)