Self-publishing can be lucrative and successful, but for the vast majority of self-published authors it is a great disappointment, leaving them with a house full of boxes of their tome, unlikely to ever be sold. Such a situation is very sad but, in many cases, this is one that could be avoided with a little bit of care and attention, research and not listening to flattery.
In order to avoid these pitfalls requires steering clear of the sharks out there, who are more than happy to deprive you of your hard-earned money, for very little in return. It requires a modicum of effort to get to know how the publishing industry works, how books are made, how promotion is done and most importantly some reflection on your own work and its viability.
Look critically at your book and get a 2nd opinion
It’s very hard to be objective about your own writing, no-one wants to realise that they are no cut out to be a writer, it’s a big knock to the ego. Also, what one individual finds fascinating may prove to be deadly boring to the average reader. For instance, a book titled “Basket Weaving in Northern Bhutan” might appear very exciting to the author, but most likely it would have a very small potential readership.
Before even setting out to get a manuscript turned into a real-world book, one needs to assess the quality of the work objectively and whether or not it has any commercial viability. This can be tough, as it may mean you have to give up before you even started – that might be because the subject is too obscure or if, objectively, it is not well written.
Avoid vanity publishers at all costs
Here we are around the 2nd quarter of the 21st century and vanity publishers are still finding rich pickings amongst would-be authors. I find this quite shocking, but some writers are so desperate to see their work in print that they will do anything and pay anything to achieve that goal. Vanity publishers are 100% predatory and also they have become more sophisticated over the years – managing to pose quite effectively as a real publisher. Four main indicators to watch out for are:
- Instant reply or a reply in less than 48 hours- usually an acceptance
- Flattery and unwarranted praise for your manuscript
- Complex costings for producing your book that conceal the total costs.
- No presence of any titles under their ‘imprint(s)’ on booksellers, charts or in the media.
Produce a digital manuscript of your book
Many writers have romantic ideas about being an author – such as using an ancient Corona typewriter, writing by hand with an ink pen etc. It just is not financially viable to create a book from typed or handwritten manuscripts, unless it’s, say, a very short book of poems. Even a typed manuscript can be difficult to scan and convert with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and of course this also adds to the costs. To get a manuscript typed up in a word processor program is even more costly and could conceivably add hundreds of euros to your costs before the design and layout process begins.
Research the process or get professional help
The best solution to being ripped off is to find out how things are done and then organise it yourself. This means finding out about paper stocks, spine widths, editing, layout, cover design, ISBNs, barcodes, printing options and also distribution and marketing. If this is way too much for you to handle then you can hire publishing industry professionals to take care of various aspects for you. Many large publishers handle everything themselves but some of the smaller ones outsource various parts of the process rather than employing people to do it. You too can avail of such services (with a little bit of research) and avoid being ripped-off by the vanity publishers and printers that very often overcharge.
Do not reveal your ignorance
When an ‘author’ shows up, in person or online, at a printing company or a vanity press, it is almost like a lamb walking into a wolf’s lair. I can even visualise the salesperson licking their lips at the prospect of the vast profit they are anticipating making. If possible, you should be prepped before making contact and try to sound as if you know what you are talking about. If the salesperson thinks you are an industry person, or an old hand they are far less likely to attempt to fleece you. It is also advisable to get more than one quotation for editing, design & layout and/or printing.
Don’t be overly ambitious at the start
Often authors are convinced by printers or by a vanity publisher/press to get large quantities of their book printed. While there is an element of ‘economy of scale’ here, modern digital printing means that 100 or so books is perfectly viable, even if the cost per copy is more than traditional offset printing using plates. A house full of books at €3 each that you cannot get shot of makes no sense. It is better to be more realistic and print, say, 150-200 books at €5-6 each and be able to sell them. If your book does take off, then you can always do a larger print run second time around.
Selling your product to the world
Assuming that you have succeeded in getting a book produced, for a reasonable price, you will still need to find some means of selling it. A first-time self-published author has almost zero chance of snagging a book distribution deal in Ireland or any other country, so you will most likely have to organise stock in shops yourself. You can arrange to sell online with retailers such as Amazon, but you will still need to promote the book to the public. A big part of promotion is having a website and using social media. Websites can cost a fortune so don’t rush in like a fool. Even the most beautiful website will not be seen by the public if it is not promoted and lacks the appropriate Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This whole area is a minefield worthy of its own article, so be especially careful with promoting your book!
Conclusion
There are many aspects to turning a manuscript into a book, that is sitting on someone’s shelf. It can be done fairly cheaply and without huge fuss, but that requires skills, good judgment or hiring the right kind of people to help you achieve your goals. Always be discerning, don’t rush decisions, and follow your instincts about business associates. If you feel that something is fishy or ‘not right’ then it probably is!
(c) Luke Eastwood
See here for further articles from Luke Eastwood on Writing.ie.
About Electric Publications:
Electric Publications is a small Irish publisher that began in 2006. We are an independent publisher based in the west of Ireland. We specialise in a wide range of quality non-fiction and poetry. Our aim is to help our authors achieve success and also receive a fair share of the profits for their work.
Our staff have extensive experience in book and magazine publishing, especially digitally printed books. We make use of the latest print-technology innovations which includes catering for e-book readers too. Because we are independent we can be particular about the subject matter and quality of what we publish. We aim to offer a platform to original voices, individual and radical ideas and to give our authors a personalised strategy for each title produced.
We are also commited to ethical business, especially reducing our environmental impact as much as possible. We are currently building our list of titles to be published. If you are an existing author looking for an individual service, or are a first time author looking for a publisher, please see our submissions page. We also offer a range of publishing services, including book production, copy editing and proof reading for small publishers and authors (including self-publishing authors). We do not offer or approve of vanity publishing.
See here for further information.
