self-publishing

pac wrote:


 > First, does anyone have any particular recommendations or experiences with
 > self-publishers?
 >


There are a ton of sites having to do with self-publishing but I think the
best is (still) Dan Poynter's at <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.parapub.com" target="_blank">www.parapub.com</a> .

Al Canton
Adams-Blake Company Inc.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: self-publishing 

"Adams-Blake Co." <atakeoutcanton RemoveThis @adams-blaketakeout.com> wrote in message news:<EYZsb.12307$6c3.730@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
 > pac wrote:
 >
 >
  > > First, does anyone have any particular recommendations or experiences with
  > > self-publishers?
  > >
 >
 >
 > There are a ton of sites having to do with self-publishing but I think the
 > best is (still) Dan Poynter's at <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.parapub.com" target="_blank">www.parapub.com</a> .
 >
 > Al Canton
 > Adams-Blake Company Inc.


The poster asked abaout self-publishers. Does he mean subsidy
publishers?
There are plusses and minuses about using a subsidy publihser instead
of doing it yourself, perhaps with the help of a book packager.

I would add that the internet is not sufficient to learn about self
publihsing or even subsidy publishing. Before publishing a book, one
needs to read some books!

Here are my reviews of the major ones:
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://wexfordpress.com/tex/pub.pdf" target="_blank">http://wexfordpress.com/tex/pub.pdf</a>

How to tell subsidy publishing from self publishing? It's easy. If you
buy and use your own block of ISBN numbers you are a self-publisher.
If not you are using either a subsidy publisher or a cooperative
service like writerscollective.org.

Subsidy publishers like to confuse the issue by calling themselves POD
publishers or even firms offering services to self-publishers. POD is
a printing technology, used by subsidy publishers but also by printers
such as Fidlar-Doubleday or Lightning Source. So you can print POD
yourself at lower upfront cost. And if you use their ISBN, you are in
the hands of a subsidy publisher, period. Don't be confused on this
point.

Sone subsidy publishers charge big fees up front, and pad their profit
margin by selling some generally useless marketing packages. Others,
like Booklocker.com charge low upfront fees and expect book sales to
give them their profit. Obviously that is a better deal for you as an
author.



So here are my recommendations:

1. Read some books. If you don't read, you fail.
2. Self publish instead of subsidy publishing if at all possible.
3. Consider the cooperative publishing service writerscollective.org.
4. Consider using a true book packager or a publishing consultant.
5. If you still decide on a subsidy publisher, condsider a low cost
one instead of the ones with the fancy websites and the fancy
promises.
6. Marketing is key, and it is your responsibility. So read up on it.

John Culleton
Able Indexers and Typesetters<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: self-publishing