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Having recently published with Publish Americas, a POD publisher (but not a Vanity press) I would like to list the real world pros and cons of publishing with companies like PA.
PRO's:
1) They'll publish almost anyone
2) You will have almost complete control over the jacket, spine, and book layout. PA did not limit my cover pic to a 4"x4" graphic like most Vanity presses do. I designed the cover and they had graphic artists recreate it (and do a little better job than I did.)
3) You have complete editorial control over the book content. Their editors give it a couple of quick read thrus for typos and glaring errors, but make no content changes--only suggestions.
4) No cost to you, and you get an ISBN number, placement on Amazon.com, B&N.com, Lightning source, Ingram, and Baker & taylor.
5) High royalty rate--9% and up depending on sales volume.
CON's:
1) Because PA has a no return policy--even for wholesalers--many big box stores like B&N will not carry them on their shelves. Only on their web site. B&N will not handle consignments anymore either so forget about buying copies to sell yourself.
2) High cost! The books run $20+ for a 300 page paperback.
3) Limited reviews--no one will review your book if it is self published or POD. Talk about stigma.
4) Hard to get on the BookList. This is the list published by the ALA and used by most libraries to choose their new purchases. If you are not on this list you have to contact libraries one at a time and ask that they carry your book (which most are willing to do if asked, but this is tedius!)
5) Not the best referance. When appealing to agents and publishers for future work, saying this is your second book doesn't always fly when the first one was a POD. Amazon has a paid service now that allows publishers and agents to see actual sales figure for your book.
6) Limited contact with your publisher. PA is hard to get hold of, you have to send an email and wait for a reply.
7) Limited editorial process. My book went out with quite a number of errors and typos in it. Also, a real editor could have helped me tighten up the storyline and made it a better book. With PA they just gloss over it so don'r rely on their editors to find all of your faux-pas.
8) Odd sized books. Publishing in a 6"x9" format, the books are the wrong size for paperback racks which leaves you in the cold when marketing to drug and grocery stores. Why can't they publish a paperback in regular paperback size?
9) Questionable royalty payments. I had done a lot of work promoting my book via amazon.com, B&N, and public libraries. In fact, I had my sales ranking down below the 50k mark, but my first royalty check was abysmal. According to PA, major retailers take 90 days to make payments, and the cutoff date for my first check was prior to this mark. So now I am waiting to see if the next check is better. I know I sold more books than they credited me for--the amazon sales ranking reflects actual sales and mine was better than the PA book of the month for the last 6 months in a row. (their BoM's were ranking 500k-1millionth on Amazon.)
PRO's:
1) They'll publish almost anyone
2) You will have almost complete control over the jacket, spine, and book layout. PA did not limit my cover pic to a 4"x4" graphic like most Vanity presses do. I designed the cover and they had graphic artists recreate it (and do a little better job than I did.)
3) You have complete editorial control over the book content. Their editors give it a couple of quick read thrus for typos and glaring errors, but make no content changes--only suggestions.
4) No cost to you, and you get an ISBN number, placement on Amazon.com, B&N.com, Lightning source, Ingram, and Baker & taylor.
5) High royalty rate--9% and up depending on sales volume.
CON's:
1) Because PA has a no return policy--even for wholesalers--many big box stores like B&N will not carry them on their shelves. Only on their web site. B&N will not handle consignments anymore either so forget about buying copies to sell yourself.
2) High cost! The books run $20+ for a 300 page paperback.
3) Limited reviews--no one will review your book if it is self published or POD. Talk about stigma.
4) Hard to get on the BookList. This is the list published by the ALA and used by most libraries to choose their new purchases. If you are not on this list you have to contact libraries one at a time and ask that they carry your book (which most are willing to do if asked, but this is tedius!)
5) Not the best referance. When appealing to agents and publishers for future work, saying this is your second book doesn't always fly when the first one was a POD. Amazon has a paid service now that allows publishers and agents to see actual sales figure for your book.
6) Limited contact with your publisher. PA is hard to get hold of, you have to send an email and wait for a reply.
7) Limited editorial process. My book went out with quite a number of errors and typos in it. Also, a real editor could have helped me tighten up the storyline and made it a better book. With PA they just gloss over it so don'r rely on their editors to find all of your faux-pas.
8) Odd sized books. Publishing in a 6"x9" format, the books are the wrong size for paperback racks which leaves you in the cold when marketing to drug and grocery stores. Why can't they publish a paperback in regular paperback size?
9) Questionable royalty payments. I had done a lot of work promoting my book via amazon.com, B&N, and public libraries. In fact, I had my sales ranking down below the 50k mark, but my first royalty check was abysmal. According to PA, major retailers take 90 days to make payments, and the cutoff date for my first check was prior to this mark. So now I am waiting to see if the next check is better. I know I sold more books than they credited me for--the amazon sales ranking reflects actual sales and mine was better than the PA book of the month for the last 6 months in a row. (their BoM's were ranking 500k-1millionth on Amazon.)
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Re: Pros and Cons of publishing with PublishAmerica & other PODS
Sat, August 13, 2005 - 8:58 AMWow, this is a really cool post. Thanks for sharing. I've been considering this option and was wondering how the experience REALLY goes. Cheers, Carl
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Re: Pros and Cons of publishing with PublishAmerica & other PODS
Sat, August 13, 2005 - 3:25 PMAdam, have you looked into doing your works through Lulu.com?
It seems to me that most of your frustration in the production/editorial process can be over come by hiring outside sources or using people you know.
I am scheduling myself to use Lulu.com, here, at the end of the year, to publish my collective works with WANTED:HERO. You have 100% control over the content, cover and even set the royalty rate. In doing the figures myself, it looks like I will be charging about $22.95 a book (about a 270pg graphic novel) of which I will receive a $5 royalty check. You can also walk away at anytime and change printers if you decide to go a traditional route.
You can buy as many as you like to promote yourself and the book (at cost), and even have a process where you check the book, IN PRINT, before you ok it and it goes to market.
The cons that I have found is the royaltie are paid quarterly, you do have to pay for a ISBN package if you want to sell internationally, but their resources and distribution are quite good.
Thought I would share my minor experience with you and see if it helps any...
Jaime Buckley
www.wantedhero.com -
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Re: Pros and Cons of publishing with PublishAmerica & other PODS
Sun, August 14, 2005 - 10:03 AMEven with LuLu there are some staggering problems to be faced. For instance, you can forget about any newspaper or serious publication reviewing your book. You will be brohibited from joining any of the new book coontests sponsored by B&N or Amazon. Library list and other major review magazines that influence librarians in their purchases will not review your book (so you will have to contact each and every library individually with a queue sheet and beg them to buy your book--which most do.)
Also, the major retailers will not carry POD or self published books. Nor will B&N deal with consignment sales. So that leaves you the small mom&pop bookstores, but you'll have to contact each of them and schmooze 'em into book signings or even just carrying a few copies of your book.
LuLu is a better way to go than PublishAmerica, but the stigma against self published books is staggering. A tribe member recently insisted that the reason was that most POD/vanity press books were crap, but I can't help but think that it is seen as a threat by the publishing industry. They own the system and have no desire to give it up.
PS: $2295 is a bit high for a book with less than 300 pages. Keep in mind that when you market it on Amazon and B&N, they are going to expect 'deep discounts' (an actual industry term) when they sell your book. Plan on selling to them at a rate of $11 or $12. -
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Re: Pros and Cons of publishing with PublishAmerica & other PODS
Wed, August 17, 2005 - 6:52 PMI did a LOT of research on this a while back. Trafford has a much better deal. Lower up front costs, lower cost per book, etc, etc.
www2.trafford.com/calc/main.htm
That's who I'm going to use. Let me know what you think. -
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Re: Pros and Cons of publishing with PublishAmerica & other PODS
Wed, August 17, 2005 - 9:29 PMI don't agree Paul. The way Lulu has it set up, you can make more money, especially with their wholesale section---but then again, I'm only looking at my project. I could be completely wrong when it comes to yours. I went through the calculator with my project and got eaten alive.
I also wanted a complete service, and haven;t found better than Lulu.com. Of course, they are also the largest print on demand service in the world now---and their best department happens to be comic books/graphic novels.
Jaime Buckley
www.wantedhero.com
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Re: Pros and Cons of publishing with PublishAmerica & other PODS
Wed, August 17, 2005 - 9:19 PMWell Adam, I can tell you this...being self-published comes with a lot of turf to walk alone and a lot of phone calls to make. I look at it from the standpoint that it's far better to be out there and making money than not. You find the right people who like it, doors open. That's what happens to me each day.
I make a full time living doing my comic book. I'm not a kid, living at home. I have a wife and many children, and I'm the only bread winner. My comics were started this year, no budget, all by word of mouth and I now have an average of 40,000 people coming to my site a month. That's only after 6 months Adam. How did it happen? Crap if I know---only that I started talking and selling what I had: a DIGITAL comic book, for a buck. Last month I got 1033 new readers. 730 new ones so far this month. A single kid who bought and read my comic sent out a newsletter through a network of over 18,000, recommending the comic book.
That's convincing one person.
I took one of my comics in lazer priter form to a head Librarian in my area. He loved them so much, that when I mentioned the novel at the end of the year, he said he would make sure all the libraries in the valley here got a couple copies each. It may not make me rich---but if they get it, other libraries most likely will to---especially when it's requested.
That's convincing one person.
The first person that ever bought my comic online loved it so much, that she had me on her web radio show, with listeners in 40 countries, which shot my sales through the roof for the month! ...and she had never read a comic before in her life!
That's convincing one person.
Lulu.com allows you access to B&N, Amazon, etc, which buy it at wholesale prices. When my comic book comes out, they WILL be selling it lower, but my $5 royalty stays the same. They have special arrangements with the online stores. I'm not sure you read the explination of how they work Adam---it's better than you think, and yes, it is better than PublishAmerica. No, they are not perfect---but what do you want for a print on demand shop? As for my pricing, it's not outrageous when considering its a comic book, not a novel. It's an 11.5x8.5 book. It'll do just fine...specifically because I WANT people to buy it from Amazon and B&N---which they will expect to find it for less...and they will.
They key thing with me, though Adam--is that I am building a following online with the digital comics. At the end of the year, the last issue never appears in digital format. It only appears in print. That means all those who have waited for the print, buy the book. All those who are hooked on the digital issues...buy the book. Either way...they buy the book. They all know it, I tell them about it frequently and have it all posted on my site. When polled on it...they're looking forward to it.
These stigmas are huge---you're SO right about that Adam. However--since they won't let us play in their world, we should start creating our own. I mean, is the point to get your works sold, read and known, while developing a following....or is it to impress and be accepted by the those who hold all the cards?
I just say start a new game.
I am---and it's working beautifully.
Lulu, P/A, or whatever serice you use, is just a tool for you to get what the publishers won't give us. To say all the rules are written is bull. Only their rules have been. Now, if that's what you want---then go for it and keep after it until you get it; but they key may be just convincing one person. I have heard of many people getting a regular book deal because the right person bought their self-published work.
I wish you the absolute best Adam. Keep at it. Somewhere, there's a solution, you just haven't found the right key yet.
Jaime Buckley
www.wantedhero.com
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Re: Pros and Cons of publishing with PublishAmerica & other PODS
Thu, August 18, 2005 - 2:58 PMComics are a different story (I think I mentioned that in a post on another tribe.) I have been watching several comic strips go from startup to full blown publishing contracts. The Wandering Ones is a good example of the online success available with comics. Keenespace.com was a huge player in helping a lot of artists get noticed.
I think the reason that comics work so well on the internet bt novels don't is that many people don't care for the reading formats available---but comics work great online. They're short, 3-4 frames fit perfectly on a browser window, and you can access dozens of them a day. I follow about 7 comics regularly online.
E-books will eventually catch on, but it'll take time. I worked on the format for over a year and finally discovered one that worked extremely well on laptops and PCs. Now I just need to find a lot of readers.
I agree that you can still succeed by self publishing, I just wanted that person to understand that there were some very serious obstacles to overcome. Many of the doors open to conventioanl publishers are closed to self publishers. -
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Re: Pros and Cons of publishing with PublishAmerica & other PODS
Thu, August 18, 2005 - 3:00 PMPS: Your site is really well laid out. A lot of glitzy stuff but a very quick load. Good job! -
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Re: Pros and Cons of publishing with PublishAmerica & other PODS
Thu, August 18, 2005 - 7:12 PMThanks bud. I agree with you completely on the comics thing and I guess I also misunderstood the angle you were coming from, so I apologize. I think another reason I'm doing so well is that I'm not doing a 'web comic' (like you mentioned, with a several frames in a browser), but rather a complete comic book, like you would buy in the store---but available to download online, print yourself and enjoy for pennies in comparison.
There are a lot of people out there that don't give a flip about collecting---they just want to read a fun story. That's who I go for. As for the publishing---I always wanted to create some kids adventure books---you know, for the 12-15 age range. However, it's because of the exact things you mentioned that I have never attempted it. Too much trouble for me, for little to no results...so I stick with comics. IT's paying all the bills, and someday soon, more.
Always good to bring up these points. That way, if any of us don't know about these aspects or need more info---it's here for us to use.
Thanks Adam.
Jaime Buckley
www.wantedhero.com
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Re: Pros and Cons of publishing with PublishAmerica & other PODS
Sun, November 23, 2008 - 8:01 PMMy book is almost done anytime before 2009 ends and I already decided which self-publishing company I'm going to go with. Xlibris happens to be THE self-publisher and turns out - they give you 100% money back guarantee if you don't like their services - which totally means that they are 100% CONFIDENT of their service. :)
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Re: Pros and Cons of publishing with PublishAmerica & other PODS
Fri, November 28, 2008 - 4:41 PMAdam, one thing to know for future books: PublishAmerica is on a warning list from one of the writing e-zines I get. They aren't anti self-pubbing; they just warn about that specific one.
