E-Pub houses - point?

holodog

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Lately I've been running across a lot of these e-publishing houses, and I was hoping someone could explain the benefit to me. They seem to offer to release your work on electronic platforms, and then some of them have a POD option under certain conditions. An example of this is Lyrical Press.

My question is - if I can release my own work electronically all by myself, why would I bother submitting to any of these houses? Do they generally do any kind of promotion for you? Editing? Is it usually in exchange for a chunk of the royalty?

I'm hoping for a general breakdown of the business model, if possible.

Note - I'm not trying to pick on this one particular epub I linked - just one I happened to be looking at and got me thinking.
 

VoireyLinger

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The difference is, an epublisher is a publisher, not a self-pub/indie. You submit your work to the slushpile and wait to hear back. The average acceptance rate falls between 2% to 5% depending on house.

What do you get? You get an editor, line edits, cover art, promotion and all the other stuff that goes with having your work contracted to a publisher. Because an epublisher is just that, a publisher. The difference between it and NY houses is mainly that the books are released in primarily digital format.

When you are looking at self/indie/DIY publishing for digital, like Kindle and Smashwords, you are doing it all yourself and there is no quality control from the company. They are simply a platform you are using to put your story out.

Epublishing and self publishing are not synonymous, despite the confusion of the masses.
 
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The writer doesn't have to shell out a single penny for editing or cover art, for a start.

I'm not an accountant, artist, editor or publisher. I'm a writer. I write. I don't do accounts, art, editing or publishing.
 

brainstorm77

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The only thing I will add is, do your research. Not all pubs are good. This applies to both print and e.
 

brainstorm77

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It's updated monthly if he has information to add. It was last updated April 1, 2011.
 

Ann_Mayburn

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Just to reinforce what has already been said, having a good editor is key to any success as an author, in my own humble opinion. And when you go with a reputable epublisher your chances of getting a good editor who is familiar with your genre are much higher than trying to find one on your own.
Even if you polish your MS until it shines like the top of the Chrysler building there will always be things you miss. I'm amazed every time I get edits back at the little things I mess up, or the big picture things I'm blind to.

In the event you plan on publishing yourself, still get an editor.
 

JSSchley

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The only thing I will add is, do your research. Not all pubs are good. This applies to both print and e.

Seconded on this. There have always been crooked publishing houses, or houses started by well-meaning people who don't actually have any experience.

Ebooks have drastically lowered the overhead for publishers and made it even easier for people with no experience in the industry to band together and make a publishing house. So you really should get sales figures and wait a couple of years on a new house. Read some of their books, look at the editing, the design, the way the company seems to be run.

Some epublishing houses have become well-known for their quality books and good sales. Others are fly-by-nights with editors and designers with no real experience. So, do your research carefully.
 

juniper

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Some epublishing houses have become well-known for their quality books and good sales. Others are fly-by-nights with editors and designers with no real experience. So, do your research carefully.

Research how? Are there websites that critique the epublishers? How does someone know just how successful and helpful an epub truly is?
 

sheadakota

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Research how? Are there websites that critique the epublishers? How does someone know just how successful and helpful an epub truly is?
Look to see what their sales are like- where are their books distributed? Do they have a return policy? Contact authors to see if they are happy with that publisher. look the pub up on Preditors and Editors to see what they recomend.
 

CaoPaux

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Same as print, really: Are their books available where you buy your books? Have you bought any of their books? Has anyone you know bought any of their books?
 

VoireyLinger

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In all honesty, i think availability has become moot as a point of comparison of epublishers. These days any idiot can upload an ebook. Availability through many of the major outlets is a given for any epublisher, regardless of the quality of the product or business.

Check the record. Take a look at its author list. Read some of its books. Look at Veinglory's site. Discuss sales one-on-one with one of its house authors. Are the authors being paid in a timely manner? are their royalty rates competitive? How well are they selling? what sells best with that house? Always read the contract carefully before signing.

Distribution is a factor, yes, but given the explosion in self-epublishing, it's too easy to get books all over the place for that to be a major issue in most cases.
 

brainstorm77

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Research how? Are there websites that critique the epublishers? How does someone know just how successful and helpful an epub truly is?

That link I quoted gives you the low-down on many. The Bewares section here on AW is also great.
 

juniper

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That link I quoted gives you the low-down on many. The Bewares section here on AW is also great.

Yes, thanks, my brain is mush these days. Too much sloshing around in there.

And thanks to the other advice as well. Caveat Scribus, I guess.