self-publishing amateur

Hi Marcelle - first of all

You might like to check out these forums:

Conventional Self Publishing
POD Self Publishing and ePublishing

And of course:

Beware and Background Checks

You can also use the Forum search function (on the menu bar along the top there) to search for particular publishing companies if you want to check those out.

Enjoy the forums!

Hi Marcelle and Welcome!

What Cath said, Cath's an expert, she won't steer you wrong!

You'll find this is a great place with awesome people and lots of great info!

Welcome, Marcelle.

Not sure what you have written, but are you self-publishing because you have decided not to try and have your work published by the convential route? Or because you have been unsuccessful in approaching an Agent or commercial publisher, and see self-publishing as your only alternative?

Marcelle said:

Hi all,
Can anyone give me some advice on self-publishing companies? I'm a newbie in this world.
I am considering Dorrance, Authorhouse, Iuniverse, and Xlibris.
I'd like to know which ones to rule out. Let me know what your experience has been. It's quite daunting for me right now. Thanks for sharing.

marcelle

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Greetings, Marcelle Cath gave you good links, and check around the boards here -- lots of people can give you ups and downs. And I'd like to echo Bufty and ask if you're going that route because you think it's your only option, or you just really want to ??

And again, Welcome to AW !

Hi Marcelle,

Welcome to AW.

ac

Hello Marcelle,

Sorry...no advice here. But I hope you enjoy your stay in the cooler. I'm sure you will be helped in your quest.

Kevin

Welcome, Marcelle. And, you know, what Cath said. You'll find the info you're looking for there.

Marcelle, a great way to get help with agents around here is to post your query letter in the Share Your Work forum. The members here are really good at helping people refine their query letters to make them as good as they can possibly be.

And don't give up yet, it is disheartening, but if you're good enough an agent will pick you up eventually. You'll find other people here who've been there or are still there with you. (And plenty, like me, who haven't even got that far yet!)

When you've gotten fifty rejections, it's time to reassess. If you've just gotten several, you haven't started yet. How long have you been trying: Months? Years? Be sure to check each agent or publisher out at Preditors and Editors and on our own Bewares Board. Don't waste time on the scammers.

Regards,
Scott

Marcelle!!!

Welcome, just come right on in to all the fun!

Greetings!!

Marcelle said:

I've gotten a dozen rejections from agents and publishers. Most of them came from the Writer Market and the Literary agent guide.

They all like the query but it dies after they read the book proposal.

What have been your experience?

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Marcelle, welcome. If you pop on over to Share Your Work, I'm sure you can get some feedback on the problematic parts of your proposal. A dozen rejections isn't that many, so you're nowhere near exhausting the options.

You mentioned upthread that you're not a big marketer. To go the self-publishing route, that's going to be a real hindrance to you. I'd really encourage you to keep trying the commercial route. I wish you the best of luck!

Kristen

Hi Marcelle. I wish you all the best. I know it's depressing to deal with rejections, but you can get the support you need here. It really does make a big difference in actually selling your book if it's published by a traditional publishing house. If you self publish, then distribution and marketing can be a real problem. Follow up on the forums suggested by the folks above me and talk to people here about your optioins.

Welcome - I know the resources at AW will help!

Self-published author

Marcelle said:

I've gotten a dozen rejections from agents and publishers. Most of them came from the Writer Market and the Literary agent guide.

They all like the query but it dies after they read the book proposal.

What have been your experience?

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Hi Marcelle

I am a publicist who has self-published 2 books. I chose that route because I wanted the books to get out in the market earlier. I also control the marketing of them. That is not to say, of course, that if a publisher is interested, I would not accept. I likely would. In the meantime, my books are out on the market.

The key to success whether the book is self-published or not is in the marketing. Many conventional publishers want to know what the author plans to do to help market the book. In the competition of today, it helps to let them know that you don't just expect them to take on the book and then sit back and wait for the royalties to come in.

It has also happened that self-published authors later become quite well-known, examples - John Grisham (A Time To Kill), James Joyce (Ulysses), Beatrix Potter (Peter Rabbit), Richard Bolles (What Color is Your Parachute?) - to name a few.

One option, if you are hesitant about spending the money that a self-publishing package would cost, is to take the book to a local printer and have a few copies printed. You can then take some copies to a local bookstore and ask if they will sell them on consignment - usually between 40-45% of the retail price. You can also show the book around and see what the reaction is.

Another alternative is Lulu Books. You upload your file and then choose what parts of the package you want. For example, they have a marketing package that allows you, for a very reasonable price, to have the book listed on Amazon, BarnesandNoble, etc. websites. In other words, you can pretty much control the cost.

Success is about 90% determination and perserverance. Overnight success is a fallacy.

Don't give up. If this is something that you really want to do, then don't let the rejections win.

Maria

Publicist said:

It has also happened that self-published authors later become quite well-known, examples - John Grisham (A Time To Kill), James Joyce (Ulysses), Beatrix Potter (Peter Rabbit), Richard Bolles (What Color is Your Parachute?) - to name a few.

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Oh, dear, sweet Baby Jesus. Somebody else do this.

Hi ... be careful - very very careful... Visit all the beware sites and study them really really well. The books I have seen that were self published were full of typos and not really good quality.

There may be other options for you. You might first consider having the MS professionally edited. It's an expense, but an editor might be able to figure out where you're going wrong. Again, it's a risk and you have to choose carefully.

The great thing about this site is that we share experiences. And don't forget to check any publishers and editors out at Preditors and Editors before you submit!!

You're getting good advice here... Check out the Ask An Editor section at the bottom and post your questions... You will get great info and honest opinions. Persi

LloydBrown said:

Oh, dear, sweet Baby Jesus. Somebody else do this.

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Sorry, I'm not quite sure I understand the meaning of your response.

Publicist said:

Sorry, I'm not quite sure I understand the meaning of your response.

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The myth that John Grisham was self-published is commonly used by self-publishing proponents to convince others that it's a good idea or somehow helpful to achieving their goals. It is patently not true.

Most of these claims of self-publishing success are deceiving or omit basic information. You can read our own Jaws' discussion at http://scrivenerserror.blogspot.com/2004/08/autobibliophilia.html

Thank you, Lloyd, for pointing that out. I checked out Wikipedia and although a large number of websites state that A Time To Kill was self-published, Wikipedia claims that it was first published by Wynwood Press with an initial print run of 5000.

As far as self-publishing, I do feel that for some authors, it is a viable option. Not all books are going to be best sellers or accepted by publishers, and if someone wants to see their book in print, then why not? Some people only want a few copies to hand out to familly and friends. Some people are more hopeful. And if that is their dream, then they should go for it. It would be worse to be sitting on a rocking chair 40 years down the road, and have regrets that you didn't do it. Obviously, a person has to be careful as there are a lot of scams out there.

And yes, some books that have been self-published are later picked up by publishers and become successful - maybe not John Grisham! but there certainly have been others.

And some books that have been published by conventional publishers have not been successful at all.

In the end, if a person wants to publish a book and is determined to do so, they have to decide which option is best for them.

And if they want to self-publish, they should do it fully informed of the pitfalls and hazards and should scrutinize the financials carefully. Let's say somebody wants to build his own house. You wouldn't suggest that he just pick up a hammer and saw and go at it, would you? Cheering and encouragement won't make that house last for 100 years. Or even six months.

Offset printing allows for a wider range of printing options, better quality, and a lower price. It also removes a barrier to bookstore distribution. I don't think that POD is best for self-publishing unless you plan to sell fewer than about 300 copies of your book during your lifetime or fewer than a couple of books a year.

In no case are Dorrance, Authorhouse, Iuniverse, and Xlibris viable tools for a successful self-publisher.

Self-publishing works best for very specialized non-fiction and poetry--and even those topics might interest publishers. I have a manuscript that's borderline "very specialized" non-fiction and I found three small publishers willing to publish it. Another extended an offer to review it but I declined because it's already on someone's desk. A lot of that stuff might fall under a regional publisher or university press's area of interest.

"Failure" with a commercial press might still yield 3,000 sales, depending on who publishes it. That sounds quite a bit better to me than working many hours and spending many dollars to sell 125.

300 copies? Really? That's all that one can expect when self-publishing?

Hmm.. better let these people know:

The Celestine Prophecy was originally self-published by Redfield, who sold 100,000 copies out of the trunk of his Honda before Warner Books agreed to publish him.

www.wealthybarber.com

oh yes, and myself...

I agree that self-publishing is not for everyone. I also agree that you may not sell very many books. However, it is an option that has worked for some people.

And of course, people have to research carefully, just as they would when buying a new car. You have to look at the pros and cons. Is the particular model for you? If you don't feel comfortable with it, then don't spend the money. It's as simple as that.

If it is something you really want to do and are willing to take the risks, then that's up to them. Nobody is going to force them. As long as they make an informed decision, then what's wrong with it?