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I don't have any first-hand knowledge of the company but I do of its co-owner, Angela Hoy. (I'm pretty sure she co-owns it with her hubby). She's a straight-shooter and advocate of writers' rights.
If, after weighing all the pros and cons of POD publishing, I decided to go that route, Booklocker would be high among the list of those I'd consider.
If, after weighing all the pros and cons of POD publishing, I decided to go that route, Booklocker would be high among the list of those I'd consider.
I am currently doing a book for Booklocker. Angela Hoy has been a staunch advocate of writer's and author's rights. I have heard bad things about them, too, but most of the "bad" things had to do with their policy of having a higher price for books advertised on other sites, such as Amazon. I have not verified yet if this is true; I am only repeating what I have heard that has any weight. Some people have been unhappy with them but it was basically because they failed to do a thing to promote or market their book or they were soured by the POD experience. POD publishers often have a bad reputation, mainly because of distributors refusing to work with them or bookstores refusing to carry their books. However, there are reasons behind this that have nothing to do with the publisher and everything to do with POD publishing. Any bad experience in POD publishing with one company will happen again with another POD publisher because of those policies. Some people find success with a POD publisher, some don't.
As for Booklocker itself, I know that Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy are not in it to scam or bilk writers. They are very nice, moral people.
As for Booklocker itself, I know that Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy are not in it to scam or bilk writers. They are very nice, moral people.
My novel, Demon Lord, is published through Booklocker. I have no complaints about them and would use them again.
I haven't used Booklocker, but their site couldn't be clearer or more upfront about what they're doing. I have no idea whether their publishing is as good as their expository copy, but their copy is excellent.
What have you heard about them Cape2004? You said that you have heard good and bad and now you've got me interested... Just curious.
Thanks,
Susan
Thanks,
Susan
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They're a POD, and a very upfront one. They even have a list of the pros and cons of their service, and explain who should and should not go with their service. If you want to pay to publish and have written a niche book that you plan to market yourself, they are a perfectly good choice. If you have a book that you want sold through regular bookstores, hope to have a best-seller, or think your book is something a commercial publisher would want, this is not the right choice. To Booklocker's credit, they do not pretend otherwise.
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POD with Booklocker.com
After many years trying to get published via the agent-publisher route, I made a careful decision to go POD. I think my story wasn't ever picked up by an agent because I mix several genres(action, adventure, time travel, religion, historical) into one series of stories, the first being The Turel Effect. Many POD companies make lots of promises and charge fees for things you really don't need from them.
I picked Booklocker.com because they are very affordable, offer straight-up services with no hidden fees and the author retains all rights and gives up nothing! I look at Booklocker.com more or less as a distribution point. It's up to the author to sell his/her story, and anyone who thinks a traditional publisher will do all that marketing work and have the author sit back and do nothing if fooling themselves. I want people to know about my book so naturally I have to talk about it and go to bookstores and related events to get my story noticed. I don't mind this aspect as it gives me control over practically everything regarding my book.
The nice thing I like about the POD model is that I can market at my own pace. Most big publishing houses will push a new title for a month or so and then it gets pushed to the back list to make room for the next new title.
I've been trying to get published for years, POD is working out rather well for me. Ask me questions if you like, I'm more than willing to share my experiences.
Andy Weis
www.TheTurelEffect.com
www.TheLaodiceaProxy.com
After many years trying to get published via the agent-publisher route, I made a careful decision to go POD. I think my story wasn't ever picked up by an agent because I mix several genres(action, adventure, time travel, religion, historical) into one series of stories, the first being The Turel Effect. Many POD companies make lots of promises and charge fees for things you really don't need from them.
I picked Booklocker.com because they are very affordable, offer straight-up services with no hidden fees and the author retains all rights and gives up nothing! I look at Booklocker.com more or less as a distribution point. It's up to the author to sell his/her story, and anyone who thinks a traditional publisher will do all that marketing work and have the author sit back and do nothing if fooling themselves. I want people to know about my book so naturally I have to talk about it and go to bookstores and related events to get my story noticed. I don't mind this aspect as it gives me control over practically everything regarding my book.
The nice thing I like about the POD model is that I can market at my own pace. Most big publishing houses will push a new title for a month or so and then it gets pushed to the back list to make room for the next new title.
I've been trying to get published for years, POD is working out rather well for me. Ask me questions if you like, I'm more than willing to share my experiences.
Andy Weis
www.TheTurelEffect.com
www.TheLaodiceaProxy.com
booklocker
Looking at using booklocker and seeing if anyone else has used them. Doing a book with a few others on Windows Vista and don't believe we will be going the publisher route.
Not really looking at making money/if any on this more just to get a book out there for people and even our current customers (we are in the computer repair business)..
Really just a basic book nothing big more of a introduction etc to the program.
Looking at using booklocker and seeing if anyone else has used them. Doing a book with a few others on Windows Vista and don't believe we will be going the publisher route.
Not really looking at making money/if any on this more just to get a book out there for people and even our current customers (we are in the computer repair business)..
Really just a basic book nothing big more of a introduction etc to the program.
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A few years ago I edited and formatted a small book by a friend for publication by Booklocker.com. (See http://www.booklocker.com/books/1396.html.) The company did a nice job within the limits that POD allows. Cover price is high, but that goes with the territory. As near as I can tell, the company lived up to its end of the bargain. I would deal with them again, on the sort of understanding you describe (that is, realistic -- a convenient alternative but not likely to be profitable).hand said:
Also, I purchased/downloaded an e-book from Booklocker.com, mostly to see how the process went and because the description intrigued me. The process worked as it was supposed to.
--Ken
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Have you thought about Lulu (Lulu.com)? They have a great service, and discounts if you buy in bulk.
Booklocker.com accepted my manuscript also. They claim to reject 90 percent of their submissions. I havent signed on the dotted line or given out any money or anything..but I DO KNOW that a lady I was in a writers group with some time back, Natalie R Collins, published her first novel 'Sister Wife' through them and did quite well. She is now being published by St Martins Press and she has a great new site for her stuff.
At any rate I believe booklocker is where she got her start. Does anyone else have anything to add about them? Angela Hoy is the editor there and she seems like a pretty decent person.
I guess I feel a bit like im selling out if I give up and go with the POD option, but since it worked so well for Natalie Collins im almost tempted to give them a try.
Thoughts?
At any rate I believe booklocker is where she got her start. Does anyone else have anything to add about them? Angela Hoy is the editor there and she seems like a pretty decent person.
I guess I feel a bit like im selling out if I give up and go with the POD option, but since it worked so well for Natalie Collins im almost tempted to give them a try.
Thoughts?
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1. Booklocker is a legitimate POD publisher. Naturally, read the contract and consider the costs. Lulu.com might be a more economical choice. Avantine Press might offer better cost structure. Others might have specific relative advantages. Get facts.WackAMole said:
2. POD can be a reasonable way to make a manuscript available as a nicely printed, bound book, without a large financial commitment. (That apparentlyworked for the AW group and Atlanta Nights.) But cover prices of POD books are high, they are only stocked in an occasional bookstore (local author area of a local bookstore, that sort of thing), and they are not taken seriously by reviewers. Still ... sometimes those negatives may not be all that significant -- but with the proviso that few POD authors are likely to even make back the up-fronts costs.
3. Selling out? Maybe. Depends on the nature and potential audience of your manuscript, your purposes as a writer (seeking wide audience and recognition? or seeking to make printed books available for local or small niche audience?). "Selling out" is a pejorative term. Maybe "giving up too soon," or "not exploring all options" fits better. Or maybe "taking a practical but potential-limiting shortcut."
4. Depending on your interests and abilities (want to run a publishing business? have the knowledge and time? ok with the risks?) self-publishing (that is, contracting for a print run with you as the publisher, owning the ISBN and taking delivery of the printed, bound books and taking responsibility for distribution, etc.) might be a better choice than POD. POD can be used as a less-risky self-publishing option (no garage full of books), but requires planning, setting up of a DBA or other mechanism for your publishing imprint, purchase of a block of ISBNs, and so on.
I might add that I know at least one fine novelist, Bill Pieper, of Sacramento (a teacher of writing and a writer), who has had a couple of books produced as PODs, as part of a small publishing cooperative. His latest has been published in the standard way by an established regional small press. He is gaining local recognition. Time will tell what comes of that.
All for whatever it is worth.
--Ken
I have bitten my tongue about Angela Hoy for a long time.
I will continue to do my best to bite my tongue... except to say this.
I published two titles through Booklocker. We had a fine business relationship. Things deteriorated. When AW was pulled down by a scammer, Angela took that opportunity to tell lies about me/AW and post my private correspondence. Among other things, she claimed to have been banned here (lie. She's never been banned here) and said that they no longer publish my books (purposely misleading: I asked her to stop publishing my books because one got picked up by a real publisher, and the other became outdated too fast). She posted my correspondence without context, so writers were not able to see what she had threatened me about (she was threatening to sue me for not taking down a thread like this).
I never wanted to say anything bad about someone who could be perceived as my "competitor." But guess what? I don't own Absolute Write anymore, so I can now say this: of all the writing site owners, there was only ever one who acted like my competitor, and that was Angela. The rest of us got along beautifully and helped each other at every turn. Particularly when the chips were down.
I tend to try to give my business to people who I want to support. So if I had it to do over, I obviously would have gone with a different e-publisher if I were going to go that route again.
I will continue to do my best to bite my tongue... except to say this.
I published two titles through Booklocker. We had a fine business relationship. Things deteriorated. When AW was pulled down by a scammer, Angela took that opportunity to tell lies about me/AW and post my private correspondence. Among other things, she claimed to have been banned here (lie. She's never been banned here) and said that they no longer publish my books (purposely misleading: I asked her to stop publishing my books because one got picked up by a real publisher, and the other became outdated too fast). She posted my correspondence without context, so writers were not able to see what she had threatened me about (she was threatening to sue me for not taking down a thread like this).
I never wanted to say anything bad about someone who could be perceived as my "competitor." But guess what? I don't own Absolute Write anymore, so I can now say this: of all the writing site owners, there was only ever one who acted like my competitor, and that was Angela. The rest of us got along beautifully and helped each other at every turn. Particularly when the chips were down.
I tend to try to give my business to people who I want to support. So if I had it to do over, I obviously would have gone with a different e-publisher if I were going to go that route again.
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JennaGlatzer said:
Wow, thanks for the info! More food for thought. After I read through this thread I started thinking about it, and I think im just giving up too soon. Now, hearing this just confirms that I just need to keep pressing on with trying to pursue an agent/publisher that ISNT POD. I have heard some good success stories with booklocker, but I have to admit, the biggest negative for me was the price the books retail..very expensive and as an avid reader and consumer of books, I can definitely say I might pass on a book with a cover price of 15 dollars (give or take). Thanks for the info Jenna. Gives me a different side of things for certain! Oh and, thanks for the second chance
You didnt have to do that, as big and overwhelmingly busy this site is, but you did..and I appreciate that.Thanks again!
No problem. Have you been approaching agents and publishers? I know it can feel like a long haul, but there is a huge difference between commercial publishing and vanity POD/e-publishing. I've definitely found it to be worth it to hold out and find good homes for my books.
Have you been approaching agents and publishers? I know it can feel like a long haul, but there is a huge difference between commercial publishing and vanity POD/e-publishing. I've definitely found it to be worth it to hold out and find good homes for my books.
JennaGlatzer said:No problem.
Yes, quite actively. I actually got a read through with Nicholas Sparks agent in NY, (its been a while and I cant remember the agency BAH) it was ultimately rejected, but the fact that he wanted to see more after my query was just thrilling.
I think my manuscript just needed some serious brushing up, which I did after icerose reviewed it for me (thanks icerose
) . So now, I think I just need to start submitting again. I made the dreaded mistake of submitting to Michele Glance Rooney without researching her more first..no need to tell you how THAT turned out..she wanted more (LOL) I sent it just out of morbid curiousity as to how she is going to respond!In my submitting history I have managed to nail every bad agent possible..from EDIT INK, the BAUN lit..and rooney..oh and NY LIT. LOL Then I learned how to check em out thanks to P&E and writer beware...THANK GOD for those guys! Needless to say, it was rather discouraging to keep running into people who wanted into my checkbook!
(Not to mention how damn disappointing it was to realize that the wonderful form letter bragging about how awesome my work was getting me all excited only to find out they wanted cash and probably hadnt even read the work in the first place
)Fortunately, due to advice from some seasoned writers, I never gave a cent to anyone.
So..onward i suppose and I will definitely AVOID POD (at least for now!)
JAGiunta
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I published with Booklocker, before I really understood just what it was I was doing, and I haven't had a single problem with them. If you're going the POD route, I think they're one of the better choices out there. I don't think I would continue to use POD for future books, since I write Fantasy and now know better, but it seems like a logical choice if you have an established audience (seminars, clubs, etc).
BookLocker
I was wondering if ya'll could give me some insight. I have had a successful Author tell me that POD, selfPublishing houses, and the like are a waste of time, that you are not reckognized as a real author by agents or other publishing houses.
I was looking at booklocker.com and am intrigued but am leary for the reason mentioned above as well as the general questions like are they on the level, is it worth the money, can I market my book enough to get the cost and maybe make enough for at least a cup of coffee.
Thanks, I'm sorry this is such a basic simple question.. still rather new with all this ...
Scriptor
I was wondering if ya'll could give me some insight. I have had a successful Author tell me that POD, selfPublishing houses, and the like are a waste of time, that you are not reckognized as a real author by agents or other publishing houses.
I was looking at booklocker.com and am intrigued but am leary for the reason mentioned above as well as the general questions like are they on the level, is it worth the money, can I market my book enough to get the cost and maybe make enough for at least a cup of coffee.
Thanks, I'm sorry this is such a basic simple question.. still rather new with all this ...
Scriptor
We've discussed BookLocker here, as well as several places in the POD forum. Check out the first post in the Index for tips on using AW's search functions.
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Sry CaoPaux, though I did look I must have overlooked that discussion .. sorry to have been so dumb