AppleTree76, whilst there's nothing wrong with self-publishing, it's something that you really need to give a great deal of thought to, not least because with self-publishing it's
you who sells the books, not the publisher.
AppleTree76:
They like my writing, say I have real talent, I show rather than tell, but they are offering to proofread my manuscript-(I have had this done already by a reputable manuscript editor).
I'm not sure what you mean by "proof-read". Any publishing company would have an editor look at your manuscript and request changes/amendments. That's not "proof-reading", it's part of the standard editing procedure and it goes beyond just checking punctuation. Have they asked you for money for this proof-reading service?
I'd definitely be wary of any proof-reading being offered by Crew Publishing based on the typographical and grammatical errors on their website alone. There are also a number of other red flags on their website:
Crew Publishing:
The titles we market are truly good books and we can sell them without blushing. High quality standards give us access to bookstores.
Typical weasle wording - "access to bookstores" is not the same as being able to put your books
in bookstores.
Crew Publishing:
In 2008 we will start sending catalogues semi-annually to bookstores nationwide as well as key online retailers.
That's nice, but unless bookstores actually agree to stock those books, it doesn't help the author.
Crew Publishing:
Royalty; the cost per copy will determine the royalty scale. You need to be aware of the 'royalty schemes' that offer up to 100% royalty. Perhaps 100% of net sounds enticing, but if your publisher charges a production cost that represents 85% of cover price, plus shipping and handling, then that 100% royalty is really a pittance and a sham.
I note that they don't specify what their royalty rates are and to be honest, I'm not clear from this whether they're saying they pay royalty on gross price or on net.
Crew Publishing:
Crew Publishing is staffed by writers, editors, and is associated with the highly reputable printing houses.
Who are these writers? Have they been published? Who has published them? Who are the editors? Where did they get their experience from? Which "highly reputable printing houses" is the company associated with and what does "associated" mean in this context?
Frankly, it all looks like meaningless puff.
Crew Publishing:
Trade Publisher:
Cons; They have to invest a great deal of capital in a book and thus need to sell around 4000 copies to break even on their investment. This makes taking on new authors a daunting task, since they cannot be sure they will recover their investment.
I'd love to know where they got the 4,000 figure from and it's so boring to see the whole line about publishers not wanting to take on new authors trotted out again. "Trade publishers" take risks on authors they think will sell because they've written good books and they work to put those books in stores so that they can maximise those sales and make money.
Crew Publishing:
Publish On Demand (POD) Publisher:
Cons; The only real setback to this model is ineffective marketing. In many cases, the publisher is not selective, so a lot of books that shouldn't be published, are being put together anyway. This is a red flag to consumers and retailers alike.
Bollocks. The biggest setback to the POD model is the fact that it doesn't put books in bookstores, which means that sales tend to be restricted to speciality audiences or whoever the author can directly reach.
Personally, I think you're better off giving these guys a wide berth. Concentrate on writing your next manuscript and getting it accepted by an advance paying publisher.
MM
