When considering publishing your manuscript, electronic or tangible, you need to refrain from getting overly excited when a publisher opens their doors. Evaluate, ask questions and observe.
What’s Behind the Name?
A new slew of businesses have cropped up. The very same business that is struggling in the wake of this ebook madness is growing exponentially on the web — the Publishing Company.
After some evaluation, I discovered many of these “so-called” publishing companies were essentially resell services — taking your work and getting you printed using POD services such as Create Space, Café Press and Lulu. That is a great service, for sure, But —–
For me, just adding the title ‘publisher’ or ‘publishing’ to a business name can be very misleading to the author. The title itself creates images of helpful marketing professionals, insights into the publishing world, deep pockets and deep connections. A true publisher has much more behind them than a third-party printing service.
Every professional Graphic Design is a Publisher. They design and layout your work for publication/print – whether it be for a brochure, flyer, annual report, or book.
Don’t get me wrong. I admire and encourage publishing experts to provide publishing services – people who understand the publishing process – Marketing, layout and design. But how do you know that the POD or printing services they provide is the best for you?
Let’s look at what it takes to print a book:
Joe Author has a manuscript. It is written and been through several drafts. He is ready for publication. He goes to a friend for advice.
“It needs a cover, and editing.” I say. “There are a few grammatical problems a professional can easily clean up. You also need to get price quotes from printers to see what you can afford.”
Joe contacts three separate printers in his area as well as three online sources — giving the specifications of the project and asking for quantity price breaks on 200 to 2000 books, including FOB (freight on board – shipping costs). He also asks for a printing packet – a sample of their printing to view their printing quality. He doesn’t use the online form, but calls the phone number provided on the site or in the phone book to talk directly with a representative. This is a good way to gauge their professionalism and knowledge.
Joe knows a good cover when he sees one, but that is not his forte. He understands that “covers sell” and he doesn’t want his book to look mediocre or unpolished. While he waits for the printing price quote, Joe has a graphic designer create his cover — finding a designer that understands his genre and provides online portfolio of recent work.
Joe hires an editor to polish up his work. He uses a local editor—hiring her based on recommendations and examples of her work — as he prefers to meet with her prior to hiring. (This is not a requirement, as there are many competent editors throughout the world.)
The book is now ready for formatting and layout.
To get listed in the Books in Print database, Joe purchases and assigns an ISBN number to his book. Bookstores and libraries use the Books in Print database when purchasing and shelving books.
He chooses a printer based on price and quality of work. Joe felt a connection with the representative and that swayed his decision. Following the guidelines and templates provided, his book is ready for publishing.
Joe now turns to electronic publishing – getting his work formatted for the top e-tailers. This is a good way to obtain reviews and obtain exposure. He also sets up an author page on each of the bookstore sites.
During this entire process, Joe has created a website (blog) and set up several social media networks — posting relative information, gleaning advice from other authors, and engaging with potential readers.
Conclusion
The process from manuscript to publication is possible for anyone. But it is time consuming – a precious commodity for a writer. So when you are ready to publish hire a professional who’ll treat your manuscript as his or her own; who is more interested in quality over quantity and will work with you for the long term.
I encourage authors to check out the credentials of any publisher or business intended for hire.
- What is their experience; their background?
- Does their website look professional?
- Do they have an About Us page?
- Is there a contact phone number on the site?
- Do they supply professional design, editing and marketing services?
- Do they have a portfolio of their work?
- Ask for references.
Recommendations:
Jeremy Soldevilla, Christopher Matthews Publishing. Jeremy isn’t just a publisher, he is an author. He understands the process of publishing – traditional, POD and electronic.
– Jeremy’s background:
“Jeremy began his publishing career in Boston, copywriting and designing marketing collateral for the academic and trade book markets. His passion for the industry led him to become an acquisitions editor, marketing director, VP at two of the leading US textbook houses and Chief Operating Officer of the US office of UK publisher, Blackwell Publishing.”
