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8 answers

Lulu.com is terrible and so is self-publication.

Just get your book published with a real, honest publisher. You will not have to worry about costs aside from mailing them your manuscript.

2007-09-14 11:26:15 · answer #1 · answered by Dan A 4 · 1 0

If your book is good, then you should submit your book to major commercial publishers (like Random House). If it's not good, then the only "free" publisher that you could go to is Publish America. They accept almost any quality of submission and are free. They make their money by charging you about $12 a book, when it really only cost about $3 for them to print it. However, the publisher has no respect, mostly because it has a reputation for doing as low a quality job as they possibly can. Plus, don't ever expect your book to ever appear in book stores. One thing to keep in mind always is that you get what you pay for. If you go the self-published route, then you need to be aware that a good book cover costs $3,000, a good edit cost at least $2,000, good publicity costs about $3,000-$4,000 a month, not including all the other necessary services. Any publisher that charges less than this is not doing a "book store" quality job. Plus, unless you're willing to shell out at least $12,000, then you will probably be stuck in the limited printing and distribution category of POD (or print-on-demand). Virtually all but the highest quality self-publishers publish and print books in this fashion because of it's low start-up cost. However, with this method, again, you have virtually no chance of getting you book into bookstores. You should search for POD info on Google to get more information about that (this answer's already too long).

2007-09-14 12:06:52 · answer #2 · answered by Cody 2 · 1 0

Oh, no, not publish america (they don't even deserve capitalization)! Anything but that! They'll accept any submission, no matter how crappy. I know of a group of writers who tested that theory just for kicks.

Legitimate publishing is not supposed to cost the author except in what it takes to print your manuscript or query letters or whatever initial submission a publisher wants. If you simply want a copy of your book you can try some of those self publishing outfits but if you want something, anything more, then go the traditional route with perhaps a literary agent or yourself peddling your work to publishers.

2007-09-14 17:33:48 · answer #3 · answered by AllGrownUp 3 · 0 0

in case you are able to convince a writer to take your artwork then it does not fee you something. They pay you royalties, yet be warned they are extremely low possibly decrease than 20p in step with reproduction offered. it could help to locate a literary agent, who a minimum of might provide you some feed decrease back on your artwork. you are able to placed as much as publishers immediately. the two way be arranged for a brilliant form of rejections. Any writer who needs money from you to post a e book is a self-love writer. those human beings post books no person might touch usually, however the author needs revealed besides. in recent times the subsequent option is lots better... Print on call for is the place you post the e book your self and individuals can order a replica it fairly is outlined and despatched to them. in case you have an ISBN then it is offered in e book shops. Have seem at websites like Lulu and Lightning source. you will possibly sell the e book to e book shops for about a million/2 the conceal fee. The e book costs a definite quantity to print. You upload on slightly greater (it is your income). Double it. while you at the instant are not promoting it at fee then the print on call for human beings take a proportion of the full fee, so upload that on. that provides you your sale fee. on the different hand keep away from paper altogether and basically sell digital variations as e.g. PDFs. Being an author isn't a severe earnings occupation except you're between the very few to become a bestseller. you in all risk could get your self yet another activity to help your self interior the period in-between.

2016-10-20 00:53:26 · answer #4 · answered by manca 4 · 0 0

Well said, Wanda.

William, that is not true about Lulu. There are hidden costs that you aren't seeing there, my friend. Lulu's average charges are about 600 dollars and that is not with an ISBN number.

Lulu: $595.00 <<
Formatting, cover design, graphics, barcode, etc. are offered through a variety of third party services providers who run ads on their site.

My best advice is this. If you have confidence in you and in your book, you owe it to yourself to spend at least a year to 18 months trying to publish it traditionally. Didn't it take you at least that long to write it?

Self publishing is the literary version of a black hole. Let's call it what it is - vanity publishing. Anyone can publish anything as long as their check clears the bank. I could publish the San Francisco phone book as long as I could pay for it. And the average sales of a self published book is under 100. Don't you want more for your book???

Get yourself a copy of literary marketplace and start learning about traditional publishing. You can also go to my profile and read the many starred questions I have there. I star all good questions regarding publishing and writing so others can use them. Print a bunch out and study them. Learn to advocate for yourself in the world of publishing.

Good luck. Pax-C

Shelley Publish America is the worst of the worst when it comes to self publishers. They have their very own thread at Absolute Write Water Cooler Bewares and Background Checks with over 57 THOUSAND posts of people complaining about them. They are embroiled in so many lawsuits they will never get out from under them. It is lovely that they published a book for you. They publish anything and them liking it has absolutely nothing to do with it. Someone once sent them 30 pages typed out ten times and they printed it - never even looked at the content. How many books have you sold? Not counting to family and friends? How much money as it cost you to promote it?

2007-09-14 11:16:02 · answer #5 · answered by Persiphone_Hellecat 7 · 0 0

If the book isn't good enough to be picked up by a reputable publisher, why would you want to embarrass yourself.

Get the book looked at and edit it by someone who know what their doing and try to get an editor or agent to look at it.
http://www.duotrope.com/index.aspx
is a free list of publishers of all kinds of genres and formats.

If you have a problem, try taking an idea from your novel and make it into a short story, send it out and see what the zines and magazines say.

2007-09-14 10:53:46 · answer #6 · answered by Wanda K 4 · 2 0

well im a published writer my books called Short but Scary stories to read at bedtime but thats beyond the point. my publishing company is www.publishamerica.com they publish you free if they like the book and give you royalties

2007-09-14 12:23:53 · answer #7 · answered by shelly_noble24 3 · 0 1

You can get a book printed at Lulu.com and only pay the cost of however many copies of the book you want to buy.

2007-09-14 10:41:46 · answer #8 · answered by William G. 3 · 1 1

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