Longtime Publisher Offers Tips for Making Choices
Self-published
books have transformed both the reading and writing landscape, with
hundreds of thousands of authors now eschewing traditional publishing
routes. Once reserved for distribution to a writer’s close family and
friends, these books are now respected as an affordable option with
every bit as much potential for becoming best-sellers as those produced
by the New York houses.
“Countless
books published this way have gone on to become best-sellers, from
‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ to ‘Still Alice’ to ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad,’ ’’ says
independent publisher Sheryn Hara, founder of the 30-year-old Book
Publishers Network (www.bookpublishersnetwork.com) and author of the new how-to, “Self-Publish Successfully.”
“But
it’s important to note that these don’t look like they were just spit
out of the inkjet printer in your bedroom. You have to have a good
product if you want even a shot at success. That means good content
that’s well edited; a good cover; good layout; and a good print job.
Additionally, you can expect to spend a lot of time and/or money
marketing, promoting and getting publicity for your book.”
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Author Sheryn Hara |
So,
where to begin? First, of course, is getting the book written. But once
you’re ready to publish, you can easily be overwhelmed with options: Do
a Google search for “independent publishers” and you’ll get nearly 8
million results!
To help sort through the options, Hara offers these tips:
• Decide how you want your book printed. Consider your budget, time frame and individual preferences when evaluating options. They include Print-on-Demand (POD), which involves lower up-front costs and is beneficial if you need only a minimum number of books. However, there are quality issues with POD, and you must pay close attention to your contract, which may assign the copyright to the publisher. Most POD publishers do not provide editing services. Digital printing is another option for small print runs, and comes without many of the pitfalls of POD. Finally, there’s standard printing, which utilizes web-fed or sheet-fed presses.• How to choose a printer. Get quotes from at least three printers, and ask for samples of books and papers. Use only a printer whose main job is printing; most of these are located in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. The most economical size books to print are 5.5 by 8.5 inches; 6 by 9 inches; or 8.5 by 11 inches.• Covers. People do judge books by their covers, so make sure yours is fantastic. It’s worth the investment to have it designed professionally. Now you must decide whether you want soft cover, hard cover or both. You may have a choice of gloss lamination or matte. If you go with matte, check to see whether the printer has a scuff-free version; otherwise, books returned from bookstores may look beat up.• Paper. For most books, you’re probably safe going with the “house paper” recommended by the printer. If your book has a lot of pictures, you may want to use gloss paper.• Bindings. “Perfect bound” is the norm for soft cover books; a layer of adhesive holds the pages and cover together. Most bookstores don’t like “saddle stitch” – staples used in the center of the book, or comb or wire binding, because you can’t print information on the spines. “Layflat binding” is used for computer, music and cookbooks, which often need to lie flat for functionality when in use.
If
you plan to work with an independent publisher – a company you’ll pay
to shepherd you through all the details, Hara suggests talking to former
customers about their experience. Did the company follow through on
everything promised in the contract? Did it meet deadlines? Were
representatives accessible, especially if there was a problem? Was the
customer satisfied with the final product?
“Decide
on your budget, and then look at the quality of books produced by
publishers you’re considering. Frankly, the better the quality, the more
the book will cost,” Hara says.
“Your pocketbook and your goals should help make the decision easier.”
About Sheryn Hara
Sheryn
Hara is founder and CEO of Book Publishers Network in Seattle, a
30-year-old company whose clients have produced award-winning books.
Hara’s new book, “Self-Publish Successfully,” co-written with Paul S.
Carr III, covers all aspects of self-publishing, from writing and
editing to marketing, including internet and social media marketing.
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