I am in the middle of my own version of Spring Break. A few weeks ago I finished the winter session of a introductory self publishing class and I have a few more weeks before spring session when I dive into another four weeks of Tuesday evening classes.
Preparing for these classes is always more work than I plan for and teaching them is always more exhausting than I remember. But they are also wonderfully energizing. The authors who attend the class are so passionate about what they are working on that I can’t help but become passionate about my own work. The preparation and teaching helps me hone my own skills and get my own thoughts and ideas in order. Finally, talking with authors who are considering publishing their own work helps me keep abreast of what is going on in the self publishing marketplace.
This winter, for the first time, I heard about some very aggressive marketing tactics targeted at new authors. A couple of my students have been receiving cold calls from “self publishing” companies offering to publish their books for several thousand dollars more than I know it really costs. One woman was told her book would no doubt need considerable rewriting, but not to worry, they could provide that for an additional five or six thousand. Another woman reported the caller got angry and insulting when she asked questions about the services offered.
Times are hard and uncertain. As I write this, I am sharing a coffee shop table with a man who is working on a book. He recently lost his job, is having trouble finding a new one, and is channeling that frustration and fear into his art. He is trying to make the best of a bad situation. In my mind, that is one of the main points of Art.
The conversation I had with this random stranger is one I have at least once a week lately. He asked himself the same question I asked myself when my own employment status changed: If not now, when? I have never in my life, not even when I was in college, known as many people who are working on a book. It is a fascinating trend. I can’t wait to see how all these authors change the face of publishing and literature.
Unfortunately, it seems predatory “businesses” can’t wait to make a quick buck off of them. I hesitate, even in my classes, to name names and call specific businesses out. And not just because I am a nice, non-confrontational Midwesterner. A self publishing service that leaves me angry and frustrated may be just what someone else needs. It’s easy to tell people to suspect “internet companies” to trust companies that are locally owned, but to be honest, the caller who became belligerent with one of my students is located here in my hometown. Besides, new companies are popping up all the time.
So, the best I can do is offer some tips for authors:
- Ask questions. Anyone who is trying to sell you their services should be more than willing to answer all your questions.
- Pay attention to their attitude. If you are writing them a check, you are the customer. You are doing them a favor, not the other way around.
- Be suspicious of packages. Buying a publishing package can seem to simplify the process, but it is also a good way for a company to sell you services you don’t need and to hide the true cost of those you do. Carla King, co-author of the Self-Publishing Boot Camp Workbook has a wonderful post on publishing packages in the Bookshift column on the PBS website.
- Get written quotes. Find out exactly what you will be paying for. Get quotes from another company and compare them.
- Make sure their services meet your needs. Every person who self publishes has slightly different needs. Be clear about what you need and make sure the company offers that. If they don’t, someone else does.
- Read the fine print. Who will own the copyright? Who owns the right to use the cover and interior design? Will you have to buy copies of your own book from the company? Can you go with another company for your next printing or edition?
- Educate yourself. The more you know, the less of am easy mark you are. Talk to other self publishers. Take a class. Check out online resources like Preditors and Editors.
- Be skeptical of cold calls. Legitimate companies certainly make marketing calls, but publishers rarely call unknown authors with offers. If you get a call from someone you don’t know, ask few more questions and listen a little harder.
Most importantly, don’t let the predators and the scammers discourage you. Successful self publishing is possible, no matter how you define success.
