To beg publishers or to self publish???

Carinamc

I've just written my first novel, I've loved the journey of writing and fell in love with my characters! I'd write for hours and be amazed at what direction the plot took! Sometimes I would close the laptop and think wow I didn't see that one coming!! I would love to get it published now but am at that stumbling block where I don't know where to turn really! I was offered a contribution based contract, but it's €3,500 I have to give them to be published. I'm new to all this and admittedly naive and eager to be published but it just seems like a lot of money to hand over! Should I beg, plead and cry for a traditional publishing company or take the plunge and go down the self publishing route??? Any advice would be sooooo welcome 😊

Buona Fortuna

Hi Carinmac

I'm not a writer, but have you discounted the Amazon / Kindle route?

https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A32I2OF1510VZV

It just strikes me as better than laying out your own hard earned. Once its up there get all your friends and family, fb contacts to look at a sample and then hopefully buy it.

All the very best

Del.Monte

What do you get for your €3,500? I wouldn't be in a hurry to part with that sort of money, Self publishing would be a fraction of the price. Have you shown the completed book to anybody? Is it any good?

Carinamc

Hi there, basically they publish it for you but then they get to keep a percentage of the profits u would make on it, a good percentage at that! I've shown the book to a number of people who I trust to be brutally honest and all have insisted it is a great story and I should pursue publishing...but still they are my friends lol!!!!

Das Kitty

Generally speaking, they should be paying you. Any publisher who asks you for money is one to avoid IMO. They tend to be vanity publishers, and you'll end up out of pocket when the book doesn't sell.

Have you shared any of your book with anyone who isn't a friend?

If they're all telling you it's brilliant, they're not giving good feedback. There is always something that can be improved, some suggestion to make, so if they're not making them, they just want you to be happy with positive feedback.

Writing a book is one thing, bringing it to the state where it's ready for publishing is another. Especially if you're writing by the seat of your pants. It takes time to get it in good shape. (That's how I write, so I speak from experience).

There are a few options.

- You could pay someone to give you a reader's review on structure and story.
- You could join a writers' group and workshop it.
- You could sign up for a creative writing class and work on it there.

If you love this book, don't send it to publishers / agents without making sure it's the best it can possibly be. You only get one chance with each of them, and if you send it again later with work done they won't look at it.

dandyelevan

There's a big difference between self publishing and Vanity publishing

Das Kitty

dandyelevan wrote: »

There's a big difference between self publishing and Vanity publishing

I agree. But they guys you pay to publish for you are there to get money from vanity publications. They don't give a hoot if the book is riddled with typos so long as you fork over the money.

mikom

Carinamc wrote: »

I was offered a contribution based contract, but it's €3,500 I have to give them to be published. I'm new to all this and admittedly naive and eager to be published but it just seems like a lot of money to hand over!

Beware.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg6j9mlw7Wo

echo beach

Think of all the things you could do with €3,500. Is this really how you want to spend it?
Take the advice given. Keep your money in your bank account and work on the book until it can make you money, or at least not cost you any.

I'm a bit worried that you say you are in love with your characters. Love is blind. You need somebody who doesn't have that emotional attachment to tell you honestly if they are believable and if the plot is well constructed.

Carinamc

Thanks so much for all the advice!!!!

buiscuit2168

My advice is to stay well clear. I know someone who was left with tones of unsold books who paid a self publisher excessive money and they did no publicizing for them. Create Space on Amazon you have total control.

kaloshma

Try google books, scribs, amazon and loads of other digital publisher online.

Geniass

Carinamc wrote: »

Thanks so much for all the advice!!!!

Just to add to the general advice.

A publisher will critique, edit and polish your work and publish if it's good enough. They will earn their money from selling your book. They will pay you, and not the other way around.

The situation you describe is a company that will turn your writing into book form. That is how they make their money. They wont care if it sells a single book after this, although they will be happy for you to buy books off them to sell to your friends.

There is far cheaper options out there and you'll get your book printed and you can give some to the friends that enjoyed your writing.

Please don't give this company €3.5k for a hundred euros worth of service.

Geniass

dandyelevan wrote: »

There's a big difference between self publishing and Vanity publishing

Not all self published work is vanity publishing, but all vanity publishing is self published.

Carinamc

Thanks a million everyone! Ok I'm gonna seriously look into self publishing....where to start 😱😱😱

Kidsstories

Yeah that sounds like a rip off. Amazon KDP and Create space don't charge anything for self publishing. KDP is for kindle and create space is for paperback. It's very user friendly. That's what I do and it's great.

Carinamc

When u publish on create space should your book be already edited and have a cover design or is that done through create space?

Zillah

If you're considering spending some money on this process I think it would be worth spending a couple hundred yoyos on getting a professional editor to read through your book and give you detailed advice on what you should change before seeking publishing. They'll cut through any problems like a knife through butter in a way that simply isn't possible without a huge amount of experience. There's nothing quite like getting firm, actionable feedback.

After that, once it's good enough, you can try looking for an agent/publisher knowing you have a book that's been through the exact sort of filtering process that they would use.

Kidsstories

Ah yeah , everything has to be edited with cover etc before you upload to amazon. Good thing is they don't charge anythibg for uploading updated versions. Also fiver.com is a great website for finding editors designers etc starting off at $5. Start off with the kindle and go from there.

Das Kitty

Zillah wrote: »

If you're considering spending some money on this process I think it would be worth spending a couple hundred yoyos on getting a professional editor to read through your book and give you detailed advice on what you should change before seeking publishing. They'll cut through any problems like a knife through butter in a way that simply isn't possible without a huge amount of experience. There's nothing quite like getting firm, actionable feedback.

After that, once it's good enough, you can try looking for an agent/publisher knowing you have a book that's been through the exact sort of filtering process that they would use.

I've heard good thinks about Inkwell through writing.ie, although I haven't used them myself. Anyone you can recommend, Zillah?

Kidsstories

inkwell are good and Vanessa O loughlin who runs it is lovely. I've met her before for a consult

Carinamc

Great thanks so much all!

Carinamc

I came across inkwell while researching it all actually!!! :-)

buiscuit2168

Kidsstories wrote: »

inkwell are good and Vanessa O loughlin who runs it is lovely. I've met her before for a consult

She owns Kazoo Self Publishers, and they are so expensive.

Carinamc

Oh really! Are there any more recommendations?

Del.Monte

My own experience of self-publishing - with a self publishing company as opposed to self publishing completely by myself - is with
Grosvenor House: http://www.grosvenorhousepublishing.co.uk/ and I can recommend them. The cost of a basic package comes in at around €1k but it suited me. I found the cover artwork online and contacted the artist to alter it to suit my requirements - more expense but there you have it.

http://www.grosvenorhousepublishing.co.uk/uploads/images/gallery/1251487107Collect-Ireland.jpg

A major disadvantage with self publishing is distribution. Some shops will only take books from certain wholesalers who in turn gouge you for their percentage. If you undertake distribution yourself be prepared for lots of hard work, selling, delivering, invoicing, returns of unsold stock (often in unsaleable condition) and delays in payment. Enjoy.

Carinamc

Oh Lord! 😱😱😱

femur61

Das Kitty wrote: »

I've heard good thinks about Inkwell through writing.ie, although I haven't used them myself. Anyone you can recommend, Zillah?

Inkwell and Writing.ie are one and the same.

Das Kitty

femur61 wrote: »

Inkwell and Writing.ie are one and the same.

That's what I meant.

I heard good things from other writers about them.

buiscuit2168

Das Kitty wrote: »

That's what I meant.

I heard good things from other writers about them.

Personally, I was charged a lot of money for consultancy work and told to self publish then left with lots of unsold books. And I have not been the only one.

zeffabelli

buiscuit2168 wrote: »

Personally, I was charged a lot of money for consultancy work and told to self publish then left with lots of unsold books. And I have not been the only one.

Publishing is in a state of uncertainty.

Plenty of writers have novels stuck in drawers that never see the light of day....there is only opportunity..there are no guarantees.

What you need is an agent.