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that is the question
Four years into writing the Taste of Scars I slammed into a brick wall headfirst and was ready to self-publish. I looked at different self-publishing or print-on-demand (POD) companies. BookSurge (now CreateSpace), iUniverse, AuthorHouse, and Xlibris. My biggest concern was book cover quality. From working at a library I know that about 40% of people walk into a library or bookstore and choose a book based on the cover not knowing anything about the book.
75% of 300 booksellers surveyed (50% independent bookstores and 50% chain stores) by BookSurge in 2009 identify the look and design of the book cover as the most important component. The jacket is prime real estate for promoting a book.
I scratched one of the POD companies off the list. The POD’s covers were a hot mess (iUniverse). As a black gay author I know I have to work harder. If I want mainstream success I need to bring a mainstream product into bookstores and libraries and where ever else books are sold.
The big difference between BookSurge, AuthorHouse, and Xlibris was start-up cost. Xlibris was the most expensive $1600 (however their basic service is about $500). BookSurge was about $1500. Each month BookSurge ran specials. Their price changed frequently. AuthorHouse was the cheapest at about $900. What I looked at second was the royalty breakdown. A nightmare. Each site I went to had a different number. Some had actual dollar amounts and some had percents.
Distribution was also important. One company outweighed the competition there – BookSurge. BookSurge is owned by Amazon. Amazon is the largest seller of books online. Self-published authors with BookSurge could get their book on Amazon.com, through library and bookstore channels Baker & Taylor (this company is major) and R.R. Bowker‘s bibliographic catalog (never heard of them).
The BookSurge website stated “once your book achieves print-ready status in [our] system, your book’s listing will appear on BooksinPrint.com and GlobalBooksinPrint.com in approximately 2-3 weeks and will be available for purchase on Amazon.com, Alibris.com and Abebooks.com in approximately 1-2 weeks.”
BookSurge seemed perfect. I sent BookSurge an email and got an immediate response:
Thank you for contacting us! Your request for information has been forwarded to a personal publishing consultant, who will contact you directly with details about how our publishing services can fit your needs. Want to learn more while you’re here? We have lots of information and resources to help educate you on the publishing and print-on-demand industries, as well as the specifics of working with BookSurge. Come on, stay awhile… – Visit the Author Testimonials section to hear what BookSurge authors have to say about our programs, services and staff. – Check out the Author Resources area for useful information on marketing and selling your book, tools to leverage on Amazon.com for increased visibility, a glossary of industry terms, and more. – Learn more about the Publishing Options available, as well as our editorial and cover design services. – Check out the Promotional Tools we offer to help authors market and sell their books. – See how BookSurge works with publishers, libraries and university presses to help keep their titles in stock on-demand. – Visit the Bookstore to see examples of other titles published through BookSurge.
My personal publishing consultant was Lynn Eang. Homegirl sent my 2 emails per day for about 5 months. Her emails slowed down to about 1 every 2 days. BookSurge emailed me about twice per month. I sat on self-publishing. While sitting, pondering, I realized my book wasn’t complete and kept on editing.
Lynn sent me another email. Click on continue reading to read more.
victor yates 