A common misconception that authors have about publishers is that publishing is not a business. Perhaps it isn’t even a misconception; perhaps the author just doesn’t think about it. Why would they? They have enough to think about, what with writing, editing, rewriting, proofreading, rewriting some more, designing, printing, shipping, marketing, invoicing, destroying all the books that are returned.
Authors are a busy bunch with their hands full! It’s easy to forget that publishing is a business, and in order to stay in business, publishers must make money. And here is the rub with “self-publishing.” Authors who self-publish, or writers who harbor negative feelings about so-called “self-publishing companies” often use words like “vanity” or even “scam” when referring to companies like Xlibris, Outskirts Press, iUniverse, AuthorHouse, Trafford, and the like. In some cases they even get angry that these businesses make money on a book that only sells 100 copies. Shouldn’t they lose money on books like that, just like New York publishers do? Well, no. The two groups have different business models.
Anger is often the result of misinformation or misinterpretation. Writers who hold this grudge misunderstand the purpose of these companies. Granted, some of these companies are guilty of stoking that confusion, but that’s a topic for a future post. The topic for this post is this: Would it help these authors to view such businesses not as publishers, per se, but as service companies?
With apologies in advance, allow me to share a dirty little story about oil. My uncle Fred loves working on cars. There isn’t a car he cannot fix. When it gets a ding, he hammers it out. When it gets a scratch, he buffs it. When it needs its oil changed, he rolls on up under there with a big grin on his weathered ol’ face. In fact, my Uncle Fred gets such a bang out of changing oil, he even changes his neighbors’ oil for free because he likes it. Some neighbors have actually offered to pay him, but he waves them off. Changing oil is actually a hobby of his.
Believe it or not, my Uncle Fred hates the Grease Monkey franchises. He cannot fathom why someone would actually pay a company to do something so easy and fun as changing oil in a car. After all, it only takes him 15 minutes because he has been doing it since he was eight, and he already has oil stains on his shirt, so what’s a little more? And yet Grease Monkey has the audacity to charge upwards of $99 for the same task. Fred thinks it is highway robbery! “That’s $400 per hour,” he’ll sputter. “Who do they think they are, New York lawyers!” He trails off muttering something about snake oil salesmen.
Seething and red-faced, there is no use arguing with him. He’s past the point of logic and has entered a state of emotion.
I think you can see where I’m going with this… That’s right, some writers simply don’t want to change their own oil. It takes skill and knowledge to do it correctly; you get dirty; and you know it will take you at least an hour. You’d rather spend time playing catch with your son or going to your daughter’s play. And, hey, look! You can be in and out of Grease Monkey inside twenty minutes. Is that worth $99? Depends… wouldn’t you like to think your time is worth $100-$400 an hour (even if your current boss disagrees with you)?
I wonder how Uncle Fred would feel if a customer paid Grease Monkey to change her oil, and then immediately afterwards ran a red light and totaled her car. Fred would probably be mad at Grease Monkey! “They made money on a car that didn’t even need an oil change!”
Self Publishing Advisor 