Uncategorized – Page 248 – Self Publishing Advisor

Happy Thanksgiving from Self-publishing Advice

Blogger and bestselling author, Seth Godin, to hold a one day publishing conference…

“Book publishing is in the throes of serious change, from format to content to marketing. Since my first book in 1986, I’ve been thinking about this–as a writer, a self-publisher, an ebook creator and as a marketer. I’ve probably had my hands on 200 books or booklike projects over the last twenty-five years, and I’ve learned a lot.

“For the first time, I’m running a seminar to talk about it.”

To learn more and register check out Seth’s blog here.

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CreateSpace complaints spurred by pedophilia book scam

Author and blogger Kristen Welch tweets, “Dear Lord, @amazon Do you really want the force (a.k.a MOM BLOGGERS) boycotting you? Remove this book,” linking to this book’s page on Amazon: “The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lover’s Code of Conduct.”

Initial reaction from Amazon was no reaction, but breaking news followed by heated responses among throngs of individuals across various social platforms like Twitter and Facebook prompted Amazon to pull the book and underplay their own association with its publication through their CreateSpace branch.

According to CNN, Amazon’s website provides content guidelines for titles sold through its Digital Text Platform Program. The guidelines say publishers are expected to conduct proper research to ensure that titles are in compliance with all local, state, national and international laws.

Interestingly though, the book was published through Amazon’s own self-publishing arm, CreateSpace. Are more CreateSpace complaints in store for authors in the future? Does Amazon have a history of these CreateSpace complaints? It appears so according to the LA Times. It would also seem that no human being in Amazon’s largely automated self-publishing organization actually has much to do with the submission and acceptance process.

While the access to free availability of information gathering and dissemination on the web has created a dramatic democratizing effect, it remains important that content be monitored. In this case it appeared that no monitoring took place by Amazon or CreateSpace before or following the October 28 release of the pedophila book. Instead, it was the public outcry. Just two hours after Techcrunch posted news of the ebook on its site, the $4.95 ebook went from a sales ranking of 158,221 in the Kindle store to 5,668, with a stream of commentary following. Public perception ranged from outrage, to free speech support to “FBI conspiracy”.

Other books written by the same author and also published by CreateSpace remain for sale on Amazon, although the reviews for said books are taking a hit due to association alone. Are other CreateSpace authors poised to be judged by the company they keep?

Regardless of what may be true of the book, it is important we hold integrity among the publishing community and that manuscripts be vetted through a thorough manuscript review process. Ultimately this is one facet that separates the “free” do-it-yourself companies in the industry from the higher-quality professional, full-service self-publishing providers. It is in the best interest of authors, publishers, and the public.

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Sizing-up Your Self-published Book

As you continue to develop your content, target your market, and research self-publishing options, it will become at some point important to consider your book length.

The most important thing to recognize is the difference between your manuscript page size (which is most likely 8.5 x 11) and your published book trim size (which will most likely be smaller). Whenever a publisher discusses page count, or per-page pricing, it is based upon the size of the published page.

The most common published book trim sizes are 5.5 x 8.5 and 6 x 9, although many publishers will offer several more options. Check out our recent post on book sizes recommendations for more on choosing your book’s trim size.

If your manuscript is 100 pages long at 8.5 x 11, you probably have closer to 200 pages of finished text when the book is published. The good news is, your book just got twice as long, which in many cases improves its perceived value. On the other hand, some authors will be surprised when they see pricing based upon 200 pages instead of 100. Be prepared.

Keep in mind that production cost is directly related to page count, and POD books, as a result of their many advantages, are still a bit higher per-book than traditionally offset printed titles. The more pages your book has, the more it will cost to print. Most authors keep their books between 100-300 published pages.

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Self-publishing – what about book sizes???

Self-publishing provides many advantages for authors. One of the greatest is complete control over not only the material but most aspects of your book’s production. Even in full-service self-publishing where you find a publishing consultant or representative who helps you every step along the way, you may arrive at certain decision you may not have anticipated.

Choosing book sizing and format is often one of them, especially with all of the options available with advancements in on-demand print technology.

Most books fall within a few major categories, and here are some suggestions to help you prepare for that production decision:

Novella, Short stories, Romance: 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Trade paperbacks, Non-fiction, How-to: 6 x 9 inches
Children’s, Photography, Manual, Textbook: 8.5 x 11 or 8.5 x 8.5

And some additional considerations:

Larger font and/or word count books often print and market better at a 6 x 9 size or larger
Conversely, shorter manuscripts print better at a smaller book size, resulting in a larger, more marketable page count
Larger book sizes will often offer paper types better suited for full-color and photography printing

Take a trip to your local bookstore and see what sizes similar books to yours are publishing at. It’s generally recommended to stick with what works. Or, be very, very different. Remember, your publishing professional will be available to run ideas by.

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Self-publishing authors living the dream

… is the headline reading on PubIt!’s new homepage. A bit late on its expected summer timeline, Barnes & Noble has just announced that its digital self-publishing platform, PubIt!, is up and user ready. Barnes & Noble joining the mix is no surprise, considering the buzz currently swarming around digital publishing, a topic we hit on often here.

Like many things digital, PubIt! is marketing the service toward self-publishers as an easy, cost-effective way to get their work on the market. PubIt! content then heads to at least BN.com and the B&N eBookstore, among other digital bookstores that may pick the titles up. Like Amazon’s Kindle, PubIt! advertises no hidden fees, and a similar author-controlled pricing structure.

Authors can price their books anywhere from $0.99 – $199.00, with higher royalties paid to those titles priced in the sweet spot. Books retailing from $2.99 – $9.99 will see $65 percent royalties, while those priced on top or bottom of that dropped down to 40%. More information can be found on the PubIt! site.

Many self-publishing authors do now have greater access to living the dream thanks to technological and organizational advancements. I would expect that self-publishing service providers will soon begin to integrate this into their expanding suite of services and options.

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