This topic is nothing new. It's been it all over the Internet since the dawn of Kindle. The new face of publishing: ebooks. Digital publishing, especially self-publishing, has turned the whole industry on it's head. The end of print has been predicted (not likely). The dawn of a new age of self-published authors has been foreseen (very likely).So what's a big publishing house to do? Reevaluate their publishing process? Find new ways to adapt to the market? Sure. Or they could just exploit those eager young authors for fun and profit.
Penguin's online genre fiction community, Book Country, has launched a self-publishing service. For only $549, Book Country will edit, format, and publish your book in both print and ebook form. If you plan to edit and format the book yourself, or hire your own professionals (which is wise, since Book Country is way overcharging here) you can still purchase tips for formatting and marketing for $299. Book Country will do the rest, which means they will print and upload your book. These formatting and marketing tips, by the way, can be found all over the Internet. For free.
Want the cheapest option? $99 will buy you an ebook upload. Never mind that it's the easiest part of the whole process, and on sites like Createspace and Smashwords you can do it youself. Quick, easy, and free.
After you've paid to have your book published, Book Country will then take 30% of your earnings (50% for a print book). This is after you have paid to have it polished and uploaded. What are they doing to earn this 30%? Your guess is as good as mine.
Is this how the big publishers plan to adapt to the turning tide of the industry? This reminds me of the Harlequin Horizons fiasco of '09. Penguin is telling you that although your book isn't good enough to publish under its flag, it's good enough for them to take your money so that you don't self-publish.
I'm not falling for it. You shouldn't either.
I truly hope newbies don't fall for it just because of the big name.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely good advice, Laurita.
ReplyDeleteHeck, I'm thinking we should form our own publishing company and charge newbies that kind of money. We could be rich!
(Maybe Laura Eno could be our first customer... she has lots and lots of books!)
@Cathy Olliffe-Webster
ReplyDeleteYou're such a card, Cathy! :D
No thanks - I know better.
ReplyDeleteI assume by "edit" they mean tidy up the manuscript? I know proper editorial services that are way more expensive, though I've had a difficult time assessing market averages.
ReplyDelete@Laura Eno: Exactly. And you know better than anyone how it can be done with enough patience and planning.
ReplyDelete@Cathy Olliffe-Webster: Hahaha....actually, that's not a bad idea. :D
@John Wiswell: I guess it depends on what you're looking for. Even if you did pay $500 for editorial services, you would pay your money and be done. This way you're still coughing up 30% - 50% of your sales.
Editing is not cheap. My editor just doubled her prices : (
ReplyDeleteAnd there are a lot of scams, so thanks for keeping us up to date!
It is more important now than ever for writers to spend time researching their publishing options.
Editing is not cheap at all, but it is a good investment as long as you get what you pay for.
ReplyDelete