March 17, 2010
In This Issue
03/17/2010
POD PRICE COMPARISON
Compare POD Publishers
NOTE: All publishers below currently offer distribution through Ingram (the largest book distributor), as well as inclusion of their titles in the major online (amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.) and physical bookstore systems.
>> BookLocker: $517 (Deduct $200 if submitting your own cover) <<<
No hidden fees or upselling. Books are usually on the market in less than a month. No extra charge for graphics. 35% royalties based on list price for public sales; 15% royalties based on list price on wholesale/bookstore orders. Authors own their production files. Added Bonus: Returning authors are only charged $149 setup fees on their second and subsequent books. Rated "Outstanding" by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.
>> iUniverse: $599.00 (includes 5 "free" copies) <<
Warning: They own your files after creation and you have to pay $300-$1500 to get them back if you leave their service! They charge extra to include more than 25 photos/graphics. Charges $12 per image if you want more than 2 images on your cover. No expedite service. Turnaround is 3-4 months. NOTE: IUNIVERSE IS NOW OWNED BY AUTHOR SOLUTIONS, A HOLDING COMPANY THAT ALSO OWNS AUTHORHOUSE, XLIBRIS, AND TRAFFORD. (SEE THOSE COMPANIES BELOW.) Rated "Publisher to Avoid" by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.
>> CreateSpace: $763.00 (Deduct $259 if submitting your own cover) <<
Add $500 to price above if you want more than one color and image featured on your cover. Limit of 10 interior images; charges $15 per image and $25 per chart/table/graph thereafter (cost of first 25 images included above). Does NOT publish hardcover books. IMPORTANT: BookSurge was rolled into CreateSpace in November but they're still using the same employees, equipment, etc. Read more about BookSurge's problems HERE. We recently ordered some BookSurge books and one looked so bad they inserted an apology note inside, saying it was the best they could get from their supplier. They ARE their supplier! Another one arrived with the interior pages appearing upside-down. Some CreateSpace authors have been complaining about their high shipping costs. Rated "Just OK" by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.
>> Trafford: $1073 <<
IMPORTANT - Price above does **not** include full distribution (Ingram, Amazon, etc.)! Choose the $2297 package if you want that. Expedite service not offered. NOTE: TRAFFORD IS ALSO NOW OWNED BY AUTHOR SOLUTIONS, A HOLDING COMPANY THAT ALSO OWNS XLIBRIS, IUNIVERSE, AND AUTHORHOUSE. (SEE THOSE COMPANIES ABOVE AND BELOW.) Rated "Publisher to Avoid" by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.
>> Lulu: $1369.00 (Deduct $650 if submitting your own cover) <<
Lulu now charges directly for many services they previously farmed out to other companies. Lulu appears to be having customer service problems and authors are upset about their high shipping costs. Read THIS to learn more. Rated "Pretty Good" by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.
>> AuthorHouse: $1468 <<
Charges extra for photos/graphics ($10 per image after first 10 - included in cost above). Expedite fee ($500) is for publication in 30 days instead of 6 months (included above). Claims ownership of files you pay them to create...meaning you can't use the edited/formatted files if you want to move your book later. NOTE: AUTHORHOUSE IS OWNED BY AUTHOR SOLUTIONS, A HOLDING COMPANY THAT ALSO OWNS XLIBRIS, IUNIVERSE, AND TRAFFORD. (SEE THOSE COMPANIES ABOVE AND BELOW.) Rated "Publisher to Avoid" by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.
>> Xlibris: $1922 - (includes 5 "free" copies) <<
Charges expedite fee of $349 (included above) for publication in 2 months instead of 4-6 months. Charges $10 per image (included above); $20 per table. Limit of 1 cover image. NOTE: XLIBRIS IS NOW OWNED BY AUTHOR SOLUTIONS, A HOLDING COMPANY THAT ALSO OWNS AUTHORHOUSE, IUNIVERSE, AND TRAFFORD. (SEE THOSE COMPANIES ABOVE.) Rated "Publisher to Avoid" by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.
***Prices based on least expensive package offered by each publisher on similar offers targeting U.S. authors. Fees include setup, original cover design, print proof, ebook creation, up to 25 interior photos/graphics, an ISBN, barcode, a listing on the publisher's website and distribution by Ingram, all within 6 weeks.
NOTE: Many companies offer perks that others don't, some try to upsell authors on extraneous services, and a few even claim ownership of files the author has paid them to create! Study each publisher and contract carefully before making your choice.
Publisher's Desk
Publisher's Desk For March 17th
A HOMEMADE DOLL, A NEEDLE, SOME THREAD, AND A TINY POKE...
This was the topic of the Winter 2010 24-Hour Short Story Contest:
From her lap, his shiny black eyes stared up at her as she admired his permanent red smile. Fingering his tiny overalls, she pictured the little ones' faces, pressed against the icy windowpanes, waiting for her to arrive with another basket of her lifelike, homemade gifts. The last strand of hair was finally in place. As she gently inserted the needle to tie a knot, he lurched in her hand and a high-pitched voice said...
Take a moment to think about where you would take this topic...
The winners of the WritersWeekly.com Winter 2010 24-Hour Short Story Contest have been posted! See the contest topic and the entire list of winners (and their prizes), and read the top three winning stories here: http://www.writersweekly.com/contest/winter10winners.html
To read about common themes we encountered in this contest, see Angela's article HERE.
Congrats to the Top Three Winners!
1st Place - Careful What You Wish For by Nicolas Hoover, New York, NY
2nd Place - The Tie that Binds
by Gayle Rodcay, Loveland CO
3rd Place - The Little Ones
by Alex Artukovich, Van Nuys, CA
ALREADY 59% FULL!
The Spring 2010 24-Hour Short story Contest is now accepting entrants. Each contest is limited to 500 entrants so don't delay if you want to participate.
1st Place: $300
2nd Place: $250
3rd Place: $200
Entry fee is $5. You can see the complete list of 85 prizes and sign up here: http://www.writersweekly.com/misc/contest.html
WANT TO SELL YOUR WRITING-RELATED E-BOOK ON WRITERSWEEKLY?
If you've written a writing-related book and own your electronic rights, contact angela - at - writersweekly.com. WritersWeekly.com and Booklocker.com do NOT charge setup fees to list ebooks, and don't take any rights. And, you can cancel at anytime.
WRITERSWEEKLY'S CURRENT BEST SELLERS!
FREE EXCERPTS OF ALL BOOKS available at the links below.
WRITERSWEEKLY.COM'S CURRENT BEST SELLERS
1. 24-HOUR SHORT STORY CONTEST ENTRY FEE - $5
Entry fee and contest guidelines ebook.
2. QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED!
Angela Hoy shares real query letters from a variety of writers that landed these contracts: Woman's Day - $2,800; Redbook - $3,500; Ladies Home Journal - $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com - $2,000; Lifetime Magazine - $3,000; Life Extension Magazine - $6,480; Natural Remedies - $11,300; and many more!
3. WRITING FAST: How to Write Anything with Lightning Speed
A systematic approach to writing that generates better quality quickly.
4. WRITING RITUALS
Increase your writing productivity by following these five, simple rituals.
5. CREATE BOOK COVERS WITH SCRIBUS
Using Scribus and Gimp to create book covers, revised, indexed, and 36 pages.
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WANT TO SELL YOUR E-BOOK ON WRITERSWEEKLY.COM?
NO SETUP FEES to list ebooks. We take NO rights from authors and you can cancel at anytime. BookLocker.com's writing-related print and ebooks are automatically listed on WritersWeekly. See: http://publishing.booklocker.com/submit.php
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BOOKLOCKER.COM BEST SELLERS!
1. CANCER-FREE -- Your Guide to Gentle, Non-toxic Healing
Healing cancer requires knowledge of alternative treatments. Here it is.
2. SATAN'S BREATH
A suspense novel and a true thriller.
3. REMEMBERING YOUR SOUL PURPOSE
An ascension book/workbook for excavating your soul's unique contribution.
4. STEPPING INTO THE NEW REALITY
Survive the fall and move into your Heaven with ease.
5. THE ASCENSION PRIMER
An ascension book describing the process and how we are affected.
6. THE EIGHT
The Rumpled Man calls The Eight after a devastating plague.
7. DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA IN CONTEMPORARY LANGUAGE
Alexis de Tocqueville's critique of Democracy In America. Paraphrased version.
8. MONARCH OF THE BUTTERFLIES
Describes the life of the monarch butterfly in interesting detail.
9. THE ASCENSION COMPANION
A card deck within a book with messages about ascension.
10. NEW PATH TO RICHES
Make a second income by writing your own money-making websites.
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WANT TO SELL YOUR E-BOOK ON BOOKLOCKER.COM?
BookLocker.com charges NO SETUP FEES to list ebooks, takes NO rights from authors and you can cancel at anytime. Royalties are 70% for ebooks priced $8.95 or higher and 50% for ebooks priced under $8.95. See: http://publishing.booklocker.com/submit.php - ALSO OFFERING HIGH-QUALITY PRINT PUBLISHING. Attorney Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print, rates Booklocker.com as "Outstanding." He says, "As close to perfection as you're going to find in the world of ebook and POD publishing."
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DO YOU PAY WRITERS?
Email your ad to us and we'll run it at no charge. Send it to: angela - at - writersweekly.com
ARE YOU MISSING THE PARTY?
The Freelance Writing Forum is very active and we'd love to have you join us! http://www.writersweekly.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=15
WRITER'S GUIDELINES DATABASE
http://forums.writersweekly.com/viewforum.php?f=12
MAKE A SOLDIER SMILE!!
Read their wants and needs at this great website:
http://www.anysoldier.com/
News From the Home Office
DAYS 34-39 - Our Last Week in Myrtle Beach (sigh...)
It was kind of depressing on Wednesday. Zach was gone, nobody else was coming to visit us at the beach, and we only had one week left at that beautiful spot right on the Atlantic ocean. Oh, sure, we wanted to get home soon and see our loved ones but we were going to miss the place that had made the worst month of winter the absolute best month of winter! In Maine, we wake up to the sound of traffic. In South Carolina, we were waking up to the sound of crashing waves...
Read more HERE.
This week's Maxism:
"You know, Dora isn't really an explorer."
Hugs to all!
Angela
The Latest From AngelaHoy.com
Topic, Common Themes, and Winners of the WritersWeekly.com Winter 2010 24-Hour Short Story Contest!
For the past six weeks, we've spent every spare moment judging the hundreds of entries submitted for the Winter 2010 24-Hour Short Story Contest. In case you're not familiar with our quarterly contest, this is how it works. On the date of the contest, at start-time, we send out the topic for that specific contest to all registered entrants. We also post it online. Only registered entrants can submit stories and the contests usually fill up before "start time." Entrants then have 24 hours to write and submit their stories by email. The stories "must deal with the topic in some way to qualify" and they must not exceed the pre-assigned word count.
After reading the entries for each contest, we can see how difficult it is to come up with a unique plot when working with an assigned topic. But, inevitably, a few writers do manage to successfully break away from the pack.
So, sit back, relax, and take a rest from your busy day. Hey, are you feelin' crafty?
Letters To The Editor
Letters to the Editor For March 17th
WHO'S SCAMMING GRANNY? Snakes That Prey on Elderly Authors
Dear Ms. Hoy:
Your article about shifty agents conning the elderly was very sad and informative. It almost happened to my mother years ago when she used to write a local interest column for our city newspaper. She was working on a New England novel concerning the Isles of Shoals when an 'agent' contacted her. (He had read her column and gushed about how much potential she had.) He said for a reasonable fee she could get pubished, become famous, and not have to depend on my deceased father's pension. Fortunately, my older brother got wind of this, became suspicious, tracked down the 'agent' in Worcester and discovered he had a 'rap' sheet' of related scams beforehand. My mother was embarrassed and disappointed, but relieved.
I'm 61 myself, and I have learned to be cautious, and not quit my day job.
Regards,
Doug
THE AMAZON SETTLEMENT
Bravo! Congratulations on the settlement, Angela. You continually amaze and impress me with your committment to ethics, quality and doing the right thing even when it is far easier not to. Please know how much you are appreciated and admired.
My Best,
Debra Sanders
http://www.debrasanders.com
This Week's Article
USING MILESTONE PAYMENTS: Prevent Non-Payment Situations in Corporate Writing By Yvonne Pesquera
"Diversify. Broaden your client base. Earn more money." This is typical advice given to corporate writers. But the risk of non-payment runs high when working with new clients - particularly small-to-medium-sized companies with fluctuating cash flow.
Ask The Expert
Another Content Mill Victim Whining...When He's Part of the Problem!
Here is my dilemma. I have worked for (a content mill) since July of last year. Sure, they pay steady, every week, but since seeing (a complaint posted about them online), I am not so sure about job security. This company pays just $5 for a 550-word article, and so I have to do 10-15 articles a day, just to make enough money to support my family. Sure I get a lot of repeat clients, and have a pretty stable article base, but there are so many days that I am working so long, I don't have time to spend with my family.
Success Stories
Another BookLocker.com Author Lands a Traditional Contract By Frank Fiore
Several months ago I self-published my first novel, Cyberkill, through BookLocker. It has recently been acquired by a traditional publisher called TrapDoor Books.
Whispers And Warnings
Whispers And Warnings For March 17th
Whispers and Warnings will return next week.
Markets And Jobs
Paying Markets And Jobs For March 17th
PAYING MARKETS
These are NOT recycled guidelines. WritersWeekly.com only features original market listings, received from and approved by the editors at each publication.
American Artist, Drawing Magazine, Watercolor Magazine, and Workshop Magazine
CURRENT NEEDS: "Instructional articles about working representational artists." Pays approximately $500 for 1600 words.
Corporate Board Member
CURRENT NEEDS: "Story ideas. Not interested in clips." Pays $1.50/word for 650-2500 words.
DOG FANCY
CURRENT NEEDS: "Nonfiction Needs - health/care/lifestyle actors. Note: No stories written from a dog's point of view." Pays $0.40/word for 800-1200 words.
Early American Life
CURRENT NEEDS: "Read the magazine. We look for stories regarding historic homes and decorating, antiques, crafts, and general history. Pay depends on the quality. First time writers can expect $500; experienced writers more.
FIDO Friendly magazine
CURRENT NEEDS: "Upbeat dog interest stories." Pays $0.10/word.
DO YOU PAY WRITERS?
Email your ad to us and we'll run it at no charge. Send it to:
angela - at - writersweekly.com
Freelance Editor / Ghostwriter
blind ad
Freelance Contributors & Analysts - near Portland, OR. Pays $9/hour.
Uberi.com
Freelance Proposal Writer
Sushi catering/retail service
Freelance Full-time SBA Business Plan Writers - Pays $35K-$40K/year
blind ad
Freelance Writers - Portuguese, Spanish
publictalks.org
Freelance Resume Writers
Great Resumes Fast
Freelance Product Review Writers/Bloggers - Pays $100-$200 per article.
MetaEfficient.com
Freelance Writer
The Chef's Tango Magazine
Freelance Web Evaluator - Native Japanese Speaker
Butler Hill Group
Freelance Writer - Pays $45-$65/project.
Sinai Marketing, Inc.
Freelance Blogger - National Community College Beat
Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media
Freelance Writers - Pays $20 per tutorial
MacCreate Network / maccreate.com
Freelance Resume Writer - for C-Level Executives
executive marketing company
Freelance Telecom Journalist
broadband publication and website
Freelance Copyeditors and Environment Editors
NationalGeographic.com
Freelance Writers
publictalks.org
Freelance Ghostwriter - to summarize career books into 6-8 page outlines. Pays $75 per outline.
blind ad
Freelance Tech/Geek Writers - Pays $16/hour.
blind ad
Freelance Editor - includes html coding
educational publisher
Freelance Technical Writer - Deployment
poshconsulting.net
Freelance Correspondent - in Brussels
Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.
Freelance Technology Journalists
blind ad
Freelance Marketing Copy Writer - Pays $20-$30/hour
Midtown B2B media company
Freelance Online Editor
Business School Management Journal
FreeBookExcerpts.com
FreeBookExcerpts.com For March 17th
FreeBookExcerpts.com: where authors post excerpts and readers post comments.
Here's a peek at what was added this week!
CASINO WALL STREET: A Trader's Seven-Year Education in Delusion and Deception by Mario Cohen
The dangers of day and swing trading, and even investing in the financial markets; why over 90% lose; safe and profitable alternatives.
POST YOUR OWN BOOK EXCERPT, AT: http://www.FreeBookExcerpts.com
NEW BOOKS AT BOOKLOCKER.COM!
NON-FICTION
LIFE'S PATH: MAKE A CHOICE THAT BRINGS YOU HAPPINESS
What does it take to be successful and achieve happiness in the 21st century? The Life's Path workbook gently guides you step-by-step to answer.
HOW LIFE HAPPENS FOR ME, NOT TO ME...When I STOP Playing SMALL
The author shares how a shift in awareness caused him to be grateful for his middle name, a name that he hid and despised for the first fifty-two years of his life. He tells us how he played the role of "victim" by resenting his mother and the mid-wife who delivered him...
FICTION
BLACKBERRY SUMMER
College professor and criminal investigation consultant Nikki Jaeger takes a summer break in rural southwest Virginia -- to take pictures on an archaeology site. But what begins as a way to meet interesting people takes unexpected turns.
THE MOUTHY PRINCE
Escape and survive with one of the first British heroes.
Interview Requests
Interview Requests For March 17th
This week:
