At BookLocker.com, I field questions from authors all day long, every day. Most of those are from authors who are considering using our affordable services. And, since we are selective about what we publish (we don’t publish anything and everything like the “other guys”), I’m happy to refer authors to other, good companies, as well as to warn authors about which firms to absolutely stay FAR away from.
After these authors have researched a variety of publishers, they are often confused. Why do the fees charged by all of these firms cover such a broad spectrum, often thousands of dollars apart? How can BookLocker only charge $18 for an annual fee while others charge $75 or more for the same service? Why do so many of those firms take all rights to production files? What are production files anyway? And, one I hear far too often is, “How much do you charge for print book cover design and ebook cover design for the same book?”
The fact is, if you have a book in print, a firm should never charge you extra for ebook cover design. If you encounter that, run away as fast as you can from that company. Ebook covers are super easy! At BookLocker.com, we simply crop the front cover from the print cover file, resize it, insert it into the ebook files, and post it on the ebook retailer websites. Some firms charge authors extra to do that but it literally takes less than 5 minutes to crop the front cover from the master print file.
Many authors who contact me through WritersWeekly.com are already under contract with another publisher. Some believe they’re getting scammed but they don’t know for sure. Oddly enough, many of these publishers ignore author correspondence, or send canned responses to all emails that don’t even come close to answering the author’s question at all. Some authors make accusations about things that are normal in the publishing industry. One of the most common ones I see is: “I terminated my book a long time ago but it’s still for sale on Amazon. My publisher isn’t sending me those royalties!”
I gently explain to those authors that Amazon very rarely removes old book pages from their site because they allow firms to sell used books on those book pages. If it’s a used book, the publisher and, subsequently, the author, were already paid for that book. I suspect, since those are authors who have terminated their contracts, their publishers act like they can’t be bothered to respond to a perfectly sensible question. That’s a pretty dumb business decision because failing to explain something so simple can lead to accusations of theft and copyright infringement later.
Do you have questions about self-publishing, or the publishing industry in general? Don’t understand what those annual fees are for? What is full distribution? What’s a print proof look like? Why is Amazon listing your book as “out of stock” when it’s very much alive? Can’t figure out what your royalties will be? Who’s the best self-publishing service for your needs? Who should you absolutely avoid?
I’m very happy to answer these and any other questions for you. Sometimes, what the publisher is doing makes perfect sense. Sometimes, it’s a total rip-off. I’ll very gladly tell you my opinion about your situation.
I’ve been publishing books for 18 years and I’d like to believe that I’ve seen it all. But, sure enough, every once in awhile, I see a new zinger. And, when I do, we’re very happy to investigate. 😉
You can contact me RIGHT HERE.
RELATED:
UPDATED Print on Demand (POD) Price Comparison!
SELF-PUBLISHING? – How Many Book Sales Needed to Recoup Your Investment?
Publishing Services’ Secrets Revealed
AUTHORS, REPEAT AFTER ME: “I will NOT give publishers ownership of my production files!”
CREATESPACE COMPLAINTS – PART IV
“100% Royalties?!” Don’t Be Fooled!
Got questions about Print On Demand and Self-publishing? Ask Angela Hoy.
About The Author
Angela Hoy is the publisher of WritersWeekly.com, the author of 19 books, and the co-owner of BookLocker.com (one of the original POD publishers that still gets books to market in less than a month), PubPreppers.com (print and ebook design for authors who truly want to self-publish), and Abuzz Press (the publishing co-op that charges no setup fees).
Angela has lived and traveled across the U.S. with her kids in an RV, settled in a river-side home in Bradenton, FL, and lived on a 52 ft Irwin sailboat. Angela now resides on a mountaintop in Northwest Georgia, where she plans to spend the rest of her days bird watching, gardening, hiking, and taking in all of the amazing sunrises.
WritersWeekly.com - the free marketing ezine for writers, which features new paying markets and freelance job listings every Wednesday.
BookLocker.com - According to attorney Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print, BookLocker is: "As close to perfection as you're going to find in the world of ebook and POD publishing. The ebook royalties are the highest I've ever seen, and the print royalties are better than average. BookLocker understands what new authors experience, and have put together a package that is the best in the business. You can't go wrong here. Plus, they're selective and won't publish any manuscript just because it's accompanied by a check. Also, the web site is well trafficked. If you can find a POD or epublisher with as much integrity and dedication to selling authors' books, but with lower POD publishing fees, please let me know."
Abuzz Press offers FAST and FREE book publication, but only accepts a small percentage of submissions, and only works with U.S. authors.
PubPreppers.com - "We Prep, You Publish!" Print and ebook design for authors who truly want to self-publish. Offers formatting and design services only, and then provides simple instructions for authors on where to sign up to have the print and ebook editions printed/listed/sold. Cut out the middle man. Keep 100% of what bookstores pay for your book!
Angela's POD Secrets Revealed Series can be found HERE.
Have a POD Book with another publisher? See if BookLocker can give you a better deal. (BookLocker offers "disgruntled author discounts" to those who want to move from other POD services.)
See BookLocker's publishing packages HERE.
ANGELA ON TWITTER https://twitter.com/AngelaHoy
BOOKLOCKER ON FACEBOOK - Provides links to free excerpts!
https://www.facebook.com/booklockerbooks
ANGELA ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/angela.hoy.750
ANGELA ON LINKEDIN
https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelahoy/
Angela is the creator of the Original 24-Hour Short Story Contest!
https://24hourshortstorycontest.com/
Read More Of Angela's Articles HERE
90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy
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I normally work through lunch. Whether I’m painting or writing, I grab a bite here and there while I continue with brush, pen, or keyboard. However, on Thursdays, I take a “real” lunch break and make time to read the new edition of WritersWeekly. It’s always interesting, informative, and entertaining. Thanks!