Q. –

Hey Angela,

I have been offered a contract by a regular publisher but, because I am not a known author, they want me to commit to purchasing copies up front for a total of $4200. I realize that they want to get all of their costs back up front but that seems kind of high to me. What do you think?

A. –

Well, for a $4200 up-front investment, I think you are getting RIPPED OFF.

That is NOT a “regular” or traditional publisher. They’ve found a creative way to make authors pay for the up-front publishing expenses. Using the “you’re not a known author” excuse is ridiculous. Traditional publishers do not do business that way.

I checked them out online. They’re using the old bait ‘n switch tactic. On their homepage, they appear to be a traditional publisher. They told you they’d be paying part of the publishing costs, making it appear to be a co-op deal. Trust me. They’re not. To make matters worse, they claim to be a Christian organization. If you ask me, I don’t think Jesus would approve of their marketing methods.

There are plenty of complaints about them online, too.

If you can’t land a traditional contract, and if you need to self-publish, see our POD price comparison HERE. None of the companies on that list pretend to be traditional publishers.

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Complaints about AuthorHouse, Complaints about Xlibris, Complaints about iUniverse, Complaints about Trafford, etc., etc.

Archived Q&A’s are featured HERE.

The Do-It-Yourselfer's Guide to Self-Syndication

Practical resource outlining the self-syndication process, step-by-step. Packed with detailed information and useful tips for writers looking to gain readership, name recognition, publication and self-syndication for their column or articles.

https://writersweekly.com/books/4693.html

 

90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy

Promoting your book online should be considered at least a part-time job. Highly successful authors spend more time promoting a book than they do writing it - a lot more.

We know what you're thinking. You're an author, not a marketer. Not to worry! We have more than a decade of successful online book selling experience under our belts and we're going to teach you how to promote your book effectively online...and almost all of our techniques are FREE!

Online book promotion is not only simple but, if you have a step-by-step, day-to-day marketing plan (this book!), it can also be a very artistic endeavor, which makes it fun for creative folks like you!

Yes, online book promoting can be EASY and FUN! Let us show you how, from Day 1 through Day 90...and beyond!

 

BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - by Angela Hoy

Peek over the shoulders of highly successful, published authors to see how they landed publishing contracts worth $10,000 to $100,000! An enticing yet professional book proposal is the key!

BONUS! Successful ghostwriter, Anton Marco, shares his secret for landing ghostwriting clients. Don’t miss Anton’s real ghostwriting contract at the end of this book! It provides an example of what he charges and the payment terms he requires from each client.