When I began this blog I had two main purposes.
The first was to update my readers on what was happening, such as getting a
website, publishing a new book, sales, etc. The second was to chronicle my
journey so that others who want to take a shot at writing might be able to
learn from my mistakes and successes. I had so many people who told me that
they had always wanted to write a book after I published my first book, that I
wanted to encourage them to try.
The email course for ACFW (American Christian
Fiction Writers) this month is indie (independent) vs. traditional publishing.
I have been so excited for this course because there is so much about
publishing that I don't know. Having someone who is in publishing (the teacher
owns a small press publishing company) teach me the differences between the
two, the pros and cons of each, the potholes to watch out for, and seeing other
authors who are figuring things out just like me has been so helpful.
· One of the first things
I learned was about a mistake I've already made in publishing. I fell for what
they call a “vanity press.” These are publishers who stroke your vanity to get
you to buy more from them. I don't think it's technically a scam, but their
goal isn't to sell your books. Their goal is to make money off of the author.
They have you pay to publish your book, then try to sell you editing packages,
marketing packages, and your own books. To top it off, they price the books too
high so that they won't sell.
This is an accurate description of what I
experienced through Westbow Press. Fortunately for me, I didn't have enough
money to give them to feel like I've really been taken in. I paid for a low-end
publishing package, but nothing more. In fact, in a way I'm glad I went through
the experience because I learned a lot.
· I discovered to research
things a little more. I learned to trust my “cynicism” ¾ that part of me that
says, “Yeah, you're telling me nice things about me and my book, but you're
also trying to sell me something, so I don't think I believe you.”
· I realized that even
though a company is part of a larger reputable company, it doesn't mean that
the smaller company is necessarily a good one.
· On top of all that, if I
hadn't gone through them, I probably wouldn't have made the step to have a
marketing team, and I wouldn't have found Merge Left Marketing which has been
so good to me.
I'm not telling you anything I haven't already
told Westbow. They often send me surveys asking about my experience, inquiring if
I would recommend them to others. The answer is no. I would tell anyone
thinking about publishing to look around carefully, do a lot of research, and
avoid a company that's just a “vanity press.” As soon as they told me what they
were going to price my book at, I knew I was done with them.
When even my own family members are hesitant to
buy it because it's too expensive, something is very wrong. Even I don't want
to buy my own book because it costs too much. To top it off, my package
included some “free” books (I feel like I've paid for them with my publication
fees), but I can't get my books until I pay a separate shipping and handling
fee. My books are being held hostage until I can afford the ransom.
I do want to get Sweetheart Suite into
print, but I will not be using Westbow Press. I'm going to do some research on
other means to get it done. Lesson learned.
