PublishAmerica
July 18, 2006
This morning I received an e-mail from Author Support at Publish America. This brought me a surprise. PublishAmerica, for those who do not know, is a P.O.D. publisher, (print on demand). When PubAm published my novel, SOMETHING'S LEAKING UPSTAIRS, in May 2005, it was something of a rush job as they had told me originally that six weeks was minimum to allow after all approvals had gone in. I needed the book by late May for a June tour in CA. They said it could be done. I ordered 200 copies and with that many got them for half price. They retail for $19.95 each. With S/H I still put out over $2000.
For those not familiar with this company, I was under no obligation to purchase a single copy. My only required expense with PubAm was $35 for the copyright that I had to get by sending a copy of the manuscript to the D.C. Copyright office and filling out proper forms. This is somewhat different from the self-publishing outfits that require money up front.
I did not like the cover, they provided. Their "staff artist" appears to be someone adept at assembling computer images into a collage that is acceptable to the author. I learned later that I could have provided the art myself and if I have it re-published-- and if they are willing--I will supply a different cover. I'm told by several self-published writers that "the cover sells the book." (My cover makes the book look like a manual on raising small farm animals. It is really a humorous novel about how a wife can get a husband to see things her way.) But, as I said above, time was of the essence.
In the two+ years since the book came out I have given 38 promo talks in a dozen CA, NV, AZ cities and had two radio interviews in support of my books. I have personally sold all but 25 copies of the original 200. Gave away about 30 to relatives and as thank-you gifts.
The news that came this morning from PubAm is that I can purchase 65 copies or more at a 45% discount and that PubAm will pay royalties on what I purchase, as well as what they sell from HQ or to book stores. Heretofore I received no royalties on books I purchased from them. I will see a royalty report in August (they issue reports twice a year) but unless something unusualhappened in sales out of HQ and in book stores, they have sold, so far, fewer than a dozen books. (Probably that cover wisdom is sound?) I ordered the 65 which should carry me through the duration of the book's life in my hands.
By contrast, my nonfiction book (with a charming comic cover) has sold more than 1500 copies--out of the publisher's office. I have purchased and sold about 50. This is JUST PENCIL ME IN--YOUR GUIDE TO MOVING & GETTING SETTLED AFTER 60. It is promoted in the Quill Driver Books/Word Dancer Press Catalog and this publisher has a very aggressive promo staff at the publishing HQ in Sanger, CA. The royalties they pay (whether I or others purchase the book) is 6 1/2%. I have had more total dollars from Quill Driver sales than from PubAm.
These are bits of information I hope will be helpful to those of you out there in Blog-land who may have a book ready to publish. All the rules and regulations for PublishAmerica can be found at www.publishamerica.com and for Quill Driver Books at www.quilldriverbooks.com (The latter publishes only non-fiction. PubAm publishes both fiction and nonfiction.
If you have questions I may be able to answer, get back to me at wgore@npgcable.com --Willma
This morning I received an e-mail from Author Support at Publish America. This brought me a surprise. PublishAmerica, for those who do not know, is a P.O.D. publisher, (print on demand). When PubAm published my novel, SOMETHING'S LEAKING UPSTAIRS, in May 2005, it was something of a rush job as they had told me originally that six weeks was minimum to allow after all approvals had gone in. I needed the book by late May for a June tour in CA. They said it could be done. I ordered 200 copies and with that many got them for half price. They retail for $19.95 each. With S/H I still put out over $2000.
For those not familiar with this company, I was under no obligation to purchase a single copy. My only required expense with PubAm was $35 for the copyright that I had to get by sending a copy of the manuscript to the D.C. Copyright office and filling out proper forms. This is somewhat different from the self-publishing outfits that require money up front.
I did not like the cover, they provided. Their "staff artist" appears to be someone adept at assembling computer images into a collage that is acceptable to the author. I learned later that I could have provided the art myself and if I have it re-published-- and if they are willing--I will supply a different cover. I'm told by several self-published writers that "the cover sells the book." (My cover makes the book look like a manual on raising small farm animals. It is really a humorous novel about how a wife can get a husband to see things her way.) But, as I said above, time was of the essence.
In the two+ years since the book came out I have given 38 promo talks in a dozen CA, NV, AZ cities and had two radio interviews in support of my books. I have personally sold all but 25 copies of the original 200. Gave away about 30 to relatives and as thank-you gifts.
The news that came this morning from PubAm is that I can purchase 65 copies or more at a 45% discount and that PubAm will pay royalties on what I purchase, as well as what they sell from HQ or to book stores. Heretofore I received no royalties on books I purchased from them. I will see a royalty report in August (they issue reports twice a year) but unless something unusualhappened in sales out of HQ and in book stores, they have sold, so far, fewer than a dozen books. (Probably that cover wisdom is sound?) I ordered the 65 which should carry me through the duration of the book's life in my hands.
By contrast, my nonfiction book (with a charming comic cover) has sold more than 1500 copies--out of the publisher's office. I have purchased and sold about 50. This is JUST PENCIL ME IN--YOUR GUIDE TO MOVING & GETTING SETTLED AFTER 60. It is promoted in the Quill Driver Books/Word Dancer Press Catalog and this publisher has a very aggressive promo staff at the publishing HQ in Sanger, CA. The royalties they pay (whether I or others purchase the book) is 6 1/2%. I have had more total dollars from Quill Driver sales than from PubAm.
These are bits of information I hope will be helpful to those of you out there in Blog-land who may have a book ready to publish. All the rules and regulations for PublishAmerica can be found at www.publishamerica.com and for Quill Driver Books at www.quilldriverbooks.com (The latter publishes only non-fiction. PubAm publishes both fiction and nonfiction.
If you have questions I may be able to answer, get back to me at wgore@npgcable.com --Willma
posted by Willma Willis Gore at
3:55 PM
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