That’s a pretty tough question. Do I think there are POD publishers out there who are honestly trying to help authors fulfill their dreams of being published? The answer is yes with an *.
Let’s get the * out of the way first. The idea of an author doing all the work, paying for all the services yet only sharing in a portion of the profits rubs me the wrong way. This is what POD Publishing is all about. Would you dream of hiring a contractor to build an extension on your house and not only pay him for the services provided but also give him a percentage of the profits you make when you sell your house later on? I don’t think so but that is exactly what you are doing when you use a POD Publisher. Hiring a book packager or publishing service to help you get your book to market is one thing. Hiring a partner where you put up all of the time and money and your “Partner” shares in the profits, is quite another. But that is my opinion. For those of you who see nothing wrong with entering a partnership as described above, read on.
If you are convinced that POD Publishing is perfect for you, there is something you need to know. Not all POD Publishers are created equally. Mark Levine, who practiced corporate and entertainment law for 10 years and represented several authors in disputes with POD publishers, recently published a book titled The Fine Print of Self-Publishing – The Contracts and Services of 48 Major Self-Publishing Companies – Analyzed, Ranked & Exposed . Mark takes an interesting look at the whole self-publishing industry, not from a vanity press, traditional self publisher angle but from how author friendly is the publishers’ contract.
His criteria of what make a good publisher and what does not is based on the following seven points:
1. A good reputation among writers
2. An attractive, Easy-to-Navigate website
3. Fairly priced publishing fees
4. Generous royalties without any fuzzy math
5. Low printing costs and high Production Value
6. Favorable contract terms
7. Fairly priced additional services (such as marketing and copyright registration)
8. Ability to obtains an ISBN, LCCN and Barcode as part of any basic publishing package
9. Ability to register the author’s book with Bowker’s Books in Print, make it available through a book wholesaler like Baker & Taylor or Ingram and list it on Amazon.com, BN.com and other large scale sellers.
From here 48 major self-publishing companies are divided into the following groups based upon how well that fit they comply with the nine points above..
1. Outstanding Self-Publishing Companies
2. Some Pretty Good Self-Publishing Companies
3. Publishers Who Are Just OK
4. Publishers to Avoid
Not to give away the whole book, I thought it would be fun to take a little closer look at the handful of large companies you will most likely run into looking at full page ads in writers’ magazines or doing a Google search under the keyword, Self Publishing.
Outstanding Self-Publishing Companies –
Iuniverse (www.iuniverse.com ) – Levine writes, “When weighing your publishing options, Iuniverse is a company you need to consider. Although the royalties are low and the price an author pays for books is high, your book will be on a heavily trafficked website. And, if you have success in book sales, Iuniverse has the ability to get you to the next level”.
Ron’s Note: I have mentioned on previous occasions that Iuniverse is one of the very few publishers who have executives with heavy publishing experience. If you are set on POD publishing, I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
Lulu (www.lulu.com) – Levine says, “If you are looking for an easy, no frills way to sell your book without high upfront fees, this publisher is for you… The agreement is as author friendly as they come”
Ron’s Note: Lulu is both POD publisher and printer, depending on the service you purchase. They seem to be especially good for people who need no hand holding and print only a few books.
RJ Communications – (www.selfpublishing.com or www.BooksJustBooks.com) – Levine says, “Ron Pramschufer, owner of RJ Communications, is one of the good guys in self-publishing who stands by the idea that anything the author pays to have done remains the property of the author (such as book cover and layout designs). Pramschufer is all about the author and it shows in the pricing… RJ Communications is one of the few companies that are 100% in the author’s corner”.
Ron’s Note: I have a hard time arguing with Mark on that one. While not a POD Publisher, I believe I made the book because I represent the true alternative.
Some Pretty Good Self-Publishing Companies
Booksurge (www.Booksurge.com) – A while ago, this company was bought by Amazon. Since then it has become very popular on the Internet various message boards, both bad and good.
Levine had this to say, “Booksurge gets a 10 for its contract but a 2 for its upfront fees…Booksurge’s primary business model focuses on selling book publishing packages to authors rather than driving potential readers to its online bookstore…until Booksurge takes advantage of its relationship with Amazon.com… it remains just a pretty good publisher.”
Publishers Who are Just OK
Trafford ( www.trafford.com) – Mark says, “In many respects Trafford straddles the fence between Just OK and Publishers-to-Avoid categories. The sale price of the books are outrageous…its publishing fees are high for what you receive…The contract is the publishers one bright spot. Terms are open and the contract is easy to terminate. Unfortunately, this alone isn’t enough”
Ron’s note: I might add that they do have a nice dog as a mascot.
Xlibris (www.xlibris.com) – Mark says, “The contract itself is author-friendly enough. What kills Xlibris are the publishing fees, the retail prices of the books, and the author price for copies… Yes, this company mails one of the biggest, glossiest, high-quality brochures to Writer’s Digest subscribers and other magazines. It’s also partially owned by Random House. But if your priority is to sell books without paying an arm and a leg, forgo the glitz, save money, and move on to the next publisher.”
Ron’s Note: Another item that I see often complained about is the fact that virtually all of Xlibris’s operations are overseas making it, sometimes, hard to communicate.
Publishers to Avoid –
About the category, Mark says “If you choose to publish with any of the companies listed here, picture me whispering in your ear, “I told you so.” It is harder to make the Publishers-to-Avoid list than it is to make the Outstanding list because I am not in the business of ruining people’s livelihoods.
Author House – (www.authorhouse.com) – One of my perennial favorites. Mark says, “The precursor to this contract was horrible, and this dressed-up version shows little improvement. A few terms, such as the author’s termination rights, have become more author-friendly, but others, such as remedies against the publisher, have worsened…. The drafter of this contract seemed to anticipate author lawsuits and to prevent the types of suits and claims authors were making… Further, any disagreement with Author House is a lost cause. Its contract makes it difficult to complain and see results. Even if you had a legitimate cause of action, it still might be impossible to win based on how the contract is written. There is nothing favorable to the author. This company is for those authors who are willing to spend a ton of money to say their book is published. You’d be better off finding another publisher and taking your money and putting it towards marketing.”
Ron’s Note: For all you Author House fans out there, you really need to read the entire write-up. It’s much worse than the excerpt above.
Publish America – (www.PublishAmerica.com – This is one that has slipped under my radar until recently.
Mark says, “Publish America claims to operate like a traditional publisher, but it operates like a traditional publisher only in theory… The contract terms are so outrageous that except for not charging an up-front publishing fee, Publish America and traditional publishers have nothing in common…. If the world of self-publishing has an Evil Empire, Publish America occupies that role. One author who contacted me hired a lawyer and spent thousands of dollars to get out of her contract. She was more than willing to provide a copy of the contract and valuable information about the way Publish America treats its authors. Shocking, disgusting, and despicable are just a few of the adjectives to describe this publisher’s practices.
You can read the entire write-up for the companies listed above as well as 39 other Self companies by simply ordering a copy of The Fine Print for only $16.95 by (clicking here).
That’s it for this month other than last month I told you I would show you a list of customer comments from authors who have used one or more of my services. If you are interested, please (click here). See you next month.
Share / Print
I appreciate this review of PODs. What is the best deal, however, for someone like me, whose clients want their memoirs published mainly for family and friends and don’t need or want to sell them or need or want more than 100 books?
Thanks,
Fran Hathaway
Lifestories LLC
not sure how iuniverse can rank so well, and authorhouse so poorly. I have experience with both. authorhouse royalties are higher, book cost is less, they are the only pod to have an amazon #1 best seller, several celebs, politicians, sports figures. is mark levin on the iuniverse payroll?
Whatever Ron says means a lot to me. We’ve spoken a number of times, and you can always feel his advice is coming from experience and good will.
This superbly written article says it all: The good guys, and the not so good guys in POD. Who can argue with the idea that author’s who worked hard deserve to reap their own rewards.
Best to all. Rabbi Jacobs (www.RabbiJacobs.com)
I am in the same boat as Fran Hathaway. My goal is not profit for myself but product for family members and special friends. I want the book to be just as I have typed it, errors and all, and with a multitude of old pictures. Although I am not ready to submit the material for printing, I am searching for and want the best deal.
Hi Ron
As always your articles command attention. This article is very informative. I am curious about another POD that you did not mention \\\”Outskirts Press\\\” where do they fall in the category?
Author\’s Note: Outskirts Press is included in Mark Levine\\\’s book with the other 37 or so POD Publishers. If you are interested, you may want to pick up a copy.
I very much admire Ron’s candor when writing about self-publishing and print-on-deman. He’s definitely reader/author oriented and does not pander to the publishers. I have had several e-mail exchanges with Ron and although I am much older, I’ve come to regard him as my unofficial mentor.
Thanks, Ron.
Hugh Rosen
http://www.hughrosen.com
Hi Ron,
I look forward to receiving your newletters. This one article in particular grabbed my attention, since I nearly signed on with one of your “publishers to avoid.” Perhaps it was my caution or just plain belief that “you don’t get something for nothing” that saved me. Your columns are incredibly helpful to so many.
I have since started my own (tiny) publishing company. It’s a venture in adventure, I can tell you. And I am still learning.
One great resource is your Publishing Basics newsletter. Keep up the good work.
Best regards,
J. Wolf Sanchez, http://www.imwolf.com
I thought this article was really helpful. I have been gathering information about publishing my book for over a year and I have heard a lot of stories. Its hard to know what’s on the up and up. This article gave me honest information which allows me to make my own decisions.
thank you for the information……..i’m redy to publish
and you have given me some very fine direction to move into…..charlene
Greetings
Thanks for your in-depth article on POD Publishers.
I have been with Lulu.com for four years now and have found them to be very supportive and on the professional side for POD’ers.
Yes, it is work for a writer to go this way in Lulu Land … but the work is totally in your own hands & you can change & grow as you will.
For me it was a good fit.
Write On!
C.L. Mareydt, Editor & Author
A Word Fitly Spoken Magazine
http://www.freewebs.com/awordfitlyspoken
I\\\’m a castaway marooning from Author House and Xlibris. What printers do you recomend for self publishing?
Author\’s Note: Try http://www.selfpublishing.com. You can get both digital and offset printing pricing in seconds.
While http://www.cafepress doesn’t drive a lot of traffic to my book, “WindWords of Wyoming,” I have found it to be the easiest, least expensive way to get it POD. There are NO upfront costs and their turn-around from order to my doo, or that of a purchaser, is consistently brief. I get a percentage of every book sold, but they are not considered royalties. They have a set price which a book will cost to print and that’s it.
I also am pleased with the quality of printing. Yes, I had to design the front and back covers as well as the spine and follow their template for layout, but it was not that difficult and I liked having that much control over it.
Fran, what one has printed through CafePress does NOT have to be accessible to the public; you make that choice. Also, there is NO minimum; although for authors/publishers there is a discount given for any orders over 15 books. The only drawback for family memoirs is, last time I checked, they do not offer photographs inside. Otherwise, I would highly recommend them.
Thanks
from order to my doo,
Of course, I meant “door.”
Thanks!
Mixed message dept– Author’s House never sold a sinle copy of a book ofmy husband’s poems I” published” as a memorial to him and the hard cash I put out for their promo package was utterly wasted, true– on the other hand, they produced a beautiful book based on my editing and design that preserves some of his work and EXISTS in the Library of Congress catalog, etc. And I feel the cost to me was fair. Given that I can’t do muvh to promote his book– or those of mine I hope to see published before I die– what’s a little old lady of 87+ to do? For my work ti’s truly publish or perish!
Thanks, Ron. I read your publishing basics diligently. Great & clear advice, and your website is easy to navigate! I like that.
I’m curious what you think of Lightning Source, I don’t see them mentioned anywhere on your lists.
Thanks,
Lightning Source is a printer, not a publisher, which is why I don’t say much about them.
I exhausted myself trying to convince a commercial publishing house to publish my Christian book of christian spiritual warfare. Publish America has offered me a contract without any upfront money, being that other companies as authorhouse, Iuniverse, booksurge and others ask for an up front price to publish your book, money I do not have now nor will I have later. So I thought Publish America was the way to go. Correct me if I am wrong by offering other facts, and maybe giving me a link to a lawyer of literary works that would like to speak to me about the sample contract that Publish America sent me. Thanks.
After much research, I used RJ Communications (www.booksjustbooks) to facilitate self-publishing of my novel, PHI. RJC provided outstanding assistance and communicatiion with interior text format, and also cover layout of my own design. Good price for brokered printing by Bang Printing, and quick product delivery. And I kept all rights to the book and cover.
High recommendation.
I am writing and about to publish my first book. I’m considering using Instant Publisher. Waht do you think?
I am looking to self publish my self-help/how-to book. But, it includes 80-100 how-to color photos. What printer would you recommend for an author who only wants about 300-500 books?
I am also considering a POD. This will be my first book and I could use some hand holding. What POD would you recommend?
Thanks so much for your expert suggestions!
Delia Martinez
I have an offer for POD + all of the benifits offered by Dorrance Publishing. I didn\\\’t read any comments about Dorrance Publishing! Do you have any? There are WAY to many POD\\\’s out there, and I\\\’m getting confused.
Author Comments: Dorrance is a true Vanity Press, by anyone\’s definition. I would steer clear unless you have money to burn. If your plan is to make a commercial go of it, you should look at traditional self-publishing. IE: You own the ISBN plus call all the shots. Start by visiting http://www.selfpublishing.com. If you are just looking for a few books to show your friends that you have been \\\”Published\\\”, just shop price among the various POD Publishers you find on the Internet, and then resist all the various \\\”add ons\\\” that they will try to sell you.
You don’t mention how difficult – or not difficult it is to go from POD to pubishing house like selfpublishing.com.
I printed a few dozen copies of my book through Lulu.com – which was great and gave me great control over the revision process, but I have not yet purchesed an ISBN or done an Amazon distiribution. Lulu has not sold any of my books – I have.
Can I now take my book to a place like selfpublishing.com and print larger runs of them, and still retain my full rights to the book? Or does Lulu now have some claim on the book? I’m also considering a digital protected E-book version of the book package because it is a book with accompanying workbook and audio files. It’s a fine line deciding if I want to make 3 or 4 different products or just one.
Thanks for any comments you have.
I am getting ready to publish a non-fiction narrative titled, “A Divine Transition on Christmas Eve.” Its an extremely powerful, true story that takes the reader on a metaphysical journey. It has taken several years to complete.
I have been talking to Booksurge because of their offer to market the book alongside a better known author (their October Special) on amazon.com. Would you recommend a different course of action?
Appreciate your comments.
Regards,
Patti Harter
spent a fortune with corkhill and then they filed bankruptcy, then was promised graphic’s by booksurge, but it was all deception and prevarication’s after sending them monies. what is your take on tate publishing? nmoore5@cox.net johnny moore, author of shannon dollar and the magic of medicine rock, which consists of 6 books. 702 434 4253
I have been through 5 publishers and am now on No. 6. They all used print-on-demand printing for their books (and 2 of them were \”traditional\” publishers who didn\’t charge any upfront fee). I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Still, I gained a lot of insight and information from each of them, both what to do and what not to do. Each of them made me a better writer, and a better marketer. Yes, most authors, unless you are one of the 12 top selling names, has to market their own books.
While this is basically very good sounding information, I have a couple of questions. (1)How does BookSurge rate so high when they have (from what I understand) basically no US distribution, as through Ingram, etc. This makes it nearly impossible to get their books into any bookstores. (2)Publish America claims to be a non-subsidy publisher, since they charge no upfront fees and even pay that whopping $1 advance!
Janet Elaine Smith
I enjoyed your article. Realiizing, of course, that I must purchase your book to read your recommend lists and those publishers to stay away from – I do hope to find you have named Global Authors Publications (GAP) as one of the good publishers. I have had three books published with this company and highly recommend them. They may charge a fee, but they give you professional editing, cover design, excellent formatting, the POD print process, distribution with both Ingrams and Barnes and Noble, an ISBN, listed in the Library of Congress, and the opportunity to receive 100% of your royalties.
First of all, I have two books published with Booksurge. Started with them way back when there was only about 100 authors. All I hear from them is “send me more money and we’ll make your books greater.”
My last two books have been published through Star Publishing (www.starpublish.com), and this is a FAR BETTER choice. No asking me again for money, only upfront costs that are would costs ALOT more if I had published these last two with Booksurge. I get great service for a reasonable price. Truly a honest publisher that won’t take you for a ride.
Honesty and integrity in self-publishing… where has it gone??
Would you reccomend Dorrance? What are the pluses and minuses on Dorrance
Ron’s original article was from a LONG time ago. Those rankings have changed dramatically since Mark Levine published his new book in Sept. ’08.
Here’s a quick sampling of Mark’s new list.
OUTSTANDING PUBLISHERS:
BookLocker
Infinity
RJ
PRETTY GOOD:
Lulu
Outskirts
ONLY OK:
BookSurge
CreateSpace
AVOID:
AuthorHouse
iUniverse
Dorrance
Trafford
Xlibris
PublishAmerica
I wonder what changed so much that publishers that were once “Outstanding” are now ones to avoid.
OK I understand the don’t of POD or Vanity press but I have a reputable publisher who has the distribution etc. and does hobbist books. We are talking about a specialized hobby book with a 1,000 or 1,500 initial print run. We know the market, etc. and have a reasonable idea of what will sell and the publisher has done similar books and has a good track record on sales to the people in the hobby. He gets them into Amazon, etc. and they get reviewed for people in the hobby.
Here’s the kicker. In this economy what he is proposing is an investment approach where the writers put up most or all of the money and get half the profits from the book sales.
Is that typical? Is 45-50% a good number or is this publisher being abusive? etc? What your experience????
A vanity press by any other name is still a vanity press. If you believe you have a book that will sell 1000 copies, you should publish it yourself and make 100%. With this other guy, you will overpay for all the services and then only make half the profit. Get away…. fast
Ron