Use Online Publishing to Produce Books
Web Publishing Services can be Excellent but Require Scrutiny
Sep 24, 2008
If you choose to use an online publishing service, caution and oversight are necessary to insure your investment . Only investigate sites that allow you to browse other books the company has produced. Check carefully to see what extra charges are tacked on. Order a book published by the site to examine print and paper quality, binding, layout and cover.
Book Options
Often times you may want a book size other than the traditional trade paperback. Make certain this feature is available, along with a choice of bindings. While most fiction books are best served with Perfect Binding, cookbooks or technical manuals may work best for your reader if they are spiral or comb bound. Perhaps your book is small and you want saddle stitch binding. Some companies charge extra, per book, for books not Perfect Bound.
Can you choose your own font? Paper weight? Cover finish? Is the manufacturer capable of producing good quality photos, graphs and charts if those are also required for your book?
Services Provided
Almost all online publishers will provide you with any service you need, from obtaining an ISBN number for you, to editing, layout, cover design, etc. Most companies charge a hefty price tag for these services, while other companies provide a few services for free. How much will a company allow you to do, or to provide, free of charge? This is an important consideration. Most people can provide a PDF file with embedded font in less than a minute – why pay $75 for someone else to do that for you?
Another example of price disparity is when it comes to covers. For example, lulu.com allows customers free pre-designed covers, or you can download your own cover for free, while other companies offer a choice of $100 or $500 covers.
Shipping fees can be very expensive and are another factor to take into consideration. A few manufacturers give a choice as to how the book will be shipped; others don’t. Some offer expedited services (for a fee) while others may take a week to print your book.
Several companies also include the opportunity to sell your book on their website, either as a publication or as a download. This is a worthwhile service in most instances if it’s free. These sites usually also offer marketing packages which may or may not be worth your while.
Buyer Beware
If you choose to use an online publishing company, make absolutely certain that you will be able to order one book only to preview. Lulu.com is excellent in this regard, but there are other firms that will only accept a minimum order of 50 books. Once your book is ordered, if you are unhappy with it, or see typographical or other errors, you almost never have recourse to obtain a refund.
Summary
Using an online publishing service can be an efficient and cost effective way for you to get your book self-published, depending on the company and your scrutiny of the details. Be sure to closely examine a book the company has produced. Meticulously compare prices and services rendered. Be hesitant to sign agreements with online publishers, and certainly do not agree to pay for services that you are capable of providing.
Dan Poynter’s The Self-Publishing Manual and Tom and Marilyn Ross’ The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing may be helpful resources for the self-publisher.
