Forgive me ahead of time, because this is going to be more of a rant than an actual post with coherent flow. I’m really ticked off and while a lot of things tick me off, few of them make me so angry that I don’t step back from the computer and think before posting. I feel like I don’t have time to do that here, because some poor schmo is out there submitting to this ridiculous publisher who is a one-person-show and taking the rights and the royalties off authors.
There is only one reason to self-publish and that reason is variable from author to author. Me, personally, I chose to self-publish because my husband lost his job and I didn’t have time to wait for submitting to a trade publisher and waiting for rejection/acceptance and then editing process. I had one year until severance ran out and I needed to get my name out there so I could brand myself. I got lucky. Most self-publishers don’t. I got DAMN lucky. I’ll say this again, MOST SELF PUBLISHERS DON’T. I’m not going to sell you a product here or lie to you, if you have the option, the luxury of going the trade publishers route…you should damn well do it! What you shouldn’t do is submit to some one-person publishing firm who offers nothing. Trade publishers do more than just sell your books.
No matter how badly you want the word “PUBLISHED” next to your name, there is no reason to even THINK about submitting to this “publisher”! (I use that term LOOSELY—LOOSER THAN ME AFTER A MARGARITA AND A FIFTY DOLLAR DINNER!)
What a trade publisher does is not just stick that term “published” by your name.
Trade Publishers do a thousand things that are more than submitting your book to Amazon and Smashwords!
They edit your book, several times and then proofread it and edit to some more!
They create your covers using artists who understand the market and know about typesetting–NOT using 3D modeling programs and the emboss button on Photoshop! >>8( Dear God, THE HUMANITY of that cover on SL Danielson’s book! My eyes, they bleed!
Trade publishers send your book out to be reviewed, they set up blogging tours, book tours, advertise on their website.
Trade publishers market for you (do NOT believe the hype that they don’t. They freakin’ DO).
They take care of your PR (public relations), so that when you make an ass of yourself, you have their backing–or lose them because, well, you were too much of a freakin’ ass for even their public relations department.
I could name a hundred more things and all of them are worth discounting if you feel the need, the drive to do things on your own. THer’es nothing wrong or bad or ugly about self-publishing, only HOW you do it. But let’s be clear, publishing with Romance First Publishing doesn’t seem to be much more than publishing on your own, except you’re sharing your money with the student, non-webmaster, author with the 3d cover model images and the incredibly stupid decision to put in the “About me” absolutely ZERO information about hir publishing experience!
*MIFFED* *FUMING* *PISSED OFF*