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#39368 - 12/16/04 03:39 AM about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
OK, JJ, and anyone else who is interested in this print on demand publishing experience. I was in between a rock and a hard place as a writer trying to get published: the agents want a writer to already be published, and the traditional publishers want a writer who has an agent. I spent hours pouring over the Writer's Market, etc. in search of an agent, a publisher, or both, if I was extra lucky. Alas, no such luck. So I researched self-publishing and print-on-demand. Of the PODs I narrowed it down to iUniverse, Xlibris, and 1st books (which is now known as Authorhouse.) Each company sends glossy brochures with the reasons why their publishing option is the best. Of all the telephone inquiries I had, Authorhouse gave the best responses in terms of courtesy and perceived competency. Cost was also a consideration, of course. Since Authorhouse does not provide editing (that I know of) I had my book professionally edited twice before submission. (this was over the course of about 3 years) Both editors were local freelancers who I happened upon along the lines of synchronicity. Once I got my manuscript ready for submission, and paid my fees, Authorhouse was responsible and efficient. I had to let go of the notion that self-publishing and/or POD was second best to traditional houses. Authorhouse will provide a marketing kit of bookmarks, business cards, and post cards for about $350.00, but the author has to provide the text. I was pleased with the cover their designers offered me. Or, you can send your own design choices for a cover. Of course, these publishing avenues do not keep count toward a best seller list. What else would you like to know? P.S. I get $100.00 if someone I referred to Authorhouse uses their services! But that has nothing to do with me sharing my experience. Lynn

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#39369 - 12/16/04 05:20 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Louisa Offline
Member

Registered: 07/11/04
Posts: 2132
Loc: MA
Thanks, Lynn for the info about Authorhouse. I had inquired about them before through their site and I thought I read that it was more money. More like 7 or 8 hundred dollars. You have to do your own marketing, I take it. Do you send it in in manuscript form or already book size?
Louisa

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#39370 - 12/16/04 05:22 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Louisa Offline
Member

Registered: 07/11/04
Posts: 2132
Loc: MA
I just read that post again. You said they provide bookmarks, business cards and postcards for $350. What about the books? Isn't the $350 above and beyond the basic cost?
Louisa

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#39371 - 12/16/04 07:09 AM Re: about Authorhouse
jawjaw Offline
Da Queen

Registered: 07/02/03
Posts: 12025
Loc: Alabama
I'm really liking all of the info being given on these publishers. So far, people who have used AuthorHouse seemed to be happy.

I found this link which gives a comparison of a lot of publishers. I found it useful.

http://www.booksandtales.com/pod/index.html

JJ

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#39372 - 12/16/04 06:01 PM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Okay, I spent about $1000.00 to get started at Authorhouse. That included the set up for ebooks and the paperback. E books are ordered directly from their site, and in a year I had only one e book sell. The start up fees included a standard promotion option. That means that Authorhouse created a press release and sent it to 300 media places. If I had to do it again, I would not spend that money. First of all, any of you marvelous writers can create a press release of your own. Secondly, not one of the 300 media responded. They get floods of faxes of press releases each day. The media attention I got has been from my own efforts. The marketing kit was not $350 but $150.00. That I would do again, because I liked the bookmarks with the copy of the cover on them. However, a saavy printer can do this for you. The Library of Congress copyright cost was $75.00 through Authorhouse. You can do that yourself for $35.00. Authorhouse offers $100.00 to referring parties if the new party publishes with them. But that is not why I'm sharing all this information, althought it would be nice. I just wanted to share my experience with print-on-demand. The traditional publishing industry was just too frustrating for me. Lynn

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#39373 - 12/16/04 06:12 PM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Louisa, I sent the manuscript in paper. You can also send it on a CD, which I think by now they prefer. Authorhouse creates the book. That's part of the deal: they produce, print, bind, etc. one book at a time as it is ordered via direct sales on their web site to the public or through amazon.com and bn.com. Book stores special order one book at a time from Authorhouse via a customer request. The turn around time direct to the buyer is 3-5 days, including shipping time. Then, every quarter Authorhouse sends the royalty check to me. I just got one for a whopping $19.90. However, that was for a number of books I didn't have to work hard to sell. Yes, I do my own marketing. I am in the process of perusing reviewers from on-line sites to get a chance to be reviewed. One reviewer said he gets 400 requests a month to be reviewed. So I have to make my "package" attractive by including print interviews and "what readers say." I am always looking for marketing ideas. To get my books to sell I buy lots of 25 at wholesale from Authorhouse, then sell them at retail. The advantage to the buyer is that she gets a signed copy. I can't believe how important this is to the reader. I need a business plan with goals, which is my New Year's resolution. Love, Light, and Luck, Lynn

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#39374 - 12/16/04 07:46 PM Re: about Authorhouse
chickadee Offline
Member

Registered: 09/26/04
Posts: 3910
Loc: Alabama
I was researching Authorhouse.

Is Firstbooks the same only with name change?

Some important forum info there. Worth checking out.I suggest it strongly if we are talking about the same Company.

Information is Power ladies!

http://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?t=2543

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#39375 - 12/16/04 11:09 PM Re: about Authorhouse
Dotsie Offline
Founder

Registered: 07/09/08
Posts: 23647
Loc: Maryland
Lynn, thanks for sharing your experience.

You mentioned promoting your book. Last month Carolyn Howard-Johnson author of The Frugal Book Promoter:How to do What Your Publisher Won't was our featured author.

She was a publicist before she began her writing career. Her book is chock full of excellent ways to promote your book. She walks you through step by step. She shares tons of online contacts too. Check it out at Amazon.

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#39376 - 12/17/04 12:30 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Yikes. I went to the thread about Authorhouse, which was 1stbooks. Gosh, maybe I am being naive and/or expecting too little from POD. I like my product. I had a literary publicist look at it, and she said it was good for POD. I couldn't hire the publicist at $90.00 an hour. I don't consider a POD the same as a vanity publisher. A local vanity press offered to publish my book for a $15,000! fee for 3,000 copies. When I said to the publisher that I would have to bring my husband into the next meeting before making a decision, the smart alec publisher said, "Did your husband help you write the book." I said, "Yes, he provided the financial and emotional support that enabled me to write." Then the publisher asked if I was a home owner. When I said yes, he suggested that I put a second mortgage on the house to pay the $15,000. That, in my understanding, is a vulture of a vanity press, as stated in one of the posts at the aforementioned site. As for 1stbooks/Authorhouse, I had good experiences with email and phone replies, and they made prompt and competent changes to the material when needed. My regret is in paying for a press release that was written from a synopsis I supplied. The payment for press releases that went to 300 non-responsive media is money down the drain. At least I'm not paying on a second mortgage! If anyone has a copy of my book and thinks it is an inferior product, I wouldn't mind knowing about this. After all, you all, as writers and readers, are the experts I would trust. Love and Luck, Lynn

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#39377 - 12/17/04 12:31 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hmmm, if I understand correctly, this month's featured author used Authorhouse. I wonder what she thinks of her experience? L

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