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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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#39378 - 12/17/04 01:45 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hi Dotsie, I just read all the pages of all the posts from Carolyn, and I ordered her book. This is the kind of thing I want to do in 2005: promote, promote, promote. The timing for Frugal is perfect. Thank you for bringing to my attention. Lynn

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#39379 - 12/17/04 05:30 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Louisa Offline
Member

Registered: 07/11/04
Posts: 2132
Loc: MA
Lynn, try your local libraries too. My writing group has written and self published two anthologies recently. I am thinking I might do my book the same way. (after I finish is, that it [Big Grin] )

Our first book, Still Waters involved 7 of us. The second one, Trail Blazers had 11 writers in it. Our teacher did the typesetting and I helped with tecnical pc stuff. We each chipped in for the cost of the printer. It cost us about $70 each for a book that was on decent quality paper, coffee table size, (1/2 sheet) spiral bound, (we couldn't afford book bound) color cover on good quality stock, about 100 pages. We only had 100 copies made. I sold 40 of them myself. We sold them locally for $10 each. It gave us the money for our second book, which is book bound. This time we printed 150 copies. The first book is long gone. We have a good local printer who does POD, so we can always get more if we want to.

I am thinking of doing my book the same way. I would probably have to spend 6-8 hundred dollars to have it printed and I would have to do my own marketing. But, if I decide to just do this locally, it might be the right choice for me. I have the computer skills to do it. It's the time. [Eek!] But I'm considering different options. My goal is to finish Carousel Kisses in 2005 and get it out there one way or the other. I have more than half of it done. It will be all stories, essays and poems about growing up a boomer. [Smile] I can do my own bookmarks, magnets, etc.

We have gone to local libraries and had nights to promote the books. In my personal opinion, that didn't go well. But it gets us out there. The paper I write for is doing a story on us in January. That will help.

Thanks for the info. As for marketing your book, WORD OF MOUTH works wonders. Talk it up with everyone you know. Use your bookmarks, business cards, etc. Try getting a story in your local paper, check out libraries and senior centers.

Louisa

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#39380 - 01/21/05 05:07 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Hello to Lynn and to everyone else on the thread --

I'm brand new to this discussion group. This is my first post :-)

Lynn, I'm really glad that you had such a positive experience with AuthorHouse. I just published my first book with them and I must say that the experience I had was not as pleasant. On one hand, my marketing Representative and my account Representative were extremely polite, professional and caring. On the other hand, the publishing company made so many mistakes during the galley process that I thought I was never going to have a book! They literally drove me crazy with their sloppiness.

I spent thousands of dollars to publish the book, partly because I'm in Canada, so I had to pay more for the currency conversion. I also spent a royal fortune for the expanded promotion package and the Newswire Plus package, but I think that the company moved the people from the proofreading department into the publicity department because I have yet to see any publicity!! I'm sure that it is just around the corner but like you, I now realize that the $1200/US that I paid for marketing alone will probably be in vain because the newspapers don't read this press releases. I've been doing extensive marketing on my own for the last several months anyway.

Having said those negative things about the company, I am very pleased with the final product. My book is all about the recovery process from total hip surgery. I will write more about it in another thread but if anyone is interested in checking out my web site, here's the location

www.sigridsrecovery.blogspot.com

It's nice to talk to a fellow author who chose the POD medium. Good luck to you! And best wishes to everyone else on the thread.

Sigrid

PS I'm planning to publish my second book with a POD printer called Lulu. They allow people to publish absolutely for free -- the only catch is that if you want an ISBN, you pay something like $35/US. And if you want an ISBN distribution program that will allow you to sell on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc, the cost is around $150/US. It's an incredible deal and the only downside is that you have to do all of the formatting yourself.

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#39381 - 01/21/05 05:17 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hi Sigrid, wow, it sounds like you had a "roller coaster" ride with Authorhouse. Yes, the reps are polite, but authors need competence from the company as well. I think I saw someone else on Boomer site who used Lulu. Formatting would be beyond my abilities. I am still trying to figure out how to create my web site. It's great that you joined us, and wonderful that Boomers reach Canada. Love and Light, Lynn

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#39382 - 01/21/05 05:29 AM Re: about Authorhouse
smilinize Offline
Member

Registered: 11/08/03
Posts: 3512
Loc: outer space
Sigrid,
If you're new here, welcome. This is a good place.

Back to P.O.D., How did I miss these posts? I've been trying to get info about P.O.D.'s for a my writing group. We may use P.O.D. for a poetry book.
I spoke to a couple of companies and Lulu not only seemed the least expensive, I thought they were the nicest. Not sure about their product. Anyone have experience with their finished product?

Good info.
smile

Our group hasn't yet done anything, but we're looking around.

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#39383 - 01/22/05 06:16 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Dear Lynn,

You're so brave! I just checked your book out on Amazon. I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through. Often, survivors don't want to go public with their stories. I really respect you for doing that. Way to go!

I spent some time working as a research assistant at my local university in the psychology department. I analyzed data related to sexual abuse. It was a hard job. Sometimes, I'd go in on Saturdays and I'd be all by myself and I'd cry reading the stories in the files :-(
Then I'd be amazed at the tenacity and resilience of the women and men who bounced back.

Yeah, I had a tough time with AuthorHouse, which is why I'm teaching myself how to do formatting. It's foreign to me, too, but I'm not finding it that difficult yet. I really don't want to publish my second book with them.

How are you doing with your trauma book? I imagine that a lot of women's centers and women's bookstores would be interested in it.

Best of luck :-)

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#39384 - 01/22/05 06:24 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Hi Smilinize,

Thanks a lot for the warm welcome.

I've heard good things about Lulu. I've talked to a couple of people who've published with them and they've said that the product is extremely professional looking. One of the many advantages to working with Lulu is that after you upload your book, you can order just one copy for yourself. If you don't like what you see in the final version, you can delete the whole book and upload another one, or change the cover.

That's not possible with the traditional POD publishers. Also, I'm coming to the conclusion that a lot of the POD services are ripoffs. I'm sure that I paid way more money than I had to for publicity and for my web site, which is simply a link to the page on the AuthorHouse web site. All of the information on that web site was written by me! I may as well have kept it on my blog. At least I can change the template on the blog, add or subtract information, and interact with people through my guestbook.

Anyway, I'm definitely leaning towards Lulu right now, partly because I like the whole concept of having 100% control over my product, and also because I invested so much money in my first book that I can't afford to publish a second one through AuthorHouse or iUniverse.

Best of luck.
Sigrid

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#39385 - 01/22/05 06:28 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hi Sigrid, thank you for commenting on my book. You are correct in that women's centers are interested in the book. I get feedback from counselors who have read my book and recommend it to their clients. I always thought that I wanted to be a writer. I never imagined I would write about abuse, addiction, and recovery until I was in my 40s. Even then, it was not so much a conscious choice to author these issues, it was more of a spiritual directive. Now I make my book and its topics my life's work so that others don't feel alone, and perhaps by speaking out there will be a better future with less violence for the next generation. Now, about you: what have your experiences been with the traditional publishing houses? Have you considered pitching your current book to agents who may then promote your next book too? Love and Light, Lynn

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#39386 - 01/22/05 06:33 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hi Sigrid, I don't like the Authorhouse "web page." First of all, a customer has to read all about the publishing aspect of Authorhouse before she can get to the info on the author's book. Secondly, the link is so long that I don't bother to tell people what the direct link is. Did you order a marketing kit from Authorhouse: bookmarks, business cards, postcards? I did, and I enjoyed passing them out. But then I had OfficeMax create bookmarks off of one from Authorhouse. It's not as pretty from OfficeMax, but it cost much less money. I don't know anything about blog pages. I am currently working on creating my own web site. Love and Light, Lynn

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#39387 - 01/29/05 07:30 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Lynn,

Talk about turning lemon into lemonade! I think it is wonderful that you have gone public with your story and spend your time helping other people to come to terms with their own situations. As you well know, so many people think that they are alone in their struggles with abuse, addiction, depression, etc., when nothing could be further from the truth. Unfortunately, many other people share that miserable experience but are afraid to talk about it.

Depression is an interesting subject. I became severely depressed during the 18 months that I had to wait here in Canada for my hip to be replaced. I needed it replaced in my late forties because I was sick and badly injured by a drunk driver in my twenties, and the damaged joint eventually gave out on me. I often find that when I talk about my physical health, people are receptive, but when I talk about my mental-health, people tune out.

The message that I get is that I should be stronger emotionally. I should not get depressed! I should just take whatever deck life has dealt me and shut up about it. So, I went on at length about my depression in my book in case other people, who were experiencing extreme physical pain, also felt depressed. I wanted them to know that they weren't alone.

My best friend killed herself at the age of 25. Her mom told me that many people wanted to avoid talking to her about her daughter's death. Meanwhile, her other daughter had cancer. Neighbors and clerks in the store didn't have any problem in talking about the second daughter's cancer but the first daughter's suicide seemed to paralyze the townfolks.

We have long way to go in terms of understanding and accepting mental-health issues. And you are really helping to bring those issues to the forefront.

Best,

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#39388 - 01/29/05 10:32 PM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Dear Sigrid, thank you for this post. I'm sorry your best friend committed suicide. I can understand that within my own family because it is easier for relatives to ask about recovering from my breast cancer than it is to ask about recovery from depression. Why did you wait a year and a half for a hip replacement? What I understand about the Canadian health system is that services are at no charge, but the wait is too long, even for non-elective surgeries. Love and Light, Lynn

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#39389 - 01/30/05 02:13 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Louisa Offline
Member

Registered: 07/11/04
Posts: 2132
Loc: MA
Sigrid,
I have been checking out Lulu. It looks confusing to me and I can do formatting. It looks like an awful lot of work. I'm not sure I really need the ISBN number. Writing the book is so much easier than the "after book." I can make my own bookmarks, etc., and design my own cover, but I would like to see the quality of the finished product before I use it. Of course, finishing the book would have to come first. [Roll Eyes] I do get ahead of myself at times.
Louisa

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#39390 - 01/30/05 02:49 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Lynn, I want to answer this backwards because I forgot to answer your other question about traditional publishing. That's because I write too much! I want to sell at least 1000 copies of my book before I approach the traditional publishers. I understand that it's almost impossible to get an agent or a regular publisher to take you on if you are a newcomer without an established sales record. Also, I have no desire whatsoever to endlessly edit my first book according to someone else's concept of how it should look.

Regarding your second note -- you had breast cancer, too? OMG! That's too much for one person.

I was forced to wait the 18 months because that's how long it takes to get in line here and wait your turn. During the last four months of my wait, I was dependent on narcotics every day, was in outrageous pain, and feared falling over every time I took a step on my cane. It was a disgrace. I met many people at the local swimming pool -- when I could swim, earlier on in my wait -- who fell over and broke their hips while they were waiting. That seemed to be the only way to get the surgery. The problem there is that there's a much higher risk of fatality after a hip fracture, not to mention the fact that it hurts like crazy to break your hip!

Have you considered the traditional publishing route with your trauma book?

Sigrid

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#39391 - 01/30/05 02:54 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Louisa,

I know what you're saying about Lulu. It all seemed very difficult to me in the beginning, but I've been learning quickly, and in my case, I don't want to spend any more money on the POD publishers.

But you said that you already know how to format. So what is it that you find confusing about Lulu?

If you want to see what the finished product looks like, I suggest putting out $15 or $20 and ordering one of their books in the size and genre that you're thinking of. Their prices are very reasonable. What is it that you want to publish again? I've forgotten.

Best :-)
Sigrid

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#39392 - 01/30/05 07:47 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hi Sigrid, narcotics contribute to depression because they are suppressants of the central nervous system. My goodness, I can't believe people can just fall over and break a hip while waiting for the necessary surgery. Yes, it did seem unfair that after I survived my childhood, then I survived myself, I had to survive breast cancer! I agree with you about the 1,000 copy sales. Yes, the agents want an author who has been published, and a publisher wants an author who has an agent! That is unfair. I also do not want to edit my book according to someone's else's opinion. I did have one publisher willing to take me on IF I'd make the beginning the end and the end the beginning. My muse would not cooperate even for the sake of a publisher. I believe that my book was written with me only as an instrument of a Higher Power to offer a message of hope. And the only way I could authentically accomplish that was to stick with the end as the beginning. However, if/when the book is noticed, I'll do some reconsidering. Love and Light, Lynn

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#39393 - 01/30/05 07:55 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Sigrid, I did not realize a blog spot worked like a web site. I paid $79.00 for a web design program which I worked on all last week. The design is done and I am waiting for my domain name to get from its "parked" place to a host sight. Oops, gotta go but will be back. This was meant to start out as how much I liked your blog. And, I lived in New Jersey too. Love and Light, Lynn

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#39394 - 02/02/05 04:03 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Louisa Offline
Member

Registered: 07/11/04
Posts: 2132
Loc: MA
Sigrid,
I've been formatting my book as a word document, but I've been doing it two sheets to a page so the pages will be half the size of a regular 8 1/2 by 11 page. I'm confused because when it says to format it as a word doc, does it mean just type the pages in a regular word doc as 8 1/2 by 11? If you pick the 6x9 size book on lulu, will it just come out that way? I'm used to formatting in the smaller size and sending it to a printer exactly as it will be printed. I think I'm confusing the two.

I'm working on an anthology, but I'm also thinking of a poetry chapbook.
Louisa

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#39395 - 02/03/05 01:52 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Sigrid, did you read the email edition of "Voices in Print" for Authorhouse authors? Did you see they featured my book? Thank goodness they are finally paying attention to the authors they already have vs. always pushing for new publishing. Love and Light, Lynn

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#39396 - 02/03/05 06:26 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Lynn, I just logged in here to tell you that I read the Author House magazine yesterday and I saw that they featured your book! How ironic that you would have posted that very information to tell me. Awesome :-) Your book looks great and now it will get a lot more hits. WTG!!

To answer your other post, Yes, I have found that a blog can work perfectly well as the traditional web site. I have four web sites; three are blogs and one is not. Blogs are free! It's easy to add links to them and you can set them up in such a way that you just keep reediting your same one post and don't date it. That's what I do with my hip page. I think it was a total waste of money for me to have gotten the professional looking web site from AH because I can't edit it at all, and it was expensive.

TTYS, Sigrid

P. S. Read my new notice about me being on the nightly News tonight! Very exciting.

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#39397 - 02/03/05 06:29 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Gosh, Louisa, I don't know the answer to that, but there are all kinds of gurus on the Lulu site who would definitely know what to do. Just ask them. I have received so much help from the people on Lulu. It's amazing. So far, I love their community.

Good luck :-)
Sigrid

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#39398 - 02/03/05 07:16 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Sigrid, I am so glad I did not pay AuthorHouse for a web site. I like to have control. It is taking me a long time to create my site, but it will be worth it to be able to edit it when and if I please. What is this about the nightly news? I'll go to your blog and see what I see. Love and Light, Lynn

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#39399 - 02/03/05 09:11 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Lynn, I'm reposting the information about me being on the news. I had put it on another thread. But before you read that, allow me to say that I totally agree about wanting to have control over my own web site. Also the AH "web site" is nothing more than a link to the page on their bookstore where I wrote all the material!

Blogs are really cool. I have set up My Events
blogs in such a way that it is chronological and I have allowed people to make comments, although no one has commented yet... Will be very interested to see your web site when you finish. TTYA, Sigrid

Just wanted to let everyone here know that tonight I will be on the nightly news on CJOH TV starting at 11:30 p.m. I will be interviewed
by Leigh Chapel on the Focus section and the show will air again tomorrow at 6 a.m. Unfortunately, it is just a local show but it will reach 80,000 viewers! And if anyone has satellite TV, they can catch it.

Just thought I would blow my own horn, as usual :-) Man, I am my own best promoter. LOL. :-)

I already taped the show earlier this evening. I think it went pretty well -- I didn't say anything particularly brilliant but I didn't run out of the room screaming either.

Hope that some of you can catch it. I will be talking about my book on hip replacements and the problems with our health-care system here in Canada.

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#39400 - 02/04/05 07:43 PM Re: about Authorhouse
Looking Up Offline
Member

Registered: 01/14/05
Posts: 102
Loc: Atlanta, GA
Looks like what I posted under the POD question would work here. Don't want to repeat myself, so if you want info on Booklocker or PublishAmerica, check that post.

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#39401 - 02/05/05 08:57 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Kristie Leigh Maguire Offline
Member

Registered: 02/02/05
Posts: 28
Loc: Nevada
AuthorHouse is the same company that was known as 1st Books. I understand that they have pending lawsuits against them. For what, I don't know.
Kristie


quote:
Originally posted by chickadee:
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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#39402 - 02/06/05 07:05 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
I'm with Author House. I questioned them about the name change and they claimed that it just reflected their growing audience because not all of their authors are first time writers anymore.

Then I talked to someone over at iUniverse and found out about the class-action lawsuit against AH. My understanding is that there are a lot of authors who were unhappy with their final manuscripts.

Personally, I am thrilled with my final product from AH BUT I had to go through five different galley proofs in order to correct Author House's spacing errors. That was totally unacceptable, especially given the fact that they charged me a royal fortune.

I have also heard bad things about Publish America, although I know one woman who went with them and had a good experience. Her only problem was that she hardly sold any books. I think anyone who goes POD needs to realize that they have to do their own marketing. Even though I paid AH a ton of money for their expanded promotion package, I still need to call 500 --600 newspapers, radio stations, TV stations to follow-up. Am not looking forward to the task :-(

Best, Sigrid

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#39403 - 02/11/05 11:02 PM Re: about Authorhouse
Dannye Offline
Member

Registered: 01/26/05
Posts: 124
Loc: Prophetstown, IL
The thing I have learned as a writer is to read between the lines of the promotions and don't plug in my own expectations.

"We send out press releases" is not the same as "people will be calling you".
"We set up interviews" is not the same as "you are going to have interviews that someone might actually hear."
"We set up book signings" is not the same as "Schedule it, and they will come to buy."

As writers we are confronted with tons of people who say their job is to promote our book. They never say their job is to sell our book. The truth is that most of these "promoters" have simply found a way to make money using our desire to be successful so that they can be successful!

Well, now that I sound totally disgruntled, let me go on to say that I'm not really! [Smile] But I have learned to think a little more clearly before I open my check book or hand over my credit card. Always ask yourself: is this something I need to pay someone else to do? We often assume that others have more contacts than we do, and sometimes they do. But --- I have found that the internet has allowed a lot of people who are not truly qualified to go into business and to promote themselves quite well.

There is a learning curve to being a writer beyond the written work itself just like in everything else we endeavor to do. Initially many of us [myself included] run out there thinking the world is as excited as we are. When our energy flags, we step back and begin to assess the situation. Forums like this are wonderful places to be when that happens. Actually I wish I had been here in the earlier stages. At least I wouldn't have felt alone in my anguish!

Forums like this are also about the only way to find information that you can put any stock in. At least you can question each other and share your concerns.

Feeling much better these days! [Big Grin]
Dannye

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#39404 - 02/12/05 12:23 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hi, Sigrid, sorry we couldn't see you on TV. Yeah, AH does not deliver as it appears in their ads, as Danny is pointing out. Sigried, the press releaases sent to the media do not get read because the media is flooded with them daily. Just know that when I scoured the press release info that AH had provided and followed up, I had more luck in my local than in other cities. I did get interviews, TV, newspaper spots, but none of them outside my region. I could have easily looked in the phone book myself to make inquiries for FREE! I'll never invest in AH marketing products again. But I am pleased with the final look of the book. No one has ever commented that my book looked POD. Reading galley proofs is hard work! Love and Light, Lynn

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#39405 - 02/12/05 12:35 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Dianne Offline
Queen of Shoes

Registered: 05/24/04
Posts: 6123
Loc: Arizona
I ran across this phone number from a few years ago and I'm hoping it's the right one.

Her name is Laurel and she owns a company that for a fee, will book radio and tv appearances for you. You have to pay more for the tv and truthfully, I don't remember her getting me any but she booked me on a ton of radio shows.
1-888-346-8468

I have no idea if she's still in business or not but thought I'd pass this along to you.

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#39406 - 02/12/05 12:44 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Dannye Offline
Member

Registered: 01/26/05
Posts: 124
Loc: Prophetstown, IL
Dianne, Was just looking at your "signature". Reminded me of the old saying: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Hey, I'm with you! If it didn't feel good the first time, what makes us think it would be different the next time?
Dannye

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#39407 - 02/12/05 01:14 AM Re: about Authorhouse
smilinize Offline
Member

Registered: 11/08/03
Posts: 3512
Loc: outer space
I have a friend in her fifties who has recently left a good career to write for a living. She is unmarried and on her own and I am concerned about her. She is convinced she will make more money as an author.
She has given up on a traditional publisher to go with a POD and plans to do all her own promotions. I admire her passion, but she has no real income except her savings which are dwindling and I'm not sure she is being realistic. From what I read on here and elsewhere, it sounds like promotion is pretty much a financial loss for a long time for sure and possibly forever. She says, "But it's deductible," and I think "from what?" I know you can write off those expenses for three years, but eventually you have to earn something from your writing from which to make the deductions.
And the profit to time and expense ratio seems to require a huge investment before any accruing any income.
I don't want to discourage her. I have actually made money from writing, but not from writing anything I really wanted to write. I wrote millions of dollars in government proposals to build a large military contracting firm, but creatively, I am still waiting for my first million.
I have made zilch from my poems, a couple hundred from my songs, a few hundred from magazine articles, I wrote a novel that I've never even submitted, and I make a few thousand from each of my plays (which I would do for the sheer joy of it). But the actual hourly income for my creative writing is somewhere around minimum wage and I have a graduate degree in creatie writing. Also, I don't do any promotion for my stuff except my puny little website.
I certainly see the value of affecting a taret population, but I'm afraid this woman who is depending on her writing as her only source of income is in trouble.
Am I missing something?
smile

[ February 11, 2005, 06:20 PM: Message edited by: smilinize ]

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#39408 - 02/12/05 02:05 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Smile, I'm in the same boat as you, going up river without a paddle. I continue to incur expense funding by my husband's meager mid manangement income: money for a web site, money for a software design for the web site, money for postage, money for posters, money for bookmarks, money money money. I've yet to sell enough books to recoup the initial publishing costs. I'm on an email list for "Planned Television Arts" which provides promotion, but I'm afraid of the cost. On the other hand, I am a do-it-yourselfer because I like control, but sometimes I spend good money after bad, as with paying for design soft-ware although it was included in host packaging. Indeed, how do writers make a living? This year I will keep more accurate records of these purchases for tax deductions. LLL

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#39409 - 02/12/05 02:12 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Dana_dup1 Offline
Member

Registered: 10/19/04
Posts: 53
Loc: Pennsylvania
Hi just some more places to research backgrounds:

Absolute Write.com (Their message boards are awesome)
Of course there is Preditors and Editors

And Writer's Beware Boards (I think) Sorry if you all know about these places, but since I got burned way back when, I want to help others gather as much infor as possible!

Dana

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#39410 - 02/12/05 10:09 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Dannye Offline
Member

Registered: 01/26/05
Posts: 124
Loc: Prophetstown, IL
[Frown] Whether you self-publish, subsidy publish, or let someone else do it for you, I don't think it is wise to give up your day job until you already have an established income from your writing.

Before I started my own publishing company, it seemed a much better way to deal with my creative works. After all, traditional publishers take your works, and you get 7-15% (if you're lucky). With your own company, the initial outlay might be more (and it is!) but eventually, you expect to be making a much greater profit.

Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade the learning experience for anything, and I did enjoy learning how to record, master, and edit audio for the recorded version of my manuscript. Plus I love knowing that I have the knowledge to get my work into published form.

HOWEVER (caps for emphasis) sometimes I am pretty sure that if I could stand the stress of finding a qualified agent who didn't just care about the bottom line..... [Note: About 8 years ago I had an agent tell me that if I wasn't already a successful writer, she wasn't interested in talking to me! Creates a conundrum, doesn't it?]....I would let someone else worry about dealing with manufacturers and getting exposure for the product.

The 7% royalty sounds a lot better to me all the time. Marketing is not my favorite thing to do in this world. It is expensive and quite often feels like it is falling into a black hole somewhere. Whatever loss I might take financially by going through an agent might be worth it in terms of stress.

If I was having to worry about paying my bills with my writing like your friend, I think the stressometer might explode. Plus my writing would probably suffer. The only writing I do well under stress is poetry - angst and all that.
[Wink]

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#39411 - 02/12/05 03:14 PM Re: about Authorhouse
unique Offline
Member

Registered: 12/21/04
Posts: 483
Loc: North Carolina
Smile, about all you can do is encourage her in her efforts and be ready to help her scan the want ads if she doesn't 'make it big'. At least she has the guts to try. People don't like to have their dreams taken away from them, they have a tendency to become very angry if you try. If she's your friend, and you want to keep her friendship, I'd suggest staying as neutral as possible. If you 'actively' encourage her, try to help and it fails, she might 'blame' you. If you try to discourage her, she'll be mad at you for stepping on her dream. Looks like a no-win situation from here. But I do say positive is always better than negative, and who knows? She might make it. Weirder things have happened in this world.

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#39412 - 02/19/05 06:36 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Dannye, That's so true about reading in between the lines. I really needed your message tonight because I was deliberating over whether or not to go ahead and publish my 2nd book with Lulu or sign on with iUniverse. I had decided against iUniverse because I don't want to put out $900 Canadian for anyone's service at this moment when I haven't recouped my investment from my first book. But I had a talk with the iUniverse guy on the phone tonight and he was very persuasive -- that's his job :-)

I want to think twice about it because I'm pretty sure that I can get the book out on Lulu myself. The marketing is all going to be up to me anyway, although iUniverse offers an editorial review.

Has anyone here used them? I just do what Stephen King suggests -- first, I do as much work as I possibly can. Then I put the book in a drawer for a couple of weeks. I go back to it, freak out, make changes and then give it to several people I trust to read. Are the editors at iUniverse going to be that much better at critiquing stuff than my highly intelligent and literate friends?

Thanks :-) Sigrid

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#39413 - 02/19/05 06:42 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Lynn, The press releases with AuthorHouse really were a waste of time and money! I was so green that I paid them 750/US for the expanded promotion and 45o for Internet promotion. Can you spell I-D-I-O-T? Well, enough crying over spilt greenbacks.

I am finding that I'm getting a response by following up one by one on the list of 550 newspapers, radio stations and TV shows that AH sent me. But as you said, most of the people that I talk to never saw or read my original press release. Fortunately, I'm also getting a response outside of my region.

I'm glad to hear that you did receive publicity, but I wonder why it was only local. Your story should have international appeal... Are you working on anything else now? I've forgotten if I've already asked you that :-)

Best, Sigrid

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#39415 - 02/20/05 05:36 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hi Sigrid, yes, my book has international appeal and the public needs it, because abuse crosses all ethnicities, ages, and socio-economic classes. I sold a book to someone in Holland and Australia, but that was via my own effort. The reason the publicity is only regional is because I am my own agent, publicist, etc, and I don't like to travel! I am sorry to hear that authorhouse made IDIOTS out of both of us! I was shocked when I saw that I paid for a press release that I had written! Brenda, thanks for the input on publishing. Where were you when my book was being judged by WD? Does everyone know that the original Chicken Soup was self-published? LLL

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#39416 - 02/20/05 05:42 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hi Danny, yeah, it's true, the agents want you to already be published and the publishers want you to have an agent. Sig, have you agreed to iUniverse yet? How much do they want for editing? Oh, guess what? I checked on my book at Amazon. First of all, a recent review that had been there wasn't. Second of all, the verbage changed and it says it takes 4-6 weeks to get my book. Well, talk about freaking out! I emailed customer service because I don't know who else to email. I don't know why they changed stuff around, and deleted a reader's review! Do you all check on your product via amazon and bn from time to time? LLL

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#39417 - 02/20/05 09:03 AM Re: about Authorhouse
smilinize Offline
Member

Registered: 11/08/03
Posts: 3512
Loc: outer space
Back to my friend, There's an update. It appears that she will be okay. It turns out that a case she filed against a business where she fell a while back is supposed to pay her a lot of money soon so she plans to survive from that for a while as she promotes her book. She is a good writer btw and I have tried to be supportive so we are still friends.
smile

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#39420 - 02/24/05 12:32 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hi Brenda, I'm afraid to give you the score because what if it is really bad? Tell me what a good score is, and if it's close, then I'll reveal. I do know that a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" was one of the winners that year in the same genre, so who can compete with that? The evaluation sheet that comes along with the score was very positive, as if the judge had read the whole book. Words like "encouragement, optimism, recovery, bravely, honestly, hope, effective use of flash back and dialogue keep the reader engaged but not overwhelmed. Unlike many titles of this genre, this book is written from a position of healing." All true, but no win. Brenda, what is RTIR? And how do you go to Amazon to see if the sales spike? I never received a reply from Amazon as to the deletion of the latest review and the 4-6 weeks ordering delay. Does anyone know of an email address that would be appropriate? Thanks Lynn

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#39421 - 02/24/05 12:42 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hi everyone, I'm having yet another frustration concerning POD (print-on-demand.) Or maybe I'm not used to being told "no." As you know, I am new to Colorado Springs. When I lived in Kansas City region, I did not have a problem when approaching Barnes & Noble for a signing, especially during April. I would supply the books, BN would ring them through their cashier, then BN headquarters would take their 20% cut and mail me a check for the rest of the proceeds. Okay, yesterday I went to Borders and asked for an event in April since it is Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month, topics covered in my book. Borders GM took my card and said, "Let me look at something first." What he looked at in the system was whether or not my book was POD. Then he said they usually don't do POD because the books are not returnable on their system. I said I supply the books. He then said I should talk to the district manager. I followed with BN with a phone call today and reached the most smug "community events manager" that I ever encountered. No, he doesn't do POD. No, he doesn't have room in April. (There are 30 days in April!) No, he never heard of the arrangement I made with the BN headquarters. He was smug and abrupt, like POD is an unruly step-child of publishing. Or perhaps he thinks the topics are "Not in my backyard." Plus, this BN has a writer's group that meets weekly, and I was thinking of going. So, I stewed while doing Pilates. Huh, I'll show him. I'll write a letter to headquarters. I won't frequent his store. I won't join the writer's club! But, honestly, that would get me nowhere. I'm going to join the group, make myself and my writing known, get a TV station to cover me in April, and show that smug naysayer what he missed out on! Or if you have any suggestions, please let me know! Love and Light (just what Mr. Smug must be needing) Lynn

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#39422 - 02/24/05 04:51 AM Re: about Authorhouse
chatty lady Offline
Writer

Registered: 02/24/04
Posts: 20267
Loc: Nevada
Wait till this small minded Slug see's you on the Oprah show, ha-ha-ha and it will happen to you mark my words....Women rule....! [Roll Eyes]

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#39423 - 02/24/05 06:46 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Thanks Chatty. Then he'll come crawling back to me, begging me to bring buyers to his B & N. ! Women rule! LLL

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#39425 - 02/24/05 09:17 PM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hi Brenda, you are a wealth of information. Yes, I considered reporting the smug events manager to the BN home office. How could he say he is not set up with the home office to do contracts when I already had 2 contracts with the Country Club Plaza store? No wonder the CCP store (in KC) is the highest sales store! Thanks for the tip on sales rank. Well, my score with WD was a 19. And yes, that year, a CSS book was entered in the Independent Book Publishers section. I could be wrong, but I was surprised and disappointed to. I noticed that the Amazon review was back intact, and they changed the number of days it takes to receive the book from 4 to 6 weeks to 9-13 days. I never thought of using the WD evaluation for my book, but that is a good idea, and I will add it to my web site. Thank you ever so much. Love and Light, Lynn

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#39426 - 02/24/05 09:25 PM Re: about Authorhouse
Dianne Offline
Queen of Shoes

Registered: 05/24/04
Posts: 6123
Loc: Arizona
I put an ad in RTIR. Television producers do read it. I had two offers. Ricky Lake and Queen Lativah and I declined both of them because they wanted to have the abusers on stage with the victims. They could get a woman killed doing that.

Anyway, I've digressed. I got a lot of radio interviews from it but you might be up at 2 AM doing an hour long interview.

I don't think it increased my book sales tho.

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#39427 - 02/24/05 09:33 PM Re: about Authorhouse
Dianne Offline
Queen of Shoes

Registered: 05/24/04
Posts: 6123
Loc: Arizona
I need to add to my above post. Scam artist also read RTIR. One especially out of Phoenix. Offer you your own radio show. I asked for references and they wouldn't give me any. So, I called the BBB and they had a ton of complaints. Always check with the BBB.

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#39428 - 02/24/05 10:25 PM Re: about Authorhouse
MClubPrez Offline
Member

Registered: 01/06/05
Posts: 32
Loc: Ohio
Dianne, how much is it for an ad in RTIR?

I did a lot of radio last fall from an ad the publisher placed, but I didn't notice any increase in book sales either.

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#39429 - 02/24/05 10:44 PM Re: about Authorhouse
Dotsie Offline
Founder

Registered: 07/09/08
Posts: 23647
Loc: Maryland
I'm enjoying this thread. There's so much helpful information.

I thought I'd share that I've tried different types of PR for my web site (now I know this is different than books) and I've decided online publications with links to your site are the best way to go. People are on the computer and can just click through. They don't have to try to remember your site, book title, author, whatever.

I think it's worth doing for book sales too because people can click through to your site, or Amazon and check it out immediately.

I'll also share that the radio I've done hasn't proven to be that successful. It was fun to do a live show and see a few people come directly to the site, but that was unusual. Also, some of the radio I've done is taped and broadcasted at other times. They can't always tell you when it will be aired.

The good part about radio is doing it in your own home. That's the best.

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#39432 - 02/25/05 05:23 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Lynn, I was just rereading one of your older posts on this thread where you talked about how much money you're spending. I can relate! But at least I have free blogs.

Have you considered starting a blog for your web site? You can set it up in the traditional blog fashion, or you can make it into a conventional web site by simply reediting the same post every time that you go in. That's one way to cut back on expenses and blogs have become kind of cool and avant-garde :-)

It does seem really hard to make money as a writer. I'm excited about my books but I'm discouraged about the financial end of things.

TTYS, Sigrid

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#39433 - 02/25/05 05:36 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Lynn, I find that it's usually good news when Amazon has run out of my books and they put up that stupid sign that says that it will take four to six weeks for them to deliver new ones. It never takes that long. Shortly after I see that sign, I check back and they have a whole new stock of books and they've removed the little logo. So I wouldn't worry about that. In fact, I would take it as a positive sign that people are buying your book.

Secondly, I have never been able to contact Amazon directly. When I have a problem with them, I call AuthorHouse and have my Representative get in touch with Amazon. Amazon in Canada and in the UK are still spelling my last name wrong! I have written to them but they have never written back and frankly, I've been too busy to worry about the small "d" versus the capital "d" in Macdonald.

So true, what a joke it was to have paid for the press releases that we wrote. May as well get a good laugh out of it now ;-)

No, I have not agree to iUniverse. I'm quite certain that I'm going to go ahead and publish it myself on Lulu. So far, I'm very pleased with it and I've gotten good feedback from my readers. I have someone to edit it and a fabulous graphic design artist, who just happens to be my nephew, so I am cool with going ahead with it on Lulu.

And I retract what I said earlier about getting publicity outside of my region. Several people in British Columbia and in California have ordered copies of the book, but none of them has followed up by requesting an interview. In fact, I have made 50 phone calls to the list of people that AuthorHouse gave me for press releases; out of 50 calls, FOUR people requested the book. Not worth my time unless one of them had been the New York Times!

TTYS, Sigrid

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#39434 - 02/25/05 05:38 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Brenda,

I tip my hat to you for those 2000 books! What an accomplishment, but I can't believe that it will take so long for a traditional publishing house to get your book out. Isn't that frustrating?

Sounds as though it's going to be a huge seller though once it's out.

Kudos :-) Sigrid

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#39436 - 02/25/05 05:44 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Dianne,

That's so disgusting about Ricky Lake and Queen Lativah. I wonder why those people don't get sued more often. Think of the emotional damage that they do.

Sigrid

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#39437 - 02/25/05 05:51 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Gals, I'm very prolific tonight. Sorry about all these posts. What I do is post three or four times in a row, and then I don't come back the forum for a week or so.

Anyway, here is my postscript:

-- Brenda, Thanks so much for checking out my blog and suggesting the article for me to read. I'll get right to it.

-- Does anyone know how many copies the average POD book sells in one year? My book was released in November and I've sold somewhere around 150 --200 copies. I think that's pretty good. I've read that the mean average POD sale is 70 to 100 copies throughout a book's lifespan. Has anyone else heard these numbers?

Thanks. Sigrid

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#39438 - 02/26/05 01:56 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hi Sigrid, what? 70-100 copies for POD? I've sold hundreds of copies, mostly at presentations. Yes, I started a blog page. I am using it for additional information that didn't fit on my site. I think it's free through the web site host. Dianne, how did you get on Montel? I never would have thought about checking out the BBB. Good idea. Sigrid, it sounds like you've got it all planned with Lulu. Let us know how it goes. Off to check Brenda's article and walk the dog. I gotta get away from the computer once in a while. Love and Light, Lynn

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#39439 - 02/26/05 02:03 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Still not off the computer. Brenda, that was a good, concise article. I had to grin when I read "pray." I think we should all call the smug stuffed shirt at B&N Co Springs who wouldn't schedule a signing for me because I am POD and individually order the book and scare the stuffed shirt off his chest! Love and Light, Lynn

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#39440 - 02/26/05 02:13 AM Re: about Authorhouse
unique Offline
Member

Registered: 12/21/04
Posts: 483
Loc: North Carolina
Now Lynn, THAT is a brilliant idea!! revenge is a dish best served cold...with lots of sugar....teehee.

And Dianne was on MONTEL?!?! I would have turned on the TV for that! Zap us a link of that if you 've got one.

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#39441 - 02/26/05 06:27 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Twice. Dianne's appearance also showed as a re-run. I never saw it because I just learned about it. LLL

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#39442 - 02/26/05 07:31 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Happy Birthday Princess Lenora Offline
Member

Registered: 11/11/04
Posts: 3503
Loc: Colorado
Hello Sigrid, I see that you are an "author in the spotlight" in the Authorhouse newsletter! Congratulations! LLL

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#39443 - 02/26/05 11:40 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
OMG, I had a rating of 2,700 on Amazon.ca earlier tonight AND I'll be in the Ottawa Citizen paper tomorrow. I think the weekend circulation is around 350,000 readers. Whew! My highest on Amazon.com was 27,000! So the CA rating is great :-)

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#39444 - 02/28/05 06:33 AM Re: about Authorhouse
Sigrid Macdonald Offline
Member

Registered: 01/20/05
Posts: 223
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario
Wow, Lynn, you've sold hundreds of books at a time at speaking engagements? Where are you speaking?!? That's fantastic.

I'm sure that I read that figure about 70 - 100 books on the Lulu forum, but I just reposted it again asking people about that. It does sound pitifully low, doesn't it? But there are some people who publish POD, and only plan to distribute the book to their friends and families. Others have greater aspirations but and up with a whole stack of books in their basement. I know several people like that.

Anyway, I was in yesterday's paper and the article took up one third of the page! It was awesome but I haven't seen any effect on sales so far. Also, I have not been able to get a copy of the online article because I have to be a seven-day subscriber to the newspaper to access it. A friend of mine is going to help me out with that this week, so hopefully, I'll be able to share a link to the article soon.

Is everyone watching the Oscars tonight? I'm just doing my regular stuff on my machine. In fact, I created a new blog although I'm already inundated with paperwork :-)

Best, Sigrid

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