Book Publishing Packages With A Sting In The Tail

Mainstream publishers - the route all writers should target initially - operate without disclosing their internal costs, and why should they? They take commercial risks, and when the gamble pays off, they do well. Care, of course has to be exercised when contracting with such companies, but invariably, they will be paying you for the privilege of being their client. Beware of so-called literary agents and book publishers who ask you to dip into your own pocket. Be published, or self-publish; don't fall into the chasm between these two stools and lose your rights and your money.

Outside this traditional publishing world, where attitudes and working practices are only now being adjusted to 21st Century living, there are pitfalls to avoid that only lottery winners can afford to ignore or overlook. Vanity publishing is a phrase that is bandied about by many, and suggests that there is a clearly defined activity that is easy to identify. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Selling and marketing is an essential part of commerce, and has to be a consideration in any publishing venture. Vanity publishers used to concentrate their firepower on aspiring writers who were prepared to pay through the nose just to see a book, any book, produced with their name on it. In recent years, however, these sharp practitioners who used to represent only a small niche of the total publishing market are strutting a wider stage as they seek to entrap writers with false promises and worthless claims.

Honestly, Sir or Madam, we will help you by:

Making your book available in bookshops around the world
Cutting your costs by only printing singly to order
Handling all the posting, distribution and accounts
Sorting out your draft via the net to bring it to print
Finding you graphic artists and technicians
Issuing press releases and sending copies to reviewers
Marketing your book on the Internet
Appointing proofreaders and editors

The drawback is that your control over the project is, in effect, lost early in the process. Most of the organisations that offer the above services, in what appears to be a loose package, tighten the leash the moment the first installment of your publishing investment reaches their offices. What starts out as an exciting and possibly rewarding experience rapidly declines into an expensive sortie into a publishing backwater, great expense, and few if any book sales.

For the prudent, a reputable book editing and publishing service that pulls all the strands of self-publishing together at a known price can be a godsend. Such agencies do exist, and we can unhesitatingly recommend some. Even the best, however, offer you only a token chance of selling more than a very limited number of copies. Yes, availability is assured, as, in life, is oxygen. But unless you are extremely lucky there will be few takers for your work. That's why, if you decide to self-publish, don't be taken in by the fantasies of huge sales peddled by unscrupulous outfits. If traditional publishers aren't prepared to take the risk, ask yourself why. Just be happy to produce a truly professional book you can be proud of, in limited quantities. That will impress both your friends and your bank manager.


Writeaway provides help and advice on how to write and publish a book. You will also have access to a dedicated team of people who can provide a comprehensive book editing service having had personal experience of the book publishing process.