Self-Publishing Online
SELF-PUBLISHING ONLINE: PROS AND CONS
PROS
ISBN APPLICATION: As in the case of traditional publishing, the author does not have to be concerned with the process.
PUBLISHING TECHNOLOGY: The author does not have to worry about this either. (FYI, printing will be POD – that is, print on demand – so books are produced only when needed. And, since, it will expensive to produce just one (or a small quantity of the) book, that can be very cosly.)
COPYRIGHT: The author retains copyright (usually for the work only).
SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS: The authors keeps all subsidiary rights (unless otherwise agreed).
LISTING: The book will be listed on major online sites like Amazon.com and the Apple iBook store, but this means little in reality. It’s mainly for bragging rights. Don't expect huge sales no matter what they tell you. It'll good for the author’s vanity, not the wallet.
CONS
UPFRONT COSTS: The author has to pay all publishing costs as determined by the company, and this can be very high. (Basically, by a system of baiting the author’s ego; the higher their ego, the more they’ll pay.) They will also hard sell to encourage you to buy the more expensive options.They know how flattery works. (Choose smaller publishers wherever possible; they tend to be less unscrupulous. Ask friends.)
CIP REGISTRATION: Internet self-publishing companies do not to provide CIP (Cataloguing in Publication) registration. This can be important if you’re considering the possibility of library sales. It’s also an indirect (and recorded) assertion of the author’s copyright that will be deposited with the Library of Congress. (Read about it here: https://www.loc.gov/publish/cip/faqs/#self)
MARKETING: All marketing is controlled by the company and paid for by the author (even when the company ‘offers’ local bookstore placements).
BUYER BEWARE: Please research the company before jumping in. Read both the positive and negative reviews. They employ some really smooth talkers!
QUALITY: The final product may not be of the quality you expect. (Please research. Read Google reviews before giving them all your money).
HARASSMENT: Expect relentless harassment by telephone and/or email.
SELLING PRICE (RRP): This is determined by the company and can be much too high for the local market because the pricing could be in USD, GBP, AUD, etc.
PRINT ON DEMAND (POD): These companies don’t stock books, but depend on outsourced (POD) services. The books are printed only when there is a buyer. This is another reason for the books being so expensive.
AUTHOR COPIES: Authors will normally receive 5 ‘free’ copies, but can buy more at a discount of between 30 to 60% but this can be more than the market value of most books in your market.
FACE TIME: In most cases, don't expect a face-to-face meeting with any professional from any (big) company. I advice you to, as far as. possible choose a small local establishment. (Also, it’s good to support your own village/town community instead of Amazon)
ROYALTY: Don't assume that you will receive high royalties. It can be as low as 10% for books sold on Amazon. Read the fine print. Ask questions. Read Google reviews.
DIRECT SELLING: The author has little chance of direct selling books due to high costs of production.