Publisher to Avoid, and One to Check Out
By DianeA subscriber just asked me about what I know about XLibris, as a friend is about to sign a contract with them.
Interestingly, someone else had just emailed me about her experience with said company. She had published her first book with Xlibris and will not do it again. She did not elaborate, but clearly it was not a good experience.
In his book, The Fine Print of Self-Publishing: The Contracts & Services of 45 Self-Publishing Companies–Analyzed, Ranked and Exposed, Mark Levine says that XLibris marks up the price of a book by 150%, and makes more than 300% more profit on Amazon sales than the author does, and 225% more on direct sales. XLibris is in Mark’s list of “publishers to avoid.” I can see why!
Mark’s book is an excellent reference. He did an amazing amount of “legwork” to put it together. If you’re thinking of going with these self-publishing companies, you must get Mark’s book first.
I myself worked with Intermedia recently. It was overall a positive experience. As the book comes out, I’m eager to see if the marketing and distribution live up to the promises. That’s one of the things that impressed me about the company.
They also have these “events” that they stage all over the country, and for authors who are willing to go there and at least sign books, it’s great exposure. Also, they really do get into bookstores (of course, that depends on the buyer, but they’re structured such that book buyers might say yes).
Intermedia also acts as a speaker’s bureau for authors, which is a really nice plus. I’m impressed by the way they try to help authors “think outside the book” in terms of marketing. That’s what you’re really paying for (though their services, such as cover design, are very professional as well).
If you’re an author who is willing to take responsibility for marketing your book (and all authors must), I think Intermedia provides some of the best support. Listen to my interview with Terry Whalin on this–it’s quite extensive. You can even ask a question!
4 Comments
March 13th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Thank yopu, i’ve also wondered about publishing through Xlibris, and now i know its not the best move to make.
Though, i would like to ask you something about another publisher. I’ve checked out Intermedia, and frankly i dont understand how they work. Then again, this is my first book, so i still have a lot to learn. Anyway, on to my question.
I’ve been considering going through a company called AuthorHouse, and so far i like what i see. But i’m still nervous. Though the man from AuthorHouse i talked to made it seem like any easy decision, i still want to be sure my book is in the right hands, if you know what i mean, which i’m sure you do. Have you heard of them? Has what you’ve heard been good or bad? I dont need details, just a straight yes or no on whether or not they’re a good choice.
I’m young, i dont know much, and i really dont have a lot of money to work with. But, i know i’m a good writer, i know my stories have great potential, and i do have enough money saved up to publish my first book, around 3,000$. Or i think that might be enough. What’s the round-about cost to publish yourself anyway? No one ever answers honestly. Really i just want to know so i can save up more if i need to.
Also, (sorry, i know i keep going on and on) do you know how to get a mentor? Is there a site where you can look for mentors, send them some of your stuff and see if they would like to mentor you? I only ask because i know i still have a lot to learn, but really dont have ways to learn. I live in a small town, with only one college and they dont offer any type of writing classes. I’m big on learning every chance i get. But right now it seems i dont have the option. Any kind of help would be great.
Thanks!
Kaycie
March 15th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Avoid Author House! They are many reasons Mark Levine cites, such as $175% markup on the printing, low royalty fees, overpriced services (such as the $75 they charge for a domain name, when you can buy one for less than $10 at Godaddy.
Author House’s sales reps will relentlessly pursue you and flatter you. They will promise you they will get you in bookstores and market you. Don’t believe it!
March 16th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Thank you so much!
At first both companies seemed really great, but the more i read about the way they work, the less i felt comfortable working with them. Author House wanted to charge 500$ to review 2,000 words (not even a full chapter) of my book. And Xlibris was going to cost me thousands more than they had first promised, adding on extra fees they never told me about from the start. The more i talked with them, the more money they tried to get out of me.
Its so hard to get anything done in this world with all the dishonest people living in it, that doing something like self-publishing can be scary. But, its nice to have someone truthful like you to help sheppard us newbies in the right direction. Thanks so much for your help, i might have made a huge mistake without it.
March 16th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Yes, it IS difficult to know whom to trust nowadays. But with some education, you can begin to pick up on the signs of whether something’s legit. And we can network and ask, as we’re doing here.
Thanks for sharing your experience, and I’m very glad I helped prevent you from making a huge mistake. That’s why I’m here!