CHOOSING A PUBLISHER
for your eBook
Once you’re at the stage where you want to self-publish your work you become faced with a growing selection of publishers to choose from, the option to promote your work has never been easier than as of present and there really are some great options out there for the motivated author.
A quick browse via any search engine will reveal a dozen or so self-publishing companies to choose from, all offering a professional service to help make your new work the next best seller. So who are these companies and what are the benefits of choosing one of them?
Here we look at eight of the most popular options that are currently available to all authors, all available online just by following the links buttons.
Lulu
Starting with their free package you get access to their ePublisher conversion tool and get an ISBN free of charge, but you’ll need to ensure you have had the book edited and checked along with getting a book cover design for your work too. They then offer packages which they will of course charge for, these have the options of editing the book, formatting it for you, getting it reviewed and also a generic design for your cover. Lulu charges 10% (currently) as commission on each book that you sell, your eBook will go on sale in the Barnes & Noble ‘Nook’ store along with the iBookstore (Apple will take an additional 30% commission too).
iBooks Author
Specifically aimed at MAC users, this application comes as a download and is geared toward image/graphic heavy publications, the system also allows you to add widgets, movies and reviews so that the visually impaired can still use them. However, the iBookstore will not provide ISBN codes to the author, for this they will direct you to Bowker International who charge $125 per individual ISBN.
Book Tango
From 'Author Solutions', BookTango is an indie book publisher who has helped over 140,000 individual authors get their work published so far. The services start from free and go up to $359 for their top package, they’ll get your work out to the major players in the eBook world and they also offer the highest commission at 100%, this is from the books sold in their own store but you’ll still find the other outlets will take their commission prior to you receiving payment.
Book Baby
They distribute your work via all of the major names within the eBook retailers but are more specifically aimed towards those authors who are confident of higher sales. They offer a free service which gives 85% payout on all net sales, but requires you to complete the formatting yourself along with book cover design. They then offer both ‘Standard’ and ‘Premium’ options which take care of the formatting, pre-flight checks and also optimization for on-line selling along with a $30 discount for a cover (on premium). The standard service is $99 and premium $249 with a cover costing up to $279. The standard package pays the same as the free but the premium will pay 100% of net sales (via certain online partners).
Vook
Is aimed at authors who want the option of both printing and also publishing as an eBook, it offers features similar to that of the iBookstore, this makes the eBook format a richer experience for the reader with video and audio enhancements an option. It has royalties from 45% to 85% and distributes through all of the major eBook retailers.
Their website states:-
"To be considered for our initial pilot program, submit your manuscript with a brief bio in the document. If we choose your submission, we’ll create your ebook, distribute it to all major retailers, and provide you with the tools to help market your ebook. You’ll work directly with our New York based publishing team every step of the way."
Nook
From the company Barnes & Noble it distributes your work via the Nook e-reader bookstore, ipad and android platforms, its free to use and charges a commission which is based upon the price of your book. The changes to its website have made it easier to upload and edit your work.
Smashwords
One of the most popular and largest of the e-publishing companies currently out there, starting in 2008 with 140 books from 90 authors it has grown to publishing over 250,000 titles now and is still growing. It royalties offer 60% of net sales from the major eBook retailers and 85% from their own bookstore. They offer free ISBN codes, eBook conversion from multiple formats, unlimited updates to meta data and free marketing tools, however, the book cover design is left for you to organize with some tips given on the website on how to do so. Commission is up to 85% depending upon the retailer which is selling your book for you.
Amazon - Kindle Direct Publishing
KDP, this is of course Amazon’s own publishing wing and enables you to very quickly upload your work, along with their own formatting software it allows you to convert your work ready for use as an eBook The service itself is free but has chargeable options for editing and the book cover design, KDP also allows you to enter your work into their own library which pays a small commission each time your book is borrowed, the normal commission on a sale is 70%.
Each one of the eight above does have its pro’s and con’s, but whichever one you decide upon will of course be a personal choice by you alone and we wish you luck in whichever path you choose.
A quick browse via any search engine will reveal a dozen or so self-publishing companies to choose from, all offering a professional service to help make your new work the next best seller. So who are these companies and what are the benefits of choosing one of them?
Here we look at eight of the most popular options that are currently available to all authors, all available online just by following the links buttons.
Lulu
Starting with their free package you get access to their ePublisher conversion tool and get an ISBN free of charge, but you’ll need to ensure you have had the book edited and checked along with getting a book cover design for your work too. They then offer packages which they will of course charge for, these have the options of editing the book, formatting it for you, getting it reviewed and also a generic design for your cover. Lulu charges 10% (currently) as commission on each book that you sell, your eBook will go on sale in the Barnes & Noble ‘Nook’ store along with the iBookstore (Apple will take an additional 30% commission too).
iBooks Author
Specifically aimed at MAC users, this application comes as a download and is geared toward image/graphic heavy publications, the system also allows you to add widgets, movies and reviews so that the visually impaired can still use them. However, the iBookstore will not provide ISBN codes to the author, for this they will direct you to Bowker International who charge $125 per individual ISBN.
Book Tango
From 'Author Solutions', BookTango is an indie book publisher who has helped over 140,000 individual authors get their work published so far. The services start from free and go up to $359 for their top package, they’ll get your work out to the major players in the eBook world and they also offer the highest commission at 100%, this is from the books sold in their own store but you’ll still find the other outlets will take their commission prior to you receiving payment.
Book Baby
They distribute your work via all of the major names within the eBook retailers but are more specifically aimed towards those authors who are confident of higher sales. They offer a free service which gives 85% payout on all net sales, but requires you to complete the formatting yourself along with book cover design. They then offer both ‘Standard’ and ‘Premium’ options which take care of the formatting, pre-flight checks and also optimization for on-line selling along with a $30 discount for a cover (on premium). The standard service is $99 and premium $249 with a cover costing up to $279. The standard package pays the same as the free but the premium will pay 100% of net sales (via certain online partners).
Vook
Is aimed at authors who want the option of both printing and also publishing as an eBook, it offers features similar to that of the iBookstore, this makes the eBook format a richer experience for the reader with video and audio enhancements an option. It has royalties from 45% to 85% and distributes through all of the major eBook retailers.
Their website states:-
"To be considered for our initial pilot program, submit your manuscript with a brief bio in the document. If we choose your submission, we’ll create your ebook, distribute it to all major retailers, and provide you with the tools to help market your ebook. You’ll work directly with our New York based publishing team every step of the way."
Nook
From the company Barnes & Noble it distributes your work via the Nook e-reader bookstore, ipad and android platforms, its free to use and charges a commission which is based upon the price of your book. The changes to its website have made it easier to upload and edit your work.
Smashwords
One of the most popular and largest of the e-publishing companies currently out there, starting in 2008 with 140 books from 90 authors it has grown to publishing over 250,000 titles now and is still growing. It royalties offer 60% of net sales from the major eBook retailers and 85% from their own bookstore. They offer free ISBN codes, eBook conversion from multiple formats, unlimited updates to meta data and free marketing tools, however, the book cover design is left for you to organize with some tips given on the website on how to do so. Commission is up to 85% depending upon the retailer which is selling your book for you.
Amazon - Kindle Direct Publishing
KDP, this is of course Amazon’s own publishing wing and enables you to very quickly upload your work, along with their own formatting software it allows you to convert your work ready for use as an eBook The service itself is free but has chargeable options for editing and the book cover design, KDP also allows you to enter your work into their own library which pays a small commission each time your book is borrowed, the normal commission on a sale is 70%.
Each one of the eight above does have its pro’s and con’s, but whichever one you decide upon will of course be a personal choice by you alone and we wish you luck in whichever path you choose.