Online Publishing vs. TraditionalPublishing - A Personal Experience

I still felt, deep down inside, that this was a form of vanity press and not legitimate publication, but I knew "Araroon" was good and deserved to see print. I also thought I might end up making money. The royalties for online publishing are a lot better than those offered through traditional publishing houses. Plus, I suspected many authors use advance money from publishers to hire publicists to promote their books. (Only sure-fire best selling books, not mid level books, get the royal treatment when it comes to bookstores -- front shelf placement, press releases, interviews, etc.) I could have some of that kind of publicity myself with the help of my online publisher.

To make this long story shorter, I paid the money and "Araroon" is now available through www.1stbooks.com and various other online book stores as a downloadable book and POD paperback. The entire process, from manuscript submission to holding the book in my hands, took only three months -- a far cry from the years I'd spent pursuing traditional publishing. I absolutely love the cover their artist designed for "Araroon," and have been very pleased with the interviews and press they arranged for me.

There were, of course, a few pitfalls during my internet publishing experience. I didn't read the proof galley carefully enough and ended up paying an additional fee to correct an error in "Araroon" after it had already been set for POD format. (On the other hand, I consoled myself by remembering that if a traditional publisher had printed 10,000 copies of "Araroon" there would have been no way to correct the mistake.) Also, although I initially was set for four book signings, two were canceled when the book store chain's parent company issued an order that they would no longer do signings with POD authors due to the fact that the books, once in the store, couldn't be returned if they went unsold. And, one of the remaining book signings required I purchase the books myself and bring them to the store --another large out-of-pocket expense if they don't sell. In addition, I've had little success getting book reviewers to look at "Araroon." One newspaper editor even told me that they never review eBooks because there's "no screening process" which is a bit like being declared "guilty" without a trial -- they've never even looked at my book! I'm still trying, however, sending out copies to various reviewers and hoping someone will give me a break.

On a brighter note, "Araroon" is available not only from www.1stbooks.com, but also from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Borders.com, and any book store in the world via its ISBN number, which makes sales easy once people know about its existence.

And, I've got to admit, holding an actual copy of "Araroon" in my hands makes me feel really good.

Would I publish via the internet again? Possibly ... probably. Resources for authors in this area seem to be getting better all the time. Although, I can't help but feel that this form of publishing is better fitted for "how-to" books or books relating to a specific subject when it comes to publicity. A book about quilt making could be placed in sewing stores, but a sciencefiction novel has no such ready-made niche.

Will I pursue traditional publishing for my future books? At this time, I'm doubtful. Those two years of rejection, followed by high hopes, followed by more rejection really battered my ego.At least with online publishing I'm totally in control of the initial product and my book can never go out of print. The publicity, for better or worse, is in my hands as well.

Now, if only people would discover and buy "Araroon" at www.1stbooks.com.