[Steven Savile]

Alright guys, I know lots of you are looking at this as a way of publishing... but what does your POD company give you? I ask for a reason... but it isn't publishing... right, I used to run a small press publishing company - and believe me it was a nightmare - it went to hell... but as a legacy of that I still have an account with the largest POD printer in the world, capable of doing hardcovers, softcovers, various formats, distributed by Barker & Taylor in the UK and Ingram in the US - I don't want to be a publisher, but I am not going to close the account... I am thinking of offering it to people interested in producing their own POD titles, free of charge - minus the thirty quid it costs to set up the title in the system which would be deducted from the books earnings... because I don't want to be a publisher I won't take money from the books, the cheques will be sent direct to you - you will earn out every penny above printing costs that your book makes (in terms of a 200 page hardcover that sells for 15 bucks you'd probably make back 8 bucks a book...) but YOU would be responsible for the book, the layout, the cover design, everything... hell, you could even give your book your own imprint if you wanted... at the moment this is just a thought - what I want to know is if people would use it? I mean, if nothing else you could print up copies for friends and family as presents http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif Rather than calling it vanity I think it is an authors service - giving you the chance to market your work in a professional form, hopefully getting it seen by the right people...

But I repeat, I am not publishing this stuff, it isn't a publishing house I am launching - all I would basically do is send a single email with your book in it, into the system... I won't give free copies or send out review copies...

OKay, so what do you guys think?

I did think it would be a fun thing to do with some of those collaborative stories that have taken place here.... Hell, you could even do a BEST OF SFFWORLD with short stories from the site.... or do a print version of the magazine parts of the site... it is up to your creativity... the question is, is it a dumb idea?

[milamber_reborn]

I think a lot of wannabe writers in these forums would be interested. If publishers don't want a sniff of my novel, I'd at least like to have a few copies of it in book form.

[Steven Savile]

THe big thing is that I don't want anything to do with the money. I don't want to be a publisher, simply a printing service... if anyone is interested I'll give you the details of what you would make per book according to binding type etc, and it's availability... one good thing is that with it being Ingrams/BakerTaylor, it is would be available for bookstores in the UK and US without any problem...

I wouldn't call it vanity, because you aren't being charged... but of course it is vanity of a sort... but as Milamber said, it might be nice for posterity etc, because this book might not make it, but it might help the next one...

[Erebus]

Hey, nice to see you back at the Forums, Kane. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Lawson]

Guess it sounds like a good idea for those who haven't goten lucky with the editors and such at regular Pub. houses.

I don't think there'd be much chance for it to go any further than a Vanity printing for the author though. Just for them or their friends to have.

Then again, I'm not a fan of these types of things.

[Steven Savile]

It really depends on how they want to use it. The service itself is as legitimate as places like 1stbooks.com, virtualbookworm.com, xlibris.com, greatunpublished.com, the difference is that the writer isn't being duped into parting with a couple of hundred bucks to set their product up...

Of course you are right, it IS vanity, but then, really so is any other form of POD, you only really get an element of credibility when the POD publisher pays you a decent advance reflecting their confidence in the work, much in the manner that a traditional publisher does.

As to where it can go, well, the two distribution houses it is linked with are the biggest in the world, the writer would get as much support as the average POD publisher offers...

Like I said at the outset, having actually run a very small press outfit I have an idea of what goes in to doing something like this, and I really don't want to get involved - my thought, and it is only a thought is that most folks who consider a POD route as the way to go would be better actually doing it themselves and really pushing the work, guerilla marketing and all, as they will get noticed just as much as they would if they had GreatUnpublished or 1stBooks or Hardshell or wherever, plus have a huge degree of control, and the return...

It isn't the way I would go, but then, I am not like a lot of people... http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

I do find it amusing that in the movies, music, comic industry self production, publication or what have you is considered bold and innovative and even celebrated, yet in writing it is considered crass...

Later http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Gary Wassner]

You bring up a really interesting point! Why is it that musicians and film makers are thought of as noble and cutting edge when they produce their art independently, and authors are not? I am sure that just as many 'garage' cds and home produced movies are as bad as many of the POD books in print. But their audience is mature enough, I guess, to find the good ones and not make sweeping assumptions about the entire concept!

[Lawson]

You bring up a really interesting point! Why is it that musicians and film makers are thought of as noble and cutting edge when they produce their art independently, and authors are not?

Because everyone writes during their lifetime. Everyone can put words onto paper and make it at least readable. Not everyone can play an instrument or direct a film and make it either a) sound like music or b) look like a film. Anyone can write and POD their work, and it will look very much like any other book.

On the flip side...maybe you POD authors should get together and start a festival for POD books. If you are unhappy with the system, change it. That is what you are trying to do y publishing POD in the first place right?

And Kane: I am very confident you know how to do this and have the experience. It is up to the authors what they want to do, you just offer the service. If people want to go POD, going with you sounds like a very good option. I'm going to stick with the traditional Pub. houses though, I'm afraid. I like rejetion letters, because, when I eventually sell, it'll be that much sweeter.

[garywassner]

As I explained before, you know now you can sign an non exclusive contract with some POD publishers. That allows you to pursue any and all other publishers to your heart's content while at the same time marketing your book and getting it out on the street for others to read. Those publishers who have made these contracts available have realized that ultimately most authors would rather have a traditional publisher behind them simply for the marketing aspects if nothing else. So, they have quickly adapted to allow those whose quality merits it and who have the time and energy (and desire) to devote to the arduous task of securing a publishing contract, to do so without any legal issues.

[Penumbra]

How much is thirty quid in dollars?