[BloodStreak]

Can anyone name a good publishing company where they will distribute your novels for a minimum price?

[Fung Koo]

Just search for vanity presses on google. You should be able to find a few. Or try contacting your local newspaper's printer. They could probably give you an idea. In general it's not going to get you any sales to self-publish, though.

[justLuke]

Should a "good publishing company" agree to publish your work, they will not charge you for the privilege. On the contrary, they will pay you. If they require you to pay, they are not a "good publishing company".

[kmtolan]

Yeah, self publishing (and these are print services - not publishers) is pretty much a dead end unless you just want a few books to show around or otherwise have some academic piece. Of course, you might be that 1% that actually does okay. I wouldn't roll those odds, though.

That said, one of the better printing services out there is lulu.com.

One of the worst is Publish America.

Pick your poison.

Kerry

ps: Have you thought of getting your writing to the point where you could submit it to a real publisher? Lots of small press out there willing to pay YOU if you can make the cut.

[BrianC]

I think many of them use the term "subsidy publishing", so if you really want to go down this road then try searching for that. (Others have already given good advice on this side of the industry, so I won't flog that horse.)

[Expendable]

There's also P.O.D. or Print/Publish On Demand, which often doesn't market your books but works for short runs. You better check out SFFWA's Warnings and Cautions for Writers on 'Vanity and Subsidy Publishers' (http://www.sfwa.org/beware/vanitypublishers.html) and for'Print On Demand' (http://www.sfwa.org/beware/printondemand.html).

You may want to find yourself an agent (http://www.sfwa.org/beware/agents.html).

[jamza1234]

I think saying that even 1% of self-published books do well is being generous! The service is probably best for if you just want a few copies of something you wrote to give to friends or as a talking point. There are companies that charge you practically nothing for publishing, but the chances are you'll get absolutely nothing back.