How to not Get Screwed by a Self-Publishing Company

by Michael N. Marcus

Self-publishing companies enable anyone who can type to quickly become a "published author" and compete for the attention of the reading public. There is no longer a need to go through the years-long process of finding an agent and publisher.Sadly, these companies publish a lot of badly written books, and sometimes do a bad job of publishing and promoting them. Their writer/customers spend a lot of money, and many customers are greatly disappointed in the quality of their books and the limited sales and book reviews. You can minimize disappointment if you are properly prepared—and this book will prepare you!Don’t buy services and trinkets that you don’t need. Pay the right prices for what you do need. Let the publisher do the tech stuff that you don’t want to get involved in, and concentrate on the creative process (perhaps with a independent editors and designers) to make a good-reading, good-looking book which you can be proud of and maybe make money from.The book includes revealing comments from customers and former employees of several major self-publishing companies.Michael N. Marcus is a bestselling author and publisher of more than 30 a change of heartSECTION ONEBackgroundPublishing difficult and easyThree doses of realityWhy self-publish?Why is self-publishing so popular now? There’s bad news and good news.SECTION TWOWhat should you write?What shouldn’t you write?How much should you write?Building your “self” publishing teamHow good is good enough?What should you name your baby?Try to be originalShould you announce your new book’s title before it’s published?Don’t forget business insurance!SECTION THREEWhy no respect?Don’t be easily impressedEmpty boastsSelf-Publishing may have more flavors than Baskin-RobbinsEvery publisher doesn’t do everythingCheck the dealDon’t get the royal shaft on royaltiesAdvertising what can’t be soldAdvertising what is almost never soldAdvertising what is seldom soldThe embarrassing secrets of self-publishing companiesWhat do you get for $199, or for nothing?Can you really publish for free?How to get the most from your publisherThe worst mistakes of authors who use self-publishing companiesGOTCHA! Some reasons to do it yourself, and not use a self-publishing companyGOTCHA AGAIN! Some reasons not to be an independent self-publisherDon’t use your publisher’s brand namePrices, discounts, markupsMaking centsBasic arithmetic for a $15.95 bookDo You Need to Make a Profit?À la carte overchargingBeware of Bait & SwitchWhat’s an ISBN and do you need one?Buying copies of your own bookGet real. How many can you sell?What does a self-publishing author have to do?Understanding print on demand (POD) even greener than PODThe split-personality self-publishing companiesSECTION FOUROutskirts press is often stupid, sloppy and sleazyThe low standards of PublishAmericaXlibris is ruining self-publishing by not providing the help its authors needStay away from BeckhamDon’t get help from Self Help PublishersLight Messages is sending the wrong messageObit for a first-class self-publishing serviceSECTION FIVEWhat should you call yourself?Marketing you

343 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2013

About the author

Michael N. Marcus is the author of more than 40 books—including many bestsellers. He has been an editor at Rolling Stone magazine and has written for many science, music, business, electronics, automotive and general interest magazines, as well as newspapers.

​He's also an award-winning advertising copywriter who has worked on such brands as Pioneer, Acoustic Research, Columbia Records, Maxell, Volvo, Castrol, and Perdue chicken. Active on Facebook, Michael founded and administers over a dozen popular groups, and a few unpopular ones.

Michael has long been a successful and popular explainer. Before the Internet, he was an online adviser on CompuServe, and later on MSN. He is a contributor to many online groups and publications. He has provided the words for more than 50 websites and blogs.

At the urging of a misguided guidance counselor, he went to Lehigh University to become an electrical engineer, and was disappointed to learn that engineering was mostly math—and slide rules were not as much fun as soldering irons. He quickly switched to journalism.

Michael has written professionally for over 40 years. He was one of the first writers to humanize electronic hardware, describing equipment with emotion, not math. At Rolling Stone, his popular reviews of hi-fi equipment departed from the traditional laboratory tedium, and used humor and slices-of-life to describe the components. His novel approach came from necessity—because he didn't have a testing laboratory.
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Michael lives in Connecticut with his wife Marilyn, the ghost of Hunter the Golden Retriever, indoor and outdoor telephone booths, a "Lily Tomlin" switchboard, lots of books, CDs and DVDs, and many black boxes with flashing lights. Marilyn is very tolerant.









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Michael N. Marcus.