Different Self publishers...

[ndmellen]

I'm wondering what everyone's opinion is on the various self publishing companies out there. I'm currently looking into iUniverse, but this being the first time I've done this I was hoping to get some feed back.

What companies have you used? What were your experiences? Is there anything you would have done differently in retrospect?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Telcontar]

I'm a self-publisher, but the only companies I "use" are Amazon and Smashwords for the actual distribution. I contract out whatever work I can't do myself.

My knee-jerk reaction to any self-publishing service is to ask "Are you sure they're worth the percentage?"

What does the company do for you? Really do? Are the services they offer nebulous or specific, and what are they asking for them? Does the service have any authors you know of who have actually achieved some success? Can you contact them?

Do the rights to your work stay with you? Do you have the power to end the business relationship if you so please?

Suffice to say, I'm skeptical of whether or not any such company can really earn their keep, so to speak.

As a last bit, here is a link to an article about iUniverse on Writer Beware. I haven't read it, so I don't know whether or not it is good or bad - but I strongly advise you to thoroughly check out a prospective company's reputation before entering into any business relationship with them. Writer Beware, Preditors and Editors, and the Absolute Write forums are pretty good resources for that stuff.

 

[Xitra_Blud]

If you plan on self publishing, I would not recommend iUniverse, Xlibris, Authorhouse or any place where they want a large portion of your money. I've read many rip-off reports from places like these and you'd be likely to spend a hell of a lot more money than you would make. These places often want hundreds to thousands of dollars and, in return, they will give you several copies of books that are not well put together.

I would suggest publishing somewhere like CreateSpace or Lulu. I have not self published but, from the sound of it, and what I've heard from people who used these sites, they are a lot safer and won't take hundreds of your dollars.

Before self publishing, you definitely want to do A LOT of research on the places you plan to publish with. Read what other people have said about these places. You really have to be careful. A lot of these places are just out to rid you of your money.

Here is a rip-off report from someone who used iUniverse:

Ripoff Report | Authorhouse / iUniverse Complaint Review Bloomington, Indiana: 475422

 

[Mythopoet]

Do NOT use any company to help you "self publish". You should be uploading to retailers yourself. If you need to get cover art, formatting or anything else from an outside source, do NOT use a self publishing company to take care of it for you. Seek out freelance cover artists, editors, formatters, etc. and hire them on a per job basis for a flat fee. Any company that makes you pay up front for them to help you "self publish" is a scam.