Self Publishing
By Sammi Hide
So you’ve finished writing your book? Congratulations! Unfortunately, as you’ve probably already discovered, the hard work is just beginning...
Agents and publishers that are willing to take people on are notoriously hard to find, so we decided to talk to those in the know about self-publishing.
Authors Dan Bessie and Jeanne Johnson run their own publishing company, Blue Lupin Press. We found out what inspired them to start the company, and what services they offer.
"It’s so difficult to get published; agents won’t take people on, and publishers and agents are only in it to make money. We both had good feedback about our books, but no one would publish them, as they just didn’t think they’d make any money off them. We realised we could be of service to others in a similar situation, so we started Blue Lupin Press. We can promote people’s books on the site and help people with the editing process. We’ve edited three or four books, and other companies have published three of them. People may use our editing service and then not choose to publish through us, but that’s their choice.
It can be difficult, but if you want to try and get yourself an agent or publisher then give it a try! If you’ve got the kind of book that will make money, a cookbook or self-help book for example, then try and find an agent because they’ll know where to sell it. The best advice, though, is go directly to the publisher. Check their guidelines and write a very thoughtful and specific query letter, but be prepared for the fact that your letter won’t always be answered or looked at.
The most important thing is not to let rejection get you down, it’s not personal. Usually your work will be rejected for one of three reasons: it’s badly written, it’s already been done, or they just don’t think there’s a market for it. Present your work properly and smartly, and remember that positive feedback from friends and family is not always right!"
Angela Wilde runs the publishing company Blue Ocean Publishing. She told us about what’s involved in self-publishing with Blue Ocean, and why you should choose them over the competition!
"Blue Ocean is a small, bespoke operation and that means that it knows its authors and works for them. That is a definite plus, because we will go that extra mile - something you don't find with the larger, more anonymous self publishers. We use a highly experienced team of suppliers at all stages of the production and will work on any type of book. Authors pay for the work done on their books, but they hold the copyright, they control the sales and all the money from the sales comes directly to them.
The process depends very much on what the author wants - they e-mail us giving basic details about their requirements, either using the form on our website or via a standard e-mail, and we then set the ball rolling by coming back to them with a no-obligation quote. This may mean they may not want any editing, but just printing and the use of our ISBN, or they may want full cover and book design, editing and e-book creation, or something in between - the possibilities are endless. We are also experts on more complex products, so are happy to work on multi-media titles involving CDs, DVDs and games.
To be honest, it's impossible to give meaningful costs because every product is so different and bespoke, but for £250 you can certainly get your book out into the market."
Sammi