Authors, Writers, Publishers, and Book Readers
Need Help!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a new member ... just joined today ... just a few minutes ago. My "Pen Name" is Dee Miller and I have published with the worst publisher (PublishAmerica) in the world!! To my regret, I published 3 books with them ... all three at the same time ... before I found out what they are doing with their authors. I have a 4th book finished and ready to go to the publisher ... but I do not want to publish with them again. I need help. Can someone out there help me with some advise on what I need to do to get out of this situation or what I need to do to just get help?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kay Elizabeth on
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Dee, other members here have went elsewhere after being with them. Hang in there and I'm sure one of them will answer when they see this. I know it's been talked about before but I couldn't find the thread it's in I was thinking of.
In the meantime, you could check out the links in this blog post's comments. I know there's another one somewhere around here.
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Permalink Reply by Ashlee Palmer on
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Hello Miss Miller,
Have you considered Self Publishing? It is the fastest growing market out there right now for Authors. It is fast and simple plus you usually keep a higher percent of your much deserved royalties. First time Author Cynthia Townley (Trained to Kill-A Oliver Rousseau Novel) has self-published her novel in 5 days. It is now available on Amazon.com, Barens&Noble.com and Smashwords.com in ebook form. She is a fantastic lady and I am sure could offer some help to you. She is a member to this site as well as Facebook (on Facebook she is listed as Mystery-Crime Novelist-Cynthia Townley). I watched her go through some of the same frustrations as you and self publishing really was a better option for her. My best wishes to you...
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Permalink Reply by Drue "Dee" Miller on
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Ashlee: I have self-published w/PublishAmerica. Big mistake. They have done nothing but cost me money. I have decided to sell my books on a website w/my daughter. (Her cover art as my "photo" on this website is from my 2nd novel. I just don't know what to charge for the soft cover books. Size:240 pg. gothis romance ... it's sequel ...479 pgs.. 202 mystery/suspense. Got any ideas? I have a 4th ready to be published Help with prices would be helpful. You have joined the best author/reader forum I have ever seen.
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Oh ok. Cynthia Townley did not use a company to help her self-publish her novel. She did it her self. As for the prices of your novels...To save yourself money and make more. It could be more beneficial to reformat your novels into ebooks and by doing this it would eliminate the cost of ink, paper, binding, shipping, ect. It has been said that anything under $4.99 is considered an "impulse buy". Please try not to think of the term "impulse buy" in a negative way. It is very helpful tool indeed. Several factors go into pricing a book...for most Authors that are not as well known as James Patterson, Stephanie Meyers and so on, price their books in the "impulse buy" category. By pricing your book in the this category (under $4.99) more people would be more likely to take a chance spending less than 5 dollars on a not so well known Author. In turn the more chances people take on purchasing your book the more money you make (every cent adds up) and the more popular you become as an Author. Then based on the number of sales and the more popular you and your work become the price may always be increased. Most marketing is not based on word count or number of pages but supply and demand. I have a few questions about your daughter...would she be interested in doing more book covers for other self-published Authors? What programs does she use to create the covers? and How much would she charge to do a cover? Please feel free to email me anytime at ashlee.palmer45@yahoo.com
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Permalink Reply by Theophenie Miller on
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Ashlee: Hi, I am the afore-mentioned daughter:) I have actually been thinking about getting her into ebooking (with iPads and Nooks and all being out there, that is an awesome field to get into), the only thing I am worried about is any flack from PA re: her contract, if we get her currents into ebook format (with the Dreams series, she would definitely need to have the 2 current books in e-format, as well as the upcoming sequels, in order to make it flow right for the readers).
Yes, I would love to do more covers, I use Photoshop CS5 at present, planning on upgrading sometime in the future when funds are easier... but it's working pretty well right now. Pricing I haven't thought about, right now the covers I do for Momma (Ms. Miller) are done at family price (free..hee). I read all her books prior, and then do the imagery that she and I feel is right for the covers. I am definitely willing to negotiate on pricing.
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Thank you for responding. While I can not (and would not know how to) offer legal advice about a contract. I would review what is in the contract and maybe when the contract expires then look into the ebook options. It is a "booming" field for readers. I understand the wanting to keep the stories in order for the readers (as a book lover myself, I thank you for that).
It is great news that you are open and willing to work with other authors. I will contact the author that I work with and either she or I will be in touch. Thank you!!
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Permalink Reply by Garry Edward Lewis on
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Dear Dee First and formost you can have your book rights reverted back to you. Simply go To PA's sight type in search, revert rights back. A page will then come up where you pay $99.00 per title but this will revert your book rights back to you, then you can go to Createspace upload your books with them, no cost involved except for when you review proof of your book, they basically ask you buy one copy at authors discount. They in turn send you a copy of your book for you to look over, if you like it and don't need to change anything. Simply go into your createspace account and click on publish. Createspace will have your book on Amazon.com within a week. Then you can go to Amazon.com upload your books on Kindle for free, they'll be on Amazon within days. They will also place your kindle books over seas on Amazon UK, and Amazon Germany as well at no cost to you. You recieve 70% royalties on your Kindle books from Amazon. Createspace I ask $8.99 for my paperbacks I make over two dollars royalties per book sold.
Which isn't bad. Hope this helps, I reverted three books back to me from PA so I know you can get it done, as I did!
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Permalink Reply by Cynthia Townley on
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Garry, I have a question for you regarding CreateSpace. When you say "no cost involved except for when you review proof of your book" are you referring to a print book that has already been created/published elsewhere? The reason I ask is because when I spoke to CreateSpace to have my ebook, Trained To Kill, created into a print book, and as research for my new "How To" book, I was directed to review their online package prices, which I did while on the phone with a CreateSpace representative. It was explained to me, on top of the package price to create a print version of my ebook, they split my royalties 50/50 when a book is sold online. That's after Amazon takes their cut. In addition, I found this to be the norm (50/50, 60/40 split royalties) at most self-publishing print companies. Outskirts Press was the only self-publishing company I spoke to who allows the author to keep 100% of their royalties. Based on this information, I chose not to have a print version of my book, even though some people still prefer to hold a book in their hands when reading. Then yesterday, I received the KDP June 2011 Newsletter in my email Inbox and the big story: Kindle outsells print books.
Garry Edward Lewis said:Dear Dee First and formost you can have your book rights reverted back to you. Simply go To PA's sight type in search, revert rights back. A page will then come up where you pay $99.00 per title but this will revert your book rights back to you, then you can go to Createspace upload your books with them, no cost involved except for when you review proof of your book, they basically ask you buy one copy at authors discount. They in turn send you a copy of your book for you to look over, if you like it and don't need to change anything. Simply go into your createspace account and click on publish. Createspace will have your book on Amazon.com within a week. Then you can go to Amazon.com upload your books on Kindle for free, they'll be on Amazon within days. They will also place your kindle books over seas on Amazon UK, and Amazon Germany as well at no cost to you. You recieve 70% royalties on your Kindle books from Amazon. Createspace I ask $8.99 for my paperbacks I make over two dollars royalties per book sold.
Which isn't bad. Hope this helps, I reverted three books back to me from PA so I know you can get it done, as I did!
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Hi Kay Elizabeth, Do you know if there is a specific "page" at Authors.com reserved just for "author beware" comments? I know there are websites online where authors can comment on their bad agent/publisher experiences to share with...the world.
Kay Elizabeth said:Dee, other members here have went elsewhere after being with them. Hang in there and I'm sure one of them will answer when they see this. I know it's been talked about before but I couldn't find the thread it's in I was thinking of.
In the meantime, you could check out the links in this blog post's comments. I know there's another one somewhere around here.
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Hi Theophenie Miller, I would be interested in chatting with you regarding your book covers. My email address is Cindy9658@att.net. If you would send me an email and attach book covers you have done for Mom, or a portfolio if you have one, I would appreciate it. Right now I have a graphic artist who creates my book covers, but he is getting very, very popular (since I have recommended him to over 35 authors) that his home-based business is booming. Even though he is still very accommodating to me, I believe there will come a time soon when I need to have an alternative approach, and he starts turning clients away simply because he is too busy. I will be happy to provide you with his pricing structure so that you have an idea of what authors will pay, and won't pay, and you can determine for yourself what you would charge, if you are interested in building a clientele. To see the book cover he designed for my ebook "Trained To Kill", just go to my authors.com page. That book cover has produced over 35 self-published authors asking "Who designed it?" on my Facebook page. With his permission of course, I recommended him to all the authors. I was his first "book cover" client.
It took me 2 months to write Trained To Kill, and six months of research to determine how to publish it. LOL! Then I realized I can self-publish (all by myself) an ebook in just minutes and have it available at every major online retailer within 24-48 hours, and downloadable to every electronic device known to man. The only challenged I faced was not having an appropriate book cover. Since you already create your Mom's book covers, when she is ready to have her books available as an ebook, if she does not already have ebooks available to the public, I will be happy to share how I did it. I have just written, and I am putting the finishing touches on my new "How To Publish A Book In 5 Days" step-by-step instruction manual/guide, which will be for sale at every major online retailer for $.99 by the end of next week. Within the 5 day timeframe, includes the design and creation of the book cover, so if the author already has a suitable book cover, and their Word manuscript, they can produce an ebook in minutes, or at the most 1-2 days - if they are not computer savvy, (which I am not) and have it available for sale.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Theophenie Miller said:
Ashlee: Hi, I am the afore-mentioned daughter:) I have actually been thinking about getting her into ebooking (with iPads and Nooks and all being out there, that is an awesome field to get into), the only thing I am worried about is any flack from PA re: her contract, if we get her currents into ebook format (with the Dreams series, she would definitely need to have the 2 current books in e-format, as well as the upcoming sequels, in order to make it flow right for the readers).
Yes, I would love to do more covers, I use Photoshop CS5 at present, planning on upgrading sometime in the future when funds are easier... but it's working pretty well right now. Pricing I haven't thought about, right now the covers I do for Momma (Ms. Miller) are done at family price (free..hee). I read all her books prior, and then do the imagery that she and I feel is right for the covers. I am definitely willing to negotiate on pricing.
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Cynthia Townley said:Hi Theophenie Miller, I would be interested in chatting with you regarding your book covers. My email address is Cindy9658@att.net. If you would send me an email and attach book covers you have done for Mom, or a portfolio if you have one, I would appreciate it. Right now I have a graphic artist who creates my book covers, but he is getting very, very popular (since I have recommended him to over 35 authors) that his home-based business is booming. Even though he is still very accommodating to me, I believe there will come a time soon when I need to have an alternative approach, and he starts turning clients away simply because he is too busy. I will be happy to provide you with his pricing structure so that you have an idea of what authors will pay, and won't pay, and you can determine for yourself what you would charge, if you are interested in building a clientele. To see the book cover he designed for my ebook "Trained To Kill", just go to my authors.com page. That book cover has produced over 35 self-published authors asking "Who designed it?" on my Facebook page. With his permission of course, I recommended him to all the authors. I was his first "book cover" client.
It took me 2 months to write Trained To Kill, and six months of research to determine how to publish it. LOL! Then I realized I can self-publish (all by myself) an ebook in just minutes and have it available at every major online retailer within 24-48 hours, and downloadable to every electronic device known to man. The only challenged I faced was not having an appropriate book cover. Since you already create your Mom's book covers, when she is ready to have her books available as an ebook, if she does not already have ebooks available to the public, I will be happy to share how I did it. I have just written, and I am putting the finishing touches on my new "How To Publish A Book In 5 Days" step-by-step instruction manual/guide, which will be for sale at every major online retailer for $.99 by the end of next week. Within the 5 day timeframe, includes the design and creation of the book cover, so if the author already has a suitable book cover, and their Word manuscript, they can produce an ebook in minutes, or at the most 1-2 days - if they are not computer savvy, (which I am not) and have it available for sale.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Theophenie Miller said:
Ashlee: Hi, I am the afore-mentioned daughter:) I have actually been thinking about getting her into ebooking (with iPads and Nooks and all being out there, that is an awesome field to get into), the only thing I am worried about is any flack from PA re: her contract, if we get her currents into ebook format (with the Dreams series, she would definitely need to have the 2 current books in e-format, as well as the upcoming sequels, in order to make it flow right for the readers).
Yes, I would love to do more covers, I use Photoshop CS5 at present, planning on upgrading sometime in the future when funds are easier... but it's working pretty well right now. Pricing I haven't thought about, right now the covers I do for Momma (Ms. Miller) are done at family price (free..hee). I read all her books prior, and then do the imagery that she and I feel is right for the covers. I am definitely willing to negotiate on pricing.
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Cynthia Townley said:Garry, I have a question for you regarding CreateSpace. When you say "no cost involved except for when you review proof of your book" are you referring to a print book that has already been created/published elsewhere? The reason I ask is because when I spoke to CreateSpace to have my ebook, Trained To Kill, created into a print book, and as research for my new "How To" book, I was directed to review their online package prices, which I did while on the phone with a CreateSpace representative. It was explained to me, on top of the package price to create a print version of my ebook, they split my royalties 50/50 when a book is sold online. That's after Amazon takes their cut. In addition, I found this to be the norm (50/50, 60/40 split royalties) at most self-publishing print companies. Outskirts Press was the only self-publishing company I spoke to who allows the author to keep 100% of their royalties. Based on this information, I chose not to have a print version of my book, even though some people still prefer to hold a book in their hands when reading. Then yesterday, I received the KDP June 2011 Newsletter in my email Inbox and the big story: Kindle outsells print books.
Garry Edward Lewis said:Dear Dee First and formost you can have your book rights reverted back to you. Simply go To PA's sight type in search, revert rights back. A page will then come up where you pay $99.00 per title but this will revert your book rights back to you, then you can go to Createspace upload your books with them, no cost involved except for when you review proof of your book, they basically ask you buy one copy at authors discount. They in turn send you a copy of your book for you to look over, if you like it and don't need to change anything. Simply go into your createspace account and click on publish. Createspace will have your book on Amazon.com within a week. Then you can go to Amazon.com upload your books on Kindle for free, they'll be on Amazon within days. They will also place your kindle books over seas on Amazon UK, and Amazon Germany as well at no cost to you. You recieve 70% royalties on your Kindle books from Amazon. Createspace I ask $8.99 for my paperbacks I make over two dollars royalties per book sold.
Which isn't bad. Hope this helps, I reverted three books back to me from PA so I know you can get it done, as I did!
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