I'm finally published...

[Yahzi]

Originally Posted by mercs

Yahzi, I'm not so sure about there still being a stigma. If it is professionally done, then it's hard to distinguish between a self published and published.

It's not a stigma. Plenty of self-published books are better than plenty of actually published books.

But it is a different process. No independent editor has selected your work for publication. Despite the deficiencies of independent editors and their often random picks, it's still a hurdle you haven't crossed.

I'm always careful to tell people that I'm printed, not published.

my way is a huge shortcut,

No, it isn't. Your way is a path to a completely different destination.

That's my point about misrepresenting yourself to others and yourself.

The destination you've reached is a worthy one. It might even be the wave of the future. But it's not the same one you set out to reach 10 years ago.

They list it on amazon.com's database, but it's permanently out of stock etc.

My Amazon page says my book is in stock, from LULUPRESS, which has a 94% positive rating.

I tried to search for your book on Amazon, but "Lyrian" gave me so many hits I couldn't find yours.

[gary compton]

Originally Posted by Yahzi

I hate to rain on your parade, but you are not published.

Absolute load of rubbish. Off course you're published! The difference is you are the publisher and the author at the same time.

Look at Mark Robson on this forum. He sought out a printing company, put together the book including the cover art work. He printed, marketed and distributed his series and sold...wait for it! 50,000 books. He was snapped up by an agent and the rest is history (Check out his forum on this site)

As we are coninually told, publishing is subjective. Another man's passion is someone else's poison. You might not get an agent because you've not been lucky enough to find one who enjoyed your work enough.

It's not to say it isnt great and very readable.

Look at all the rubbish on the bookshelves, what's the story there. They say it has to be wonderful, better that 100% but there are still 100's of books that are crap - They are trying to brainwash us into beliving they are right. When in reality no one is - there is no exact template.

I'd say go for it 5000 is nothing. If I was a published author and only sold 3000-5000, I'd be questioning the commitment of the people behind the book.

In a few years the traditional publisher will be dead and the new proactive, self motivated, driven author who publish their own work will fill the bookshelves.

GO FOR IT. DONT BE PUT OFF!!

[mercs]

Blimey Gary, one step at a time lol! As I said I tried a few times with agents and I was told that my writing was good, they enjoyed my style and script, but something didn't click etc. I just wanted a copy to give to my friends and family. I wish I could show you the phone call I got today from my niece in America when her copy arrived, that's worth more than a publishing contract to me!

5000 is the dream number as it opens a few doors. If I see 43 copies, 170 copies, 941 copies etc. then no one cares. It would be the death of the book as why should a publishing house or agent give a second look if the public didn't. 5000 is a number that says there's something here...

And I will have to check up this Mark Robson and ask for some tips, as 50,000 is more than what many publishing houses manage! That's phenomenal!

[Ursa major]

I believe Mark is on holiday (and researching his next book) at the moment, but he has a sub-forum in the Author's forum if you want to check it out.

[Ian Whates]

mercs, many congratulations on the book coming out and I really hope it does well for you.

As a small press publisher myself (www.newconpress.co.uk), I would offer a word of caution about being overly ambitious on the sales side. If you do sell as many as 5,000, that's fabulous, but please set out to achieve this in a series of stages and don't be too disappointed if reality doesn't quite live up to expectation.

I've published books with stories from authors you may have heard of, including Brian Aldiss, Christopher Priest, Stephen Baxter, Alastair Reynolds, Pat Cadigan, Gwyneth Jones, Ken MacLeod etc etc, and I would never dream of printing anything like that many copies or indeed expect to sell that number.

Yes, as mentioned, Mark Robson has sold a fabulous number of his initial series of books, but Mark was aiming at a very specific market, writing YA fantasy novels, and Mark is phenomenal when it comes to selling and promoting, particularly when aided at events by the rest of his family, who work very smoothly as a team. Mark is very much the exception, not the rule.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not trying to be a killjoy and dampen your enthusiasm; you take every scrap you have and throw it behind the book... I'd just hate to see you end up being disappointed because you were aiming too high.

[TheEndIsNigh]

Mercs:

So how does this thing work.

You say the first twenty copies or so have gone. What do you have to do to get more - I know it's going to involve cash but from an information point of view how does lulu (or whoever it was) set about printing/publishing your book.

[Yahzi]

Originally Posted by TheEndIsNigh

how does lulu (or whoever it was) set about printing/publishing your book.

Well, that's the cool part.

Print-on-demand means they print a copy when you order it. They have a big machine that prints books the way you think of printing copies - push a button, and out one comes. The "print run" is perilously close to death; someday they'll print all books this way. You'll walk into a bookstore, select a book from their sample stock, and they'll print one for you on the spot.

Still need to reduce the price a factor of 4 or so, but considering how much the price for a single print has already dropped, that's not much.

[ctg]

Originally Posted by Yahzi

The "print run" is perilously close to death; someday they'll print all books this way. You'll walk into a bookstore, select a book from their sample stock, and they'll print one for you on the spot.

LOL, what are you talking? 'Print run' is not a dead subject. Jeesus, get grips man. A few examples from top of my head involving a word 'print run' and traditional publisher together.

Prog rock is a magazine that started few months go. Knowing that the country is in a recession and the internet is booming, they did a 30 000 copy run and sold out the first issue. £7.99 a pop and you can count they got £239 700 in one month, before splitting it. On what's funny, that first issue now selling on ebay for fifty quid.

Another example, Kasper Kent's - Twelve. It's a debut novel, and as above, the keyword is debut. What he has done is an examplary work that has already made three 'print runs'. How many copies he has sold? I don't know, but I bet quite a lot. Probably far more than five thousand.

So whatever you've been smoking, it's been bad gear. And thinking they will make a print in the shop is you dreaming. There's not going to be a room for machines like that.

[Joey Sixknuckles]

Originally Posted by ctg

And thinking they will make a print in the shop is you dreaming. There's not going to be a room for machines like that.

There is already a machine like that, it's just been launched, it's pretty expensive at the moment, and only certain publishers have licensed for it - but the price will come down, and more publishers and booksellers will sdopt it. Remember even ten years ago who would have thought you could get a brand new pretty good quality home printer/scanner/photocopier for £70? I'm not saying of course that you will be able to get book printers for that little, but they will become affordable for booksellers.

[ctg]

Originally Posted by Joey Sixknuckles

There is already a machine like that, it's just been launched, it's pretty expensive at the moment, and only certain publishers have licensed for it - but the price will come down, and more publishers and booksellers will sdopt it. Remember even ten years ago who would have thought you could get a brand new pretty good quality home printer/scanner/photocopier for £70? I'm not saying of course that you will be able to get book printers for that little, but they will become affordable for booksellers.

How fast it is on printing a book and binding the pages together? Can you give a source rather than just saying there's one?

[J-WO]

Originally Posted by mercs

After ten years of working my way up through short stories, online novels, even comic book scripts and many failed manuscripts, I finally pushed ahead with my MG Fantasy novel Lyrian...


Start of a new adventure!!!

Nice one Merc! Go for it, sonny!

[ktabic]

Originally Posted by ctg

How fast it is on printing a book and binding the pages together? Can you give a source rather than just saying there's one?

Espresso Book Machine. In stores now. First store I heard about getting it was in Melbourne, but there are 18 sites worldwide now. Couple in London, so will have to go have a play next time I'm down there.

[Joey Sixknuckles]

Originally Posted by ktabic

Espresso Book Machine. In stores now. First store I heard about getting it was in Melbourne, but there are 18 sites worldwide now. Couple in London, so will have to go have a play next time I'm down there.

That's the one.

[mygoditsraining]

The trim size of a book is infinitely variable between 8.5” x 11” and 4.5” x 4.5”

Someone needs to smack their copy writer. Hard.

[chopper]

hmm. ten years ago nobody throught they'd be queueing up to use a damned download machine in a shop...... i ain't gonna rule anything out.

slightly offtopic, i just bound all my finished short stuff into a single volume on lulu for a quick private pressing for Mother Chopper. if you put a professional effort in, you certainly get a professional result. the cover may be slightly pixellated, but that's my fault more than their's.