As I approach the final stages of book approval, I have been asked by many about my publisher. I am holding a How to write a self-published book workshop on May 14th and How to market your book. It is a double-header.
I chose my publisher for a number of reasons that I will detail when I teach the workshop/class however, I do not in anyway encourage others to go with my company.
They do not work in excellence. Their copyediting is horrible, and their timliness is unacceptable. I have really gone through with getting them to take proper interest in completing the book. These are my personal experiences of course.
Years ago when I worked on my books of poetry, there were people that worked on the books with great customer service, and they were local, or atleast they felt that way.
I was told that they have either sold the company or simply employee out of the country for cheap labor. As a result, it is extremely difficult to communicate, and english is not their first language so they do not follow directions at all. I do mean at all. Xlibris sold 49% of their company to Random House. This may be the reason that some things have changed over the years. Xlibris is what I call, in the middle of a self-publshing company and a major publisher. Random House made a very smart move. There are probably more authors than their are publishing houses. The market has completely opened up, but nothing much has changed about the marketing responsibilities of each author. (I will definitely cover this at the workshop)
As for the middle-of-the-road that they have taken, Xlibris offers a print on demand solution. They are large enough to be a major publishing house but have chosen not to be one. Xlibris can get you into the places that you want to go, which makes it more appealing than other competitors. Again, I will talk about the advantages of print on demand companies at the workshop as well.
I do not recommend this company if this is your first book. You just may quit, not realizing that it has nothing to do with you. I have had some authors reach out to me to ask how they can get their book published faster or just to complain about the copyediting process.
I do intend to show you in the workshop how to navigate through the process if you choose Xlibris or if you already have paid Xlibris and are waiting for the book to be fully completed and published.
In the workshop I do intend to share information on how to do it yourself, how to choose the right vendors, and what business practices to look for. What marketing options should you be looking for if any at all? I will answer these questions as well.
This Double-header workshop is going to be held at Arlington Central Library on May 14, 2011. You have plenty of time to get your $75 in cash together to learn some thingst that will propel your future. When you are writing a manuscript, the last thing that you want is to have a publishing company that is not too concerned with your masterpiece, who takes their time, and does not work in excellence. You need to know how to build a team.
Be sure to make this workshop. There are some people who have written books that they need to re-edit, re-write, or get a new cover for. Sometimes it is one word, one piece of information that changes your life.
Come out and support the first booksigning for Identity Crisis, Identity Christ Is: A Journey to Love
And, register for the Workshop! Click here for detailed information.
Peace,
Love, Life, and Relationships: Overcoming Emotional and Child Sexual Abuse 