31 August 2024
|
Self publishing can be challenging but it’s also fun and exciting says York Publishing Services publisher Cathi Poole, who has a wealth of experience and knowledge to share with anyone embarking on their journey to publication. Here she shares her tips on ISBN numbers, proofreading, marketing your book, and more.
Self publishing has become mainstream, whether it’s commercial titles or very short-run legacy publishing. With new technology in both production and especially printing, prices have come way down and publishing a book that looks good is very affordable.
‘It’s also fun,’ smiles Cathi. ‘Or it should be! And exciting!’
- Finding a trustworthy self-publishing company
- Dealing with distribution for authors
- How York Publishing Services can work with you
- Services offered by York Publishing Services
- The YPS commitment
- Top self-publishing tips
Finding a trustworthy self-publishing company
‘York Publishing Services Ltd [the sponsors of this post] was established as a trustworthy name in Self Publishing in the early 1990s, when the industry was a bit of a Wild West and Amazon had yet to take off,’ she explains. ‘At that time, there were a lot of charlatans around, charging the earth for not very good production and flattering authors into printing thousands of copies they could never sell.’
Thankfully most, but certainly not all, of those sorts of companies have fallen by the wayside.
It is also a lot easier to sell books, Cathi says.
‘Social media, ebooks and online bookshops like Amazon have levelled the playing field with the mainstream publishers. It is now entirely possible to be a very successful self-published author or small independent publisher, publishing both your own and others’ work.’
Dealing with distribution for authors
YPS have a comprehensive, worldwide self publisher/indie publisher book distribution service which, as Cathi explains, makes the process easier and more efficient.
‘We have accounts with both Gardners and Amazon, so even getting your books into the shops and distribution channels is easier than ever,’ she says. ‘No more boxes under the bed or cluttering up the conservatory! We also have our own online bookshop, YorkBookshop.com, where our authors can sell their books totally commission free.’
From design to distribution, YPS offers the full range of publishing services, with authors able to opt for the full service, or just pick the ones they need.
‘We distribute for many authors that have published through other companies and just do layout/design/ebooks for others. The most important service is making sure authors enjoy the process and are happy with the result.
'It doesn’t matter if your book is a potential commercial bestseller, or if you are only publishing a very short run just for your family – every author has sat down and written a book! That is a huge achievement and deserves equal consideration and effort in producing it and getting it into the hands of readers.’
How York Publishing Services can work with you
Here’s a very soft sales pitch from Cathi:
‘Please don’t worry when you email or ring us with your initial enquiry, we are happy to spend as much time talking and advising as you need,’ she advises. ‘We will not try to persuade you to have services you don’t want or need, and are more likely to try and talk you down from printing too many copies, or going for hardback, or full colour, when you don’t need to. Always remember, it’s a very nice problem to solve if you sell quickly and need a reprint, rather than printing too many!’
Services offered by York Publishing Services
The professional services offered by YPS include:
- proofreading
- layout/design
- cover design
- printing
- ebooks
- uploading to Amazon KDP for Print On Demand
- handling your ISBN application to Nielsen
- book distribution
…and, as Cathi says ‘everything in between!’
The YPS commitment
‘We make no extravagant claims about how many copies you will sell,’ Cathi says. ‘We do not request payments in advance. You are the publisher, you are just as important as the major publishers we work for.’
Cathi is keen to point out that all the printed books belong to you, the author, and all the sales belong to you.
‘We produce self-published books to the same high quality as we do for established publishers,’ she says. ‘Our aim is to offer professional production values to small or first-time publishers. We will give you help, advice and assistance at all stages and provide competitive quotations in advance.’
‘If you decide to commission us to produce your book, you are the publisher (with your own publishing name or imprint).
‘You will have complete control over all stages of production, you will own all the books you publish (and all the rights) and the revenue from the sales.’
Top self-publishing tips
Cathi Poole of York Publishing Service Ltd provides us with some top insider self-publishing tips
- ISBN numbers. One of the most important things that any author can do is to get ISBN numbers in their own name. It is the one thing that ensures you hold all the rights to your book, not just copyright.
‘We often deal with Nielsen on authors’ behalves, but we never offer ISBN numbers in our name,’ Cathi says. ‘We continue to hear horror stories from authors who cannot get their publishing rights back after the company that holds the ISBN for their book has either gone bankrupt or phoenixed under a different name.’
- Proofreading. If you’re hoping for commercial success, always get your manuscript proofread. ‘It’s not cheap,’ Cathi warns. ‘Our freelancers charge between £10 and £15 per 1,000 words, but your book can’t afford to have mistakes.’
- Marketing. It’s never too soon to start publicising your book. There is a huge amount that you can do for free on social media. ‘If you feel out of your depth with marketing and need help, you will need to set aside some of your budget early on,’ Cathi says. ‘There are many companies that offer marketing services. Make sure that you know exactly what they’ll be doing for your budget. Remember the old saying though – only fifty percent of marketing works, you just don’t know which fifty percent!’
Marketing is an ongoing process, it doesn’t always reap rewards, but if you don’t do it, the lack of rewards is guaranteed. ‘We use a local book promotion company, Black Swan Book Promotion, and they are always happy to chat,’ she adds.
- Distribution. As with publicity, if you are going down the commercial publishing route, you need to have a distribution company in place. It opens up the market to wholesalers and the book trade. Bookshops are often reluctant to deal direct with authors trying to distribute their own books.
‘It can sometimes work, especially on a local level, if the book is set locally or is a local history. Bookshop managers do have some limited autonomy locally but the majority of trade purchasers only deal with Gardners, the wholesaler. Our distribution director, Paula, is always happy to chat about the intricacies of book distribution, or point you in the right direction if you do want to give it a go on your own.’
- Book covers. Often authors have seen something that they really like on another book – be it embossing, spot UV varnishing, French flaps, limited edition hardbacks, full colour pictures throughout the text, Cathi says.
‘I always ask: “Do you think having these things will make your readers more likely to buy a copy?” If the answer is no, it is your money that you will be spending, for no gain. Just because it looks pretty. If the answer is yes, then definitely go ahead. We would not try to persuade you otherwise.’
Of course, most books are sold online and the thumbnail cover will be minuscule. The potential reader can’t see the colour pictures inside. These options can also be expensive. ‘You may be better off spending any extra on printing more copies or on marketing,’ Cathi advises. The exception to this is legacy publishing. ‘If you are publishing just for friends and family, you may as well go for every option that is within your budget.’
If you would like a copy YPS’s free A Guide To Self Publishing, email your postal address to: [email protected]. ‘We promise, it’s not a sales brochure, it’s full of tips, advice and information,’ says Cathi.
![York Publishing Services]()
YPS – Publishing Services
Publishing services for Self Publishers, independent publishers and established publishers
64 Hallfield Road, Layerthorpe, York, YO31 7ZQ
Tel: 01904 431213
Email: [email protected]
For distribution and ebook advice, email Paula on [email protected]
For publishing advice or a quote, email Cathi on [email protected]
www.yps-publishing.co.uk