Vanity or Verity?

If you have written something meaningful to you and think it might be worth getting out there for others' benefit, consider self-publishing.

You will probably have heard the term "vanity press," a derogative term sometimes used synonymously with self-publishers. Vanity presses generally do give more freedom to authors seeking to publish their work but with more risk involved, taken on by the authors themselves. Often vanity presses do not require that work be edited and will flagrantly mark-up the costs at the expense of the author. As a result, the books turned out by some vanity presses are of very low quality, wield little respect, and rarely gain a reputation good enough for bookstore and library distribution at all. Decades ago, vanity presses were an affordable option for people who simply could not pay to go with a traditional publishing house (Walt Whitman and Mark Twain, for example).

Mill City Press is not a vanity press, it is a self-publishing company. The differences are clear. You as the author do not pay extra for printing costs. We offer a publishing package and other services that will get your book mainstream exposure in many of the same avenues of the book trade as traditional publishers. All this while offering you complete control, 100% of all royalties, and ownership of the digital files of the layout and cover design.

The founder of Mill City Press, Mark Levine, wrote a book called The Fine Print of Self-Publishing that serves as a comprehensive guide to the publishing industry, borne out of his own experience in it. Read about it at http://www.book-publishers-compared.com/.

For more information about how to get your book out of your computer and into the hands of readers, visit the Mill City Press online by clicking on the link above.

Self-publish, Then Self-Promote!

If you've published your book, you are aware of all the costs involved that ultimately cut into the profit you make, and that's only one end of the process. The other is creating exposure-- getting your book out there for people to read. It is recommended that you sell through one of the big online retailers to establish consumer credibility, but often they will take upwards of 50% off the top from each sale. Many online retailers require trade discounts as well; based on a range that you the author set with the retailer, a percentage of these trade discounts are offered online as bargains for the consumer. (But be warned, not all publishers allow you to set your own trade discounts, and some retailers will not push your book less fervently the lower you have set them.)

For legitimacy, sell through an established online bookseller; for profit, sell your books through your own website. Though you will have an added cost of advertising online in order to entice people to your website, you will still fare better since many methods of setting up a personal page on the internet are free. A blog like this one is a great example of a way to sell your books. Blogs have come into their own as more credible sources of news and culture, while being user-friendly for both the one running the blog and the reader. Most blogs are easy to update, archive past posts well, and have enough storage to upload your work in text, audio, even video clips. Perhaps you want to post excerpts or serially post chapters of your book online to captivate the reader; you may want to take advantage of the platform given you to speak to the research you did and the experience of writing your book. The content is up to you, and most blog hosts give you plenty of freedom in determining the look and feel of your site. Blogs offer a great way to connect with your readers in a personal way, faster and farther, around the clock.

Getting the most out of your book cover...

A book cover is one of the most important marketing tools for an author. Especially when self-publishing your book, you want to ensure that your book cover is professional and eye-catching. What you choose as your book cover will speak volumes about the book before anyone reads it. Thus, there are a few important things to remember during the book cover process:

• Always fill out your questionaire honestly and completely. This is crucial for our designers to create the perfect book cover for you. The more detailed your answers are, the better your ideas will come across to your designer.
• Don't have a clue about what your cover should look like? Do your research. Amazon is a great resource for gathering ideas. Look at other books similar in subject matter, noting which ones catch your eye and interest first. You don't want to copy anyone else's cover directly, but you may find details that inspire you.
• When choosing your initial concept, make sure you take time to review it carefully. Ask family and friends what they think. If you want an honest opinion about which cover you should choose, ask a 5 year old.
• When making changes to your cover concept, be open to comments and suggestions from the designer and Mill City Press. We hire design professionals for a reason, they are able help you figure out what will and what won't work for your cover. In the end, the cover is ultimately yours, but we're here to guide you.
• Before you give the final sign off on your book cover, make sure you reviewed the cover carefully. Are all your requested changes made? Did you want the price on the cover? If so, is it on there? Are there any typos or mistakes in the text? Making sure that everything is exactly how you want it before signing off on it will help you avoid costly re-submission fees in the future.

Terry Whalin and "The Writing Life"

If you are a writer (or even just a humble publishing employee), and chances are, if you are reading this, you fit the bill. You should know about Terry Whalin. A writer and editor by trade he knows both sides of the publishing equation: those who write and those who publish. His blog feed is full of informative, useful information for authors. As an editor reading hundreds of book proposals a year, he also has a good look at what it takes to get noticed above the rest. Easy, it's not, you'll find, for a writer with a good book to have editors take a second look.

Terry doesn't sugar coat it, but makes it apparent what hard work selling a book is in every post. Writing it might be the easiest thing you do. Promoting it (and any future books you may write) is a life-long activity.

Some newsletters I sign up for and rarely read. But Terry's The Writing Life blog and Right Writing website are like a course at NYU. Always worth the time and when used properly, a lot of hard work. But if you are looking for a good, general overview of all things author related, his sites are a must-read.

Mill City Press - A new era in self-publishing.

We invite you to discover a new way of self-publishing with Mill City Press. What makes us different and why should you publish with us?
1. In-depth publishing and self-publishing industry experience
2. Ecommerce experts that get your book noticed online
3. 100% Royalties - you keep all profits
4. Original book covers - no templates and you own all artwork and layouts.
5. Wholesale printing costs - you pay what we pay and we show you the bill.
6. Opportunities for bookstore distribution

Check out our new beta site at www.millcitypress.net.