Editors/ Vanity Press/ Publishers

Editing, is your novels best friend. After you have spent hours writing, it helps to have another person go over to check word flow, consistency, spelling and grammatical errors. Personally I love to edit my own work however when it comes to the final product I always have another editor look it over. I may be able to really scrutinize my own works however there is always something someone else who is neutral to it can find.

Authors are always told that they cannot edit their own books and there are many reasons not to. I admit it is possible however it always helps having someone else take a look at your work. My editors always manage to find something that I might have over looked. There are concepts or word combinations that make sense to me, a few others however it might not be understood by everyone. An editor is there to make sure it is understood by everyone. An editor who is neutral is your best choice.

Prices range quite a bit from one editor to another. The lowest cost I've found was $1.50 per page and most expensive I've found was $250. per hour minimum of 4 hours, this is just for an editor. Copy-Editors can also be pricey so search around to find one who is affordable for you. If you search enough or possibly have a friend who is capable of editing for you to save you money. If your self publishing then saving any amount you can is very important.

Editors and copy-editors can be expensive, that’s why it’s good to do your research before hiring one. The best ones I’ve found have offered a free sample of your works to let you see how well they do as an example.

I've heard such horror stories of those who used vanity presses. These are groups that offer packages for different prices. Some unfortunately signed away their rights to their books, sold their copyright or simply paid far too much receiving far too little. Not all vanity presses are horrible however the most important thing you can do if you are going to self-publish, read the fine print and decide if it’s really right for you.

A vanity press will charge for every service they do. Sometimes you won’t even receive a free book, most charge for the proof book. Some packages include E-Book formatting and will either place it on the Nook (B&N) or the Kindle (Amazon). These are all things an author can do themselves and much cheaper. Many self-published authors tend to go to a book printer for their needs. They get the physical book in their hand instead of waiting for them to sell online and never having books left over if they don’t sell. Many vanity presses charge a fee for books to be either sent if it’s in the contract or will dispose of them. 

There is also P.O.Ds which are Print on Demand. They are only printed up as ordered.

There are book printers out there that will simply format your book and print it for you. If you need cover art many of them will help with this also or you can simply find a stock photo to use. Self-publishing takes a lot of work but can be rewarding.

When you find a publishing house it should be pretty simple regardless if you have an agent or not. There should never be any out of pocket expenses other then possibly the cost of travel if its nearby. They handle arranging book signings, book cover, formatting, configuring, proofing, editing, copy-editing, and advertising. 

If you decide to go the self-publishing route and I mean really self-publish, personally I like www.brentistaprinting.com because they print your books, offer covers and several other options and are quite affordable. If your planning on putting your book on the Nook or Kindle they can format your book for this and you can put your books up on these services when you’re ready. It’s not difficult. They also answer any questions you have.

Personally I love Small publishing houses. Mainly because I get personal attention and control much more of what is going on with my book. It’s why I love being published by Center One. I retain all my copyrights of my work. My books can be found at www.c1books.us, Amazon and Barnes & Nobles online.