Many weeks have passed since I wrote the beginning of what I'd hoped to be an on-going series of posts, revealing the disaster I experienced when self-publishing my book, Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women Online, as a print-on-demand publication.
The weeks have been overflowing with work -- exciting work that has inspired me and confirmed my commitment to make sure other authors do not suffer the fate I endured, way back... when I wrote a book. The truth at hand here is the recognition that writing a book is the equivalent of giving birth. There is a prolonged development phase, where the author spends countless hours creating the work (often researching, writing, crossing out what was written, throwing temper tantrums, and more), then the production phase where the work must be turned into a manuscript -- and this does NOT mean a simple Word Doc. Last, the manuscript must be printed in a galley proof...something tangible for the author to view...and approve, or correct, or change, before final printing, equivalent to that last Dr visit, where the Dr says, "You're almost ready to deliver."
And then, the excitement of print...giving birth. Anyone who has written a book can relate to this metaphor. Anyone who has ever given birth or participated in the birth of a child, can relate to this metaphor. Writing a book and bringing it to publication is as time consuming, emotional, and exciting, as the birth process.
Let us not forget the ultrasound of the baby:the book's cover. During one or more of the phases above, a book's cover is created. When the galley proof is ready, that cover needs to be ready also...it is a true reflection of the book's content, and can make or break that book's success. (yes, Virginia, people do judge a book by its cover.)
When I was writing my book, I was mindful of the need to prepare a manuscript that would be print-ready. I had several covers designed by a professional, and then asked readers to choose the cover they thought would work best for my book. When we were all in agreement, the cover was set in stone. Meanwhile, the writing was moving slowly. My readers, professional writers all, were not shy about commenting on the work. To their credit, I do believe they saved me from several minor disasters -- to whit, when writing from the heart, about experiences in one's own life, one can occasionally be overshadowed by the memory of the experience -- memories and experiences which may have no place in one's book. So I learned.
Throughout the writing process, I followed the publishing company's requirements for page layout: they requested a Word Doc, so I wrote in Word (what a disaster that was-- yet, didn't have to be). They gave me the margins for the size of book I requested ( a six by nine) and they told me to make sure images were placed within the margins. I wanted my images and call-out boxes to stick outside of the margins, which should not have been a problem-- as it would have merely required resetting the margins -- but, I was told, "No, that can't be done." In my naivete, I complied.
And so, the book was written. The research that supported the insight into the women's market online was completed during and while I wrote, with occasions of revisiting a chapter to update content. The websites I visited and wrote about were both familiar ones and ones discovered through targeted searches. After many months of hard work, where I supported myself by taking out a home equity loan on my house (as well as writing for magazines and ezines), I was beginning to feel burned out.
It was time to send the book to the publisher. Off it went, via email, as requested. A galley proof was promised in three weeks.
Three weeks!! That was a bit of a shock. I suppose one of my many account managers (I had three) must have informed me that the galley proof would take so long, but I didn't remember that. I only knew that I had worked so hard, and planned so carefully, for this book to be out before Christmas, that discovering I wouldn't even get my galley until after Thanksgiving...was a major set-back.
But, what could I do? The publisher was not willing to discuss 'hurry up' tactics. The publisher said, repeatedly, through the account managers, "This is how it is. We can't do anything about the time. In fact, we are estimating 3 weeks. It could be four or five."
Four or five weeks...for a print-on-demand company to prepare a galley proof. I can tell you now that with today's technology, four or five weeks is absurd. A galley proof can be prepared within a week, or two, at the most, if the publisher is extremely busy with tight deadlines on dozens of other works. A publisher working with print-on-demand should be able to turn your manuscript around in one or two weeks, easily. If special circumstances apply, perhaps the three week window is appropriate, but, for most books, 100-300 pages, without a lot of color inside, three weeks means the publisher is not working with the author's best interests at heart.
And yet, the book is the author's heart and soul. Shouldn't the publisher be tuned in to that? Each and every time? I thought so. At the time, I was wrong.
At the time, there seemed no other recourse. I was not going to get my money back. I'd paid by credit card, up front. The service I'd received was less than satisfactory throughout the process, and now, as we approached print...I could not afford to pull the book from this publishing site and take it elsewhere. If only I'd known the real truth...
We will continue this saga another day. What happened next was, is, unthinkable. Incomprehensible. Astounding. But, most of all, so unprofessional, it convinced me to start my own publishing company.
Stay tuned. I will reveal all...in Part III.
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