THE SPECTRUM OF PUBLISHING POSSIBILITIES - Writers Forum

lin · 09-07-2008, 03:47 PM

This is not a perfect chart, but I hope it can help clear up some of the confusion of publishing tools for writers.

Many give the idea that you either get signed by a big house like Simon&Schuster or resort to "vanity publishing". In fact there is a wide spectrum of publishing possibilities--more now than ever in history.

As I keep saying, any writer interested in getting into print should be aware of the entire gamut of possibilities and focus in on heavily on the modes that suit their needs.

I can't post the chart here since the forum code won't do charts, but you can see it at the link below.

PUBLICATION SPECTRUM CHART

lin · 09-07-2008, 04:01 PM

Another note on this--also to deal with massive confusion of terminology.

POD (which stands for Print On Demand or Publish On Demand, depending on who's using it) is a new breakthrough in putting books into print.

It is NOT a business model. It is NOT (as you will see on some sites) synonymous with "vanity press" or "self-publishing".

POD is "toner-based reproduction", as opposed to "ink-based". Traditional printing uses ink, generally applied by offset presses. POD uses toner. It is essentially identical to reprographics or "Xerox". Xerography, photocopier, whatever you want to call it.

It works, simply put, but having books in files on hard drives connected to sophisticated software that enables an order (in the form of a command coming in from an amazon button, an editor, what have you) to send a file to the machine, which runs off impressions like a very high speed, high quality copy machine. And into automated cutting. binding, and packaging machines.

So, as with copies, the cost of one book is the same as cost per book for 50 books. As opposed to press printing in which the set up causes the first copy to cost thousands of dollars, followe by thousands of copies that cost pennies apiece.

The trade-off is that you pay more for one book (or however many books readers want to buy). But MUCH less than paying for a long print run and having to move and store thousands of finished books.

POD process is penetrating the book industry. The process can produce books in no way inferior to the normal trade paperback. Big pubishers are starting to use it for some purposes.

The proliferation of small online presses we see today is directly enabled by this technology.

Despite all the little presses out there, ranging from art imprints to out and out scams like iUniverse or PublishAmerica or worse to lulu.com, are printed by only two basic production companies.

The main one is called LightningSource (or LSI) which is an international giant that produces the vast majority of POD books for thousands of "presses".
Another, much smaller outfit is called Paw Prints. Therefore any imprint (even lulu) is a middleman and charges more than LSI.

The catch is that using LSI requires establishing an account, having an ISBN, and learning how to provide files that produce good-looking, properly formatted books.
They have a setup charge of under $100 dollars.

There is MUCH disinformation on this all over the net, including on sites that should know better, such as the warnings against "POD" (which they think means "vanity press") on the SFWA site.

Kinbote · 09-07-2008, 04:02 PM

Thanks lin. I'll bookmark that one for reference.

lin · 09-07-2008, 04:04 PM

Two forums where you can get more information on self-publishing from people who actually do it are:

SELF PUBLISHERS PLACE

and

The POD FORUM

Sam Winchester · 09-07-2008, 04:36 PM

Great stuff, Lin. Cheers for that.

I always assumed PoD and "vanity presses" were synonymous. Thanks for clearing that up.

Would it be right to say that Authorhouse is PoD and Lulu is vanity? Or are both vanity?

Non Serviam · 09-07-2008, 05:09 PM

I'd say it's the other way round: Authorhouse is vanity and Lulu is PoD.

Mike C · 09-08-2008, 01:17 AM

All publishing is, essentially, vanity.

Olly Buckle · 09-30-2008, 08:01 AM

I think this may be what confused Sam, it confused me for a second.

Despite all the little presses out there, ranging from art imprints to out and out scams like iUniverse or PublishAmerica or worse to lulu.com, are printed by only two basic production companies.

I think he means:-
...from art imprints, via out and out scams, or worse, like iUniverse or PublishAmerica, to people like lulu.com ...

Not that lulu are worse than the out and out scams.

Wintermute · 09-30-2008, 09:36 AM

Good resources. Nice to see that authors have many options to get their work in print.

lin · 09-30-2008, 06:48 PM

Yeah, a comma can make a lot of difference.
Should read

Quote:

Despite all the little presses out there, ranging from art imprints to out and out scams like iUniverse or PublishAmerica or worse, to lulu.com, are printed by only two basic production companies.

"Vanity" and "POD" are not too categories. One is a business model, the latter is a means of production.

Olly Buckle · 09-30-2008, 07:14 PM

"too " categories?

lin · 09-30-2008, 11:39 PM

No, they're just sort of kinda categories.

Julianne · 10-01-2008, 11:57 AM

While I agree that PublishAmerica is a printer to stay away from (mostly because of their deceptive practices and victimization of authors), I have to disagree about iUniverse being a "scam". Like Lulu, iUniverse is very upfront about what they do and what they charge. They have a good reputation.

lin · 10-01-2008, 12:20 PM

It's more than they charge big bucks for things lulu does for free and don't do real publisher things... like selling the books.

I haven't dealt with them, so if you've had good experiences there and got what your wanted for your money, I'll retract my comments on them.

froman · 10-30-2008, 10:19 PM

Quote:

You give up your rights, editorial control.

Does this mean that they can change your story without your consent?