There are many self-publishers about but I have always found Xlibris to be a very reliable supplier at reasonable prices.
The basic package gets you worldwide print-on-demand distribution + 5 books and it is currently 50% off at $300 (I’ve just bought two myself which I can use anytime over the next two years or so).
Their book size (Regency) is slightly oversized which some find odd and others find easier to read because the pages flop open better.
There is a pricing scale for how much the book will be priced via Amazon etc. (it ends up for sale in almost every online site in the world in the end), but a 200 page book will be priced at around $20 retail, of which you will get about $2.00, although you can flex that by reducing your cut, and some retailers, like the excellent Book Depository (who offer cheaper priced books and no delivery charges worldwide) will beat that basic price anyway.
For this basic package, you need to supply the text (in Word or similar) + the cover image in jpg.
The process typically takes 3-4 months. You supply the materials, they send them back in pdf, you proof read and find lots of your own typos, they send you an updated version (repeat), they send you an author’s copy (you find more of your own typos – you always spot extra typos with each format change for some reason), you submit corrections, they send you an author’s copy. When all the pain is over, they send you 5 paperbacks and some bookmarks.
You can ramp up the services from there for additional costs – hardback, editing services, marketing, radio interviews etc..
Corrections are $25.00 to open the file + $2.00 a correction at the pdf stage, $75.00 + $2.00 at the author copy stage.
I am happy to discuss this with you at any time on timroux@nightpublishing.com.
If you are interested, call Cheryl Gratz at Xlibris (details below) and say that I (Tim Roux) referred you (it gets me a referral fee of $100).
Cheryl R. Gratz
Publishing Consultant
Sales & Marketing Department
Xlibris Corporation
International Plaza #2,Suite 410
Philadelphia, PA 19113
Tel: 888.795.4274, Ext. 7144
Fax: 610.915.0294
