The Fine Print of Self-Publishing: A Primer on Contracts, Printing Costs, Royalties, Distribution, E-Books, and Marketing

For anyone who is writing or has written a book, and is considering self-publishing, this very informative book should be read before you decide on a self-publisher. Had I purchased this book months ago, I would not have selected the publisher I did. That cost me $399. Fortunately, I'm able to make a better decision after purchasing and reading this book. Without it, or another book like it, selecting a self-publisher would be similar to shooting fish in the dark, and who in their right mind wants to do that. I whole-heartedly recommend it to all who are considering self-publishing.

If you are thinking about signing with a fee-based publishing service, you MUST read Mark Levine's new book, "The Fine Print of Self-Publishing." Levine publicly analyzes 48 fee-based POD (or self-publishing) company's contracts and services and even ranks them for you. Levine says, "I can promise you that if you follow the advice in this book, you won't get ripped of by any self-publishing company and may, in fact, negotiate a better deal. If you don't follow the advice here, you may find yourself spending thousands of dollars in legal fees to battle an unscrupulous publisher." Levine does more than just give you his opinion regarding self-publishing services. He helps you to decide by outlining 9 qualities of a good self-publishing company and he explains why these qualities are important. For example, you should expect from a reputable self-publishing company, "generous royalties without any fuzzy math," and "a good reputation among writers." And this author shows you not only how to check on the reputation of these companies, but how to interpret their contracts. Levine fills one chapter by analyzing the fine print in self-publishing contracts. And then he begins naming names. Chapter 6 features the outstanding self-publishing companies that meet Levine's strict requirements of ethics and good business practices. You'll find some familiar companies listed as outstanding, including Booklocker, Infinity Publishing, Lulu and RJ Communications. Chapter 7 profiles some "pretty good self-publishing companies such as BookSurge and Writers World. Trafford and Xlibris made the "self-publishing companies that are just okay" list. And here's what everyone wants to know: which self-publishers should you avoid? Chapter 9 has the answer. Would it surprise you to know that AuthorHouse and PublishAmerica are listed there? This certainly is a one-of-a-kind book designed to steer hopeful authors in the right direction. I particularly like that Levine strives to educate as well as inform authors. If you are contemplating signing with a self-publishing company this year, do yourself a favor and read Mark Levine's book, first. It is definitely a 5-star book for the hopeful author. Patricia Fry is the president of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) [...]

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (9/06) Self-publishing could be very scary, yet the only option that the author may have. With nearly 200,000 titles published yearly, not every book lands a traditional publisher. At one time self-publishing was considered ineffective and frowned upon, however, in recent years self-publishing has become a practical industry. Mark Levine, in his book "The Fine Print of Self-Publishing," not only shows the potential author how viable self-publishing is, but he provides a process and extensive information for consideration. Because the demand for self-publishing has increased many self-publishing companies have emerged. Levine articulates nine qualities to look for when considering a company. Some of the points he suggests are: good reputation among writers; generous royalties; ability to obtain ISBN, UPC bar code, and LCCN as part of the package; ability to register the author's book with Bowker's Books in Print. Levin also lists companies that are from outstanding to those to avoid. The lists contain information other than the name and website address. He covers: format of books, genres accepted, publishing fees, royalties paid to the author, notable provisions of the publishing agreement, additional services, Alexa traffic rank, and author-friendly rating. Perusing the various self-publishing companies that are available, I found that not all offer the same services. It is evident that the author must do thorough research and a comparison check to come up with the best and most effective publishing company for herself or himself. What may work for one author, may not work for another. One of the chapters I found most interesting is "The Fine Print of Publishing Contracts." Levin extensively covers all areas of the contract. One thing he stresses is "Read this carefully right now, then read it again." I believe that this chapter is the most important of the whole book for any one entertaining the idea of self-publishing. Levine claims that the "license of rights" is the most important provision in the agreement. He explains that "in most POD contracts, the author grants either an exclusive or non-exclusive license during the contract term." The exclusive license stops anyone, including the author, of publishing the book, whereas the non-exclusive license allows the author to sell, distribute, and have another publisher publish the book during the contract term. Levin explains other rights, such as worldwide rights and electronic rights. "The Fine Print of Self-Publishing" is a must for any writer that is considering self-publishing. Levine gives accurate, concise and educational information that will open eyes and inform the writers in areas they didn't even consider.

The "Fine Print of Self-Publishing" saved me making a BIG mistake...and the money that went with it...and led me from groups that advertised well to groups who DELIVER. If one wants to know the big picture--and the real skinny--on who delivers in POD and "self-publishing," read this book. Not all publishers or POD companies are created equal and Mark Levine's book tells you the differences--clearly AND HONESTLY. As a new author, I didn't know my way around, but after reading this book, I ended up approaching the Booklocker.com, where my book was published. Mark Levine's book describes several great options, and different authors seek different things--for me, these are the finest people imaginable, and I'd have never found them without this book. I am beyond grateful for the foresight, insight, grit and integrity it took to write this incredible book: "The Fine Print of Self-Publishing." D. Steven Russell, Author of "No Time for ,s"

There is a memorable scene in the western movie "The Magnificent Seven" where Eli Wallach (playing the role of a Mexican bandit chief) leans over his saddle and says to Yul Brenner (playing the role of a mercenary gunfighter hired to protect a small Mexican village) that with respect to the villagers, "If God did not want them sheared, he would not have made them sheep!". I've often thought that all to often this was the kind of business ethic that many self-publishing or POD (print-on-demand) companies had toward their author clients. Now whenever I'm asked for my advice on POD companies, I'm going to give them the urgent recommendation that they read Mark Levine's "The Fine Print Of Self-Publishing: The Contracts & Services Of 48 Self-Publishing Companies -- Analyzed, Ranked & Exposed" from cover to cover. The focus is upon that all important contract between an author and a publishing company that is willing to take the author's manuscript and turn the authors manuscript into a published book -- for a fee. This handy, 'reader friendly' and 'user friendly' manual is packed from beginning to end with exactly the kind of publishing contract information needed to avoid being cheated, to insure getting what's expected, and to make the capital investment as wisely as possible in terms of selecting the vendor who will provide the best publishing services possible for those authors who cannot get their work published by traditional publishers and/or who do not (or cannot) simply publish themselves. Of special note is Chapter 9 "Publishers To Avoid". The key is the contract -- with all its component parts and fine print. Before signing a publishing contract with any POD company, read Mark Levine's "The Fine Print Of Self-Publishing", it could save you money, anxiety, and disappointment, while increasing your chances for success, sales, and fulfilled expectations.