[Hidden-tech] Self-publishing options

[Shel Horowitz]

With any POD printer or POD publisher (and there is a BIG difference 
in the industry--it all depends on who issues and controls your ISBN) 
there will sometimes be quality issues. In this case, it sounds like 
price is not the biggest concern but ease of experience is higher. I 
have not used them for POD, but I have been very impressed with 
Thomson-Shore, which added on-demand capability about a year ago.

My contact is Tod, todb AT tshore.com, and yses, you may use my name.

--> I consult on self-publishing as one of my primary services. 
Contact me off-list if you need more help (note that I'm out of town 
Thu-Sun) but use this address: shel AT principledprofit.com -- the 
frugalfun addy is primarily for newsletters and listservs, etc.


At 4:46 PM -0500 2/15/11, Annamarie Pluhar wrote:
>    ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>    ** If you did, we all thank you.
>
>
>Dan,
>
>I feel your pain.  I too used Lulu for a book. I spent way too much 
>money on "revisions."  Fortunately I wasn't so invested in 
>publicity/promotion since it's  my dad's story of his escape from 
>prison camp circa 1950 in Czechoslovakia. We got it published for 
>the family and maybe someday I'll do marketing for it. But only 
>after I get it off <http://Lulu.com>Lulu.com. it's here: Seven for 
>the Run, by Ivan 
>Pluhar <http://www.lulu.com/content/4137077>http://www.lulu.com/content/4137077
>
>I started to work with Booklocker  - having received rave reviews 
>from a colleague.  We parted ways when they insisted on a Word file 
>and couldn't handle my already formatted InDesign files. 
>
>I have a friend who has very happily used Lightning 
>Source. <http://www.lightningsource.com/>http://www.lightningsource.com/ 
>for her book Snow Secrets. I can put you in touch if you are 
>interested. 
>
>Good luck, 
>
>
>Annamarie Pluhar
>
>Pluhar Consulting
><http://www.pluharconsulting.com>http://www.pluharconsulting.com
>802.451.1941
>802.579.5975 (cell)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>On Feb 15, 2011, at 7:34 AM, Daniel Green wrote:
>
>>   ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>>   ** If you did, we all thank you.
>>
>>Hello,
>>
>>
>>
>>About a year ago we suggested <http://Lulu.com>Lulu.com as an 
>>option for a client with the desire to self-publish a book. Over 
>>the course of the next 10 months we found Lulu to be largely 
>>incompetent, extremely slow, error-prone and nearly impossible to 
>>contact. We also made the mistake of trying their "professional 
>>book formatting services" which largely amounted to Lulu's team of 
>>experts pasting the original Word document into a template and then 
>>hitting tab until it fits. After pointing out error after error, 
>>and following their correction request procedures to the letter, 
>>they proceeded to send back revision after revision with the same, 
>>or new errors, taking at least 3-4 weeks in between.  We suspect 
>>chimp labor, although I doubt anyone at Lulu is smart enough to 
>>ride a tricycle while smoking a cigar.
>>
>>
>>
>>Does anyone have experience with the other options for 
>>self-publishing? We would like to move from Lulu to another option 
>>for future publishing.
>>
>>
>>
>>By experience I mean you've actually gone through the process with 
>>the company you are recommending on two or more occasions. I made 
>>the Lulu recommendation based on a recommendation from someone who 
>>heard good things and had used them once. We ate over $1000 on this 
>>project because I made the mistake of recommending an opinion and 
>>didn't want to pass the impact of my poor judgment onto a client. 
>>Besides it is a dieting book. I don't want to eat another $1000. 
>>Somehow eating so much cash seems inconsistent with the author's 
>>focus on moderation.
>>
>>
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>
>>
>>Dan
>>
>>
>>
>>Dan Green
>>
>>President
>>
>>The Green Internet Group
>>
>>Office: 866.506.1923 | Cell: 413.658.8470
>>
>><http://www.TheGreenInternetGroup.com/>www.TheGreenInternetGroup.com
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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-- 

_________________________________________________
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