Self-Publishing on the Cheap ... Cheap is as Cheap Does

I wish I had some before and after photos of self-published books that were republished through my company 3L Publishing. The difference is astounding. Most new and emerging authors don't have the platform or following to get traditionally published. Out of frustration these authors end up trying to self-publish, and because they are not publishers they either try to scrape together an amateur self-published book or they wind up being ripped off at one of the many self-publishers who offer some super cheap K-Mart prices. The results are typically embarrassing and do nothing to generate sales.

Here are reasons why you don't want to self-publish, and you especially don't want to self-publish and buy one of those "super cheap" package offers that look great until you end up with a terrible product.

Typos and errors: What do you get when you work with a "professional" editor who is nothing more than an entry-level English major who is being paid $10 an hour? I will tell you dear friends. A book loaded with grammar and spelling mistakes. The worst part? A book loaded with mistakes on the back cover copy! Ouch! I should know. I, too, was once a $10 an hour entry-level editor being aptly trained under a seasoned editor. Believe me when I say you learn more on the job than in college. Any new editor is likely to miss mistakes.

Snow Blind: It's really hard to find a great proof reader (and $10 an hour isn't going to produce one). I always try to explain to people what proofing and editing is like to help them understand. The scenario goes like this: Take a jar of 100,000 black jellybeans. Empty that jar onto a table. Now please go hunt and find the flawed ones. Doesn't sound so easy does it? It's not easy at all. First, you have to know how to spell (all words). Second, you have to know grammar. Third, you have to have fresh eyes and not go blind (essentially) to the mistakes that later will jump out at you and be so obvious you'll feel like an idiot. It's not that you didn't know the mistake is an error -- it's that you could not longer see it was an error.

Credibility: No matter how you slice this one, self-publishing doesn't give you the necessary credibility with the reviewers. If it's not a bona fide publishing company then it's less likely to receive critical reviews that will catapult sales.

If you would like to work with a publisher and a team to publish your book, contact my company at 916-300-8012 or send an email to info@3LPublishing.com. We will explain to you how our unique and efficient hybrid publishing service will solve these issues. We work with new and emerging authors to make their books dreams come true. For more information, visit www.3LPublishing.com.

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