Hi, Nancy!

Thanks.  I will go check out your blog, now.  :)

Hi Regina,

You may be interested in some of this information as well . . .

I’ve been missing for a while due to major computer problems . . . but I’m delighted to be back!

My blog this week is, The Self-Publishing Jitters of a Perfectionist . . . Can anyone relate?

As my journey will soon take a major leap into the unknown, I pose a major question I hope a few of you will be able to answer.

Nancy MacMillan @ http://blogofavetswife.blogspot.com/

Hi Joanne,

I'm getting ready to start into self-publishing within a week or two. I hired my own editor, but may be interested in the cover designer and interior designer information you offered.  And since I didn't have these services, I was looking for publishers that included the above.  My post this week poses a question?  How can I get in touch with you?  Or maybe visit my blog and leave this information, or my email address is: [email protected]. I plan to check out your book on Amazon.  Amazon's package prices seemed expensive, compared to another I've noted  on my blog.  Would love your comments . . .

I’ve been missing for a while due to major computer problems . . . but I’m delighted to be back!

My blog this week is, The Self-Publishing Jitters of a Perfectionist . . . Can anyone relate?

As my journey will soon take a major leap into the unknown, I post a major question I hope a few of you will be able to answer.

Nancy MacMillan @ http://blogofavetswife.blogspot.com/

Hey, Joanne!

Thanks for the feedback.  And yes, I would definitely be interested in getting those recommendations.  I have some great editors and designers that I've worked with, but their schedules are super full.  It's always nice to have choices.  And I'm going to check out your book!  Thanks for the link!  :)

I used CreateSpace for my first novel,The Secrets They Kept, and have been very happy with the experience. I did hire my own editor, cover designer and interior designer (have great recommendations for all three if you are interested.) The customer service was great, especially the fact they have people who actually answer the phone. What a concept! I paid extra for the expanded distribution channels which is nice because my print version is on Amazon and on BarnesandNoble.com. I am very pleased with the finished product. Looks as good, no maybe better:) than a traditional house.

Hi, Kat!

Thank you for reading and joining the discussion.  I hope your book fair goes well, too.  :)

Thank you so much, Katherine!

I need to refer back to this discussion often.  I'm learning so much.  I'll do more research with Ingram before I get too far along or commit to anything with CreateSpace.  This is all very helpful.

Katherine: that's really interesting; I didn't know Ingram was a place with whom you could directly publish. I've been researching Lightning Source and BookBaby, too. I'm just looking for some physical books (DTB?) at the moment for a book fair at which I'll be exhibiting. Not sure who I'm going to go with, yet, but this discussion is very helpful—so, thank you, Regina, as well.

I've had excellent experience with CreateSpace. They've handled all four of my Montfort books. You do need to be sure your work is copy edited to perfection. Their copy editing service is costly but errors will be perceived as lack of professionalism. The physical books they produce are "state of the art."

But again, what you give is what you get, the cover designs from them can be superb but I've seen over-busy messes too -- their cover designers will pretty much do what the author asks for. One of the best features is, if you have a problem, you can have them call you at once and usually the problem is fixed within minutes.

Their e-book formatting is solely for Kindle and the PDF files they send you are rights-protected so they aren't usable for excerpting or anything else. This can be a problem if you've done copy editing on the e-files you've sent them (you get 75 free corrections of the e-file -- that was the number of freebees last time I did an edit.) I'm having Blue Leaf scan my physical books and give me e-formats for e-books other than Kindle. I'm also getting CDs from them so I can excerpt the final versions of the books. For over 1600 pages (the four volumes) this is costing about $300. 

Blue leaf is another alternative you might consider to start with, not bound to Amazon.

A definite down side with CreateSpace is that the trade publishing world and their business partners, the brick and mortar bookstores, hate Amazon and will discriminate against you.

I've recently learned that you can publish directly with Ingram -- the company that actually prints practically everything (from Amazon's POD to Viking/ Penguin and just about every other trade publisher's warehoused books.) Ingram can get your books into stores without a fuss, and if the stores return your books, Ingram will take them back, deleting their price from your royalty account and subsequent payments to you. They will also do the various e-book formats. Dealing directly with Ingram takes more publishing know-how than with CreateSpace but is probably the route of least ultimate resistance in marketing.

As for exposure, CreateSpace's promotional department is the least competent aspect of their business -- let's hope they improve. Even CreateSpace's review options have become dicey thanks to laws addressing truth in advertising which are now requiring that paid reviews identify themselves as such. In marketing you're on your own. But unless you're a celebrity or fit into a category with made-to-order marketing -- such as regency romance at Harper, you'd be on your own if you were signed with a trade publisher anyway.

Hi, Linda!

I went  your site, and wow!  Loved those book covers!  I will definitely be reaching out for help with mine, soon.  I have several books/ideas working, but absolutely no graphic design  talent.  The last graphic designer/cover artist I worked with was superb, but I can't seem to ever get back on his schedule to commission more work.  Your site is really impressive.  Thank you for sharing.  :)