self-publishing question

[AllenLowe]

as I debate about whether to self-publish my trilogy, I was wondering if anyone here has experience with same. I read a strong recommendation for Create Space, which is part of Amazon, bu t even after reading their material many things are not clear (range of unit prices; rights to sell outside of Amazon).

the setup seems relatively straightforward - PDF with embedded fonts - but it might be easier to go to a place that just physically does it then sends it to you (and I will be selling these, if all goes according to plan, off of my revamped web-site, hopefully by next Fall) -

[sjarrell]

The folks at lulu.com are a good bunch. It's been years since I used them, but it was a good experience.

[AllenLowe]

one issue, and I could be wrong with LuLu, is that certain self-publishers retain the right to sell the book on their own, in ways which leaves it open to others using it in un-authorized ways.

[ejp626]

One fairly new website that looks promising is blurb.com

The main drawback is that they have only a few formats/sizes of books. They have a very inexpensive text-only option, ideal for poetry chapbooks or journals. Then they have a wide variety of styles better suited for photographs. In fact, I just ordered one from a "real" photographer represented by a gallery. The hard cover looked great (at the gallery). I'm hoping that the soft cover version looks as good. I'll report back when I find out. It's basically a very good looking vanity press, but some people have gotten some high quality products out, and the prices are competitive (you literally only need to order a single copy, which generally comes to $25 plus shipping).

In fact, I am toying with the idea of putting together a couple of books of my kids' art projects, since they will last longer and we can clear out some of their portfolios (my wife is getting tired of the clutter).

But for something that is nearly all text with a handful of photos (I'm assuming this is what Allen would be trying to do), I am not sure what is the best approach.

Another interesting issue is that while these places clearly ask you to check copyrights/clearances and try to indemnify themselves, they are also encouraging people to put their blogs into books, which is just ripe for copyright problems. And they (blurb.com, lulu.com) may not be as immune as they think. So enjoy it while it lasts....

[medjuck]

A friend of mine just published a book about New Orleans with Lulu. Let me find out how he likes them.

[Chalupa]

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/23683

[Brad]

I recommend Blurb. A friend has used them and has been pretty happy.

[johnlitweiler]

Dog Ear Publishing, based in Indianapolis, is the self-publisher that printed my last book. Straightforward, honest, in my opinion, though I wish I'd watched them a mite more closely - my fault - probably all self-publishers need to be watched closely by writers with a bit of publishing experience (& a copy of the UC Style Manual). That honest part is important: Dog Ear spelled out costs in front. Some outfits quote us a low price, then add on extra charges for extras. Like ink and paper. (Well, OK, not quite that bad, but be wary...)

BUT my neighbor, a book designer, says that even some standard, printing-press printers like McNaughton-Gunn (in Michigan) will do self-publishing at about the same price as Dog Ear, Blurb, etc. I may use them in future.

As to reprinting old writings, I'm waiting to see if Kindle or one or more of its competitors dominates the market.

[Neal Pomea]

You might look into Rowman and Littlefield and University Press of America. I haven't published with them so I can't tell you my experience, but I worked a short while for them some years ago. I thought they were good with authors.