The following review is a guest post from a fellow author named Lauren Elizabeth:
As I am getting ready to self-publish my book soon, I came across the book The Fine Print of Self-Publishing. It was worth every penny and more. Mark Levine is a Lawyer, so he has analyzed publishing contracts telling you what you should watch out for. It’s everything you need to know about the costs, contract, and process of self-publishing, don’t miss this opportunity to get an insight. He reviews the following companies in his book: Arbor Books, AuthorHouse, Aventine Press, BookLocker, BookPros, CreateSpace, Dog Ear Publishing, Dorrance Publishing, iUniverse, Llumina Press, Lulu, Magic Valley Publishing, Outskirts Press, PublishAmerica, Trafford Publishing, Wasteland Press, Xlibris, Wordclay, and more in each new addition. Mark has gone through the companies and placed them into five categories: Outstanding, Pretty Good, Ok, Publishers to Avoid, and the Worst of the Worst. If you’re new to self-publishing, before you even touch your checkbook, buy this book. It was a lifesaver for me.
About a month ago, I began researching different self-publishing companies, unsure about which were actually good or not. Certain companies were doing a 50% off special on their packages but it only lasted for less than a week from when I found out about it. I had to work fast. Spending virtually all my time researching many different companies, reading reviews taking notes, and asking questions. Ten pages of notes later and I still hadn’t found the company which I felt would truly be a good fit for me. That was until I stumbled across the book The Fine Print of Self-Publishing by Mark Levine. The book was an eye opener, as it showed me what I was about to get myself into and instead directed me to a more reliable publisher. Thanks to Levine, I will be spending half as much money and will be confident with my choice. I can take the money I saved and put it into other funds like marketing and getting a nice set of business cards, etc. When publishing, every penny counts and it all adds up. Don’t make the mistake of spending too much.
Deciding which self-publisher to use is a difficult one, don’t just choose one uninformed. Take the time to read this eye-opening book. It only took me a day – it’s not that long but heavily filled with information. It comes in harback or ebook, so if your bookstore doesn’t have it then download it. I think it’s worth every penny!
Lauren Elizabeth is an aspiring young adult author, who writes fantasy/sci-fi fiction. She will begin the process of self-publishing her first novel,Looks of an Angel, a manuscript which takes you out of this world and into a completely different one, Pluto. After Aly (the main character) is taken captive by the Neptwainians (Neptune people) and taken to Neptune, she is put through a series of painful tests, which change her appearance and test her strengths. To learn more about her and this book you can visit her blog.