VANITY PUBLISHING.
18-10-12.
Everybody think it is easy
to get fiction published. Writing fiction
is easy. To get fiction published at the expense of publisher is no laughing
matter. we have seen people
claiming ‘published Author ‘’who cares? Whether
he / she got published fiction at her expense or on merit or not.
Even though I had WgaW
copyright. I still needed ISBN for my fiction. WgaW and ISBN will deter people
using my story concept for writing and making movie out of my fiction. I wrote
eternal love exclusively for movie production. On first page of my fiction
there is a copyright warning notice. In India producer and director look for story
concept and they take story concept and make movie. Even Robot Indian movie was
copied from five different published books. Case was closed after the producer
paid money to all those writers.
Most of publisher are sending estimate since
more and more budding writers are willing to spent money to get their fictions published.
Why should publisher risk their money on some one’s creative work? Publisher
prefers to have cake and eat it too. When writer gets only estimate after estimate
he had no other option than to spent money to get his fiction published. If publisher
risk their money to publish your book he needs to promote your book or risk
losing investment on your book. To avoid risk they want writers to spent money
to publish. Whether his/her books are sold or not publisher will make minimum
profit of 20% or more. If his book became hit, next time publisher will pay
advance to write new book. Call it material world.
Even if we writer spent
money to get published our book, publisher will refuse to promote our book! When
my book was introduced by Xlibris Corporation of U.S and power publisher in
India, my book was not available on their new arrival list. When I asked why
they are not promoting my book both of them sent me promotional scheme. You spent
Rs 17,000/- for 40 books but to promote books you have to spent additional Rs
25000/-! I am not yet MAD. When it is writer’s
money they do not care. They do not even
want to promote your book. Funny people. Only my blog friends know about my
book but not the rest of the world.
When you take platinum scheme
for publishing at the cost of Rs 1, 00,000 or Rs 1, 50,000/- there is lots of
fun. Publisher will print your fiction with the best available paper on earth. And
the cove page? Anyone would love to put it on their showcase. Editor will do spell
and grammar check. If necessary they will polish it. After reading your book
you will fall in love with your own book! Followed by print and E-media blitz.
Then there is a critic review. Followed by book signing ceremony at the three
or four star hotel. Distinguished writers are invited to speak/ praise sky high...
verdict? A new J.K ROWLING is in the making! You bask in glory. Critics and distinguished
writer get paid in advance!
After that you are
asked to read few passages from your book. Readers are thrilled. Really? After signing
few books and autographs you will be asked to get photographed with readers, critics
and distinguished writer for the last time and they will give your memorable
event in 4 G.B pen drive. Readers will have coke and snacks for free. After you
interact with new found readers. You are given warm send-off. You will be put on chuffer driven Benz car. Full
throttle you will sing all the way to home “WATTA FEEEEEEEEEEELING!”
After one month you
will get sales report of your book. Only after calculating profit and loss you realize how much money you lost out by choosing vanity publishing.
Here is my own experience.
For Rs 17,000/- Xlibris publisher had edited
and polished my fiction. They gave me softcover book with ISBN, E-pub and
Amazon Kindle edition. 59A-4 pages long fiction became 83 book pages after editing
.size.9’x5’. Cost 16.95 USD! E-Pub 7 USD, Amazon Kindle edition costs only 5USD.
I not Salman Rushdie. Who will buy 83 book pages of my fiction for 16.95 USD?
For Indian edition of
Eternal Love I had remove explicit love making scenes. I got it published
through Power Publisher of Calcutta. For Rs 15000/- I got 40 books. No editing,
No polishing .it is just the way I wrote it on my blog. Even if I sell 40 books
on MRP .Rs 175/- I will only recover Rs.7000/-. Printing charges alone will cost me Rs 8000/-.
I had sold out 40 of my books.
Not every publisher rejected
my fiction eternal love. Most of them sent me estimate from 1000 USD to 6000
USD! I literally fainted.
Friend,
Jivan
