Editing services by reputable professional editors ? or editing services by yourselves ? (Likewise with cover design - who do you use ?) Incidentally the reviews service you propose is a violation of terms of service for amazon - reviews are supposed to be objective, not part of publishing services
If you are providing and charging services to writers you're not publishing, and you have another job, how much time do your actual writers get? Being new is no excuse for not having all your ducks in a row and making the best first impression you can. Maybe you're really trying, but that doesn't excuse things. Perhaps, there were some parts of your business you should have thought through a little more. I would never submit anywhere that used a gmail account as their professional email. If you can't shell out the money for a website and email address, maybe you are already a bit in over your head. As it stands, these are red flags because those things don't cost a lot of money at all, and it seems like you didn't even look into it. But it does sound like you are a busy person. A busy person, who just opened a business on top of everything else you have going on.
'Zack exploded with his semen now dispersed into outer space. THE END.' Okay, another submission to Cherry Books, they're bound to like this one.
A custom domain generally costs less than twenty dollars a year. An email address tied to a custom domain is similar--actually, it might well be bundled in with the domain. I'm a bit concerned if your company is on such tight funding that they can't possibly afford that.
We can afford $20/year....Which company is that with? I used to use GoDaddy when I had websites. Like I said, we are brand new, so this WordPress website domain is temporary...
You know, I don't really understand all of you slamming my new venture. I do appreciate the one person giving me website, domain and email advice...thank you. We can give book reviews on our blogs and Good Reads....We wouldn't include it as part of the service on Amazon...That part does need revised... But we are just wanting to help authors. I have three day weekend so that I can devote to my authors as well as evenings...But I need my day job to keep a roof over my head... Again. We are brand new....We are authors with big hearts. You can't imagine how disheartening this is to find people slamming a company they do not know anything about. What if this were your company people were putting down ?
I have been a newspaper reporter for over five years and I've been writing and editing my own work since 2014. I also am an administrative aide. I have alot of experience. So, I will be editing and if people don't like that, I'll find a more reputable editor....
I've been designing my own covers for years. I have alot experience in graphic design. Did I mention that I was an artist too?
Clearly this business is important to you. For that reason, I think that it would be wise to invest some time and some money in it. If you clearly aren't doing that--and it looks as if you're not doing that--that demonstrates a lack of faith in the business that is likely to be communicated to anyone considering doing business with you. You can certainly complain about the fact that we can perceive that lack of investment, and you can complain about the fact that we aren't being silent about what we've perceived. But wouldn't it be more productive to take that fact as useful criticism and correct the issues? Googling "wordpress custom domain" gets you to the Wordpress page that addresses that topic. It's easy and cheap to have a custom domain. It's easy and cheap to have a professional custom-domain email address. These are extremely basic things. I recommend, again, research and investment. If your business doesn't look like it's important to you, then no one else is going to take it more seriously than you do.
Do you mean "revision" or "need to be revised?" "alot" is two words. You're not selling me on your editing skills so far.
What does? I think that it's not snobbery to expect a business to fulfill certain minimum characteristics. If it's a hobby it's a hobby, but it's presenting itself as a business.
It's a start-up, they 'know a good story when they see one.' Phase two, they hire Magda from the college, a day a week. Ten years on they'll appear in 'Publisher's Weekly' - 'when we started, oh my gosh...alot of the time I couldn't spell a lot.' ... I suppose if you can indicate where the exploitation lies I'd better understand the difference between this scene, and me opening a narration evening, charging £3 on the door, starting a web mag, and calling for submissions. Because - probably everyone else is right about this. There's a side of me that wants to praise endeavour, and if Cherry had stumbled across a different crowd her reception would be wildly different, much more tender. [shut up you cock, started crying]
I typed up many of my replies here on my cell phone during my lunch break. I realize a lot is two words.... I take careful editing in my books and other important material - including my articles for the newspaper.... But these were merely just me passing words and trying to text on my cell phone... I really hate typing on small mini keyboards.... Trust me- I can edit..... I can be a grammar Nazi...
Profits will come from the sale of the books. Once we start publishing books - the author receives 50% of his/her sales. Cherry-House Press receives 50%.... As we get off the ground and make more sales, we will give a larger percentage to the authors - perhaps 60%.
The problem is that the publishing business is filled with vanity publishing charlatans - I'm not saying you are one (based on this discussion its fairly clear you aren't) but it does mean that authors are generally in a style to be be suspicious of anything that doesn't look right. I'd tend to suggest that you need to invest a bit of cash in a decent website and a domain. I'm with Bluehost - basic hosting was £5.49 a month (actually I got it for half price for three years but even at full price its affordable) and that includes 5 email addresses , an url, and access to the wordpress.org software. (you may also chose to buy a wordpress theme, but there are lots of free ones). A certain degree of professionalism is required for authors to have confidence in you Also I think you need to reconsider the editing and cover design thing - you're writers, not editors or cover designers (and newspaper experience isn't really the same). I did my own cover design, but I wouldn't offer it as a paid service. If you offer it to your writers as part of a service exchange for 50% of their royalties then it has to be pretty damn good. However at the same time you will struggle to make any money if you pay an editor and a cover designer at pro rates (rather than having them as staff) . It is very difficult to set up a small press and make money as you need to provide these services to people who may not sell, while on the flip side if you charge for them you'll be deemed a vanity service. You may be better off offering a limited service for self publishing authors as D2D do, but you'll need to find a USP in that niche Lastly I'd say you really need a thicker skin - the commentary here is pretty mild compared to what will undoubtedly be said about you on social media etc if your venture takes off ( I say undoubtedly because every company has detractors )
So you publish the book to kindle - Amazon take 30% of the cover price , do you and the author share the remaining 70% or are you taking 50% of the cover price leaving the author with the remaining 20% (or are you absorbing the amazon cost and giving the author 50% of cover price ? - I suspect the big publishers have other deals with amazon but the chances are you won't Also I assume if you are publishing print books it will be via POD using ingram services (since a reputable press can't really use create space) so there'll be costs there ... are those costs covered in your 50% as would be usual for a press (although the usual royalty is lower), or are they taken off the gross with you and the author splitting the net ? I'm not asking to 'slam' your service - but if I'm honest it doesnt feel well thought through (or if it is, something is being lost in communication )
