Best Self Publishing Companies

Today I was asked a rather complicated question: "What are the best self publishing companies?" Now, of course I'm the owner of self publishing company MindStir Media, so my advice on this matter is definitely biased. She knew that and I didn't want to just come out and say, "Hey, MindStir is the best, of course!" Instead I answered with: "Let's instead discuss the traits of a top self-publishing company in my opinion. There are many self publishing companies on the Internet, but not all of them are created equal..." I then explained the traits she should look for in a self publishing company and also explained that it'll ultimately be up to her to determine which company is the best based on that information. She thanked me for the valuable information and we scheduled another call for the future.

My point with all of this is that "best" is subjective. You must first have a clear set of criteria in place in order to eventually be able to ascertain who is the "best" (my compare self-publishing companies chart kind of does a nice job of this). I think it's important for people to first be educated about the self-publishing industry and then make up their own minds about all the companies out there... What's that old adage? Knowledge is power? I'd have to agree!

Children Book Publishers

It's been my experience that reputable children book publishers all provide these three crucial children's book publishing offerings:

1. Illustration services via professional childrens book illustrators. I've blogged before on the importance of high quality children's book illustrations and my opinion hasn't changed: Your children's book must have professional high quality illustrations if you want to have any chance in the highly competitive children's book market.

2. Reputable childrens book publishers also offer different book format options. Essentially you should be able to choose hardcover, softcover and/or ebook formats. My internal sales figures show that print is still dominant in the children's book market, so make sure not to skip print. My advice is usually to publish childrens books in multiple book formats if possible.

3. If you're looking to publish a childrens book you should also be sure to align yourself with a children's book publisher that prints in full-color. Believe it or not, I've seen publishers only offer black and white printing (for the interior). That sort of publisher would obviously not be a good fit for your children's book containing beautiful, colorful illustrations.

Self-Publishing: A Brief Overview

One of the biggest aspects of self publishing that sets it apart from traditional book publishing is the fact that with self-publishing you remain in control. The best self publishing companies -- like MindStir Media, for instance -- allow you to have creative control over your final product. This means you call the shots with respect to your book cover design as well as your interior book design. It also means that the content of your book, the actual text, will remain intact and unchanged. Many traditionally published authors will tell you that they dislike how traditional publishers, particularly the editors, ultimately decide which text will stay and which text will go. As an author myself I can tell you that I would never want to be overruled by an editor. It's one thing to receive professional suggestions from an editor; it's another thing entirely to be controlled by an editor. With professional editing via self publishing services the author will usually see track changes and get to approve or reject the editor's changes. The control is still with you the author!

Another huge difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing is the speed to market. Even if you land a deal with a traditional publisher you'll probably have to wait 1-2 years for your book to be released. Self-publishing, on the other hand, can be done in as quickly as a few weeks -- or if you're really serious and want to take advantage of professional self-publishing services you're looking at about 30-90 days to the launch.

One more fact that originally attracted me to self-publishing is that you get to keep your publishing rights. With a traditional contract, you essentially give away your publishing rights by signing an exclusive contract with the publisher. For the duration of your contract you won't be in control and you won't be able to publish anywhere else. If the book doesn't do well in the market you'll basically need to wait for the contract to expire before you're able to seek publishing alternatives.

The final example of self-publishing superiority is in the profits. You might see 10% royalties from a traditional book publisher, while self-publishing, depending on the scheme you choose, could put 100% royalties in your pocket.

So that's self-publishing in a nutshell -- not everything there is to know about self-publishing but instead a brief overview that should prove helpful.

Best Christian Book Publishers

The best Christian book publishers in the USA all have several things in common:

• Top Christian book publishers focus on being God-centered and ethical in their business practices. 
• The best Christian book publishing companies also specialize in publishing Christian books that glorify God and grow the Kingdom of God.
• Leading Christian book publishers in the USA also ensure that their Christian books are readily available through popular retail outlets such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. 

If you're a Christian author searching for a Christian book publisher, I encourage you to keep the aforementioned info in mind during your search!

Ebook Formatting Services

Photo by Maria Elena, Flickr

On a daily basis I hear from authors who want to publish ebooks. Like most people, those authors realize that ebooks are growing more and more popular. And even though we still live in a predominantly print world (in terms of books), the ebook format should still receive a lot of attention from authors trying to find success. But as an author you should be diligent in choosing the right ebook formatting services company...

There are plenty of ebook publishing services out there that will throw your ebook together using automated software, kind of like putting your book through a meat grinder, but is that really the type of attention your book deserves? Of course the answer is no! Each book is different and professional ebook conversion services do not use automated software. Ebook formatting, just like print book formatting, needs plenty of actual human attention and intervention. Particularly professional human attention.

Do not skimp on your ebook design. Readers will notice and put your book down. Invest in professional ebook formatting services to ensure that you leave a strong first impression with readers!

Compare Self-Publishing Companies

A couple days ago I focused on the different traits to look for in a self-publishing company. The MindStir Media website now includes a chart that helps compare self-publishing companies with MindStir. The chart reveals that MindStir is the clear winner when comparing MindStir's self-publishing packages against the packages of other self-publishing companies. Not only is MindStir's most popular package less expensive than the competition, but the MindStir Gold package also includes something that all the other self-publishing companies do not: ongoing mentoring from a bestselling author. This clearly separates MindStir from all the rest and makes MindStir a top self-publishing company!

Traits of a Top Self-Publishing Company

I'm biased, of course, because I own self-publishing company MindStir Media -- but, nevertheless, I believe there are several important traits to look for when selecting a top self-publishing company to work on your book...

• Custom book design: Your cover design is crucial to the success of your book. Books are judged by their covers, so don't skimp on the design of your book. Make sure you choose a self-publishing company that can commit to creating a professional custom cover design for your book. 
• Control: Only work with a self-publishing company that allows you to call the shots. This means the company should take your book design vision into account and ensure that you're happy with the final product. Some self-publishing companies, like MindStir Media, even allow unlimited book design revisions. Control is also supremely important with respect to the editing of your book. It's ideal to receive feedback from a professional editor, but you as the author should be able to overrule the editor. It's your book after all. A self-publishing company shouldn't be allowed to change even one word of your manuscript without your being able to accept or reject each change.
• Keep all rights: A top self-publishing company will allow you to retain all publishing rights and copyright. 
• Worldwide book distribution: Some of the cheap, less reputable self-publishing companies either offer no distribution at all or very little distribution. It's important to have your book widely available to the public. Online retail outlets should include Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Booksamillion.com at the very least. At MindStir Media, we distribute books to around 30,000 wholesalers, retailers and booksellers in over 100 countries.