How outsourcing can help self-publishing authors

Submitted by Paul on Thu, 2007-08-02 07:25.

“The most common problem associated with self-published authors is their lack of expertise as publishers, thereby dooming their work to commercial failure essentially because of their book's flawed or uncompetitive packaging. When self-publishing authors turn their manuscripts over to PODs [print on demand], any lack of editorial or cover art production standards in order to see print is as common as dandelions in the spring -- and just as noticeable.”

Know your strengths

As a writer, you are probably not familiar with other tasks in publishing a book such as cover design, formatting, and copywriting. This is when hiring expert help can set your work apart from the amatuers. Yet, good help is hard to find and very expensive. In cases such as this, outsourcing may be a viable option.

Outsourcing

Companies have been outsourcing for many years. They frequently contract their work to the best skilled and lowest paying workers anywhere on the globe. With the help of the internet, individuals can easily outsource their work elsewhere to save time, money, and get great results too. Websites such as Guru.com, “world's largest online marketplace for freelance talent”, lists thousands of professionals in well-defined categories ready for you to hire.

Who am I hiring?

A lot of people are hesitant in hiring online without meeting the person. These freelancing websites certainly acknowledge this concern. That is why they provide a myriad of information for each person listed: feedback rating, client reviews, portfolio, location, resume, and so on. In addition to the vast amount of information for each person, you are welcome to contact them to ask any question or to request a quote on your project. Hiring online is definitely not a random process or lottery draw.

Find your professional help

On Guru.com, you can find people to design your cover art, edit your manuscript, prepare and format your manuscript for printing, as well as copywriting your press release. Of course, you can search for specific skills too. Many of them have years of experience.

Next time you plan to publish your work, please consider what outsourcing can do for you. Browse around freelancing websites to see what help you can find and ask for some free quotes.

Writing

seniorwriter writes:
Fri, 2007-08-03 19:20

I recall hearing at a conference that the average self-published book, with self-marketing, has about 100 sales or fewer. Many traditionally published books don't do much, if any, better. It's a tough business. There aren't many authors with the success of Stephen King, Anne Rice, or the other "known" names. It's a sort of feast-or-famine business.

Remember, though, that many seniors are content to write for their families and friends. They can still share their wonderful experiences and memories without getting into the cutthroat commercial publishing business.

seniorwriter writes:
Fri, 2007-08-03 12:26

By the way, my personal publishing story is in my very first post to my "Never too Late!" blog. You can find it in the July, 2006 archives.

http://www.seniorwriter.blogspot.com

seniorwriter writes:
Fri, 2007-08-03 12:23

I would add my advice to check out not only "outsourced" help, but individual POD and related publishers. My publisher, Infinity, offers free, professional-looking cover design in its basic price. My book looks good, and I'm proud of it.

No, it isn't a best seller, but it has a limited audience; no amount of design and editing help would have helped sales much. They have been O.K.

My experience and reading have made me a good editor, so I published quite inexpensively--with a few well-defined extras simply because I could afford them. There are a lot of self-publishing options; just be sure to read all of the fine print.

If you're not a do-it-yourselfer like me, by all means find editing help. But it's discouraging to discover that a few friends who have used small, traditional publishers still put out ugly books full of glaring errors. They sold fewer copies than I have.

I'll be covering a lot of publishing options in my next book, which I hope will be published late this year. It's not quite finished, and it's tentatively titled, "Seniorwriting: a Brief Guide for Seniors Who Want to Write (to Discover, to Heal, to Reinvent, to Share).

Paul writes:
Fri, 2007-08-03 16:05

Thank you for your insight, seniorwriter. You've brought up a good point. Post-publishing work, such as marketing, is just as important as the quality of the book if you want to really sell. This could be the real achilles heel of many self-publishers.