How to Self Publish

Vanity… or not?

We think not!

Firstly, let us say that we believe there are many excellent writers who do not get accepted by mainstream publishing houses.  This does not mean they are not good enough to be accepted – merely that the publishing houses can only accept a certain number of manuscripts, and the reasons for not accepting a manuscript are myriad.

The following is an excerpt from our book Getting Published, Art, Science or Luck?

We do mention this in Luck but it’s worth saying again that publishers have many reasons for NOT publishing, and few are based on the value of the manuscript.  Some of the reasons are:

• Their list is full – they are not looking for anything new for another two, three, five years
• It’s not their genre – (fair enough)
• They already have something similar in the pipeline
• It’s too long or too short
• Market over-supplied with that style of book (Too similar to other books on their list)
• Not their style (Not similar enough to other books on their list)
• No budget
• They don’t take on new writers (this is a real Catch 22 – how are new writers supposed to become established writers?)
• Further to the last point – some publishers have such famous and prolific clients that they are busy enough with those, not to need any newcomers. 

Osborne Porter Literary Services are not vanity publishers.  We carefully select authors whose writing is of a high standard.  Many people have a good story to tell, but their writing could do with improvement, we are prepared to assist these writers. Our method of selection is by way of an assessment.  This serves two purposes:

1. We can assess whether or not the book is one that we would like to assist the author to self-publish.
2. The author receives a comprehensive assessment, which covers all aspects of writing, such as storyline, characterisation, dialogue, marketability etc., together with suggestions for improvement and pointers on punctuation, grammar and use of English.

The aim of Osborne Porter is to assist writers to publish their books, in all genres.  For more information on the advantages of self-publishing go to Advantages of Self-Publishing 

We prefer manuscripts in digital format (e-mail / memory stick / CD). Costs: (minimum of 50 books):
No charge for reading manuscript, however no critique will be given if manuscript is returned.  Suggestions may be made.

Cost of books will be quoted for when manuscript has been perused and typesetting layout and cover decided upon.  This is dependent on number of words, pages, pictures etc. In addition to the cost of books we charge £100 for administration, which includes the following: 

• Issue of ISBN (International Standard Book Number)
• Conversion of  ISBN to bar code
• Six copies of the book submitted to places of legal deposit
• Typesetting, layout and design of book
• Cover design in full colour, black and white, or greyscale
• Soft (paperback) or Hard Cover
• Printing and binding of book 
• It is assumed that any art work supplied by the author for use in the book and/or the cover is either copyright free, or copyright is held by the author.
• Author’s requirements and preference will be taken into account, but final decision on cover design rests with Osborne Porter
• Copyright remains with the author
• Osborne Porter undertakes to read the manuscript and correct grammar and punctuation mistakes – the final proof reading and approval of the manuscript rests with the author.
• Whilst the greatest care and diligence will be exercised in the proof reading of the manuscript, Osborne Porter accepts no responsibility for any mistakes that have been overlooked. 
• Minor changes will be undertaken at no charge, if submitted at the same time as corrections.  
• Major changes to the manuscript that necessitate alteration to the layout will be charged for at an hourly rate.
• If the book requires editing, we can provide this service – POA – dependent on the amount of work required.
• Books will be promoted on the Osborne Porter website, and we will only retain 10% of cost of orders placed through us.
• We have years of experience in promoting books and are  happy to suggest ways in which the author can draw attention to, and sell, his/her books.  

Terms of payment:

• 50% on acceptance of quotation
• Balance to be paid when book proof is approved by author – before printing is undertaken.

Excluded:

• Delivery of books
• Scanning or manipulation of photographs, drawings or documents to be included in the manuscript 

Finally… There are many famous (and some extremely rich) authors who kick-started their careers by self-publishing…

Margaret Atwood, L. Frank Baum, William Blake, Ken Blanchard, Robert Bly, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lord Byron, Willa Cather, Pat Conroy, Stephen Crane, e.e. cummings, W.E.B. DuBois, Alexander Dumas, T.S. Eliot, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Benjamin Franklin, Zane Grey, Thomas Hardy, E. Lynn Harris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, Robinson Jeffers, Spencer Johnson, Stephen King, Rudyard Kipling, Louis L'Amour, D.H. Lawrence, Rod McKuen, Marlo Morgan, John Muir, Anais Nin, Thomas Paine, Tom Peters, Edgar Allen Poe, Alexander Pope, Beatrix Potter, Ezra Pound, Marcel Proust, Irma Rombauer, Carl Sandburg, Robert Service, George Bernard Shaw, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Upton Sinclair, Gertrude Stein, William Strunk, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoi, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, and Virginia Woolf.