Publishing one book won't make you rich.

I've said this before and I will say this again. Always research before you sign on with someone. I've heard many tales of people who were sorry they signed with certain publishing companies. I started out research as well.

Originally, I had sent out a few queries to places that didn't require an agent, need to see a market for my book or wouldn't take talking animals (yes, some refuse). I got accepted by three companies right away. I can't tell you how excited I was. I then thought maybe I should be checking things out more and I was correct to do so. I found a lot of these companies had complaints or were listed as scams. Now I will not mention names but I will tell you that one company was said to make money from the authors who had to buy the books at a high price. The others, they were in it for the money and results weren't always good. One apparently didn't pay it's authors their royalties, many had unsatisfied customers and the list went on and on. It was then that I began looking into print-on-demand services and found one I liked.

It doesn't matter where you go or who you go through, look them up, research (keywords after their names: scam, complaints, etc.) because signing up with them could be the biggest mistake of your life. The same goes for traditional publishers. It doesn't matter who you go through, look into EVERYTHING! Even if there name doesn't show a scam, doesn't mean they are good. Be careful and do your homework.

What kind of things should you look at:

1. Are they legit? - Do they have a business website, contact name and number?
2. Are there any bad remarks about them out there (keep in mind that there are some companies out there who will try to hide it. I know of one who sues at any bad mention of their name)?
3. How much will it cost you to buy books? How many do you have to buy?
4. How much will you have to sell them for (look online and see what other books that size go for and remember that big places like those who make "Berenstein Bears" etc. can afford to charge cheaper so exclude those).
5. How many other books do they have out?
6. What do they offer?
7. Do you still own the rights?
8. Is there a contract and if yes, is it for you?
9. If a person went through the company, did they bring their next book there?
10. Are the prices to publish the same as others? Do they offer the same?

Never sign up with a company right away. Look into a few. BE CAREFUL! You could be giving away your dream!

Always have your book edited by someone who knows what they are doing. Mistakes in writing affect your book's credibility and you as a writer.

Choose a font for your book that is readable.

The majority of authors write for the enjoyment and not to retire on the income. In reality, that rarely happens.

Self-published authors can still get published through traditional publishers if the publisher likes the book and thinks it is marketable.

There are a ton of self-publishing companies out there and they all vary in price and minimum quantity of books.I've added a couple that we will look at as many will only quote you if you contact them. We will also go through Self-Publishing Pros and Cons as well as a service video. Please keep in mind that the information provided below was relevant at the date of this post. In no way are we trying to tell you which way to go or that these publishers are bad. This information is here for your use to help you look into which route is best for you.

Your Nickel's Worth Publishing
- Charge $50/hour. They can provide research, editing (grammatical and substantive), scanning, Photoshop work, layout, design and printer-liaison services, as well as marketing and distribution. The cost of production and editing varies, depending on the quality of the writing, the complexity of the desired layout, and the time needed to make any images ready for press.
- Selling your books through them means you need to charge between $12.95-$19.95 a book.
Source: http://www.ynwp.ca/index.php/faq#cost​​

DriverWorks Ink Publishing
- Costs from $5000 - $10000 to self-publish a book depending on the length, amount of editing required, layout, images, full color or black & white and how many books ordered.
Source: http://driverworks.ca
 http://driverworks.blogspot.ca/2013/03/q-about-self-publishing.html

Dorrance Publishing, Friessen Press and Archway Publishing are just a few others who produce books at a fee.

Self-Publishing Pros

• ​You keep full rights of your book.
• A higher profit per book than traditional publishing.
• Self-publishing is becoming more and more common.

Self-Publishing Cons

• ​Distribution to book stores and other locations may cost you extra.
• You have to buy books in a large quantity.
• Revisions usually cost extra.
• Not all companies that offer self-publishing care about the outcome of the book or your profit.
• You still have to do some of the selling if you want to make a profit.
• Depending on who you go through, you may have to charge a high price to make a profit on your book.
• Many authors who have self-published end up with a large amount of books that never sell. This can be an expensive investment and let down.
• Start up costs are usually high and must be paid right away.

Things to Beware of:

1. Type the publisher's name and then the word "Scam" after and read any articles you may find.
2. Anyone saying "starting at $" is listing the lowest price possible which usually doesn't fit most page counts.
3. Before publishing through a self-publishing company, find out what price you will have to set your book at to make money.
4. There are certain companies out there who simply want your money (or there is a catch) and will make it seem like they are offering you a great deal or are like traditional publishers but they are not.

Please note that while at the time these were published, they were true. In the future, they may change. The warnings above in no way are meant to discredit the above companies.

A traditional publisher will not take a second book from you if the sales from your first book don't meet their expectations.

Type in the name of a publisher and the word "scam" or "complaints" after it. If a company has results from these, read them and beware.