The Tidy Guide to Writing, Editing, and Publishing Your Novel

Assisted self-publishers manage the process for you at a cost

There are companies who will help writers publish their books for a fee. This may be a potential solution for writers who want to self-publish but don't have the time or experience to manage the publishing process. Assisted self-publishers handle the process much like a traditional publisher would with one significant difference: for publishing houses, the reader is the customer; for assisted self-publishers, the writer is the customer. This means that assisted self-publishers have no vested interest in the success of your book—they only care about the production of your book.

Be very careful in working with an assisted self-publisher. Some are considered vanity publishers, which are predatory assisted self-publishers. Vanity publishers not only charge writers for their services but also claim rights to the books. If you work with an assisted self-publisher, make sure:

· You keep all rights to your work, without exception. Assisted self-publishers produce books, distribute them across retailers, and manage revenue payments. They should not require you to sign away any rights to your story.

· You receive all net book revenue. If you pay up front, an assisted self-publisher should not take a percent of your book's revenue as well unless you are paying them a commission to manage payments and tax forms for you.

· The production agreement includes a termination clause. Any assisted self-publisher should agree to terminate the agreement and unpublish your books if you provide a written notice. If you do not see a termination clause, don't walk, run away from that publisher.

· You keep all book files, including cover and interior formats, if you end the agreement. You paid for your book's production—you own these files.

A reputable assisted self-publisher will produce a professional-quality book with you at a fair price. They live by their reputation and by repeat customers. Vanity publishers try to make as much money off a writer during the first book since most writers would never want to use their services again. Do your research. If prices for their service seems high, or if they constantly try to up-sell additional services to you, they are likely a vanity publisher. Organizations such as the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) lists recommended assisted self-publishers. And websites such as Writer Bewareand Absolute Write Water Cooler provide opinions on publishers and known predatory publishers.