Why self publish with us?
It’s now more possible than ever for authors to take publication into their own hands, and at Otherwise we believe there are many benefits of doing so. Here are the major reasons why we feel it can be a very wise choice:
CREATIVE AUTONOMY
Unlike a traditional author-publisher deal, by publishing yourself your book remains entirely yours. Your idea will have the best possible chance to make it to the marketplace without succumbing to outside perceptions of what your book ought to be, or being forced to fit into the agenda of a publisher’s wider list. You will not be subjected to issues of arbitrary house style, committee opinions, baffling marketing decisions or any compromises that could erode your brilliant idea and vision. In short, you retain creative control.
2. GREATER RETURNS
At the end of your commitment and hard work, you stand to make a far greater profit on the sales of your book. With a publishing house, royalties average around 10% of the cover price (though it can be much less). By publishing the book through Otherwise, there is the potential for you to make a profit of more than 50% on the retail price.*
* Subject to your specific requirements. Contact us for a full quote.
3. YOUR WORK, YOUR PROFIT
Many new authors believe that, by handing their book over to a publisher, they will see it benefit from the proven sales strategies of an expert marketing machine. The reality is that publisher’s publicity budgets are very small, their resources limited, and every book requires its own approach. But thanks to the internet and social media, the opportunity to reach a wide audience is easier than ever. As many published authors will tell you, the most effective promotion for a book comes from the author’s own efforts to ensure the best coverage. Publishers know this and authors are committed to such profit-increasing activities in their contracts, often at their own costs. In the Otherwise system, you are beneficiary of your efforts.
What does it cost?
While there are many advantages to taking the self-publishing route, it is important to understand that, by definition, self-publication is funded by the author.
All Otherwise books are tailor-made to our author’s requirements, and our costs are tailored too. Our first step is to ascertain your vision for your book and, crucially, your budget. We will then put together a full quotation for you.
Making a book involves several separate services and processes: editing, typesetting, cover design, possibly some photography or illustration, as well as printing, binding and delivery. For clarity, we combine all of these aspects into one all-inclusive ‘unit cost’ (a fixed price per book), to give you a clear picture of your book’s profitability.
We strive to offer healthy profit margins, aiming for a minimum of 50%. To give a simple example: a book retailing at £10 would cost the author £5 to make, therefore yielding £5 profit. We will look carefully at the various options to come up with a costing that hopefully will work for you. The total outlay is split into three stage payments, charged at key stages as the book progresses to completion.
WHAT’S THE PROCESS?
With a workable costing in place and a clear picture of the book you envisage, we proceed with preparing the book’s content and cover. We will work closely with you to ensure all aspects of the book are exactly as you wish, providing advice and direction where required.
As the text is edited, we will evolve a corresponding visual language for the design of the book. Where appropriate, we commission special art or photography to accompany your words. To complete the package, we select papers and finishes for the printed, bound book that accentuate your message.
At every stage we ensure that you’re happy with progress through regular reviews with you. Your text will be edited, proofread, fact-checked and indexed to your requirements before being offered for your sign-off. The design will pass through a similar process of scrutiny and adjustment, until it is fine-tuned to your satisfaction.
When we are confident that you are happy and that the book is ready for press, our printers begin the process of proofing, reviewing and amending until finally the presses roll, and bound copies of your book emerge. With finished copies to hand, we can offer you options for warehousing, order fulfilment, and advise you in the preparations to launch and promote the book.