So, I have been going out checking other people’s blogs to see what others are posting about. There are a lot of blogs that have been abandoned. Well, I guess with Facebook and Twitter, who has time? I do it for my sanity’s sake. But there was one that I have always gone back to year after year that always makes me snicker over my morning cup. And today, it was all about people calling themselves published when they have used a company (note I didn’t call them a publisher) to “publish” their book.

If you have to pay them to “publish” your book, that isn’t “being published” that is paying to get a book into book form.

The thing is, those companies who “publish” books are really just companies who print up books. Anyone can submit to them, they accept everyone, as long as the money is there. And some of them charge a LOT for this “service”.

And by the way, if you decide after going this route, to submit to a NY agent/editor to try to get that book traditionally published (which IS published and not just produced) they will laugh you right out of their offices.

Imagine this:
I use a service to produce my work. Then I go to a NY agent with the next book and say, Lookie here, Superagent, I have a book published. Wanna rep my new one? They will give me a lot of advice. Most of it will be in this vein: “Dear Sugarbell, being printed by a POD sushi service doesn’t mean jack to us as “previously published”. It ain’t, goodbye.”

Oh and PS, anytime you have to PAY someone to publish your work? That’s a bad sign. It means you are either too lazy (too scared, too uninformed) to do it yourself (really, who isn’t self-published these days?), or means you ain’t ready for primetime–ie. NY houses–who STILL require well-written, well-edited, real STORIES.

Go back and get your chops by writing more, and learning the craft, and yes, being rejected, and being told you are a hack, and being told you suck. It’s all totally worth it when one day you really turn out a great book. And you really truly can approach legit agents and editors of legit book publishing companies and SUCCEED. Or, if you are like me, you can do it yourself and have a modicum of success at it.

I didn’t say all this to burst your bubble, baby. I didn’t. I want you to succeed. I am even considering doing some sort of service for writers to help them achieve that goal. I have been there. The track to the money tree for a writer is a long one. I just hope to remove a few boulders in the way.

Would you be interested in a service to help authors get the book written that they want to produce? leave me a comment. I need to think about it. What could I do that would help you?