WritersWeekly.com

August 20, 2008

POD PRICE COMPARISON

>>> Booklocker.com: $492 <<<
Deduct $175 if submitting your own cover. No hidden fees. Includes everything. Books are usually on the market in less than a month. No extra charge for graphics. 35% royalties based on list price for public sales; 15% royalties based on list price on wholesale/bookstore orders. Added Bonus: Returning authors are only charged $99 setup fees on their second and subsequent books.

>> iUniverse: $699.00 (includes 5 "free" copies) <<
Warning: They own your files after creation and you have to pay $300-$1500 to get them back if you leave their service! They charge extra for photos/graphics (included above) and never allow more than 50 graphics/photos in a book. No expedite service. Turnaround is 3-4 months. NOTE: IUNIVERSE IS NOW OWNED BY AUTHORHOUSE. SEE THAT COMPANY LISTED BELOW.

>> Lulu: $838.00 <<
Deduct $450 if submitting your own cover. Lulu now charges directly for many services they previously farmed out to other companies.

>> Xlibris: $1323 - (includes 5 "free" copies) <<
Does NOT offer ebooks! Charges expedite fee of $349 (included above) for publication in 2 months instead of 4-6 months. Charges $10 per image; $20 per table.

>> AuthorHouse: $1467 <<
Charges extra for photos/graphics ($10 per image after first 10 - included in cost above). Expedite fee ($500) is for publication in 30 days instead of 6 months - included above. Claims ownership of files you pay them to create.

>> Trafford: $1852 <<
IMPORTANT - Does **not** include full distribution! Choose the $2297 package if you want that. NOTE: This company is based in Canada.

***Prices based on least expensive package offered by each publisher on similar offers targeting U.S. authors. Fees include setup, original cover design, print proof, ebook creation, up to 25 interior photos/graphics, an ISBN, barcode, a listing on the publisher's website and distribution by Ingram, all within 6 weeks.

NOTE: Many companies offer perks that others don't, some try to upsell authors on extraneous services, and a few even claim ownership of files the author has paid them to create! Study each publisher and contract carefully before making your choice.

----

For details on BookLocker's program, see:
http://publishing.booklocker.com/

Read how BookLocker authors got traditional publishing contracts and built businesses for their books using our service: http://publishing.booklocker.com/booklocker-self-publishing-case-studies/

Do you have questions about self-publishing an ebook or POD book?
Ask us about it.
http://publishing.booklocker.com/ask.php

ONE-ON-ONE WITH ANGELA
Angela Hoy works one-on-one with all authors. No third-world-country customer service reps or corporate hierarchy! You can email her directly with any questions at: angela- at - booklocker.com

DISGRUNTLED?
Unhappy with your current POD publisher? We offer a special to authors who want to switch. Email Angela if you're interested.

In This Issue

08/20/2008

) Publisher's Desk For August 20th
) News From The Home Office: The Slowest Month of the Year - Yea!
) AngelaHoy.com: Who REALLY Controls That ISBN You Bought? Probably Not You! By Angela Hoy
) Letters To The Editor: Letters To The Editor For August 20th
) Feature Article: The Feature Article will return next week.
) Ask The Expert: Shouldn't I Get More Pay for More Rights?
) Success Story: Going Green By Nadia Ali
) Whispers And Warnings For August 20th
) Paying Markets and Freelance Jobs For August 20th
) FreeBookExcerpts.com For August 20th
) Interview Requests For August 20th

Publisher's Desk

Publisher's Desk For August 20th

NEW, FUN CLASSES START SEPTEMBER 8TH!

+ ANGELA'S CLASS - Remember, Write and Publish Your Life Story by Angela Hoy
+ Creative Workout: Turning Everyday Objects, People and Events Into Stories!
+ Marketing Boot Camp For Freelance Writers
+ Cash in on Newsletter Writing and Publishing
+ Cash in on Teens and Tweens!
+ Writing As Healing: The Power Of Personal Stories
+ Finish Your Novel in 8 Weeks!
+ The Art of the Press Release (mini-course)
+ Local Newspaper and Magazine Markets: Tap into Yours!
+ BAM: Book a Month
+ BAM Advanced Fiction Techniques: First Pages

**24-HOUR SHORT STORY CONTEST**

The WritersWeekly.com Fall 2008 24-Hour Short Story Contest is now open for entrants. Each contest is limited to 500 entrants. Contests usually fill up (it's tons of fun!), so don't delay if you want to participate.

1st Place: $300
2nd Place: $250
3rd Place: $200

You can see the list of 85 prizes and sign
up here: http://www.writersweekly.com/misc/contest.html

DO YOU PAY WRITERS?

Email your ad to us and we'll run it at no charge. Send it to:
angela - at - writersweekly.com

MAKE A SOLDIER SMILE!!

Read their wants and needs at this great website:
http://www.anysoldier.com/

WANT YOUR WRITING-RELATED BOOK SOLD ON WRITERSWEEKLY?

If you've written a writing-related book and own your electronic rights, contact angela - at - writersweekly.com. WritersWeekly.com and Booklocker.com do NOT charge setup fees to list and sell non-fiction ebooks, and don't take any rights. And, you can cancel at anytime.

ARE YOU MISSING THE PARTY?

The Freelance Writing Forum is very active and we'd love to have you join us!
http://www.writersweekly.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=15

WRITER'S GUIDELINES DATABASE

http://forums.writersweekly.com/viewforum.php?f=12

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT BEST SELLING EBOOKS AT WRITERSWEEKLY?

FREE EXCERPTS OF ALL BOOKS available at the links below.

1. 24-HOUR SHORT STORY CONTEST ENTRY FEE - $5
Entry fee and contest guidelines ebook.

2. The Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print & Sell Your Own Book
Why Not Publish Yourself? Wouldn't you rather make more money, get to press sooner and keep control of your work?

3. BAM: BOOK A MONTH
"It's not difficult to write a full-length commercial novel in one month if you do the hard work up front. I know--that's what I do." - Cyn Mobley

4. The Easy Way to Write & Sell eBooks
Learn how to write an eBook people will want to read, publish it in an easy-to-read format, and market it so it will sell.

5. QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED! Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments
In these pages, you'll find real query letters that landed real assignments for national magazines, websites, and corporations, including:
Woman's Day - $2,800; Redbook - $3,500; Ladies Home Journal - $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com - $2,000; Lifetime Magazine - $3,000;
Life Extension magazine - $6,480; and many more!

NEW BOOKS

Self Publishing POD Companies: BookLocker vs AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Xlibris, Lulu, and BookSurge
A 124-page book critically analyzes and ranks BookLocker and the Big Five print-on-demand (POD) companies: AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Xlibris, Lulu and Amazon.com's BookSurge.

Get Your Book on the Shelves: A Self Publisher's Insider Guide to Book Marketing
Learn about the decision process that puts some self-published authors on the shelf and others in the street.

News From the Home Office

The Slowest Month of the Year - Yea!

August is always our slowest month of the year. I guess everybody is on vacation or lounging around the pool. Slow author sign-ups mean more time for me to enjoy spending time sitting outside by the river, playing in my garden with Max, watching Mason dig in the dirt with his bulldozer, and listening to the teenagers' chatter.

MORE >>

The Latest From AngelaHoy.com

Who REALLY Controls That ISBN You Bought? Probably Not You! By Angela Hoy

Last week, I received an email from a guy claiming to be the head of Bowker, the ISBN agency. Whoa! Why was the "head" of Bowker contacting me? The email implied we were doing something wrong.

MORE >>

Letters To The Editor

Letters To The Editor For August 20th

Hi Angela,

I've said it before, and I will say it again. You and Richard and everyone else at BookLocker and Writers Weekly are THE BEST.

Every now and then someone will ask me about a POD company (Publish America and Lulu to name two). I always tell them not to go anywhere else but Booklocker. I point out that you have a selection process and that you do not publish everything that comes along. I tell them that if their book is selected for publication, they will be extremely happy with Booklocker.

When people ask why I like Booklocker so much, I say, "They do what they say they are going to do when they say they are going to do it. They don't try to sell you something you don't need. There are no 'hidden costs.'They help you with formatting. They make sure everything is in order before they send the book file for printing."

I wish other companies (not just book publishing companies, but ALL companies) would take a lesson from BookLocker's business model. The world would be a much better place.

LeAnn Ralph
Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Oral Histories)
http://www.booklocker.com/books/1545.html
Christmas In Dairyland
http://booklocker.com/books/1272.html
Cream of the Crop
http://booklocker.com/books/2156.html
Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam
http://booklocker.com/books/1734.html
Where the Green Grass Grows (True Spring and Summer Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)
http://booklocker.com/books/2722.html

This Week's Article

The Feature Article will return next week.

Have a query for WritersWeekly? Our writer's guidelines are here:
http://www.writersweekly.com/index-markets.htm

Yes, we are a paying market!

Ask The Expert

Shouldn't I Get More Pay for More Rights?

I recently started writing a quarterly feature article for a (company's) newsletter, which is in an email and online. Now the coordinator of that newsletter and website is asking if (another division), which is over their department, can edit and use my article within their website, too.

Before I answer her, please help me understand about electronic rights.

+ Is it standard to charge for reuse? I know that in print, you can often charge for reuse.

+ Is there a guideline for how much that might be?

+ And since the rights she was purchasing weren't spelled out at the onset, any recommendations to how we should proceed?

I want to preserve both of these relationships (I write for the other dept publication as well), but don't want to leave hundreds of dollars on the table when it could add up if they reuse my articles in the future.

MORE >>

Success Stories

Going Green By Nadia Ali

The color green used to mean only one thing and that was jealousy, either as the green-eyed monster or green with envy. Today, however, green has a whole new positive meaning. Green now describes anything that is environmentally friendly. It is a realm that took off a long time ago and left me standing at the airport in my niche of travel writing.

MORE >>

Whispers And Warnings

Whispers And Warnings For August 20th

CityView Magazine / Knoxville's CityView Magazine / cityviewmag.com /
Nathan Sparks - Publisher paid writer only after being contacted by WritersWeekly.

Markets And Jobs

Paying Markets And Jobs For August 20th

PAYING MARKETS

The First Line
CURRENT NEEDS: See their guidelines for current needs. Pays $20 per story plus one contributor's copy. Articles run 300-3000 words.

Freelance Writer's Report
CURRENT NEEDS: "Tips and techniques on how to run a more profitable freelance writing or editing business, how to break into a new field, how to cut expenses, 'different' marketing techniques." Pays $0.10/word for 750 words max, "but more frequently can use pieces shorter than 400 words (even under 200) to fill out columns."

The Funny Times
CURRENT NEEDS: "Anything funny." Pays $60 flat fee for stories of 400-700 words.

Hagerstown: The Best of Life in Washington County & Beyond
CURRENT NEEDS: "Talented writers who can cover topics including business, health, senior living, food and dining, home and garden and serious issues affecting central and western Maryland." Pays $75-$150 for 600-800 word department stories, based upon complexity of the piece and writer's experience; $175-$300 for 1200 to 1500 word feature stories, based on same criteria.

KALEIDOSCOPE: Exploring the Experience of Disability through Literature & the Fine Arts
CURRENT NEEDS: "Submissions focusing on themes "Disability & Childhood" and "Giving & Receiving Care--A Delicate Balance." Double space work, number pages and include full name and address when emailing submissions. Pays flat fee of $25 plus 2 contributor's copies for fiction, essays, and articles (5000 word maximum length); $10 plus 2 contributor's copies for poetry.

MetroKids Pennsylvania, MetroKids South Jersey, and MetroKids Delaware
CURRENT NEEDS: "Localization." Pays flat fee of $50 for original articles of 700-1100 words; $35 for reprints.

FREELANCE JOBS

Freelance Editors (2)
TechTarget's Data Center Media Group

Freelance Interpreters
Day Translations

Freelance Creative Copywriter - near Scottsdale. Pays $35/hour.
blind ad

Freelance Researchers/Writers
Dig Media

Freelance Technical Writer - for software industry
aeshen.com

Freelance Newsletter Editor
pinhawk.com

Freelance Procedure Writer
medallionenterprises.com

Freelance Writer
blind ad

Freelance Writers - Pays $50 for 300-350 words
blind ad

Freelance Senior Marketing Research/Industry Analyst
NanoMarkets

Freelance Writers - Pays $50 for 300-500 words.
LegalZoom

Freelance Copy Writer - for website. Pays $30/hour.
blind ad

Freelance Business/Finance Writer
south Florida finance company

Freelance Copywriter - Pays "up to $17.50/hr"
Green Living Content Site

Freelance Copy Editor
The Real Deal magazine

Freelance Editor
The Real Deal magazine

Freelance Political Writer
AnalyticNews

Freelance Editor - Higher Ed. Life Sciences - Pays $18/hour
blind ad

Freelance Copywriters - greeting cards. Pays $10-$25/card.
gotfreecards.com

Freelance Copywriter - near San Diego, CA. Pays $50-55/hour.
techwriters.com

Technical Writer/Editor
C. W. Publications

Freelance Editor - near New York City
PinkMemo.com

MORE >>

FreeBookExcerpts.com

FreeBookExcerpts.com For August 20th

FreeBookExcerpts.com: where authors post excerpts and readers post comments.

Here's a peek at one that was added this week!

Canceled Courtship by Gloria Gay
Cecilia cancels the marriage her father had arranged for her with the proud Earl Aradale, yet later seeks Arandale's help when she is is pulled into a vortex of danger.

Running with Stilettos: Living a Balanced Life in Dangerous Shoes by Mary Wagner
Collection of essays by a journalist/prosecutor.

Handle Time by Lincoln Park
The third novel by cult-pen Lincoln Park is the saucy, searing story which unmasks the inner workings, deep dishes and policy wonkings of a nationwide call center.

READ THESE AND MANY MORE FREE BOOK EXCERPTS, AND POST YOUR OWN, AT: http://www.FreeBookExcerpts.com

Interview Requests

Interview Requests For August 20th

This Week:

Women's Survey