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Online Publishers
By Jimmy Chung
There are many benefits of contracting the publishing process of materials to an online publishing organization. An individual who wishes to transform their manuscript into a fully formed published book must first create an online based publishing analysis plan. My online based publishing analysis plan is consisted of three main steps. The first step involves researching the internet for prospective online based publishers. The second step involves verifying an organization’s existence as both a publisher and registered business. The third step involves analyzing the success of the publisher. The most appropriate approach to confirm the success of a publisher is to search the databases of various book distributors and well known brand name retailers. A successful and popular publishing organization will reveal a high number of finished products on search engines and main stream retailers.
Pre-Publishing Process
The pre-publishing process is based on my personal experience with a popular online publishing company called “Author House”. Author House is own and managed by Author Solutions Inc. My selection of Author House as my publisher was a result from engaging and applying the concepts of my online based publishing analysis plan. I had to engage in a variety of requirements in my quest to self-publish a book. The initial process involves all potential authors to fill out a standard form to receive a free publishing guide. The publishing guide provides all authors with an explanation on the company’s background, products, services, benefits, and its fees. A completion of filling out the online standard form is used by Author House to assign a personal agent and a publishing account. The agent manages the publishing account and works with potential authors throughout both the pre-publishing and post publishing process. A personal agent from Author House will engage in an interview process to evaluate an author’s ideas and materials. Once the author has passed the interview process, the agent will require an author to submit a manuscript for review. The manuscript must be approved by Author House in order to be considered for publishing. An agent will present a formal publishing contract by both physical mail and electronic mail to the prospective author. The formal publishing contract includes the selection of products, services, special requests, and fees. A prospective author must complete the form and submit the appropriate payment for the services provided. The second required document is the author’s royalty compensation form. The royalty compensation form allows the author to form an appropriate retail price, which must be above Author House’s based price in order to earn a profit. The completion of these two forms will lead the author into the publishing process.
Post-Publishing Process
The agent will work with the author closely during the publishing process by maintaining both phone and electronic communication. Every author is assigned a design team that will assist in editing and producing the final manuscript for publishing. An agent will also assign an illustration team for authors who may need illustration services. The publishing process is consisted of allowing the author to make decisions on the publication process while receiving feedback from the design team. The design team will provide the author with finished manuscript, which must be approved by the author. An author must approve their manuscript through their online publishing account. The manuscript is sent to the printing press once the author provides a confirmation through their agent and publishing account. An author gets to see their finished product within two weeks after the first book has been published.
Advantages of Online Publishing
There are many benefits of contracting with an online publishing company versus a regular publishing company. The main advantages include being able produce effective results by saving time, money, and reducing potential conflicts. An author can save money on shipping costs by sending required materials electronically. The time it takes to submit and receive required materials is reduced compared to shipping to a physical location. The virtual environment allows the author and the online publishing company to engage in quick updates and establish any immediate changes. The opportunity of working with an online publishing company saves time on traveling and time spent meeting with publishing officials. A publishing company that operates solely on a physical location would most likely require scheduling specific times for meetings. An online publishing company creates an environment with flexibility where the author communicates in their own time through electronic communication resources such as e-mail, instant messaging, and phone. The concept of online publishing has allowed authors like me to produce a book while performing daily duties required in my personal, professional, and academic life.