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Post by rsine69 on Aug 13, 2009 16:12:44 GMT -6
I'm not sure. Some of those sound a lot like vanity publishing sites. Also Cafe press charges such a ridiculously high fee for anyone wanting to buy their products. And that's before the artist can mark up their prices just to be able to take home a little percentage of the profits themselves.
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 13, 2009 18:48:32 GMT -6
Vanity Presses charge the author by the book, and the author receives the number of books ordered in the mail and then sells those books themselves. These sites only make money if your product/s sells, and if they don't sell, the author isn't out any money.
Right now, there are few choices in sites to sell from, so they have free range in which to set their 'item' prices. I'm sure, that once other sites pop up, there will be a price war, and prices will drop. A lot of people are selling from them, so it must work.  I was told by an author who is self-publishing through CreateSpace, that their before prices are a lot lower than Lulu's.
Several self-published authors have gone on to get agents & publishers, so it might be worth the risk.  That is an individual choice, and I leave it to each person to make their own decisions.
Also. I read the blogs of several authors I follow, and a few think that self-publishing is the way to go with short stories or non-fiction. A lot of magazines pay nothing for short stories, and if an author self-published them, they could charge a small fee and make a little money on them. Or put them in a collection to sell. Collections are usually harder to sell as well. Novels & novelettes should be sent out to agents & publishers before finally deciding to self-publish. Poetry is another thing I've been told is more of a self-publishing item.
Whether or not to go with these sites, or others like them, is something that should be mulled over and thought through thoroughly, and not jumped into easily and lightly. Weigh the pros & cons, and be sure this is what is best for you. Start out with a few small things and see how it goes, then take it from there.
And, as I said in the first post:
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Post by Phalon on Aug 13, 2009 22:05:00 GMT -6
I'm so confused. I wanna get published, I really do. And I have on a small scale, receiving anywhere from $100 to $650 per article, depending on the length and magazine it was published in. But it's been few and far between, mainly because I have a hard time sending out query letters. In fact, I hate them, and although I've got articles written, they go nowhere because I keep putting off writing the queries.
Self-publishing would eliminate the need for a query, but I think (from the little I've read) that the high end of the scale I've received from my articles would be hard to match.
Which way to go is all so confusing. Or maybe I'm just lazy. It's probably the latter.
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 13, 2009 22:34:13 GMT -6
Phalon, I too waver as to whether or not to self-publish. One day I think I will, and the next day I think I won't. So, I can't tell you what you should do. I don't know which direction to push you in.
However, if I finally do make up my mind to self-publish, it will be with short works first. The big stuff, I'll try to find an agent/publisher for. My children's works will have to go through an agent/publisher, since I'm not an illustrator, and I can't afford to hire someone to illustrate them for me.
So, I guess, my advise would be ... to start small and see how that goes. V. J. Chambers posted her book on the internet to see what interest it would draw. Now she's self-published it, so I guess it's working for her.
I haven't thunk it too death yet, so it could be awhile before I finally break down and dip my toe into the waters.  2 minute drill it until you're satisfied with the answers you find, and then go from there. Share what you've learned along the way with the rest of us ... we're all in the same "should I/shouldn't I" boat.
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 14, 2009 14:38:01 GMT -6
If you're looking for an illustrator, let me know, I'm currently unemployed. ;D
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 14, 2009 14:41:27 GMT -6
When you want them to publish your book or short story, How do you send them your works?
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 14, 2009 15:55:08 GMT -6
If you're looking for an illustrator, let me know, I'm currently unemployed. ;D
Sure. I'll keep you in mind.
When you want them to publish your book or short story, How do you send them your works?
You join their site and upload a PDF, choose what type of book format you want, and once you're satisfied with the end result, you click on the 'publish' link. CreateSpace, Lulu, & CafePress have community forums where you can lurk and learn how the site works. If you don't have a PDF converter/creator, you can find free ones online.
There are:
I use PDF995. I don't know if it's compatible with these sites though. V. J. Chambers uses: Primo pdf
Here's the old link for Doro PDF Writer:
OLD LINK: Doro PDF Writer - © by ß
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 17, 2009 1:32:52 GMT -6
How do you find the pixel size of an image you want to upload?
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 17, 2009 18:56:13 GMT -6
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 17, 2009 20:08:20 GMT -6
Found it thanks.
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 17, 2009 21:02:42 GMT -6
You're very welcome.
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Post by Phalon on Aug 18, 2009 21:48:51 GMT -6
Joxie - this could be your big chance to get a children's book published by a reputable, award-winning publishing company. A friend just sent me this. It's damn close to the deadline, but I might give it a shot - I've had a story in my head for years. Got any children's stories of yours hanging around that can be geared toward Michigan? Here's the link: www.memspa.org/pages/index.cfmClick on Author's Contest Deadline for the rules; it's a pdf file and I can't copy and paste the direct link. |
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 18, 2009 23:03:02 GMT -6
I don't think I have anything that pertains to Michigan.  
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 18, 2009 23:14:38 GMT -6
What does ppi mean?
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 18, 2009 23:41:47 GMT -6
I suppose it would depend on where you're seeing it. And what it's connected/pertaining to. I need more info to help me figure it out.
page per inch
price per inch
pixels per inch
I'm guessing it's the last one. I did a search for "ppi" and that one makes the best sense.
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 20, 2009 4:47:23 GMT -6
How do you increase image DPI? Mine are around 72 to 92 but they recommend at least 200.
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 20, 2009 16:56:12 GMT -6
Rick, the option to change the DPI should be in the "resize" options. That's where mine is. You don't have to change the height/width though when you change the DPI.
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 20, 2009 19:19:26 GMT -6
I don't have an option to change the dpi when I resize them. Is there any free software that will give me this option when I resize them?
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 20, 2009 21:42:31 GMT -6
I believe the "Gimp" software does. Le has mentioned other free software, but I'm drawing a blank here. I think she posted them at the archive Whoosh forum.
Could the DPI option be in the "Save As"? Does the software program have a "help" section? If so, see if the info is in there.
Okay, I took a look on the "Help" archive board, and here are a few she has shared in the past:
IRFanView
Image Analyzer
I don't know if the first one will resize DPI, but I'm guessing the second one won't.
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 20, 2009 23:19:55 GMT -6
I tried using Gimp but I couldn't figure out how to get it to work so I just removed the software out of frustration.  This makes me so mad! I need to adjust the dpi with my work I've already saved in my documents.  |
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 21, 2009 0:55:27 GMT -6
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 21, 2009 1:14:03 GMT -6
I've also sent an email to the Cafepress staff asking if they can help.
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 21, 2009 1:43:01 GMT -6
Rick, look for "Resolution" & "Units" in the "Format" "Resize" options. That's how mine is labeled.
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 21, 2009 1:57:28 GMT -6
What type of imaging software are you using?
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 21, 2009 2:22:50 GMT -6
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 21, 2009 2:31:13 GMT -6
Unfortunately, I'm looking for free image editing software that will allow me to adjust the dpi.
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 21, 2009 13:12:22 GMT -6
I downloaded paint.net. I've been able to adjust the dpi now but the pic still looks the same. Shouldn't it be sharper when you increase the dpi?
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 21, 2009 15:53:29 GMT -6
I believe the difference is seen in the printed image more so than the digital image. The lower DPI image is spottier & more pixelated than the higher DPI image. The higher the DPI, the better quality the printed image is. And the better it looks on a product.
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Post by rsine69 on Aug 21, 2009 16:47:14 GMT -6
Cool than I did everything right. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to use paint.net to colorize black and white line drawings. I tried to do this with the gimp but I couldn't figure it out.
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Post by Mini Mia on Aug 21, 2009 17:10:16 GMT -6
Yeah, I haven't figured out Gimp yet either.
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