Frequently Asked Questions
It varies according to whether you want a hardcover or soft cover (called perfect bound), size of the book, number of pages, photos and charts, how your book will be laid out/formatted and initial number of copies desired. If your manuscript has been thoroughly edited and ready for formatting and printing, the cost may range from $700 to $1200. Booklets, such as those in the Soul Talk series (less than 48 pages) can be inexpensive. Contact us for more information. That would include an ISBN number, barcode, cover and registration with a number of book distributors. River Sanctuary Publishing offers several options from which to choose.
2. WHAT IS PRINT-ON-DEMAND (POD)?
POD means “print on demand.” You can order as few as one book at the low author’s printing price. This new digital method allows the author not to be forced to buy thousands of books to store and distribute, but to order as needed from as few as one to any number desired.
3. WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF ON-DEMAND PUBLISHING?
The author has NO inventory investment. We print copies of your book “on demand” to fill each order whether it be one book or hundreds. When you have a special event, book signing, book fair, or need copies for friends and family, you buy only the copies you require at a low author’s price.
4. HOW LONG DOES THE PUBLISHING PROCESS TAKE?
If your book has been edited and ready for book formatting, the process can be fairly quick, perhaps within 3-4 weeks you can have your proof copy in hand. The hard reality is that most authors choose to make changes along the way which stalls the process. One has to remember that your book should be perfect before it is published. That will require thorough editing by a professional editor, not just a cursory read through by a literate friend or Miss Bilstead, who was your high school English teacher.
5. WHAT WILL BE THE COST OF PRINTING COPIES OF MY BOOK?
Generally speaking, the great majority of publishers use the same service for printing POD (print on demand) books. The problem is that most publishers charge a high rate and/or disguise charges to print your book even though the cost to print is essentially the same for all of them. One should look at the totality of costs a publisher offers in a package to determine the best options that is just right for you. This should include the publishing cost AND the book cost to the author as well as the projected author profits from various types of distribution. River Sanctuary Publishing offers one of the very lowest costs and author friendly terms available on the market based on the number of pages in your book plus set-up charges.
6. AFTER MY BOOK IS PUBLISHED, DO I OWN ALL THE PUBLISHING RIGHTS?
Yes, you own all the rights to your work. Our publishing agreement (see website) with you clearly states that you have the right to cancel our agreement at any time and will receive all your materials that allow you to sign with another publisher. If a large publishing house likes and picks up your book, you are free to sign with them as all rights to your work, remain with the author.
7. WHAT IS AN ISBN? DO I NEED ONE?
ISBN means International Standard Book Number. An ISBN is a number used like a serial number so that bookstores can accurately order books. It is NOT a bar code. You don’t need an ISBN if you are selling your book on your own. But it is absolutely necessary if you want to place it with distributors, sell it in bookstores, and/or place it in libraries. ISBN numbers are assigned to publishers. River Sanctuary Publishing will provide an ISBN number for you.
Once the ISBN number has been assigned to your book, it is reported to R.R.Bowker, the database of record for the ISBN agency. Your book will be listed free of charge for you in Bowker’s Books in Print, a copy of which virtually every bookseller consults.
8. WHAT IS A BAR CODE? DO I NEED ONE ON MY BOOK?
A bar code is an image printed on your book so that bookstores and other retailers can sell your book. The kind of bar code used in book stores is called the EAN 13 bar code. River Sanctuary Publishing will either produce an EAN 13 bar code at the time we order your ISBN or obtain one afterward from a bar code supplier. If you are going to sell your books in retail or wholesale outlets, you will need a bar code.
9. WHAT IS A LIBRARY OF CONGRESS (LCCN) NUMBER?
The purpose of a Library of Congress Catalog Number (LCCN) is to make sure that libraries know how to properly categorize and shelve your book. In some cases libraries will not order material without an LCCN. River Sanctuary Publishing will provide this service for your book.
10 WHAT IS A COPYRIGHT? DO I NEED TO FILE FOR ONE?
You do not have to register with the Library of Congress to be protected. Copyright officially exists the moment the work is created and fixed in a tangible form that is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. Generally speaking, however, a submitted registered copyright is prima facie evidence of ownership should a dispute arise. If you want to protect your work and yourself from plagiaristic practices, and have the right to sue and collect for damages, you should register your work formally with the Library of Congress. You will need to fill out and send the copyright forms along with a finished copy of your book. You can do this online or River Sanctuary can do this for you for a small fee. For more information, go to: www.copyright.gov.
11. WHO SETS THE RETAIL PRICE OF MY BOOK?
You do. There are, however, suggested price ranges that are typical for the size and genre of your book. You want your book to sell and not be sitting on your shelf because the price is too high or your profit margin is miniscule. Distribution discounts, cost of printing your book, etc., are calculated to give you the optimum market advantage in price. We’ll help you make that decision.
12. WHO WILL DESIGN MY BOOK COVER?
Anyone can design your book cover. However, there is a publishing axiom that “book covers sell books” so you will want a professional to design your cover. River Sanctuary Publishing provides this service with all of our options. We do not follow a template but design each front and back cover based on your desires. We will also provide suggestions for cover design.
13. WILL YOU HELP ME WITH MANUSCRIPT EDITING
Absolutely. River Sanctuary Publishing will be delighted to assist you in your writing quest. If you have an idea for a book, have a rough or finished manuscript, or simply an idea for a book you would like to pursue, go to our website at www.riversanctuarypublishing.com and click on the drop-down menu item Our Services and scroll down to Manuscript Review & Editing. We can help you with basic or deep editing, writing and format issues. We can also refer you to one of our expert professional writing assistants if you choose.
14. WHAT IF I USE QUOTES IN MY BOOK, DO I NEED TO GET PERMISSION?
You will need to get written publisher or author’s permission to print quotes in your book. There are several specific restrictions to various kinds of referencing. Quoting poetry has a more specific set of rules. In many cases the publisher or author will charge you a fee for the publication of their quote. This can be a time-consuming process that could take from 2 to 4 months. Our advice is that if you have extensive quotes, you will need to start gathering permission(s) as soon as practical. We will be happy to advise and help you start the permission process.
15. HOW DO I MARKET MY BOOK?
Basic services offered by River Sanctuary Publishing include a web site outlet for your sales and can also offer a personal website to individually market your work. We will assure that your book is listed on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and several other major book distributors. This is a question, however, that requires you to think well in advance what you want to do and how much time and energy you wish to invest in marketing your book. Most publishing companies offer a semblance of marketing programs, many of which may not necessarily be worth the dollars you may invest. Discuss with us to decide what kind of marketing and to what target audience you wish to direct your sales.
16. WILL MY BOOK SELL?
You are the one who will sell your book. It can be enhanced with the right title, a professional cover, and an author who will work tirelessly at marketing his/her creation. Obviously, there are no guarantees. A book is akin to any product and is created with a target market in mind. It takes persistence, hard work and a vision to sell your book. You will consider marketing potential and choose a combination of strategies that best fit your time, energy and investment. You can be put in touch with wholesalers and distributors and we can offer suggestions for direct mailing or internet marketing. In the final analysis, it is the author’s effort that is as the key to the successful marketing of the book.
17. WILL YOU PREPARE MY BOOK IN ELECTRONIC BOOK FORMAT?
Yes, either as part of one of our packages or as an independent service, River Sanctuary Publishing will produce an electronic copy of your book that can be read by electronic reading devices such as Kindle. We can also submit the e-book to Amazon so it can be downloaded online with the profits going directly to you.