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Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
(I also take it as implied that there are those who believe that, since I have not been vetted by a reputable publishing house, my work must therefore also be c**p, QED, and therefore my opinion on the matter isn't worth much... which I suppose negates the point of the previous paragraph thoroughly...)
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That's a bad assumption to make. I have read many self-published books that I have enjoyed and I continue to buy self-published books (which is, unfortunately, how I also discover the real drecky books that I complain about). I haven't read your books because the subject matter hasn't appealed to me, but that doesn't mean they are not good, only that I haven't read them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
To answer Bob's question: If a service bureau came to me and said, "If you pay $X, you can expect a Y-Z% return on investment in terms of sales for our services," and assuming I had the $X (and believed their figures)... yes, I would consider such a service. I would especially consider it if their services included things I could not do for myself. I have, so far, never received a credible offer like that, which is why I've never used one.
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If you ever get such an offer RUN from it as fast as you can. No reputable editor or service bureau can legitimately make such a claim. There are too many variables that are beyond their control, not least of which is that the subject matter of your book -- no matter how well written the book is -- simply doesn't appeal to more than 5 people. The most any legitimate vendor can promise is to work with you to improve your book.
Unlike you, I find at least 5-6 books that I want to buy every month, if not more frequently. Last year I bought almost 300 books and there were still more that I wanted to buy. This year my pace has slowed quite a bit but I've still bought 26 books since January 1.