For storybook authors who want to self-publish, this brings Outskirts’ choices to twenty-three. Plus, the author doesn’t have to split royalties with the artist.
I don’t write children’s books, but this sounds like a helpful step up for those who do. I also admit that I know nothing about Outskirts Press. From the small bio at the end of the article, it appears the author will be the one footing the bill.
If you write children’s books or do know about Outskirts Press, let us know what you think about this.
I have a quick and easy formula for these things. I Google "company X" + scam and see what crops up.
ReplyDeleteA search on Outskirts turned up this
OTOH the Better Business Bureau doesn't have a problem with them.
I'd say more digging is required. But isn't that always the case?
I went to their website and recognized it from this blog post.
ReplyDeleteUm, while I obviously have nothing detrimental to say about Outskirts, it seems that industry respected blog Writer Beware does.
BTW I know word verification has been up for a while now but I kinda miss the old days. Sucks that scammers and spammers make it worse for the rest of us.
I don't write children's books but read them often with my kids. I love reading them. I like to look at the illustrations and ask the kids to tell me what's going on without reading the words. Its a great exercise and one that forces them to look, ponder, and use their critical thinking skills. It also makes them use their imagination to come up with alternative endings.
ReplyDeleteStephen Tremp
I think, as Anton mentioned, I've read about this company on Writer Beware. :(
ReplyDeleteI think it's so hard for writers to find reputable self-publishing venues. What a shame there are so many unscrupulous people in the industry!
Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
Preditors & Editors marks them as 'not recommended'
ReplyDeletehttp://pred-ed.com/pebo.htm
Publish America reads great in their press releases, too. *shudder*
Looks convenient for those who write childrens books. I don't. I only write science papers, and all that crap in my blog of course.
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorite books are childrens books, like Emil from Lonneberga by Astrid Lindgren (not sure if it's translated to English, but assume it is).
Guess they are one to avoid, huh?
ReplyDeleteSadly it's still a subsidy press and one should always avoid that route.
ReplyDeleteYep, it does sound like one to avoid. Poop.
ReplyDeleteAnton, I hated to add the captcha letters, but I was getting hundreds of spam. Surprisingly, not on current posts. They were showing up on old posts. Some would have, overnight, 50 to 60 spam comments. Blogger has no way of mass deleting spam, so I was tring to do it one comment at a time. I finally gave up and added the squiggles.
Jeepers Helen! I hope you don't think I was criticizing. I understand the reasons perfectly. A captcha or three is a small price to pay for reading here.
ReplyDeleteIt's a SEO thing. In theory. Adding links from old posts to new spam websites to legitimize them. I don't even think it works any more but the bots will work on regardless.
I didn't take it as criticism. I just hated to have to do it. If Blogger had a way of letting me mass delete the spam, I would have done that and kept going without the gotcha letters. Bah-humbug to all spammers!
ReplyDeleteHumbug to spammers and scammers. I'll add book pirates to the comments here so all the predatory villains of writers are mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI looked into Outskirts Press a couple of years ago and although they have a lot of good features I recommend that anyone who is looking into "self-publishing" read the contract carefully. The Outskirts contract has an "as is" clause which means they can make errors and there would be no recourse. I did contact Outskirts and they said they had never had a problem and gave me loads of statistics. Regardless of what they say, it's what is written that counts.
ReplyDeleteAnn
www.cozyintexas.blogspot.com
www.annsummerville.com
Outskirts Press is a full-service self-publishing option. Our goal is to integrate the advantages of the traditional publishing model with new technologies and the modern market place. Authors do pay upfront fees for the custom services we provide, including this array of illustration options. But unlike most traditional contracts, Outskirts Press authors see the advantage of full ownership of their books, including
ReplyDeleteKeeping 100% of their rights
Keeping 100% of their royalties
Setting their own retail price
Setting their own profit
Setting their own discount
Not to mention that books are typically published in a fraction of the time and with unlimited availability. While not right for everyone, Outskirts Press has the pleasure of working with many happy and successful authors.
Thanks very much for stopping by and telling us the scoop on your services!
ReplyDelete