So I often receive emails from various people. Some of the mails are just to say congrats, ask where they can get my books, and so on. But a lot of the emails are usually asking about blogging or self-publishing, and I have decided to start a series here and share some of these information. While removing any personal identifiers, I believe that some of the questions and answers will be of use to a wider audience than just the person asking.
To start off, I’ll be answering a questions on Authorhouse. Read on and I’ll answer any follow-on questions if you leave them in the comments. This email is an early one I received in 2010 and I have since had some follow on experiences with Authorhouse which I’ll be sharing in coming posts.
Hi Myne, (I like this name)
My sis recommended your book, i am yet to read the book but i just wanted to congratulate you on actually finishing and publishing the books. I write childrens’ books as well, i have been writing them for about two years now and i am still unpublished; due to the fact that i just don’t “get” self publishing; don’t laugh 
I see you have published through Lulu and Authorhouse; may i please pick your brain on which of these two is the better option for a first time publisher? I have approached Authorhouse and they are willing to publish my books even before reading it you see, that is part of why i don’t get it. I am confident that (by the Grace Of God) my books will sell, i just thought that they should at least read them first. Am i being old fashioned? Do tell me what you think please, i most definitly will appreciate your advise a great deal. Thanks for your time. See, just like you, i don’t know how to talk small, please pardon the long letter 
Regards,
Dear XXX,
Thank you for visiting my website and for your email.
Self publishing is really hard work and I’m not even talking of recouping my investment yet. I used Authorhouse because they’re more experienced and with wider reach. So they’re responsible for making the book available to online retailers, mine is to promote and keep it out there. I’m trying my best but it’s easier that I don’t have a full time job.
To your main question. You are the one who pays to publish your books with Authorhouse and that is why they are not bothered to read your manuscript before accepting to go ahead. They do publish children’s books but they will not pay you, you only make money when you sell the books. When you are ready, you send them the electronic copy, that is what they work with. And it has to be the complete manuscript.
I hope that helps and all the best in your writing efforts. Let mem know if you have any more questions.
Best Regards,
Myne Whitman
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Myne @Myne
Myne Whitman is a pseudonym. I am a Nigerian author, blogger and publisher. My debut novel A Heart to Mend was self-published in 2009. I now have two books in print and work to use new and social media to promote aspiring writers, Nigerian books and reading. After a postgrad degree and a few years in Edinburgh, Scotland, I now live in the United States with my husband and write full-time.Go to Myne's profile, and read more of his/her posts.
Hmm…Will come back here…
Ok, I get the gist. Authorhouse and the likes of it are like our printers. You send your manuscript and they print it out for you and your pay them for it. However, I know that unlike our local printers here, Authorhouse and its kind offer better quality prints and are into ebook and print on demand.
In our society, where the pleasure of writing full time is largely none existent, do you think it would be viable to publish this way, especially when the likelihood of promoting your work is slim?
ebooks are all the rage in the west, but here we have a society where available technology is constrained by environmental factors, what advice would you give to a writer that is looking at publishing in the ebook format, which I understand is free with some publishers (the print on demand thingy)?
you can say that again..
Good question, Fred.
If I could be sure that
- People who downloaded my ebook did not share it with others (or did not find it easy to share with others;
- A large percentage of people had devices (which could be readers or phones) on which they could read my ebook;
- I could find a way of enabling people to buy my ebook without too much difficulty;
Then yes, ebooks would definitely be the way to go.
But as I’m sure you know. that’s not the case right now…
and then what of the financial aspect? you will probably not make any money from it
Hi fred, you’re right that AH are basically printers. I would not encourage anyone to publish with them who may not have the ability or time to promote.
However, with the free eBook publishers available in the west, anyone could take advantage of that. Even if you end up selling only one copy, it’s all profit. However, the writer should make sure the manuscript has been professionally edited and one they can stand behind and promote if ever the book goes viral.
To go by my own experience, I have sold more ebooks in the US on Kindle and Nook than my paperback.
i can tell you however that many more people have gotten the book without buying than have actually bought it. that is a problem. aint it?
Very educative piece, I think publishing has been made even harder with all t hese.
is it not necessary for them to see the manuscript even if you have to pay all the money for publishing your book? i should think they would want to control their quality.
all the same, this is quite useful.
In this case Xikay, the quality is not theirs but the writers’s to control. The author is the publisher.
strange one.
Surely when writers in a country like Naija get their act together, we can have our own local Authorhouses!
I totally agree with you Kabura. THough I hope we can have better quality. In a way JALAA is doing something related.
Na wao! How about the marketing and distribution part? Do they help with that too? I mean, can one form some sort of partnership with them in that regard?
Authorhouse will definitely distribute your book, mostly online, but also to stores that carry Print on Demand books. They also offers some marketing packages as part of their publishing services to those interested. However, like all other services outside of printing, this is ridiculously expensive and does not guarantee sales. At the end of the day, AH makes money from the author paying for these services and not from selling their book.
So I guess they offer their services strictly on pay as you go basis. I really would appreciate it if you can enlighten me on how your experience so far regarding your book and where I can get the hard copy. Thanks for sharing!
thats where my fear it. you may get popular but your pocket will get leaner. Devil and the sea indeed
Ok, i get it now.
Thanks Myne!
Wow. Thank you for this Mayne. This is educative.
It’s a realistic view into the world of publishing/writing as it is. It’s a way of letting us know what to expect. Writers are a dime a dozen. What would make the difference is…how far are you willing to go for yours?
I for one am in it for the long haul. Whatever it takes.
Amen.
KInd of depressing
It shouldn’t be eno….it shouldn’t.
If anything, it should make you more determined to do your quota.
I am doing my quota and thinking of whatever way to make an impact. What would most of us have done without naijastories though.
Please don’t be depressed. Just keep writing. Remember there are various avenues of publishing, and yours could be easier than you imagine. All the best.
Okay Myne I hear you…
Okay Myne, I hear you.
This is the sad truth…
Very informative. AH must be all in it for the profit. They leave the writer to bear his shame of shoddy editing. This is sad. Shouldn’t AH at least protect their name? Isn’t that why they are called by one (name)?!
They are indeed a business, and have to make a profit. Any author using them has the onus on themselves to research as much as possible and be sure that way is for them.
i am worried about the way they are not concerned about the name too. kinda tell a lot the way i see it
Very interesting, very encouraging, very frightening, very everything! But then, writers are the bravest souls I know, so it’s worth considering. Thanks Mayne.
You’re welcome.