It's a publishing company that I followed on twitter months ago.
This morning they just started messaging me asking about if I am currently working on something. I am and I told them what it's about.
I checked out their website and it seems pretty legit. Does anyone have any experience with them or their books & is there any advice you guys can give me?
I am excited but also skeptical and nervous as well
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Rowanvale books
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Be skeptical. This is what used to be called a vanity press. They will charge you a fee for editing, packaging and marketing your book. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but many of these places that offer this kind of "service" yet call themselves a publisher basically only charge a fee to put everything together and then leave the writer in the lurch without doing much on the marketing end. I don't know this company, so I don't know if they're reputable or not. However, in your shoes, I would proceed very carefully at most, and really would be inclined to stay away from them. If you're working on something you want to try to publish commercially, there are two good ways to go. You can publish independently and use freelance editors, beta readers and cover artists, then you can register an author's page on Amazon and upload your book for sale. You probably already know about sites like Smashwords, etc. There are reputable freelancers and even one company I know of who offer all of these services, including formatting and uploading, who are reputable and reliable.
The other way to go is to keep working on your story or novel until you feel like it's ready, then start submitting it to commercial publishers. Ebook publishers are generally the best bet for getting your work out there. A decent publisher will have their own marketing department and get you more exposure than you will on your own, although any publisher expects their writers to promote themselves as well. I happen to suck at this, which is one of many reasons I'm a publisher's worst nightmare. Whether you go indie or with a publisher, the more promotion you do on your own the more likely you are to sell a few books. There are some very successful indie writers out there, but they are tireless self-promoters.
I won't presume to know how you got on this company's radar, but it sounds like they're targeting unpublished writers to hustle. I'm sorry to sound disparaging, but it pays to be careful. I don't know you and I don't know your writing (though I will try to remedy that soon), but when a company that seems more intent on selling itself to an unknown, unpublished author it pays to be suspicious. If you're serious about writing and publishing then please feel free to send me a PM if you think a recommendation or two might help.
The other way to go is to keep working on your story or novel until you feel like it's ready, then start submitting it to commercial publishers. Ebook publishers are generally the best bet for getting your work out there. A decent publisher will have their own marketing department and get you more exposure than you will on your own, although any publisher expects their writers to promote themselves as well. I happen to suck at this, which is one of many reasons I'm a publisher's worst nightmare. Whether you go indie or with a publisher, the more promotion you do on your own the more likely you are to sell a few books. There are some very successful indie writers out there, but they are tireless self-promoters.
I won't presume to know how you got on this company's radar, but it sounds like they're targeting unpublished writers to hustle. I'm sorry to sound disparaging, but it pays to be careful. I don't know you and I don't know your writing (though I will try to remedy that soon), but when a company that seems more intent on selling itself to an unknown, unpublished author it pays to be suspicious. If you're serious about writing and publishing then please feel free to send me a PM if you think a recommendation or two might help.
Active Ink Slinger
Quote by Haineko
All I did was follow them on Twitter.
That is seriously it. They contacted me after months
I strongly suspect there are much better, hassle-free opportunities for you.
Rowanvale books
Here's the website
Here's the website
Active Ink Slinger
Quote by Haineko
Rowanvale books
Here's the website
Thanks. I did check it out before posting the first comment.
Purveyor of Poetry & Porn
Btw...if you ever have a question about the legitimacy of a publisher, check this site...they're sort of a writer "watch dog" group, or something...
Writer Beware
http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/
I just did a search for "Rowanvale" and nothing came up...so, that's a good thing...
There's another group like Writer Beware, I just can't of the name at the moment...it's still early here, I believe I need more coffee...
Writer Beware
http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/
I just did a search for "Rowanvale" and nothing came up...so, that's a good thing...
There's another group like Writer Beware, I just can't of the name at the moment...it's still early here, I believe I need more coffee...
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