Gotta get me some letterhead
Self-published authors and small publishers, who are just about the only creatures that inhabit newsgroups like alt.publish.books (there are some wannabe-published-authors too), grouse often about their inability to turn a profit. I've discovered many of the reasons why, and they all fall under the heading of hidden costs.
Jim Cox of the Midwest Book Review goes on at length about the need for publishers to present a professional appearance:
One of the principle reasons why self-published titles submitted for review consideration get passed over is that some have non-professional qualities in their accompanying cover letters and publicity releases. A little more than a third of self-published titles arrive with the cover letter written on plain typing stationery -- not on letterhead stationery. About a fourth of the self-published titles arrived with a print-out of their Amazon webpage substituted for a proper publicity release.
I think I can do better than a printed Amazon page, but I suppose Mr. Cox has a point about letterhead stationery. Publishing is one of the stodgiest of industries, and I can easily see snoots upturned at the sight of standard xerographic paper without a color imprint at the top. Great, there goes another $100+ for some pretty paper.
Self-published authors and small publishers, who are just about the only creatures that inhabit newsgroups like alt.publish.books (there are some wannabe-published-authors too), grouse often about their inability to turn a profit. I've discovered many of the reasons why, and they all fall under the heading of hidden costs.
Jim Cox of the Midwest Book Review goes on at length about the need for publishers to present a professional appearance:
One of the principle reasons why self-published titles submitted for review consideration get passed over is that some have non-professional qualities in their accompanying cover letters and publicity releases. A little more than a third of self-published titles arrive with the cover letter written on plain typing stationery -- not on letterhead stationery. About a fourth of the self-published titles arrived with a print-out of their Amazon webpage substituted for a proper publicity release.
I think I can do better than a printed Amazon page, but I suppose Mr. Cox has a point about letterhead stationery. Publishing is one of the stodgiest of industries, and I can easily see snoots upturned at the sight of standard xerographic paper without a color imprint at the top. Great, there goes another $100+ for some pretty paper.
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