"Self-publishing is the fastest-growing segment of the publishing industry . . . authors may find it worthwhile to farm out production to a pro."U.S. News & World Report

No!

"[Book packagers] are different from vanity publishers. Book [packagers] work for a pre-set fee; profits are yours. Vanity publishers offer only a royalty after charging you to produce the book; complaints about quality and marketing are legion."U.S. News & World Report

Vanity (subsidy) publishers will usually apply their ISBN (International Standard Book Number) to your work, and sometimes take the copyright, too. You, the author, usually will receive only a few copies of your book and be told you can buy more "at cost," even though you have already paid for the entire publication. Promises will be made about "marketing" that will rarely result in sales or the recovery of your investment.

Some subsidy "publishers" are only printers in disguise. These presses will print your pages exactly as you submit them, without proper page design or editing. This process not only will cost a lot of money, but will result in an inferior product.

With Tabby House you will retain all the rights to your book, receive your entire press run, and get continuing marketing assistance. Tabby House prides itself on its reputation for honesty, quality, and author assistance during and after book production. Our productions have received many review accolades and national awards.

See what our clients have said about our services. References are available and gladly given.
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You can, but keep in mind that printing is only part of the publishing process. A printer is not a publisher or a book packager, although some will offer to typeset your book or design your cover. Printers usually do not have an editor on staff who is knowledgable about book style, and they are not familiar with accepted cover design standards. If you have your book printed without the necessary credentials, or with a cover that is less than professional, the end result may not be marketable.

Tip: Be careful to work only with a reputable, experienced packager. Ask to see samples of their work and compare those samples to mainstream books at your local bookstore.

The cost to produce a book varies widely, depending on the difficulty of the project. Call or e-mail us with the specifications of your book: number of manuscript pages, word count, final page size desired, and the number of copies you anticipate needing. Give us your thoughts about the cover and whether there will be any art or photographs included.

Better yet, send us about twenty-five sample pages along with the above information. We will provide you with a free publishing analysis and a ballpark estimate for the job. If the proposal is to your liking, we will work up a contract, take a deposit, and get going with the project.
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Your book must have credentials to be sold in most bookstores or through distributors or wholesalers—ISBN, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number, copyright, and bar code.

As book producers, we can help you establish yourself as a publishing company so you can have your own imprint and ISBN, or, under certain conditions, we can publish your book using either our Tabby House imprint or our Strathmoor Books imprint.

Importantly, with Tabby House you will always retain all the rights to your material.
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There are no guarantees. A book is like any other product—it should be created with a market in mind, and it takes a lot of faith and persistent effort to succeed. The salability of any book is enhanced by a professional cover, the right title, the proper credentials, and an author/publisher who will work tirelessly for sales.

You must be prepared to generate the demand for your book. Tabby House will help you get started on the basics of publicity, booksignings, and speaking engagements. We can put you in touch with wholesalers and distributors, provide you with contacts for talk shows, and offer suggestions for direct mailings and sources of reviews. There are a number of individuals and organizations that specialize in assisting self-publishing authors and independent presses with their marketing.

It is worth noting that a number of self-published books have been sold to book clubs or national publishers after establishing a strong sales record, or after having attracted reviewer or talk-show interest. Ultimately, though, author effort is the key to the success of any self-publishing project.
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