What is self-publishing?

Self-publishing most generally refers to publishing that is paid for by the author rather than by the publisher. Self-publishing is further broken down into on-demand publishing (or print on demand), where the author hires a company such as Webb Publishing to facilitate their project; vanity press, where an author pays a publisher to produce their book with the intent to 'appear' that it has been picked up by a major publisher, and pure self-publishing, where the author takes on all the risk and work of the project with the goal of receiving all of the profit (for example, Chicken Soup for the Soul was self-published).

A publisher tends to be defined as the person responsible for distributing a publication. Webb Publishing works with self-publishing authors to prepare and print their work, and assist with marketing and distribution of their books.

The self-publishing industry is growing at an amazing rate thanks to high quality commercial-grade laser printers now available at print shops. Authors are now able to print a small run of books at affordable rates. (see #9 below)

How much will it cost?

There are several elements involved in publishing your manuscript: editing, book and cover design, printing and marketing your book. Webb Publishing currently charges a rate of $50/hr for editing and design work, and will provide you with a separate quote for printing based on number of pages, quality of paper and quantity of books.

How long will it take?

Webb Publishing attempts to work with a client through to the finish of their project prior to taking on the next client. Please note that while we are very good at turnaround times, we may not be able to start your project immediately. Please check with us about our wait times. We will do our best to provide you an estimated start date for your project.

Without seeing your manuscript, it is virtually impossible to estimate the amount of time required for editing. However, a very vague rule of thumb may be to budget for one hour of editing time per chapter.

Laying out a book into a desired format can take anywhere from 2 hours to 20 hours, depending on the complexity. For example, if you have many footnotes or different headers and footers for each chapter, it will take more time.

Cover design tends to take 2-3 hours.

Printing: we are known for our fast turnaround times. Once you have approved our editing, a printer's proof tends to take about 1 or 2 days, and printing is usually completed in less than two weeks. Print time varies depending on the season (summer is peak). We try not to take on too many projects at one time, with the goal of providing better service to our customers.

How successful will my book be?

What a good question! Our response to this question is usually a question back to the author: what is your goal in publishing your book? We believe that the best goal for a self-publishing author is the satisfaction of seeing your work in print, and the recovery of your publishing expenses. It is incredibly satisfying to distribute (or sell) your book to family, friends and associates, and to see your book in a local bookstore. It is important to be realistic about the process; there are literally thousands of new titles in Canada each year. If your goal is to make it big, you are more likely to get there by working with a book agent and finding a deal with a major national publisher.

How should I prepare my manuscript to send to Webb Publishing?

The easiest format for us to accept is an MS Word document. If you can, please take out all extra spaces, indents and any formatting commands. We have to strip all of your formatting and rebuild the file during the design process anyway, so a completely plain file is best. We have seen it all, and will work with whatever you are able to send to us - it's nice, however, if the manuscript is in order and in one piece!

What is on-demand printing? How is it different than traditional printing?

On-demand printing is a commonly used term referring to using laser printers to print books. Commercial-grade laser printers (also called digital printers) work just like a home printer. A computer file is saved to the memory of the printer, and the file is printed in one step, "on-demand", "as needed".

Traditional presses require a multitude of expensive steps prior to applying layers of ink to paper using a printing press. The quality of a traditional press is hard to beat, but the price is usually prohibitive. Traditional press becomes more economical than digital printing when the volume of books ordered is high (ie: in the thousands).

Another difference between traditional (off-set) presses and on-demand (laser, or digital printing) is the way the paper 'takes' the ink. In the traditional printing process, ink is absorbed into the paper, whereas in the digital laser world, ink adheres to the top of the paper. You may notice some cracking on a digitally-printed full-colour book cover. The ink in the fold of the book near the spine will frequently split. This is one of the factors to consider when designing a book cover. Laminating the cover can help, but laminating technology, until now, has caused more problems than fixes.

What is the minimum number of books I can print?

Zero. You are not required to print your book with us. We are happy to work with you through the editing and/or design process only. If you decide to print with us, we will access an ISBN number for you, and therefore a minimum of 1 or 2 books (based on the volume of printing) must be sent to the National Archives. A typical order of books is 50, 100 or 200. This is a good trial run of books for most authors.

How do I get an ISBN number for my book (and what is an ISBN number?)?

An International Standard Book Number is a commercial book barcode identifying a specific title, author and publisher. The ISBN system has been used internationally since 1970, and is now a 13-digit number (as of Jan/07). With the odd exception, book stores will not accept a book for sale without an ISBN number.

Publishers are able to access an ISBN on their own, though as part of our service, Webb Publishing provides ISBN numbers to all of our publications. Copies of all ISBN publications are stored in the National Archives. Webb Publishing forwards one or two copies (depending on the quantity) of our publications to the National Archives.

Please note that these 1 or 2 books must be factored in to the quantity of books ordered, at your cost. Webb Publishing will send your book(s) to the National Archive, but you must provide them to us.

How do I know how thick the spine of the book will be? What kind of quality should I expect in the finished product?

There is a very simple calculation to determine spine width: # of pages x .002inches (for basic, 20lb bond quality paper)

There are generally two levels of quality available to choose from: good quality and premium quality. A standard, good quality book uses 20lb bond paper and a cover stock (stock is another word for paper).

Premium quality raises the cost and thickness of a book, and is highly recommended for photos. If photos are integral to a book, it is a good idea to have us quote on premium quality paper.

The bulk of our projects are printed on 20lb paper, with a premium quality cover stock. This higher quality cover gives a more substantial feel to the book, and tends to show off a book's cover design better (more shimmer). The premium quality cover adds approximately 20 cents to your unit cost.

How can I get my book into a local bookstore?

If you are a local author, most local bookstores will be interested in consigning your book. The process is to deliver a copy to the bookstore for their review. If it is accepted, they will contact you to come in and sign a consignment contract. The consignment fees are usually 40-45%. For example, if your book sells for $20, the store will take $8-9 from each sale. The author is responsible for loss or damage to their books while on consignment. Frequently, a bookstore will require you to host an in-store signing event to promote your book. This is an excellent way to receive feedback, and get your feet wet in the world of book marketing. We caution authors to set reasonable sales expectations at these events; an average 4-hour event may net less than a handful of book sales, but will fill your head with thoughts and instincts about book marketing.