Hi, I apologise for the lapse of time since my last post, but I have been wrestling with trying to get paperback prints of my books. I really, really wanted to go local…Look, I know that they can’t quote as low as the bigger printers, but no one I approached would even come down to a viable print-cost for me, the author. I tried to explain: 1. That I didn’t expect the same prices as larger printing firms, but needed something reasonable. 2. That there would be many orders to follow. 3. That there are other authors in Townsville, of whom there are many, who are interested in supporting local industry. 4. That I really, really wanted to support local.
BUT…no one wanted to come to the party! One company had given me a quote some months earlier, so I went to them to explain all the above. The woman agreed to give me a new quote, which duly arrived by email…it was even more than the first!
SO…I thought surely someone in Australia must be able to do better. I sent off for quotes with the above information, to several companies. No quote came near, many didn’t bother answering, or returning calls.
NEXT…I decided I’d probably better go with the international printing company which has printing facilities in Melbourne. Lots of authors in Australia use this company, with apparently no problems. After a number of errors in uploading by me, due in large part to the non-intuitive way of finding one’s way around their pages, the book got the go ahead and I went on to add the info needed. However, my account has been stuck for weeks with the message on it saying ‘revision incomplete’, and I can’t find how to get into wherever that can be fixed. I rang to get help, was told their people were busy and they would ring me back. That was 2 weeks ago.
NOW…I am going to try to start there, with a clean slate. I will remove my book completely and start from dot one…fingers crossed.
IF THAT DOESN’T WORK…I will have to fork out big bucks for overseas printing. Costs are quoted in USD and look very reasonable until you convert and add the inordinately high cost of delivery, which I expect is because of the weights involved.
AAaarrrrgggg!
Er, excuse me…I know this is a long whinge, but I am so frustrated I feel like I’m going nuts, I’m invisible, don’t matter and am bloody useless.
LOL…on the upside, Book 2 of the Beaufort’s Landing Series is almost ready to go up on Amazon. I’m just dickering around about the title. I think I’ve settled on ‘Tidal Secrets’…almost, I think.
I will try to be happier in my next post. If you can help me overcome this printing conundrum, I would appreciate it very much.
Wish me luck, Percy.
Percy Rose - Author 