The Case For Self-Publishing: Your Alternatives As An Author

Commercial Publishers:

• Author submits manuscript to publisher through agent or other intermediary
• Publisher buys contract on the manuscript if book can be expected to sell in large enough quantities to recover costs and generate profits
• Production and marketing costs borne by publisher
• Author assigns copyright (legal control of the work) to publisher
• Author receives "royalty" as payment (average 10% of the retail price on every book sold)
• Print runs usually begin at 4000 books
• Time from manuscript to finished books: up to three years

Subsidy ("Vanity") Publishers:

• No submission-acceptance process
• Publisher deals directly with author
• Author retains copyright on book
• Author receives 40 to 60% of the retail price for any books sold
• Publisher charges author a marketing fee of up to 60% of retail price of books printed
• Author pays all production and printing costs (up to $10,000 for 2500 books)
• Print runs average 2,500 books
• Time from manuscript to finished books: up to one year

Self-publishing:

• No submission-acceptance process
• Author deals directly with self-publishing consultant
• Author retains copyright and total editorial control
• Author retains control over marketing, so no marketing fees charged by publisher
• Author receives 100% of all sales revenue to offset costs
• Author pays all production and printing costs
• Author decides how many books to print, ten to 10,000
• Time from manuscript to finished books: three to six months

GF Murray can help you self-publish your learning materials!

GF Murray Company specializes in producing short-run one colour books designed for learning. Not just a book printer, our understanding of the process leading to a successful book has been gained through years of experience in publishing and selling books. GF Murray Company works with you through all phases of editing, design and printing, assembling a skilled team of editors and designers to give your book a special look, a professional edge. Throughout, we help you improve content and format to ensure your book is the best it can be.

GF Murray Company uses computer networking, high-speed laser printers and digital storage to reduce your self-publishing costs and keep your financial risk low. We print and bind only in the quantities you want when you want. You choose when and if you revise your work. We store your book in digital form for on-demand revisions and reprints. And our quick turnaround time means you save on production, administration and inventory costs every time.

We commit to producing a book you can be proud of, at a price you can afford!