BY KATHI KAMEN GOLDMARK AND SAM BARRY

The Author Enablers are here to answer your questions about writing and publishing. Together, Kathi and Sam have more than 25 years of experience in book publishing. Kathi is an author, radio producer and former publicist; Sam is a marketing manager at a major publishing company and a freelance editor. They are also proud members of the Rock Bottom Remainders, the all-author rock band founded by Kathi in 1992.

Waiting game

Dear Author Enablers,

I was in a Books-A-Million store waiting for my daughter and saw a copy of BookPage. I enjoyed reading the e-mails to you both. I have three children's picture books that I plan to self-publish with a company called BookSurge, or I may submit the manuscript to a publishing company. What do you know about BookSurge?

Janice Jones
Charlotte, North Carolina

Although we don't have any experience with BookSurge, we do know all about waiting for one's children. But that's another subject entirely.

BookSurge is an Amazon subsidiary that serves authors who want to self-publish, with several different packages offered. First, it's important that you understand the difference between self-publishing with a company like BookSurge and getting published in the traditional way. With BookSurge, you pay them to produce your book for you. You'll likely have editorial control over the finished product, and you will be responsible for marketing, advertising, distributing, publicizing and selling your own books. There is no need to work with an agent, and there will be very little guidance offered. You also get all of the profit when books are sold.

With traditional publishing, the publisher pays you for the right to edit, market, sell, publicize and distribute your book. You will probably give up control of the design and cover, and maybe even the title—and you'll get a royalty (a small percentage of the sale price) once/if your advance earns out. The great advantage of traditional publishing is that you don't have to invest any of your own money, and you have the benefit of working with a team of skilled, experienced pros who know how to get a book out into the world, let people know about it and handle storage, sales and returns. Publishers have the connections and multilevel talents required to make a book successful, while most authors do not.

Bottom line: if you have a place to store books and a large network of family, friends and fans to buy them, then publishing your own book might make sense. If you want reviews and bookstore distribution, traditional publishing is the way to go.

Dear Author Enablers,

I've just been offered a contract with a publisher, but before I sign it, I'd like to know if there is a list anywhere of publishers to stay away from, and how would I find it? I also intend to hire a lawyer to help me with this decision.

Jan Lenning
Harrison, Michigan

We don't have a list, but an online search of any publisher will turn up lots of information (blogs, websites, etc.). Also, try to contact authors who have been published by each company. (Most authors have their own websites, and these almost always offer a way to make contact.) Send a polite, well-written query and you'll probably get enough replies to help you decide. As for a lawyer, it would be best to find one who has experience with literary contracts. (If you have an agent, he or she can help you with this process.) As with our correspondent above, we're wondering if this offered contract is for self-publishing (are they asking you for money?) or traditional publishing (are they offering to pay you?). (We hope this helps, because we've used up our monthly allotment of parentheses on your question.)

Dear Author Enablers,

I am a recent college graduate with a B.A. in Journalism. I spent over a year working on my senior project, Gloria Vanderbilt: A Gilded Life, which is about Vanderbilt's life in the spotlight. I feel that it would make a very compelling read. How would I go about getting it published?

Elisa
New York, New York

You might start by contacting the publishers of Vanderbilt's autobiographical works—if they are interested, your book would be a natural fit for their list. Find out how the books did in the marketplace and if possible the name of an editor to contact at the house(s). Then send a query letter explaining how your book offers a unique perspective on Vanderbilt's life—which, we understand, is still under way, so it might be courteous to check in with Ms. Vanderbilt herself.

Thanks for writing,
THE AUTHOR ENABLERS