You can try to be the next Hemingway -- for $6,000

MarkHempshell

I just wondered what everyone thought about this. Surely it's a bit on the high side
http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/aug/28/self-publish-novel-how-to-amazon?CMP=twt_gu

Kind of annoys me when anything like this appears, as it's just going to put people off from giving it a go.

Tiny Nell

Reviews - $850?

I'd want the guarantee of being a bestseller to pay out $6000 - and that's a promise no one can make.

Mrs Bear

This is nonsense. It sounds like the traditional publishers are trying to justify their slice of the cake by explaining where the costs really go. It's priced at the kind of author who is capable of selling big - and many many authors know they won't do that. Far too many just churn out books which are execrably produced, because it is easy and doesn't cost much. Others want to produce an excellent book but a) can't wait for a traditional agent or publisher to say yes, and b) need to get the book out there and earning: paying out upfront isn't within their scope. It's certainly not in mine.
It's also saying that you've got to have paper copies in order to make sales that stand out. Well, yes, if you can get a high street shop to stock it for you, that would be great. You don't, however, have to do the two simultaneously. You can produce the e-version, and then do a paper one if there seems to be a market for it.
Who wants to be Hemingway anyway?

Carol

As everything is in dollars it was clearly written for the US market...

Phots Moll

Paying for reviews doesn't sound ethical to me.

ISBNs are free with Createspace and some of the other companies self publishers are likely to use.

There's no need to send out physical review copies.

Carol

Paid for reviews are the worst thing to do.

MarkHempshell

Good point about the reviews. It sounds a bit as if the writer doesn't really know anything about it?