Jim Cox of the Midwest Book Review made the following observations about POD “Aggregators,” in his May 2002 Newsletter. Wise authors will head this advice and think twice before using one of these services. Jim’s comments are reprinted with his permission:
“I can't tell you what a heartbreaking disappointment it is for me to win over one of my volunteer reviewers into accepting a POD title for review, only to have him or her inform me a bit later that they just couldn't recommend the assigned title because of the glaring need for editorial work for such simple things as grammar and syntax — let alone character development and plot line anomalies.
I'm to the point where I think that authors are just too close to their own manuscripts to be trusted to judge whether or not further editing is required. The major houses (and most of the minor houses) have some sort of editorial standards for manuscript acceptance, and editoral services to enhance manuscripts after their initial acceptance. POD Aggregators are simply "publishers for hire." They will turn whatever you submit to them into a book, but do nothing to enhance the quality of your manuscript or correct even the most obvious errors in your manuscript.
Publicity services for all three of the major POD aggreators are truly pathetic. Especially when judged by the standards of what the New York houses, and what the experienced Independent Publishers provide when they submit titles to my attention.
Just this week I got two Xlibris, one iUniverse, and one 1st Books title where the Publicity Release was in fact an Amazon.com webpage print out. — the sure mark of a self-defeating amateur presentation.”
In response to a comment that book stores generally will not do business with any of these companies because the terms — 20% off, no returns — are at complete odds with the rest of the industry, Jim said, “This is the consensus of the local bookstores in Madison, Wisconsin — both the independent bookstores like Frugal Muse Books, and the chain stores like Borders and B&N.”
Even the cost back to the authors for purchasing their own books from these companies is high and, again, authors are left on their own to solicit reviews and do publicity. Says Jim, “I do note that when these POD Aggregator titles come in, they are almost always sent in to me by the authors. I can only surmise that the cost of those review copies is coming straight out of the author's personal pocket.”
Need we say more?
