Getting Snookered

Writing a book is a great way to attract those who are eager to snooker.

My first self-publishing experience was terrific, primarily due to an open-minded staff of sincere individuals who all wanted me to succeed. They never tried to up-sell me anything they could not legitimately provide and actually helped me create a way they could allow returns of unsold books ordered by booksellers, something not done at that point by self-publishers.

And then . . . another company acquired my publisher.

Some of that company's recent efforts to rope me into add-on marketing programs have been laughable.

A typical call from them goes like this:

(broadly accented voice, suggesting a call center in another country): "Dough (like in cookie) Cummings? Is this Dough Cummings? This is Geeoorge Potterrr at _____. I'm very concerned about the lack of recent sales of your book "Deeder by the Lake" (real title: "Deader"). We have a number of programs that could assist you . . ."

One of those programs plays to every author's inherent desire to see their work on the big screen. For a mere twenty-grand, I'm told, I could have my book (Deeder) turned into a script and "potentially" considered by Hollywood. Of course, it would have to pass muster of an un-named in-house reviewer first, then be considered by a film agent, who "might" accept me as a client so that I "potentially" could get that movie deal. 

All for around twenty-THOUSAND dollars. I have visions of their "reviewer" being the guy on the phone and their "studio executive" contact a guy in the mail room at Some Big Studios.

I've listened to other pitches offering full-page ads in the New York Times, outrageously priced internet marketing deals . . . the list goes on.

If you're considering self-publishing as an option or if you have other questions about companies or individuals in the publishing realm, take a look at http://pred-ed.com/ first. 

You may be surprised to discover who is snookering who these days.