Monday, October 13, 2008

Outskirts Press offers its Authors a Website Package...

From the Outskirts Blog:
http://outskirtspress.wordpress.com/2008/10/01/professional-author-websites-for-self-publishing-writers/

Now Outskirts is not a Lulu. They are a full service self-publisher and their costs are comparable with others such as Wheatmark etc. I have seen a few books done through them and the quality is no different. Lulu offers a customizable store front to authors but it is not quite as customizable as a professional webpage nor does it have the technical support through a third party vendor that Outskirts is offering.

I am interested to hear from authors if having a webpage has helped or hindered book sales, and by hindered I mean do the book sales generated offset the cost of the webpage?

On a final note: Money is always a concern for self-published authors, and in the beginning, we all know that the balance sheet is usually in the red and it takes a while to recoup start-up costs. Most Internet service providers offer free web-page space to their customers. If one were savvy and had a web publishing program, a website in this fashion would be a very cost effective way to market your name and your books. So check your options thoroughly and understand your specific needs before you incur any additional third party marketing costs.

Disclaimer: This author has no personal experience with Outskirts Press and this post is not an endorsement for or against the services provided.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're right, Outskirts Press does provide services in a very different direction than Lulu. Outskirts Press' services and support are geared toward getting self-published books on the market competitively. The new website option is definitely something to look forward to as an upgrade.

A customizable website is actually a resource that Outskirts Press offers free at every package level. It includes book and author information, graphics, and direct links to online retailers. Flexibility and options are a great advantage in self-publishing

Cheryl Anne Gardner said...

Excellent! Our readers are always looking for options. Thanks for the informative comment.