Book Shelf

How many great books have been written and never published? A great invention that has one prototype but is never mass produced cannot help the thousands or millions that potentially can benefit from it.

Many more manuscripts are created than ever get published. Some of them are better off languishing at the bottom of a desk drawer, but there are many inspired tomes that never see the light of day that would delight readers around the world.

Publishers have traditionally been the gatekeepers that screen the great from the good, the bad, and the ugly. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint, that once valid process has been derailed. The high cost of creating, distributing, and marketing books has forced traditional publishers to often only accept books from authors who have previously demonstrated best seller status. This leaves many a wonderful manuscript unread and untouched, trashed with the many other submissions that rarely make it to the decision maker’s desk.

The term “Vanity Publisher” has been used for printing companies that will print a book (or many) for anyone who is willing to write a large enough check, with no regard for the quality or demand for what is inside of the book. That explains why many reviewers and some bestseller lists continue to exclude any book that has been “self-published.” There are times when self-publishing one’s book is a valid choice, and indeed sometimes the best choice. There are even considerations that can prevent the self-published author from getting the “thumbs down” from a traditional publisher at a later date when ready to progress to that option.

SEGR Publishing LLC respects the author’s ultimate need to make the best decision for their book. We provide guidance and options for the self-published author, those seeking an agent to pursue a traditional publisher, and those investigating their options including the innovative cooperative and hybrid publishers, as well as electronic formats.