Todd Flaming <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > The trade publishers frequently > do a very nice job of editing and typesetting a book. But if you can hire > a good editor and do the typesetting youself, you probably will do just as > well self-publishing. Big publishing houses expect you to promote your own > book, except in rare circumstances. They'll do some work, but not enough.
I don't know what experience you've had with trade publishing houses, but the comments above are misleading or downright wrong. Trade publishers have resources, access to distribution channels, and PR capabilities that dwarf self-publishing. For works that are not appropriate to trade, technical, or university presses -- which alas, is an increasingly large segment of books today -- self-publishing may be effective alternative to not getting published. But despite the do-it-yourself guides that tell you can match the resources and distribution of a Random House, Knopf, or St. Martins -- it just ain't so! Your comments on using LyX for self-published manuscripts seem very apt. -- Ronald Florence www.18james.com
