Q. Is there a cost to join PublishMe?
A. No. Joining PublishMe is free and the site has a large amount of free, invaluable information to help you achieve your self-publishing goals.

Q. How can I become a PublishMe Member?
A. You can join online immediately. Simply click here.

Q. Do I have to put up a profile?
A. As a self-publisher you can utilize all the information and the services of the PublishMe without ever putting up a profile.

Q. What are the benefits of joining PublishMe?
A. Self-publishers can take advantage of:

• free membership to a vital publishing, printing and selling community
• expert support and assistance to prepare, print and sell your work
• experienced in-house book design services for covers and layout
• MyPublishMe, your secure personal workspace
• competitive, short-run print on demand with storage and dispatch available
• selling opportunities to support you to sell in NZ and overseas
• PublishMe Shop for sales and purchase of books and other media

To make your voice heard
Many self-publishers have important things to say, but only a small and often widespread group to say them to. These works have been uneconomic to publish in the traditional way, but short run print on demand plus Internet marketing makes it a viable way of reaching your target market.

To control all rights
You assign rights when and only to whom, for how long and with what conditions you want.

Q. Do I have to be an expert to self-publish?
A. Absolutely not. The members of PublishMe are as wide and varied as the work they publish. PublishMe has something to offer everyone.

Q. I already have a published work. How can PublishMe help?
A. We can support you in selling your work through our PublishMe selling opportunities. Go to Step 6 – Sell and read more.

Q. I have a completed work ready for print. How can PublishMe help?
A. We can support you to print your work through our own PublishMe print facility. Go to Step 5 – Print and read more.

Q. What is the cost of printing a book?
A. This depends on book size, number of pages, black & white or colour, the binding you use and the quantity you wish to produce. Go to Step 5 – Print > Printing with PublishMe to see what information our client managers will need to give you an accurate quote, or email Ocean Reeve at ocean@publishme.co.nz

Q. Do I have to print with you if I use PublishMe's services?
A. PublishMe Print & Publish is New Zealand's specialist self-publishing digital printer, offering the necessary information for you to choose the most appropriate, cost-effective options and ensuring that you avoid costly mistakes in the way you prepare your work. The PublishMe print team understands book production and self-publishers' needs, budgets and goals. Providing you with a value for money, quality product that you will take pride in, is our team's primary goal. If you have sourced another printer you can still work with the PublishMe team through the self-publishing process and sell your book on the online PublishMe Shop.

Q. What are the benefits of print on demand?
A. Digital printing technology today allows us to print and bind books in the exact numbers you want, which of course smooths your cashflow, minimises your financial risk, storage issues and risk of printing a large run with an overlooked error. Improvements and corrections can be made between each small print run.

Also, for a small fee, we can store your book as digital data – so it never need be out of print and you'll know that your current version is always secure.

Q. What is the cost of editing a book?
A. This will depend on the nature of your book; word count, genre, potential markets you wish to access and the format in which you submit it. You can negotiate costs and timeframes directly with the freelance service providers on PublishMe or from within your own community. Your PublishMe client manager can broker this for you if you would rather not look for appropriate service providers yourself. As a guide you can pay anywhere from $25-$70 per hour, depending on your requirements and the service providers' qualifications and experience. Make sure that you choose the right person for the job.

Q. How much artistic freedom do I have regarding layout of my book and cover design?
A. 100% freedom. Covers can be created by you, our own designers or someone of your choice. Following our print specifications is necessary to ensure a quality print outcome (margins, crop marks etc) so please enquire about these. We strongly recommend you thoroughly read Step 4 of the '6 steps to getting published' as the design and layout of your book will impact on its success.

Q. Does control of my work become compromised if I use the services of PublishMe?
A. No. We offer a full self-publishing service, but the control and copyright remains with you. If a traditional publishing company shows interest in the rights to your book, then any agreement you make with that publisher would be to your mutual satisfaction. PublishMe services are offered to those wishing to achieve a high quality finished product, you pay for the time we spend on the job and all rights to the work remain with you and any files produced by us, for you, are yours.

Q. What should I do with the books after they're printed?
A. We have a media database available for sale so you may start your journey in marketing the book. We offer an online PublishMe Shop with credit card options where you can sell your book. PublishMe Fulfilment can take care of your distribution so you just need to do what you do best... talk about your book with passion so that it sells.

Our goal is your goal – making your book a success! Read Step 6 – Sell for more details.

Q. Do I have to sell my book?
A. As self-published books are written for many reasons, it is entirely your choice whether to sell your work publicly, or keep it for private purposes only. We do not require you to sell your book through the sales and marketing opportunities we offer. You can choose to print any number of books (from just one) and use them entirely as you wish.

Q. Can you explain copyright to me?
A. New Zealand is party to international copyright law that covers most Western nations and many others as well. Under this copyright law anything that is written on paper or recorded on a computer is automatically deemed to be the copyright of the author (unless you sell or assign it). There is no need to apply for this recognition as is the case with a patent or trademark. In general, it is only the words that are protected, in the order they were written, not the ideas contained within those words (though in some cases these are also protected too).

If you are in doubt about your ability to prove that you wrote the words first, you may either lodge a copy with your lawyer or bank, getting it date stamped, or you can send yourself a registered letter containing a copy, ensure that it is clearly date stamped at posting, and then don't open it when you receive it.

It is not necessary to mark your work with a circled C and your name and date to copyright it, but it does help remind those who receive your work in any form thereafter, that they do not own rights to replicate it.

Your copyright lasts for 50 years after you die, and can be left to family or friends in a will, for example.

If you wish to quote from another person's work in your own work, it is normally wise to get their permission to do so. Copyright law does allow for brief quotes that are properly referenced to be used (in academic works, for example) but only for certain purposes and not if they reveal key material from the document that the author may not have wanted revealed in such a manner. If in doubt, seek permission!

Pictures, photographs and words delivered by interview, if quoted, are also the subject of copyright, and if you are using any in your book, be sure you have the rights fully established, as legal proceedings can be VERY costly. Keep copies of any agreements to use work, that you arrange, signed by the originator of the work (or their legal assignee). See www.copyright.co.nz to clarify any further questions.

Q. Do I need a barcode and ISBN for my work?
A. If you want your book to go on general sale, it must have an ISBN (International Standard Book Number). This is a unique 13-digit number that identifies your book and is used by bookstores, wholesalers, distributors and libraries for ordering, cataloguing, billing and stock control. Every version of the book must have a separate ISBN. For example, hardback, paperback or e-versions of the same book will have different numbers.

If you intend to sell your work privately, you will not require a barcode for retail purposes. Once you have obtained the ISBN number, PublishMe can create a barcode for you for a fee of $25. This is then placed on the back cover for retail sale. It's easy to apply online for your ISBN number, see the National Library of New Zealand.

Q. Do I set my own price for my book?
A. Yes, absolutely, though we are happy to offer advice. Remember that you will have to take into account the printing or design cost and any commission or discounts you need to give to have your book sold through some selling options.

For example: If I print 50 books at a print cost of $10, my design cost was $400, my total unit cost per book would be $18. So I would need to sell my book for more than $18 to cover my costs and have a profit.

If I set my retail RRP at $30 and sell direct to customers my profit per book is $12, not taking into account postage costs.

If I was to offer a wholesellers discount of 30% on my retail price of $30 it would leave me with $3 profit per book.

Your RRP has to be at a level which is realistic but which also means you make some money.

Q. How much will it cost for my book to be printed?
A. PublishMe can give you a quote as soon as you know the exact number of pages, size of the finished book and number of colour and black and white pages.

If you're not certain but want an indication, give us an estimate and we'll give you a quote on that, which will allow you to do some maths. Later, once the page arrangement is firmed up, you can get a requote.

Q. What sorts of paper can I use?
A. We normally print inside pages on 80 or 100gsm paper and a 250gsm card for the covers. We can offer alternatives for special purposes. Please ask when you get your quote.

Q. Should I have my work proofread?
A. All publications should be proofread, even if your audience is just friends and family.

It is very difficult to see all the errors in your own work. You can contract a freelance service provider on the PublishMe site to quote you for this job.

Q. Can I make changes to my work once you after the first print run?
A. One of the great advantages of digital print is that errors can be amended between print runs. If you require us to amend items in your work there will be a small charge based on the time this takes us. Generally, if you have provided us with a PDF file you will make the changes and send us the corrected file. If for any reason we have made an error, we will rectify this without charge.

Q. Will I get a proof copy of my book?
A. Every PublishMe member receives a proof copy before their final print run.

Once we have it affirmed that you are happy with this proof copy, we will print the rest of the order for your book. We can print extra proofs for you at unit cost price until you are happy with the final product.

Q. What size should my book be?
A.In general, if you are intending to get the benefits of digital printing of short runs, we offer a standard range of cost-effective sizes, though custom sizes are also available at an increased cost. Go to Step 5 – Print > Printing with PublishMe to view photos of book sizes and binding.

Consider your audience when choosing a book size. If you are doing a children's picture book, for example, or a family history liberally punctuated with photographs, you will need to allow for larger font sizes (for very young or old readers) and clear graphics. If you are at all in doubt, please consult with your client manager.

Q. How long will it take to produce my book?
A. If you are talking about print alone, PublishMe Print & Publish can generally turn your book around within three weeks. If other processes are involved, such as editing, proofreading, cover design, layout and so forth, time must be allowed for a good final product, though most books should be able to be completed within 8–10 weeks.

If there is some greater urgency, there may be a way to achieve an even tighter timeframe, but clear communication of your needs is vital. Please consult your client manager about your specific needs.

Q. Do I need to sign a contract with PublishMe?
A. No, your work remains your own throughout the process. You retain ownership of your work and all files. However, we will require you to sign off approvals for print.