PUMPELLY
PRESS
The Self-Publishing Division of Surry Cottage Books
800 Park Avenue Suite 111A, Keene, NH 03431 603-499-6500 editor(at) surrycottagebooks (dot) com
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Free Estimates |
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We offer a wide variety of options. You choose the size of your book. You choose what you want on the cover. You choose how many copies you want to print (25 to 5000). Do you want to include photos or maps? Do you want an ISBN number? Do you want to place your book on Amazon? We have 25 years of experience and know how to make your book look good! |
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Here's what our customers are saying: "Surry Cottage Books delivers. They took my manuscript, shaped it up, laid it out, and in short order, delivered a thoroughly professional, full production run of my three- hundred page book. The copies all looked just great. Surry Cottage did everything they promised to do, on budget and on time. I’ll be back you can be sure." -- Phil Jones, Hancock, NH, author of When Cuba Was Lost (2011)
"Surry Cottage's guidance from start to finish resulted in a professional looking product for my first novel, rivaling the glossy big-name published editions next to it on the store bookshelf." -- J.S. Winter, Keene, NH, author of Murder on Mount Monadnock (2008)
"After working for more than ten years on writing the book, it was critical for me to have a book exactly as I wanted it. Surry Cottage Books did more than that - they gave me a book I'm proud of." -- Jack Coey, Keene, NH, author of LIghts from Monadnock (2011)
"The seamless publishing process offered by Surry Cottage Books is an invaluable resource for local authors hoping to get their work out to the world. Thanks to SCB I was able to make my literary dream come true."-- Walt Schnabel, Dublin, NH, author of Blood Club (2010)
The Weight of the Ice by Dave Eisenstadter
A Keene Sense of History II by David Proper
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The Fantasy:
Your wonderfully written book into which you poured your soul and talents is picked up by a well-known literary agent who sells it to a major publisher who provides you with a six-figure advance and royalties for life. Then it's off to your guest appearance on Oprah and your fifty-city book tour.
The Reality:
The chance of this happening to an unknown writer without celebrity contacts is about the same as being hit by lightning (one in a million). Even if you do luck out and get a book deal from one of those mega conglomerates, you will be little more than a number on a balance sheet. You are likely to be paid a pittance and lose all control over what your book will say, what the cover will look like and how it is promoted and marketed. The conglomerates are looking for blockbusters designed to sell fifty-thousand copies. Anything else gets the rejection slip no matter how good it is or how well it is written.
Q. So does that mean my manuscript stays in my drawer with all those rejection slips?
A. Absolutely NOT! We can turn your manuscript into a printed book indistinguishable from the ones that the big guys publish. You can send it to your friends, sell it at your local book stores, give readings at the public library and maybe even turn a profit. And, if you still want to be published by a major publisher, you can send them a book instead of a manuscript. Which would you rather read?
Q. But aren't self-published books looked down upon by book stores and readers?
A. Not any more! What used to be derided as "vanity press" books, amateurish and created by unethical printing companies with their eyes on the bottom line, have been replaced with service busineses like ours. We work for you! You are the publisher. You control every step of the process. We show you the thousands of options that are available and what they cost. We provide advice, estimates and recommendations about cover design and how many books to print. (More is not always better!) Our books are gratefully accepted by book stores everywhere. Why? Because they don't look like self-published books. They are professionally designed and typeset and look exactly like the products from those conglomerates because our designers have worked in the publishing industry for decades and know how to do it!
Q. How much does it cost?
A. The short answer is, a lot less than you think! We can publish 100 copies of a 150-page book for under $1000. More pages and more copies push up the cost a little bit, but not that much. But why guess? Come in and let us take a look at your book and give you a free estimate.
Q. Who needs a book?
A. Authors, of course, but lots of other people can benefit as well! Public speakers can sell copies at their lectures. Teachers can produce their own teaching materials. Poets can sell their books at poetry readings. Journalists can collect their favorite stories and send them to friends and relatives. Grandparents can write their life stories, collect all their photographs and send the books to their grandchildren.
Q. What kinds of books do you publish?
A. We've done literary novels, poetry books, memoirs, thrillers, gardening books, how-to books, history books, anthologies of newspaper columns, murder mysteries and historical novels. You name it. And remember, we are not the publisher, you are!
Q. How do I protect my copyright?
A. You retain your copyright throughout the process.
Q. Can I include photographs?
A. A full-color front and back cover is included in our estimates. Black and white photos inside are not a problem. Color photos inside can be included for a small fee per photo.
Q. Who chooses what goes on the cover?
A. You do! You tell us what you have in mind and we will design it to your specs. Or we can use one of your photos. Just remember not to use a copyrighted photo. We'll keep at it until we come up with a design you like.
Q. How long does it take?
A. Usually less than a month from your first visit to our office to the day you pick up your boxes of books.
Q. Do I get to see what the book will look like before it's published?
A. Absolutely! We will send you a proof of the book and the cover before it goes to the printer. You can examine it with the free program Adobe Acrobat. Small typos are fixed for free. If you want to make major changes at this point there will be a small fee, but you retain full control.
Q. How do I get my book reviewed?
A. We have never had a book reviewed in the New York Times, but our authors have been successful in getting their books reviewed by the Boston Globe, national magazines, local newspapers and magazines. Several of our books have been named "Book of the Week" by the New Hampshire Center for the Book in Concord. We'll provide recommendations and pointers on how to do it and after that, it is up to you.
Q. Who are you guys?
A. You can read our story here.