Generally good experience with PublishNation
Generally I would say as a novice author I had a positive experience but occasionally the odd frustration - although this was as much about my impatience with the process as it was about the communications with the team at Publish Nation. I certainly can’t fault the extent of the book’s reach across UK bookstores as well as internationally with Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwells, Kobo, Walmart, Magers and Quinn, Bookshop.org and several others all stocking Kindle and paperback. To be ranked number one hot new release on Amazon UK for several weeks under a few admittedly niche categories like watersports, sport sociology and swimming was really heartening - ditto reaching number one bestseller rank under swimming and diving at Blackwells. I very much doubt I could have had such reach without PN and their links with IngramSpark as the distribution company. I’m reserving judgement a little on the ratings as I’m yet to see any obvious marketing as some others have mentioned despite reassurances this is in hand over the next few months; but I’m surprised there wasn’t more effort in the initial pre- and post-launch to actively promote the title ‘One Man and his Tow Float’. I used my own extensive swimming networks and social media to actively promote with a book launch in Windermere with forty guaranteed sales and various local booksellers taking between two and twelve copies each. So I’m looking forward to seeing what the team do in this respect and may upgrade my rating accordingly. But I think the £495 cost of publishing a Kindle and paperback is very reasonable and although I spent £500 on illustrations in both versions that was my choice. Thanks again for supporting me as a novice author.