In short – no.
Even if you have money to throw away – which I doubt – why would you want to waste it on paying someone thousands of dollars, for next to no return?
Getting a book published and into print these days is quite easy, if you are willing to apply yourself. There are programs that help you create free book covers, programs to help with editing, and online platforms for self-publishing that enable you to get your book onto Amazon, Kindle, and into actual stores (apparently). Despite this, I reached out to a couple of places that claimed to offer success. I spoke to the first one, it was basically a scam. Then I reached out to Atmosphere Press, who seemed a bit more selective, but who also charge thousands of dollars (which I don’t have) just to get your book printed. Allegedly they also do marketing, but in my case, marketing is ALL I want. Without paying thousands of dollars for organising the printing of my books, which I have already done.
I then did a basic search looking for reviews of Atmosphere Press. Below is an excerpt of a conversation I copied, that apparently occurred 2 months ago (so, April 2024).
Question: “May I ask if you have made a profit overall from your book by using them?”
Reply: “I’ve made money, but not nearly the amount I paid to get it published. Being on this side of things, my second book I will self-publish. It’s not that atmosherepress or hybrid publishers are bad, it’s just that the state of bring a writer right now isn’t great…if you’re trying to make money. There are tens of thousands of books being published each year because it’s free to do so with Amazon. Your book is just 1 of those. It’s hard to breakthrough quickly in this environment. And the things atmospherepress did for me, not only did I have to pay for it, but it really hasn’t done much. With that in mind, I’ll self-publish my next book. $5500, plus more if u want them to help market your book through their Book Boost Program, just isn’t worth it…in my opinion. Maybe others have had more success. Maybe I’m just a shifty writer and you shouldn’t listen to anything I say. Or maybe not. I would avoid hybrid publishers unless your rich and wipe your ass with hundred dollar bills.”
So there you have it! Using these guys is no guarantee of success, and the complaints are quite important to take note of. Such as, not knowing where Atmosphere Press place the books. That is a pretty big one. I certainly want to see my books on bookshelves inside stores, and I know there are some small bookstores that will take a couple samples without a worry. Why not put yourself out there and try? Getting 10 author copies printed via Draft2Digital costs $8 (US) per book.. that is not going to break the bank and it will give you books in your hot little hands, to distribute.
Something to think about. More on marketing, later.