I'm going to start this post by saying I don't use CreateSpace. I don't use any self-publishing company as I'm still traditionally published. This isn't to say I won't eventually turn to self-publishing in the future, but I haven't done it yet.
However, I've been getting a lot of e-mails about self-publishing. I suppose it's something many people do, so I've decided to post about it just this once. And while I haven't personally used CreateSpace, I have interviewed 23 people who did. Not all the experiences have been great, but that's the way it is with any service.
Make no mistake, CreateSpace (and any self-publishing company) is selling a service. They're going to print you up a book (and possibly make it available from Amazon and other online booksellers), but you'll have to pay for the privilege. CreateSpace is a print-on-demand (POD) service, so no copies of your book are printed until ordered, either by you or another party.
You'll either love or hate CreateSpace and it's certainly not for everyone. In theory, you can publish your book completely free of charge, but this is a little misleading. You need to preview your book, so you'll have to order your own copy (called a proof copy). Then you must review it carefully. It's important to realize there are no editors, so what you submit is what you get. If your book is riddled with errors when you upload it to CreateSpace, you'll get a proof copy riddled with errors.
You'll also have to format your book for paperback, and this is no small task. It can be done with Microsoft Word or other programs such as Scrivener, but let's not pretend. It's a pain in the butt. Most of the people I interviewed had published multiple books with CreateSpace. Their advice? Once you've got your template perfected, use it for all future books. It will save you time and frustration. Make sure you can save your formatted novel as a PDF. Some POD printers will allow you to upload other file types, but stick with PDF. At least things won't move around when the file is uploaded, which can sometimes happen.
After you've received your book, decided you're not going to bother with the 14 typos you found when reviewing your copy, and approved it, you're still not quite done. Here's where the free thing comes up again. To really get the most out of CreateSpace, you have to shell out a little money for distribution. However, a little research reveals that this is standard among POD printers, including Lulu.
One thing I haven't mentioned yet is the extra services CreateSpace (and most POD companies) offers. You'll see offers for editing and design services, but steer clear of these. Of the 23 authors I spoke to, only 6 of them had used these services, and not one of them was happy with it. In the words of one author, "I could have designed that myself. And the editing wasn't any better than my wife could have done. And she's free!"
All in all, CreateSpace is a good deal for the money, but don't expect bestselling status. Self-publishing may be shaking off its stigma, but it still faces problems traditionally published authors don't have to worry about. The editing, format, and design of your books has to be done yourself. You have to do all the marketing. And distribution will be a problem. Look at your local bookstore and see how many self-published books are there. Not many. But if you're okay with all of this, perhaps you'll be satisfied with CreateSpace.
How did the authors I interviewed rate the service? 1 of the 23 gave it five stars. 15 gave it four stars. 1 gave it three stars. 1 gave it two stars. 5 gave it one star. Of those who didn't like the service at all, most said it was due to quality issues, so there are some bumps in the road when using this service.
