CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Chris Baty — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:22:01 -0500

[An update on 12/19/11: CreateSpace would like to clarify their offer to winners briefly: 1) The password NaNoWriMo provided on the Winner Prizes page should be entered at https://nano-code.createspace.com to receive the CreateSpace promotional code. 2) The CreateSpace code is not valid for proof orders.] [A second, older update from 11/11/11: CreateSpace wanted to clarify one point in their offer, below. Here's the scoop from them: "While you need to purchase and approve a proof, you do not have to select any distribution outlets for the book. This means that you can use the five free copy offer to obtain five copies of your book without having to release it into any sales channels."] Dear Wrimos, For the past few years, the wonderful folks at CreateSpace have given every NaNoWriMo winner a free proof copy of their NaNoWriMo manuscripts. This year, CreateSpace has cooked up a different offer for NaNoWriMo winners. Here's their overview! "CreateSpace is proud to support all NaNoWriMo participants. We invite you to explore how independent publishing can be accessible, easy, and rewarding. Take advantage of free services or choose from our everyday low priced professional service offerings. Get started here. In addition, NaNoWriMo winners can get 5 free paperback copies of their finished book; details will be posted at CreateSpace after December 1." A few notes on how this will work: 1) Starting December 5, all NaNoWriMo winners will head to the Winner Prizes block on the NaNoWriMo homepage. There, you'll see your unique NaNoWriMo winner's password and instructions on what to do with the password to claim the five free copies of your book. The offer expires on June 30, 2012. 2) When you redeem it, it will be good for five free copies of your book. CreateSpace will cover printing costs, but you will have to cover shipping costs. 3) The offer is only good on books published through CreateSpace. This is different than in the past, when NaNoWriMo winners could order a pre-published proof copy of their book. That said, CreateSpace has a variety of different distribution channels, ranging from being available widely on Amazon.com to private options. 4) If you have any questions, please contact CreateSpace! They would love to answer your questions, but they won't be monitoring or replying to this thread. https://www.createspace.com/Contact.jsp Thanks, everyone! Chris

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Amberleaf29 — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:18:38 -0500

Okay so wait we actually have to PUBLISH our stories? *confused*

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:21:34 -0500

[quote=Amberleaf29] Okay so wait we actually have to PUBLISH our stories? *confused* [/quote] From the first post: [quote]3) The offer is only good on books published through CreateSpace. This is different than in the past, when NaNoWriMo winners could order a pre-published proof copy of their book. That said, CreateSpace has a variety of different distribution channels, ranging from being available widely on Amazon.com to private options.[/quote]

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:05:25 -0500

I think many of us are concerned about what it means to be published this way. Some people hope to land an agent in the future and self-publishing might harm their options. Others write fanfiction, which is unpublishable by default.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Amberleaf29 — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:07:15 -0500

Oh, wow, I fail. XD How did I not see that? ;-; Anyway, thank you~! :3

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Eika — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:11:21 -0500

Essentially, this is an offer for a bound copy of what you write. You can choose to have it available on Amazon, which would count as self-publishing. However, having a single-- or five-- copy of your book, just for you or a few friends to look at, and to bask in your accomplishment, would not. And it would not affect your chances of being published in any way. This is an entirely optional thing, one I've never taken up on, and I've been a winner since 2005. Does that clear things up for people?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Lady_Warrior — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:12:43 -0500

So it's basically the same deal as last year, except with five copies? *is still confused*

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

superstarlala — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:24:16 -0500

I'm still confused. Sorry, but will we be allowed to publish with an agent if we do this? Someone explain please

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Prosaurus — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:39:45 -0500

As far as I can tell, you publish your book on Amazon, or a more private option, which we might not be told what it is until we do it. Then we get five copies of our book and pay for postage.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

luvinpadfoot — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:48:36 -0500

There are options on CreateSpace for completely private so no one can search for your book or buy it except for you. I'm not one hundred percent sure this is how it will work for NaNo winners, but it is very likely. I wouldn't think this would affect getting your book published at a later date since no one can see it except you, but I also am not completely sure on that.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:56:52 -0500

In any case, before these five copies we must offer and pay for the proof copy, right? I mean, it's not possible to publish anything without the proof copy. What I don't understand is whether proof is free (excluding shipping) + 4 books, or you must pay full price for the proof.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Neffis — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:42:02 -0500

I've used CreateSpace to publish before and all I've ever seen beyond the proof stage is" your book is published." Considered published, assigned a searchable ISBN and will be officially published with them. I haven't played with privacy settings, so I may be wrong on visibility, but the title and ISBN would still be searchable as a published book. I understand why they are doing this, as I imagine how much cost they incurred with the free proofs that no one then published with them (myself included a few times) but it is still vital that people know what they are agreeing to when they click that "publish my book" button. The book is published at that point. Five books is a very good deal, if you want to self-publish with them, but people should know exactly what they are choosing to do.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Earthsick — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:57:15 -0500

Still, how much do they charge? Is there any information about that? I really want to finish my story this year, therefore holding a printed copy in my hands would be really awesome. But shipping costs tend to become extraordinary high. /: I overread someone in the other creatspace thread telling about 5 English Pounds for shipping. That doesn't seem much. Are there any other information about how much shipping costs for European countries? (There are even some german online book shops that think that it's okay to charge Austrians € 10 for shipping ... well, it's absolutely not okay, our countries are not that far apart an adslföhasdf0werhkeyboardsmash.) Checking on the site itself gets me "Oohps! Page not found!" /: Any other experiences?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:13:03 -0500

Here's what I found: Create Space calculator Just go to "Buying Copies", and select the trim size and number of pages. You'll get an estimate cost of your proof. For shipping, select your country and the shipping method.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

SkysongKitten — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:55:24 -0500

I've brought a proof but there was an option to publish without buying a proof. I really like this idea and am already planning on what to do with my five copies.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

snowflakie06 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:00:31 -0500

Awesome! Alas, I do not know what to do with the four extra copies.... Well, I'll figure something out!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

canadianmoose88 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:47:34 -0500

Give them out as presents!!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Enrico1991 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:19:53 -0500

WOW It is back again. P.S. The link of the first post is not working.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Georgina_W97 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:51:20 -0500

Ok, I'm still confused. If we want to get the five copies we have to publish the books, which means we can't get it published from someone else in the future?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:56:04 -0500

Ye,s that's what I want to know, too. I don't really flatter myself I'll publish my NaNo novel, but I want to know what I'm getting myself into, just in case. Five copies for my friends and family are not worth the inability to publish my novel in the future. On the other hand, if their "publish privately" function can make you get around with that, I'm interested. Especially since the shipping costs for these 5 copies are about the same as ordering your proof and paying for it.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:23:38 -0500

[quote=jefflion] In any case, before these five copies we must offer and pay for the proof copy, right? I mean, it's not possible to publish anything without the proof copy. What I don't understand is whether proof is free (excluding shipping) + 4 books, or you must pay full price for the proof. [/quote] You'll need to contact CreateSpace directly about that; we don't have any information we can share about the proof copy. https://www.createspace.com/Contact.jsp

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:26:17 -0500

We really can't comment on publishing rights; I do know that you retain all rights to your work if you go through CreateSpace. If you need more details about what publishing with CreateSpace means, you'll have to ask them. :) They don't read or post here, and I don't work for them, so neither I nor other moderators can really tell you for sure what that means. https://www.createspace.com/Contact.jsp It would seem to me (and this is pure speculation) that if you choose a private option, no one can see the contents, and if you submit your manuscript under a different title than the one who use with CreateSpace, I don't see how other publishers could know it was your novel. They do offer private distribution channels; what those entail will be available on their website!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

forgotten_butterfly — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:59:50 -0500

Is there any kind of payment that would have to be made to get published (and then get the 5 free copies)? Or is the publishing itself a free thing also?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:39:33 -0500

You have to pay for the shipping. And, maybe, the proof copy, though I'm not sure if you can skip the proof.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

teax2 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:50:37 -0500

In the shipping calculator, putting in 5 in the quantity box, I got the $5.95 standard five day shipping rate for continental US. I understand this to mean I have to pay six bucks and get the five free copies. I could be mistaken, but it seems okay, but I'll look into what it means to be createspace-published. Thanks for the information!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

JDSquared — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:51:36 -0500

CreateSpace really does have a great FAQ over there. Of course it does take some reading and absorbing of the information. What I remember from two years ago is that a proof is still assigned an ISBN number. That is pretty much the same as being published, as far as I can tell. When or if you chose to use another publisher that work will be issued a new ISBN number through your new publisher (ISBN dot org has a great FAQ as well, by the way).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Rainforest Girl — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:21:48 -0500

Since I am younger and my parents would be putting in the information, there's an option to publish privately. What exactly does this mean? All I really want is five paperback copies of a novel I wrote, I'm not really interesting in full-out publishing yet.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

laura.c.h — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:27:08 -0500

I believe people asked a lot in the past couple of years in this thread whether an ISBN=published and the answer was no in every case I remember - I think because it never enters distribution and is never actually for sale anywhere. I'm not really sure on the details of why, but I definitely remember people (Nano staff as well, I think) saying that just getting a proof copy did not mean you were published, otherwise I wouldn't have got one.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Ampelos — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:01:54 -0500

I'm...really confused by what inspired this offer in general. Nanowrimo admits to being more about quantity than quality and even with all those extra months to edit and re-write, I can't imagine that its enough time to warrant a single copy of primed-to-perfection work (if the ultimate goal is to be published) let alone five. And I feel pretty uneasy about how the whole publishing bit is a requirement to getting them. So, sad as it is and as much as I love how generous Createspace have been, I don't think this is an offer I'll be taking up this year. It's a bit of a disappointment actually because I'll admit (however shallow or greedy is sounds) that the free proof was one of the main reasons I really pushed for that 50k last year.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:57:54 -0500

Proof copy is safe. I'm 100% sure about that. But this year, it's different. The offer is not for proof copies but for the published ones. In other words, you have to publish your novel through them. So I wonder what happens in this case, even if you choose a private publishing option.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:01:23 -0500

Well, to be honest, one copy is the same as five copies, since it's the same book. (I mean, the same effort is required). But I understand how you feel. While I do see NaNo as an amazing project and I love to challenge myself, that proof copy was a huge motivating factor. And I even have friends who joined NaNo mainly because of the proof copy. I know this might sound selfish; nothing forces CreateSpace or whoever to offer proof copies to us. In essence, I understand they weren't getting anything out of it. Still, i considered that proof copy to be my "official" prize and it was a great motivating factor for my writing. And I know I'm not alone.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Sunshine Cat — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:44:42 -0500

That's the same way I felt. I know CreateSpace has no obligation to give us the proof copy offer, but I just feel...slightly disappointed. I missed out on the offer last year, and was hoping to take the offer this year and be able to see my book in print. Even if I don't intend to publish it, I don't want to rule out the possibility completely just to get five copies of my book, which won't even be the finished copy. When I joined, the proof copy was a great motivation for me to join in. It's not the main reason, but it's something. I wouldn't force CreateSpace to give us the offer again, it's just my personal reaction and feelings about it, and there is nothing I can do regardless.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Sunshine Cat — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:46:13 -0500

Errors...need edit button.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:59:13 -0500

Now, from purely financial side of things, ordering a proof copy (and paying the full price for it + shipping) is still cheaper than ordering 5 free copies but paying shipping costs. This may depend on the size of your book, but I say it's fairly reasonable to order and pay for your proof, if you intend to do it. All in all, it's still possible to order proof copies from CreateSpace, and this way, you don't risk publishing rights. Ordering your proof is likely cheaper than paying the shipment of 5 books. Maybe that how they wanted us to think; I don't know. But it's still possible to get a proof copy, if you're ready to pay for it.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

JDSquared — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:10:00 -0500

I have published two books now through CreateSpace, once through this offer and once on my own. They own none of the rights, publishing nor copyrights. When I decide to go through an agent and an actual publishing company, my book will get a different ISBN number. How the agent or publishing company feels about republishing this work is between them and I. I maybe should have clarified, Getting and APPROVING your proof copy is the same as being published. They print to order at that point. But unless memory really fails me, my proof copy had an assigned ISBN to it before I had that copy in my hands. And AGAIN, there is a lot of real information in their FAQ, not interpretation by my failing memory.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

I Can't Write For My Life — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:37:09 -0500

How much would the shipping cost?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:44:26 -0500

Well, if nothing else, I can always use it to but copies of my earlier published book/s (maybe the latter if I get my A into G and finish an earlier title I've been sitting on for years). I'm published via createspace and I'm pleased with the results. Sure, the sales aren't great and I won't see my book in bookstores, but it will be available as long as I want it to be (instead of at the whim of the publisher) , I can buy and re-sell or gift my own copies and I retain full writes to it. I'm happy with that, I'm not destined to be the next JK Rowling or Stephanie Meyer (thank god), but it's nice to know that copies of my book are out there.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

AdorkablyMe — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 02:09:06 -0500

If you still hold the rights to the book then what is the risk to taking up this offer?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

evila_elf — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:45:09 -0500

From what I understand, some publishers and agents don't like it when books have been available for sale elsewhere

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

AdorkablyMe — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 06:00:42 -0500

But if you are just getting your 5 copies and not actually selling it with them, is that considered the same thing?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Keladryie — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:44:09 -0500

To get the five copies you are technically agreeing to publish through them - you only get the five copies after you've set up your book through them to be published. You CAN set your profile/store as private, so no one else will be able to find it... but your novel title will be attached to the ISBN and put in the ISBN directory.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Keladryie — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:44:56 -0500

Shipping costs totally depends on how thick your book is, and where it's getting sent to, so it's simply too hard to say.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

missionYCO — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:28:25 -0500

Does the ISBN directory also happen when you order a proof copy (such as from last year's offer), since you are supplied an ISBN number when you set up the proof copy?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 09:40:08 -0500

My understanding from years of pokeing around here and the CS forums is CS owns a lot of ISBNs (eg AB001 to AD100) which they can do as they wish, they assign you one to your project anonymously ie it is still only listed as being a number owned by CS. This is what it is at the proof copy stage just a number owned by CS that may or may not be anonymous untitled work by an unknown person. Once have your proof copy and are, they hope, pleased enough to publish it you then you need to go back to CS and actually hit the publish with CS button. It is then that they register the number (AB001) as in use by title XYZ by author ABC. However it was mentioned on multiple occasions by lots of people that if you were concerned about the possibility you should name it something anonymous like Nanowrimo 2010, my book, my story etc. Which is what all my proofs have been guess I'll have to pay to not break the sequence this year,

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:19:50 -0500

Ok, a stupid question: you need to change your title to something generic in order for it to be safe? Or is it possible to get your title on the cover but for book to be listed with a generic name? Because it sucks if you get your proof copy, and the title on it is "NaNo 2010 by Me" instead of the real title and your name. Is there a way around this?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Eiki — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:33:25 -0500

Based on my experiences, the title on the cover and the title on the information you input have to be exactly the same.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

SerenBunny — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:41:07 -0500

I've read through the forum, and wonder if someone can clear this up for me? If I get the five copies of the book, does it then become published, like there is no chance of taking my book to an agent/publisher etc? If yes, is there anyway of getting the 5 copies, then "unpublishing" it, if you get what I mean? xx

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:47:33 -0500

Maybe there's a way around it... For example, put your title in an image or something? All I know is that your name and name on the cover don't have to be the same. I write under the pen name, and my pen name is on the cover, but they still sent me my proof under my real name, obviously.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:48:07 -0500

Nobody knows for sure. I guess we'll have to ask back at CreateSpace's forum. But to be honest, their forum seems a bit confusing to me.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:56:55 -0500

I wish they'd explain it nice and clearly. I don't trust this offer still. o_o I read somewhere on Createspace's website that even if you do publish with them, you can still publish with someone else, but that doesn't make sense at all! XD So you have to publish with them in order to receive the free proof copies, but it's not REALLY published, because it's set to private and no one can actually see it? How is it published then, or different to how it was before? I'm totally confused. X'D

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:01:10 -0500

The copies they offer are NOT proof copies. They don't offer free proof copy this year. If you want to get a proof copy, you have to pay for it. Now, I'm not sure if you HAVE TO order and pay for a proof copy in order to get these five, "regular" copies - some people say it's possible to get them without ordering proof first. However, these five copies are not proofs; they are regular, published books.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:13:58 -0500

You do not need to to use a generic name. Or rather did not since I was talking of the previous years offer of free proof not this years offer. It was however an added layer of security if you were anxious about it. Mine for example were done under NaNoWriMo + the year The one occasion I did have an actually title I was happy with I used it as a Subtitle because I suck at titles. Seriously.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:17:18 -0500

Bullet analysis by me; This is better for folks looking to self-publish. If that's you, rejoice! This is worse for folks looking to get published. If that's you, sorrow! This is kinda so-so news for those who aren't looking for self-publishing OR major publishers. It doesn't mean much at all. If you're looking for some printed copies of something you don't plan to do anything else with--you can still do that. (apparently) At very low cost. Also; this may be enough to push some people INTO that first category from the third. My mom included! This is the impetus she needs to try self-publishing. This makes this HER year. Perspective; this is good news for some nanoers. Even if not necessarily me.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

escapeagain — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:52:28 -0500

Thanks for that summary Stephen M. A quick question though, does it actually mean that if you do want to publish with a publisher you CANNOT because you have, in effect, self published? Or can you still publish with a publisher? Of course there is always scope for the sequel ;)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

yamikuronue — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:02:38 -0500

IANAL, but I believe the issue here is "first publication" rights. For example, if you run a short story in a magazine, even if you retain the rights to it, when you publish it later in a collection of short stories, that doesn't count as "first publication" - hence why you sometimes see "First published in suchandsuch magazine" in short story collections. I'm told, though I have no firsthand experience with this, that some (a lot of?) publishers prefer to have first publication rights, which you wouldn't be able to give them if it's been published before, even if you retain all rights. I have no idea if publishers will waive that if the book isn't availible for purchase though.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:07:01 -0500

Publishers in general do not like a pre-published work because why spend money on producing and publicising something that is already publicly available but it is not a total blanket ban for all publishers. Generally though you would need to have some definite pull to manage it ie they publish another of your works and then want to do a reissue of your first book.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:29:26 -0500

Publishers generally don't want it. Something else to consider: the game is changing. Big publishers are watching e-sales rise, and they don't really have a way to capture that market the way they've captured the print market. On-demand publishers like Createspace can all but replace them. They're not going anywhere, but what they're doing to fight this is focus their efforts on their big names. Leaving less room in the game for mid-listers or unproven new authors. I posted this previously. Let me cut and paste it. To hear the thoughts of a person who got published the old-fashioned way and is now looking at self-publishing vs. the big publishers, see Randy Ingermanson's very excellent entries: http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/ezine/2010/AFW_Ezine_2010-12-07.txt http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/ezine/index.php He also wrote about Nanowrimo last year. An excerpt. "Whether the quality is good or not, quantity matters. Having done it the first time is the best indicator that you'll do it again. You may be wondering if I eat my own dog food. Have I ever written a novel in 30 days? The answer is yes. I did it once, under a tight deadline. But it wasn't a mere 50000 words. It was 90000 words. It was hard work, 3000 words per day, and for most of those days I thought I was going to die. But I didn't die. I wrote the thing in a white fury. The faster I wrote, the easier it came. I finished the book a day early. It was my best piece of work. Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? If so, carry on. Don't stop now. Losers quit. Winners can't. If you're not doing it this year, think about next year. What have you got to lose by trying? You grow by challenging yourself and then executing the challenge." More here: http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/ezine/2010/AFW_Ezine_2010-11-02.txt Some very good musings there about the state of the print industry, who has the most to gain by self-publishing, and the work you'd have to put into it to make a go of it self-publishing. Not that I'm going to try it, personally. Not this year. But as the print industry shakes and rattles, it becomes harder and harder for what Randy calls mid-listers to break into the industry. And easier and easier to self-publish.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:12:09 -0500

Ralan.com maintains a listing of publishers, and their web sites. I love them. Note these two examples. TANGLEWOOD PRESS - print middle grade-YA novels/picture books; most genres, no vampires or boy wizards (fic/art), books kids want to read. Pay: royalty. Words: no limit named, but none found over 400 pages. RT: ?. Reprints: no. E-subs: NONE!. Kairi Hamlin, Acquisitions Editor (no e-mail!). [Top] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOR BOOKS - major publisher; all genres. Pay: standard advance/royalties. Words: novel length. RT: 4-6 months; resub if no word >6 months. Reprints: query. E-subs: NONE. Acquisitions Editor, Science Fiction and Fantasy (no e-mail; do not query). [Top] Reprints: Tanglewood says out and out, NO. Tor? Ask us. They might be open to the idea under some circumstances. (these are also two publishers who hate online queries--no e-mail submissions? In this day and age?)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:51:58 -0500

Ah, that was me being silly, I just meant books, not proof copies. XD Ehh. I'm not happy about this. I understand that Createspace are of course not obliged to do anything for us, but they've done it all this time and suddenly out of the blue they want the first rights to our novels (which they should know aren't finished or polished XD). I think I'll just buy a proof copy. I bought a few for my family last year so I know how it works.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

lifelessmind — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:43:53 -0500

I can certainly understand them wanting us to publish through them... the whole "can I publish somewhere else" bit aside though, I'm bummed that the offer expires in June 2012. My story probably won't be polished enough to publish by then, even if I do decide I want to stick with self-publishing (assuming I publish at all, that is :P)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Sheba — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:34:30 -0500

I can't really clear up the copyright issue because I don't want to be published ever, so I don't really care about ISBNs and stuff. I CAN, however, tell you that you NEED to get a proof copy and approve that before you can "publish" a book through them. This means that you need to pay a proof copy + shipping cost of the proof copy + shipping cost for the five books to get your "free" books. And CS doesn't take paypal, so I'll need to find myself someone with a credit card to pay for my proof. Sigh.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bodici22 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:07:55 -0500

According to their FAQ (https://www.createspace.com/Help/Index.jsp?cid=02n70000000DfLw&orgId=00D300000001Sh9) you don't need to order a proof copy, you can go straight to getting the books. I don't know anything about publishing and ISBNs, though.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bodici22 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:09:09 -0500

According to their FAQ, you don't need to order a proof copy. https://www.createspace.com/Help/Index.jsp?cid=02n70000000DfLw&orgId=00D300000001Sh9

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Desstile — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:39:32 -0500

This sounds awesome! ...if, as everyone s concerned, it doesn't effect later possible publishing. I don't think my Nano will ever be published but still, I like to have the option open.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Sheba — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:54:29 -0500

Wrong, sadly. [quote]Once your book files have been reviewed and approved, your book’s status will update to “Awaiting Proof Order” (allow up to one hour for this status to update). At that time, you can either order a proof copy of your book or if you’ve previously ordered a book proof, you will have the option to skip this step and make your book available immediately through the CreateSpace eStore.[/quote] You need to have ordered a book proof previously to skip that step. It's awkwardly worded, but you have to. My sister published a book a month ago through them and she had no chance but to order the proof.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

AmbiguouslyMe — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:59:38 -0500

:( I was so looking forward to a proof copy, but there's no way I can polish this up enough to have it be the forever and for true published version, no changes, by the deadline. Questions of first publication rights aside (which are thorny, it seems), I don't think I could 'pull the trigger' and say 'yes, this is done' before the coupon expired. Even if it was a private store, it wouldn't sit well with me to know I'd published something that wasn't ready.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BritishHobo — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:31:07 -0500

But I think it's different now. I've done it the past three years, and they've just been proof copies. Once you got that, you could just stop the process and never return to CreateSpace, which unfortunately probably negatively affected them, given the sheer number of people who would love a free copy of their book but would also love to wait around for HarperCollins to come sweep them off their feet and make their novels ten times more successful than the complete Harry Potter series (guilty), so now you have to actually finish the process and have your book published in order to get the copies. Which is fair enough, I think. CreateSpace can't have been getting a great deal out of this offer, though they must've gotten a few customers out of it. And raising the number to five is pretty good. I won't be doing it though. Becuse someday I'll sell my novel to a huge publishing company and there never won't be adverts, and I'll be so rich I could buy JK Rowling, and there's no way that dream won't happen.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BritishHobo — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:35:40 -0500

I'm probably not going to risk it. Not because I'm expecting to be 'discovered' and end up like Jo Rowling, but my novel(s) at this point aren't anywhere near publishable material, and I'd hate to get five proof copies with the private option, work hard at editing and rewriting them, and come back to discover copyright now means I can't republish. Would like to keep my options open for now, and then decide whether to self-publish or not later. Though I completely understand and support CreateSpace on this one. Can't be much gain from offering one free copy of a book to thousands and thousands of people year after year.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

yoghurtelf — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:57:50 -0500

I figured we wouldn't be getting those free proofs with no strings attached forever. Too good to be true! ;) Ah well. I guess we can still order & pay for proofs without publishing, right??

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:16:17 -0500

It looks like that's still true, yep.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

MutantCanuck — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:38:12 -0500

It's not horribly expensive to buy a proof, right?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:13:56 -0500

For an book with 50,000 words? Probably what you'd expect to buy a small paperback for at a bookstore.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

MutantCanuck — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:15:17 -0500

True that.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:17:52 -0500

So, it looks like we have to buy a proof first. Well, basically it means there's no proof offer from CreateSpace this year. Since the proof is all I'm interested in, I won't be using CreateSpace offer this year. I might think about getting a proof with them, if it's still possible to just order and buy a proof, but never publish it. I will check with the other self-publishers, though, to compare the prices.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

snowflakie06 — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:30:22 -0500

I'm going to be doing the same. As nice as it would be to have five free copies, four of which I could give to someone (though I've never really shown people my original work...), I don't think I would feel comfortable about it without having it be completely edited, polished, and the like beforehand and I doubt I'd have the time as I haven't finished my NaNo novel from last year (it's well over 100k now and I keep getting sidetracked with other projects... whoops...) and I would like to return to writing that and letting this year's sit for awhile before editing. It's almost as if this offer is geared more towards NaNo participants who have done it before, finished, and had time to clean up that novel but they have to win this year as well to get the code, which is very unfortunate.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:33:18 -0500

True. Like I said, this is a repositioning of their offer; they've craftily made it a much better offer for folks looking to self-publish, while taking steps to make the offer less attractive to folks just looking for a proof copy. Giving them less work, and more return on their offer. I have to imagine that even with only an 18% win rate, and with only a percentage of that taking advantage of the offer, that they were losing a lot of dollars on that, with not much return for it. 2009 had 32,000 winners; say ten percent got that proof copy. 3200 times maybe fifteen dollars would be around 45000 dollars worth of proof copies they shelled out for. Assuming their cost to print is a little lower than what they charge, that's still a lot of money for an advertising campaign. A LOT.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

SavannahAustin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:55:17 -0500

Same here. I'm not ready for full-out publishing. In fact, this NaNoWriMo novel will more than likely turn out awful. I'm just trying to put something down on paper. I think we're all a little confused on whether you must publish it through them or not to recieve the free paperbacks. Hopefully, all this offer means is that we get five free copies(don't forget the shipping cost)with no need to pay for a proof copy which would be available for distribution through Amazon and such. All I want is a paperback for myself and a few for friends and family. I don't want someone from HarperCollins or of the like stumbling upon it and making the conclusion that I'm a pitful writer. :/ It seems the people who were aware of this offer in the previous years say they offered a free proof copy. Does that mean it was published through CreateSpace? Ugh, the main question here is whether or not we'll be getitng 5 paperback copies instead of a proof copy. This is rather confusing and other's posts are confusing me even more. Dx

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Keladryie — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:21:00 -0500

Yes, in other years the offer was for a proof - this is totally different. When you set up a novel through them, you first have to get a proof copy (which you have to pay for + shipping) to check through it and make sure it will all turn out okay. Once you receive that and then 'approve' the proof, THEN it goes for sale. With this offer, that is now when you would get the five copies (whilst paying for shipping). You CAN set your profile to private, so no one would be able to find it. But it is assigned an ISBN which would then be searchable whether your profile is public or not. One way around this then, is to call your novel something totally different in createspace (and change your author name also?) then it would be pretty impossible to be tracked down. But paying for the proof, shipping, then shipping for the five copies... hrm. I could be wrong with the above, as I haven't tried out the offer this year (well, clearly lol) but I have in previous years.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

FlipFlyFall — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:30:43 -0500

I may use this to get several stories in print - makes it easier for me to edit. For my purposes, the first publication rights wouldn't apply since I'd be "publishing" (and definitely private) rough drafts, so that they'd be different if I did become published.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

yoghurtelf — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:34:54 -0500

Yep, so that's what I'd be more likely to do. Of course, postage to here in Aus is bound to be ludicrously expensive. oh wellz :(

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

JAPartridge — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:36:58 -0500

I've spent some time reading a lot of writer/agent/editor blogs. From what I can tell the old stigma of self-publishing is fading quite a bit. Too many self-published authors have made enough sales in self-publishing only to go on to even greater success with a commercial publisher to ignore. As long as you retain full copyright to your own work (some shady vanity presses will make you sign that away, CreateSpace doesn't) there should be nothing preventing you from going on and publishing your work with a commercial publisher. While whether you want your work out in the public before it's professionally edited is one thing, I wouldn't worry about losing future book deals if the story is good.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

kimssuperanimals1 — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:03:18 -0500

I believe that e-subs means e-mail submissions, not electronic submissions. I know that Tor, at least, (and probably Tanglewood too) has their own online submission form on their site. In fact, Tor doesn't accept hard copy submissions at all.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gymfan15 — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:07:29 -0500

I have a question...does anyone know if this offer extends to any/all titles in your account, or just one? I have no use for five copies of one book (I'm not letting anyone read them, so...), but I would like to re-do some of my old books, and this could be a decent way to do that. Maybe. Anyone know?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:10:27 -0500

I am positive those five copies have to be copies of the same book. However, nobody needs to know if this book is this year's NaNo project or an older novel.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

SkysongKitten — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:23:47 -0500

A proof to NZ cost 21 NZ dollars, including postage. And I think NZ and Aus is pretty close :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

John JAM Arthur Miller — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:41:58 -0500

I'm so brand-spakin' new to NaNoWriMo it's not funny, lol! (I said it's NOT funny. :-) ) Anyway, how does one become a NaNoWriMo winner? Not that I'm going to win anything, but out of curiosity... it would be nice to know. Sorry about having no profile pic. My pics are too big. The reason I'm doing NaNoWriMo: My creative writing professor read a short story I gave him, saying it was one of the best short stories he's read in 30 years. (cough... cough... choke and blush) Alrighty then. But it gets worse (better?). He then wrote on my paper that it was also "one of the best stories he's read in the past 30 years. Period." Reading that put tears in my eyes. Of course, he probably was having a bad day when he stumbled across my short story, and it probably made him feel better. Anyway, he had an agenda with steps. He told me to completely skip step two and get going on beginning a novel. I said, "NaNoWriMo" is starting in Novemember. Why not do that?" He agreed. Here I am. Brank spakin' new and expecting nothing other than hitting 60,000 words or more by the end of the month. And having a blast writing a story so weird that only someone like me could "get it." I sincerely hope that short story I wrote really is as good as he said, and I also hope that what I'm writing now is just as good (if not better). But realistically speaking... yeah. BTW: I read how this site was created by a non-profit org. Thanks for doing this! I'm really getting into NaNoWriMo (can I just say "NanoWrite" instead?). Thanks again for doing this. But seriously... what is a NaNoWriMo Winner? What would I have to do in order to get my story published through Create-a-Space? I'm clueless. Absolutely clueless. Thanks again!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Anahlynn — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:47:52 -0500

You should post this in the newbies forum.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

John JAM Arthur Miller — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:13:49 -0500

Oh, I'm sorry. I'll try to find the newbies forum. Forgive me... sorry.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Chillibean — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:05:38 -0500

The only way you will get 5 copies is if you agree for CreateSpace to publish it. There is no way of 'unpublishing' it - the first publishing rights will have gone. However, it is possible to remove your book from sale after you have those five copies. There is never no chance of letting an agent/publisher see it, but from what I know, most of them want first publishing rights, and if you've sold that then I don't think your chances are very good...

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

I Can't Write For My Life — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:28:06 -0500

Oh! Well thanks anyway... I don't think it'll be that much anyway.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

madcalmom99 — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:19:17 -0500

AWESOME! WORTH IT!! Thanks SO much Nanowrimo and CreateSpace! ! ! Question, will this work for books written in previous years? The year that i "won", I also had a baby 2 months after NanoWrimo and didn't get back on track with having the proof printed by CreateSpace. Do you think that one of the copies could be an older manuscript? Thanks again!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:10:14 -0500

Ah, scratch that, so we DO have to buy a proof copy anyway. Createspace have certainly changed it this year xD I think I'll just buy the proof. I don't want risk giving away any of my rights for the sake of a few free books. I think I'll just buy more proofs if anyone wants one. XD

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ryokomayuka — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:13:08 -0500

Since this is going to cost money I would not be interested in it. I like it last year and the years before.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

yoghurtelf — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:58:45 -0500

Obviously the previous years were better for us, but I honestly don't blame CreateSpace for changing things up a bit ;) They gave us good stuff for a few years!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Keladryie — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:53:23 -0500

Chris Baty has edited his first post to say: [quote][Update on 11/11/11: CreateSpace wanted to clarify one point in their offer, below. Here's the scoop from them: "While you need to purchase and approve a proof, you do not have to select any distribution outlets for the book. This means that you can use the five free copy offer to obtain five copies of your book without having to release it into any sales channels."][/quote]

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

MutantCanuck — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:56:40 -0500

So it's like if it's technically published, but it won't be for sale anywhere? So a nice little hybrid between a proof-copy and published book?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

iampaulop11 — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 01:22:26 -0500

"This means that you can use the five free copy offer to obtain five copies of your book without having to release it into any sales channels" ----> I hope this is true. I cant take it if my "horrible" (currently) work will be published without the proper editing and stuffs like that. " but you will have to cover shipping costs. " ----> This is what bothers me. I dont know how much is the shipping and HOW to pay! o__O If anyone knows how, please send me a NaNoMail!! xD My question is, hmmm... Can I edit first my work before redeeming the book? Thank you!!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Isericat — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 01:45:37 -0500

Oh this is just WONDERFUL. *head/desks* Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Createspace. Their service + website interface and all is super awesome but there's only ONE problem. They don't accept paypal. Only credit cards. I do not use a credit card, nor do my parents own one. -_-''''''''' So this year, I'll be forced to FORGO the whole offer because I have to pay for the shipping. I really do not mind paying for the shipping but g'damnit, I can't find any paypal options at all! I've shot createspace an email over this suggestion of including paypal but I think they'll only look into this option when I'm six feet down under aka at the age of 300 years old. -_-' What a way to wake up.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Amaya — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 02:22:43 -0500

Yes but it will still use your first publication rights. Some Publishing companies don't like it when they can't get the first publication rights.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Amaya — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 02:24:10 -0500

What... great, I didn't know they didn't accept paypal. I was kind of thinking about doing this for last year's NaNo but I can't either if they don't have paypal.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Isericat — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:16:37 -0500

*joins the club of gloom* Maybe if people keep sending them suggestions about paypal, they MIGHT change their payment offers? I mean, I can't be the only one on this earth who LOVES their services but is unable to use them due to the paypal issue. Given a chance, I'd use createspace over Lulu.com anytime of the day.....

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gepard Valk — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 07:26:32 -0500

Hey. I'm only fourteen and don't understand ANY of this. Does it mean we have to buy the proof-read and then they'll send out five copies of our novel to our homes? :? Help meeeee

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Isericat — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 08:20:40 -0500

[quote=Gepard Valk] Hey. I'm only fourteen and don't understand ANY of this. Does it mean we have to buy the proof-read and then they'll send out five copies of our novel to our homes? :? Help meeeee [/quote] From my understanding, if we win, we'll be taken to the winner's page. We redeem this code at said page. Followed by us ordering proof copies at Create Space's page. We'll get FIVE proof copies instead of ONE proof copy. They'll send these copies to our home. We only have to pay for the shipping. o.o I hope I'm correct?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gepard Valk — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 08:32:23 -0500

Ohh, this helps a lot. But do we have to pay shipping for the five or just one?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Keladryie — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 09:22:02 -0500

You'd have to pay the full shipping price for all five. There's no easy way to know how much that will be, as it depends on the book weight and destination.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:07:27 -0500

[quote=iampaulop11] "This means that you can use the five free copy offer to obtain five copies of your book without having to release it into any sales channels" ----> I hope this is true. I cant take it if my "horrible" (currently) work will be published without the proper editing and stuffs like that. " but you will have to cover shipping costs. " ----> This is what bothers me. I dont know how much is the shipping and HOW to pay! o__O If anyone knows how, please send me a NaNoMail!! xD My question is, hmmm... Can I edit first my work before redeeming the book? Thank you!! [/quote] You'll have about six months to edit if you like. The shipping costs differ depending on the book, so you'll need to check over on their website for more info about how much that will cost.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:08:19 -0500

[quote=madcalmom99] AWESOME! WORTH IT!! Thanks SO much Nanowrimo and CreateSpace! ! ! Question, will this work for books written in previous years? The year that i "won", I also had a baby 2 months after NanoWrimo and didn't get back on track with having the proof printed by CreateSpace. Do you think that one of the copies could be an older manuscript? Thanks again! [/quote] They don't have access to any of our files, and we don't save a copy of old novels anyway, so you can use whatever you like for the offer (even a non NaNoWriMo novel!)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

abby-LOVE — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:29:18 -0500

Actually, no. You'll have to order ONE proof copy, which you'll have to pay the full price + shipping for, and then once it has arrived you will be able to order FIVE free copies of your book. Actual copies.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gepard Valk — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:29:37 -0500

Will you have to pay for the copies?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

MySolstice — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:46:04 -0500

No, this year you have to pay the shipment costs.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:07:45 -0500

I don't have a credit card either, but I do have a debit card. Surely if you've got a bank account you've got one of those? I pay for half my stuff online with that and the rest with Paypal. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:09:01 -0500

They're free. But you have to give away your first publishing rights in order to get five free copies, so I'm just buying the proof without the publication. X3

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gepard Valk — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:04:44 -0500

Ohhh. Well, as I said, I'm only 14 so giving away the first publication rights for this book won't bother me as it'd never get published! :3

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gepard Valk — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:05:56 -0500

Oh, and is the proof just like the actual printed novel?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

MutantCanuck — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:21:54 -0500

That's okay. My story is about my MMO character. If I tried to use the book for profit, I'd get copyrighted from here to Timbuktu. Nah, I just want my books. XD

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:30:14 -0500

yes

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Moonbabylove — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:46:20 -0500

Use cash to purchase one of those Visa giftcards. Most grocery stores have them, and you can get loadable Visas (which advertise as being great for teens) from your or your parents' bank. I hate using even my credit card for online purchases, so this is what I do.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:50:35 -0500

But you have to pay for the shipping of those five books. What you have to pay for: the proof + shipping. And the shipping of your five free books. What you don't have to pay for: the actual five copies.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

banai — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 17:36:02 -0500

Can we order books in full color? No, I don't like the idea of ordering five copies and paying for shipping *after* paying for the proof copy, not that there's a chance I would have NaNo novel polished to the point where I'm willing to hand out copies and let people read them. I'm just asking out of curiosity and to be difficult.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:03:45 -0500

I wonder if we can order five copies of last year's novel. You know, the one whose proof we already received for free?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:56:04 -0500

Just because you're 14 and don't want to get it published now doesn't mean you won't in the future ;) (I've been wanting to be a published author since I was about 7 years old. XD) But you should be OK, because after all, if you do ever decide to get this year's novel published, it would be a very different version, so the publishers hopefully wouldn't kick up too much of a fuss over first publication firsts.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:57:13 -0500

First publication firsts?! o_o Hello, my first forum NaNoism. RIGHTS. Not firsts. xD

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:41:40 -0500

[quote=banai] Can we order books in full color? No, I don't like the idea of ordering five copies and paying for shipping *after* paying for the proof copy, not that there's a chance I would have NaNo novel polished to the point where I'm willing to hand out copies and let people read them. I'm just asking out of curiosity and to be difficult. [/quote] That's a question that's probably best directed at them. They didn't give us that much detail with the offer. :) You can send them a message using this form.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Isericat — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:34:51 -0500

[quote=Moonbabylove] Use cash to purchase one of those Visa giftcards. Most grocery stores have them, and you can get loadable Visas (which advertise as being great for teens) from your or your parents' bank. I hate using even my credit card for online purchases, so this is what I do. [/quote] Grocery stores here do not have this offer as far as I know. I've never heard of such a thing before. I do have my own bank account though that is independent from my parent's one (yay for being the fortunate kid!!! )!! Loadable visas, this is something I have to find out if it's available at my country here XD;;; is it like those one time use visas?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Sheba — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:41:46 -0500

That should work no problem, though we cannot be sure. But if the code works like the codes last year (as in, you put it into a code box while checking out), there's nothing from stopping you to use it on a different novel.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Chautona — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 04:56:14 -0500

This is just the opinion of someone who uses Createspace on a consistent basis. I do not work for them, I am not an expert nor am I a lawyer. If you are worried about traditional publishers not liking your novel having been assigned a previous ISBN, the simplest way to prevent any problems is to change the title from "Dark Storm" to "Midnight Tempest." Frankly, I do not believe that this step is necessary. I do not believe this because most publishers 1. Are likely to change your title anyway. 2. Are unlikely to ask if you have ever had it printed for your own pleasure. 3. Are going to consider 5 personal printed copies "first publication" of any kind. Second. Cost. I just ordered a total of 22 copies of my books to refill my empty sales shelves. The word count in these books ranges from 60k (for 2 of them) to 125k (for 6 of them) Therefore, we're talking about considerable weight. The total in shipping for 22 books was 14.50. That is .66 per book. I did a search to see if I've ever ordered five books and I haven't, but six books purchased in February (60k, 70k, 90k, 90k, 123k, 125k) had a total of 6.19 in shipping. That implies to me that the cost of shipping the books will likely be around a dollar or so per book. Third. Proof. I don't know if this is site-wide or just for people who have used them as a printer before, but I can elect to "publish" without purchasing a proof now. I don't know if they are disabling that option for the NaNo codes or if it will be available, but there is the possibility that you will not have to purchase a proof copy. Again... it is just a possibility. Even so, a proof copy is usually 4-5 dollars plus shipping of 3.59. So, the maximum you would pay for proof plus shipping of proof is ten dollars. Summary of costs: Proof- 5.00 Shipping of proof- 3.59 Shipping on 5 books- 6.00 Likely MAX total for six copies of your books shipped to your door in the US- 14.59 That comes to a total of 2.43 per copy. I have absolutely ZERO doubt that doing this will harm your chances with a traditional publisher. However, I do know that the chances of having a traditional publisher pick up your book is extremely slim. So... if that slim chance with an even more miniscule chance of having personal bound copies affecting that super slim chance is not worth it to you, then happy writing and enjoy your e-book until it is discovered by Random House or Philomel. I'm sure they'll give you a few free copies as well. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BuddhistOnABus — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 05:53:02 -0500

I'm disappointed that the code doesn't cover the shipping costs this year. I live in Scotland, and this novel will be over 100k, so the shipping for five copies of it will be expensive, plus potential customs costs at this end. I doubt I'll be taking up this offer this year. Unless I was intending to self-publish, I would have no use for more than one copy.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

raeble — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 08:29:23 -0500

If you really want a bound copy you could try your local copy/printing shop. You'd need to set up the pdf and specify that you wanted A5 or smaller.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

faerie_kitten — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:16:04 -0500

I think one of the problems is that as soon as you try and order for anywhere other than america, the postage goes through the roof. It would cost me, for 5 books from createspace £16 just for shipping. And then there is the proof and postage on top of that (which if I recal from last year looked to be about the £10-15 mark) So in effect, I'd have to pay £25 for 5 books and 1 proof. Yes, they would be my books, but that price is about the same as I would pay if I went down to the bookshop and ordered 5 books. Personally for me I can't take this offer anyway. Because to publish my NaNo anywhere would breach my contacts with my publisher. Even though we can choose not to have it in any distribution channels, it would still be published and be a breach. And my other option, which I was planning on using this year, was to print some of my very old fanfiction works for a friend. Now I can't even do that, becuase if I make a mistake and that goes to any distribution channel, that does not bode well for me. I could get sued if anyone found it, just because of a mistake. Whereas with the proof copy, that was never an issue, becuase it never went anywhere after the proof. I think createspace are going to find a sharp drop in people taking up the codes this year. Just because they are alienating so many people from the new offer. Chelle

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

faerie_kitten — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:17:09 -0500

[quote=raeble] If you really want a bound copy you could try your local copy/printing shop. You'd need to set up the pdf and specify that you wanted A5 or smaller. [/quote] And for those outside of the US, that would be a cheaper option, too.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

isethia — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 10:55:21 -0500

You know, I'm getting really tired of seeing suggestions that people should try their local copy shop, because they don't bind things in a way that looks like a real book. The only reason I was hoping for the proof offer this year was so I could get one of my fanfiction stories printed in a form that would be readable, because that's the only way I'll ever have a book about one of my favorite hands. I have gotten plenty of things bound at the copy shop, but then I can never reread them, because I had spiral and coil binding. I want something with a proper spine, and that I could hold and read the exact same way that I could with a real book. So stop telling people that using the copy shop is just as good. Because it is NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gepard Valk — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:24:29 -0500

My DREAM is to get published and to see my book irl, so if I do this with CreateSpace, I get to have half my dream now which will spur me on to get the other half.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Chautona — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:36:22 -0500

If one person has to pay £25 for 5 books and 1 proof overseas, can you imagine how much this costs Createspace? Consider all the people that win every year. The costs must be astronomical. I am sorry that this offer isn't one you can accept, but considering it is optional and costing the company a significant amount of money even with the changes, graciousness would be appropriate... This company owes us nothing.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gepard Valk — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:46:21 -0500

Do we have to pay for shipping for the five copies?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gepard Valk — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:47:18 -0500

You can calculate your cost here: https://www.createspace.com/Products/Book/ Go to Buying Copies

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:50:25 -0500

Then all you would have to do is order and pay for a proof copy instead of taking the 5 book offer. You would need to get the proof anyway before getting the 5 books.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:53:02 -0500

You can still so that with CS in paid form as long as it never goes past the Proof stage. I used a previous code to collect all my fic in one bound CS copy with no problem. Just don't use an image from the show/film/whatever as a front cover as it would be a bit of a give away.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

isethia — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:13:05 -0500

Yeah, if I ever get the courage to do this, I'll use one of my own photographs that I've taken for the cover, even if it has nothing to do with the story. At least that way, there can be no doubt that I at least own the cover image. I was probably a little angrier than I should have been when I made the first post.I just really was getting tired of people hearing that.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

unionponi — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:47:10 -0500

Anyone know if the shipping is more expensive for U.S. PO Boxes? I noticed the site says it can't do priority or expedited mail to a PO Box, but it doesn't say anything about it in the price estimator. (My city doesn't have mail delivery, only pickup at the post office)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

SWrite_33 — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:59:17 -0500

Thanks jeeflion for clearing that up.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

HollyAnneH — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:06:34 -0500

REPLYING UP HERE FOR ALL TO SEE! I read through all of the 'terms and conditions' page when I signed up to find the answer to the question of if you still own the rights to your book. It very clearly states that once you have published a book through CreateSpace you still own all rights to your material and republishing is your choice.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

HollyAnneH — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:08:20 -0500

yes I read through ALL the terms and conditions page and it clearly states that you still own all the rights to your material if you publish through the site.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

HollyAnneH — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:09:52 -0500

I read through ALL of the terms and conditions page to make sure and it says in it that all rights still belong to the author if you publish through them. Meaning you are free to publish through an agent.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ewigkeit — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:06:36 -0500

No need to use a copy shop, just find a printing house that prints books even if it's only 1 copy and you're done: it looks like a real book and you don't need to sell the right of your book.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:07:41 -0500

This latest wrinkle changes things... hmm, not a bit. Still a more attractive offer for folks looking to self-publish. Still less attractive for those who are looking at traditional publishing. (Chautona is right--that's just a sliver of a sliver of a chance, but since the market's so tight anyway, who takes chances? Lol!) Still just kind of a 'meh' for those who aren't going either way. They're recouping slightly more of the cost? Giving you more books? A wash for them. A slight discouragement for us. As I said before, their outlay for this is in the tens of thousands. This is not cost-free for them. Making a change like this only makes sense for them.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

MutantCanuck — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:08:53 -0500

But even though it sucks for us, I can still see and acknowledge the reason they did it like this. I have another question though, can you order the proof copy along with your free books?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

kunaineck — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:32:39 -0500

[quote=Bee82] You would need to get the proof anyway before getting the 5 books. [/quote] Actually, I read on the CreateSpace website that, recently,they implemented a feature where if you have ordered, say, a copy of a book, then you'd never have to order a proof copy for any book ever again. It also works for anything else that they sell. I copied the info from the website down here: The Optional Proof Trial was a success and we're happy to share that this feature is here to stay! A big thanks again to those who participated and provided feedback during the trial period - we appreciate it. As a quick refresher, once you order one proof of a book, CD, or DVD through CreateSpace, you will have the option to skip the proof step for that product type going forward. For example, once you order your first book proof, you'll automatically have the option to skip the proof step for all book titles in your account. To make sure you're happy with the quality of your product before making it available for sale, we recommend ordering a physical proof when creating a new title or making changes to an existing title, but now that decision lies in your hands.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:16:54 -0500

It looks like you order your proof copy ahead, get a chance to look it over and revise, and then order your five free books.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Amberleaf29 — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:07:40 -0500

Ahaha, I kind of regret not getting the proof copy last year.... -.-; I really wanted to do it, too, but I had nothing ready, unfortunately...! I meant to do it this year, but now it looks like I can't, at least not without paying for shipping. :( ANYWAY. Something someone said further up in the thread kind of confused me, so I just wanted to clarify... we can get a proof copy, but we just have to pay for it, right?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

kunaineck — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:10:44 -0500

Right. You DO have to pay for your proof this year. The five free books are ones you have actually PUBLISHED to CreateSpace.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

MutantCanuck — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:25:26 -0500

Urgh, almost seems like a pain.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BelleEdlynn — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:57:21 -0500

I am really confused. All I want is my book to be printed in the form of a book. I do not want it published, I do not want to have to set up a proof copy with CreateSpace. and I don't want to take away any chances of it being re-published by a company/agent. So are they offering what I just listed, or something different?? Please Help, Thanks :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

kunaineck — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:14:52 -0500

CreatSpace if offering you five free copies (excluding shipping and handling)of a book that you have PUBLISHED TO CreateSpace. No more, no less.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

laura.c.h — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:26:48 -0500

I just had another thought... if the code for the 5 books runs out on June 30, 2012, and you have to get a proof copy before ordering the 5 free books - the proof copies take forever to arrive, meaning you'd have to have that sorted way before June 30th.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

kunaineck — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:34:36 -0500

Actually, like I posted earlier, if you bought a proof copy from CreateSpace on another project, you can skip the proof process altogether on another. As long as it's of the same type, like say if you got a proof copy of a book before, you don't have to get one of a different book. Also, my proof last year only took a little under a week. Or do you mean if somebody's overseas?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:44:42 -0500

You CAN buy just a proof copy, which is the same as what they gave away free all the other years, but this year you have to pay for it. That's what I'm doing. The proof copy is NOT published, it's just a 'test' to show you how your book would look published (except it says 'Proof' in big letters on the last page ;D). You have to buy one of those anyway this year before CS will let you have any free copies, but if you do want those free copies, be aware that your book will have been published and you'll have lost the first rights to them, which is what 'proper' publishers want.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

L.M.Buck — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:19:35 -0500

Wow! Thankyou createspace! :D I've used this service for the past 2 nanos, so i will definitely be doing it this year ^_^

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Relocation — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:32:37 -0500

Do any of your friends/relatives? You can pay them back cash at the time they put the order through. My boyfriend always orders things for me, and that's how we work it out.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Relocation — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:44:11 -0500

On createspace, to bypass the Proof- Go through all the early submission options. When you go to 'Order Proof' (which you have to), there's an option with a bubble to check that says 'No proof.' There you go. I think it's community-wide, not just people who have ordered before, but I may be wrong. Just clarifying what others have mentioned. I like this years' offer less, but I think it makes sense for createspace, and I can't blame them. I'm a little choked on the shipping though, that was what I was most excited for last year (well, not most, but it made it easier).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Incorporal — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:14:08 -0500

I don't disagree with you, BUT it is generally considered better to start small and improve an offer, rather than start out grandly and scale back. Once you've established a precedent (a shiny free copy of your novel) it's a bit bad for image to re-vamp the offer into what it currently is. It's a bit tricky to complain about something free, but that is the way it is, when you get used to something, you feel sort of robbed when it gets taken away or altered.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BrittanyJean — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:36:14 -0500

[quote=HollyAnneH] REPLYING UP HERE FOR ALL TO SEE! I read through all of the 'terms and conditions' page when I signed up to find the answer to the question of if you still own the rights to your book. It very clearly states that once you have published a book through CreateSpace you still own all rights to your material and republishing is your choice. [/quote] This is good to know because I was concerned about the rights. Thanks.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Nimure — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:30:06 -0500

Where does it say that you actually have to give up publication rights? From my understanding that's what this entire thread had been a debate on. No one seems to know if you do or don't. Not trying to argue, just trying to find answers. I really want copies of my book, but I'd like to try and get it published by a traditional source as well.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Nimure — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:44:33 -0500

On the publication debate: I sent an email to both CreateSpace and DAW penguingroup asking about A.) whether the 5 free copies means we have to give up publishing rights, and B) if I got the 5 free copies, would my book no longer be able to be considered for publishing by DAW. I'll let you all know if and when I get a response.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

kerrwyvern — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:30:22 -0500

last year I paid $13.62 for shipping to Canada. My novel was approx 120,000 words. Shipping is really not that expensive, approx the same if you were purchasing a copy of a novel from a book retailer. All things considered, CHEEP!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

kerrwyvern — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:33:32 -0500

From what I understand from speaking to other pubished authors (though it does vary from publisher to publisher) is that self-publishing gets you a foot hold into an industry that is remarkably hard to get into. Most agents wont look at you if you've never published anything that has a legal ISBN number attached. That could be anything from a self-published novel, to a letter to the editor in your local paper (any printed release from school paper to main stream magazine by most laws must have its own ISBN). Hope that information helps.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Amaya — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:29:27 -0500

The thing is we won't give up first publishing rights, they'll be used by us. We'll still own them, but we'll lose the ability to offer them to publishers. You might find, if you worded it as you do here, that they will simply say "no you keep the rights" even though you can no longer give them to publishers. Thus DAW will probably give you a better answer, as long as they know that you technically "publish" when you use createspace.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Asphodele — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:29:22 -0500

International shipping is expensive because it's a foreign country, not because of how far you are. While 10 euros might be a bit steep for shipping, It's not that extraordinary/unthinkable, especially if it was a big book and/or was delivered quickly. Think about it, how much would it cost you to go to the post office and mail that book? To send a 200g parcel from France to Germany in 5 to 8 days (not great timing!) is 15 euros!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ACSilva — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:26:26 -0500

Thing is, outside the states, the shipping costs are prohibitive. Two years ago, I misplaced my code, but I wanted the proofcopy so much I wound up deciding to buy a proof copy out of my own pocket. I wound up asked to pay 25USD in shipping alone. SHIPPING. And it was a 55k book. Now imagine the costs for 5 books. I even cringe to think. I wound up making it a Print on Demand through LuLu. Even paying for the whole thing + S&H it was half the price of the shipping alone through Creative Space.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ACSilva — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:28:01 -0500

Or you can use LuLu, especially if you're Euro located. THOSE actually do make books professional looking.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

01 — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:34:46 -0500

Yes, that was a new option introduced at some point (at least to me who had ordered a proof copy in the past).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ACSilva — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:35:08 -0500

^ This We all love CreateSpace for their free love all these two years. But their sudden change and the new terms leave me iffy. I mean, okay, sure, I can understand them not wanting to shell out for the shipping. I think people would evens squirm less if they offered the proof copies, but we paid for the shipping. A couple years ago, I had a bad experience with their shipping (got asked 25 USD for a 55k word book) but it seems the prices are reasonable now (Portugal is listed as 6 USD for regular shipping). However 5 free copies BUT you have to pay the entire shipping AND you basically are publishing through them? I dunno, again, I'd prefer it was just me having to shell out for the shipping. I'm sure it'd be cheaper for them too to just give me a proof copy instead of 5 copies. I really don't understand their wanting to give 5 copies instead of 1 Proof Copy.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

01 — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:36:07 -0500

You have the right to still get it published. But your ISBN is searchable, so publishers might not want to do a re-publication.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ACSilva — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:38:57 -0500

I can understand with CS is doing this (I'm sure they were surprised by a barrage of NaNoNovels), and I can't fault them, but the whole thing is a bit iffy to me, especially the whole giving up first rights (even if you don't publish the book officially). I think it'd have been perhaps a better compromise if they'd offer us the proof copies and we paid for the shipping? Otherwise, as the whole thing is worded.... No. I'm afraid I can't use it, and it makes me so sad.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:45:56 -0500

While it is not the same as previous years. I would like to thank CreateSpace for their offer for this year. I will not be using in for my NaNo as there is no way it would be ready for printing more than a proof, and maybe even a breech of the Geneva convention inflicting it on the general population ;p I might pay for a proof use to fit it in with my previous years copies However I have an idea regarding a non fiction book connected to my research into my family history and 5 copies of that would be wonderful since no-one but the family would be interested in my grandfathers war memories.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

kunaineck — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:46:08 -0500

I realize this, but NOT EVERYONE lives outside the US. Besides, CreateSpace owes us NOTHING, we're lucky they're even offering us THIS. In fact, I'm surprised so many people are complaining about CREATESPACE'S offer when all the other offers are making us pay too. Sure, it's at a discount, but you DO STILL have to pay.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Fil — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:12:43 -0500

This post is for people who know what a computer looks like but don't know how to use it very well (Me). I want people like me to understand what the following post means: "When you set up a novel through them, you first have to get a proof copy (which you have to pay for + shipping) to check through it and make sure it will all turn out okay. Once you receive that and then 'approve' the proof, THEN it goes for sale." You see the words 'approve the proof''? You have to do something before hitting the 'approve' button and you have to do it right. You have to make all the changes on your paper 'proof copy' then go into your computer and make those changes on your computer (Word) copy. And now the important part: you have to take your Word copy (that you have now changed so it is perfect) and do the same thing to that copy as you did to get your proof copy sent to CreateSpace in the first place. In other words, you substitute your new 'perfect copy' for the old 'proof copy'. Once you've done that, then, and only then, does your finger get close to the 'approve' button. If your first reaction is: what an idiot; everyone knows that! My response is: now he does. When I did it the first time, I made the changes on my Word copy but didn't do the substitution before I hit the 'approve' button. I got a 'final' copy back that was identical to my proof copy. It was loaded with typos. Now that I've got the hang of doing it right, I'm very pleased with the final CreateSpace product.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

laura.c.h — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:01:57 -0500

Yeah, I live in England and I can't remember exactly but I think it was about 6 weeks for it to arrive.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

kunaineck — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:12:10 -0500

I see. You do have a point then. Well, if you live overseas.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:34:14 -0500

Ditto with the thanks; the offer isn't perfect for me, because I'm stingy with my rights, but their offer this year was the exact right prod to drive my mother into the self-publishing world. She's been hovering on the edge, and this will be great for her; the book is for a specialty market anyway, and was unlikely to ever be published any other way. The generosity of the five-free-copies offer has pushed her into it. Right there this offer has a high value. It's a generous offer, and I think it's a timely offer. The big publishers are squeezing out mid-listers and unknowns, because the market is so tight; self-publishing is probably the best way to break in. It may not be the best fit offer for everybody; but for who this offer fits, it's an incredible offer.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

WanderingAuthor — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:36:52 -0500

There is still one problem if you actually hope to sell the book to a traditional publisher. CreateSpace assigns an ISBN to your book, therefore it shows up as "published" (by them), and so you can no longer sell "first publication rights". Those are the rights most publishers are interested in. So be careful. If you aren't planning on selling your book, that's not a problem at all. If you want to self-publish, it may not be a problem for you either (although the first publisher would be shown as CreateSpace, not your own publishing imprint - if that matters to you). But if you are thinking of going the traditional route, taking advantage of this offer will make it impossible to sell the one right that will matter to those publishers.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

WanderingAuthor — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:43:10 -0500

Huh? Your local newspaper would have an ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) not an ISBN (International Standard Book Number), and the fact that you'd had a letter to the editor published would mean little or nothing to most agents. And if an agent wants to see that you've already published, they won't just look to see if your name is listed in the ISBN database, they'll look to see who the publisher is. (Otherwise, all you'd have to do to impress the agent would be shell out a few bucks to print a book via CreateSpace, and then, why wouldn't anyone do that?) Most agents might consider representing YOU later, but in most cases will NOT represent a book that already has an ISBN issued for that title. Why? Because that book has already been "published", even if you only got a single copy sent to yourself. Since it is "published", you can no longer sell first publication rights to the book, and those are the only rights that matter to commercial publishers (unless you're enough of a success already that you wouldn't be worrying about simple things like getting an agent - then, they might be happy enough to reprint already published work with your name on it).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

WanderingAuthor — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:50:12 -0500

"Essentially, this is an offer for a bound copy of what you write. You can choose to have it available on Amazon, which would count as self-publishing. However, having a single-- or five-- copy of your book, just for you or a few friends to look at, and to bask in your accomplishment, would not. And it would not affect your chances of being published in any way." WRONG. CreateSpace will issue an ISBN for these "bound copies". Thus, the title of the book and your name will appear in the ISBN database, and the book will be considered "published" EVEN IF you do not release it through any outlet whatsoever. A commercial publisher would no longer be interested, since you could not offer them "first publication rights". (Yes, it is - barely - possible, if you wrote a book they were absolutely sure would be a huge bestseller, they might still talk to you, but even in that highly unlikely scenario, you'd already be at a disadvantage in negotiating with them.) Now, of course, if you SELF publish, somehow manage to sell enough copies to impress that same commercial publisher, and convince them they'd be able to sell many, many more than you already had, then, they might talk to you. But they'll always talk to you if you've done something that proves to them they can make money out of it. For most of us here, we're "unproven". Even agents aren't terribly interested in talking to us. So if our book is "published", then we've lost the one thing they might have considered on a good day.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

WanderingAuthor — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:55:18 -0500

WRONG. While all rights still belong to you, and you could publish the book any way you wanted to on your own, you won't be able to publish through an agent. Why? Because the book has already been "published", and so the agent couldn't sell the "first publication rights". Unless your name is J. K. Rowling, that's all the commercial publishers - and the agents that work with them - will be interested in is first publication rights.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

WanderingAuthor — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:57:36 -0500

You do make a good point, IF you use a different title - but there are still legal implications to think about here. What if a publisher makes an offer for your book under a different title - and then you're suddenly confronted with the prospect of signing a contract which includes a clause guaranteeing that novel has never been previously published. Sure, you could lie and hope they never found out, but IF they ever did, you'd have painted yourself into a pretty nasty legal corner.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jefflion — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:27:46 -0500

The thing is, they want to make us PUBLISH with them. If they offer a free proof, even with us paying for the shipping, there's no guarantee that any of us would publish through them. And I guess they have nothing unless people publish through them so they decided on this. I guess it makes sense from their POV, but I do agree it turned into a somewhat disappointing marketing strategy (from our POV). I can't blame them, but I'm not sure if they truly understand the NaNo audience and how to make a good product to us. Their proof offer in the past years was what we wanted and needed, and sure, they didn't have to offer it for free, but I'm sure people here would be happy to pay for the shipping or some other form of offer that concerns the proof. This year's offer, on the other hand, is not really shaped by the average NaNo user's needs (as far as I can tell). Most of us are not looking for a self-publisher to publish through them. All we want is a proof. Most of us are barely ready to submit a proof after 6 months, let alone official books that can be read by others and sold. Offering another service (editing, cover designing, etc.) would be a better idea, imo, even if they asked you to pay for the proof or part of the proof. But not the offer of publishing; I do think many (most of?) NaNos aren't interested in that.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:04:28 -0500

Yeah, mine took a little longer than that actually. I had to contact them and they said if it didn't arrive within another week it must have got lost, but then it arrived the next day. XD

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

odd-one.414 — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:43:53 -0500

I emailed CreateSpace yesterday, and here's part of the response I got, in case anyone is still confused on things: "Whenever you make your title available, even if you have not enabled any sales, that becomes the publication date (if you have not already listed one in the publication date field in the sales channels section). Once your title is made "Available," the publication date cannot be changed. Therefore, if you would like the publication date to be a date in the future, we suggest waiting to approve the proof copy until the desired publication date." Hope that helps!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

flutterbye — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:28:39 -0500

It cost me about $7 to get 5 copies of a 335 page, 6" x 9" book shipped.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

flutterbye — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:28 -0500

On Createspace you can always update your files and 'republish'. They won't even call it that if you don't want them to; the book will just be unavailable while they check your new files. The only things you can't change are the title and author, because that would require a new isbn; that's what I did. I found out the hard way that the old book would then still remain a published book, even if, as I did, you removed it from all sales channels. It is still available, too; some of the copies I gave away as review copies have ended up in private sellers' hands and are now back up on Amazon as used books. The problem is making sure potential buyers know that they are essentially the same book, so they don't get understandably ticked off buy buying both of them! Better not to jump the gun; I will get a paid-for proof and make sure what I publish is what I want to publish before I finalize it and get my five free copies. The one I finished in the summer is almost 600 pages (155K), so I will get my money's worth! Submitting under a different title would work, I believe, if you used the private option, because that book would have a different isbn: you might consider a pseudonym as well, since you will never be offering it for sale; it would then just be lost in the limbo of the isbn lists, I think, along with maybe millions of other 'published' books, and never be connected with the finished, published book, at all if that's what you want. If you substantially change your book, or it is 'revised and updated' (and presumably not a novel), it is suggested that you get it (or ask for, from Create Space) a new isbn and make it the second, or third, or whatever, edition. This is all my interpretation of the information available at Create Space, plus my own experience. I don't in any way guarantee that I am correct, although I think I am. Be sure you do your own research, though.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Nimure — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:57:14 -0500

Here is the response from CreateSpace: Hello, Thank you for contacting us regarding your publication inquiry. We recommend that you contact a couple of traditional publishers regarding any information or policy on first publication rights. Unfortunately, that is not something that report on as we are a self-publishing company. We appreciate your support request and I hope that this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any additional questions or concerns, we'll gladly be of service. If you need more help with this issue, click here: http://www.createspace.com/Support Best regards, Sarah CreateSpace Member Services Just waiting to here back from DAW.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Amaya — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 02:07:02 -0500

That doesn't really answer the first publication rights questions, it merely states that should you choose to publish it through createspace at a later date the first date will be applied as the publish date.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Amaya — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 02:09:10 -0500

They should be able to at least tell us if this limited publishing through them uses the first publication rights, but anyway, can't wait to hear back from DAW.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Priyanka.Shah — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:19:35 -0500

Can we make an account and submit it for approval and write in a title and all that jazz later? Or does it have to be before December? (I'd rather make the decision once I'm actually done writing the novel) And has anyone self-published and sold copies on Amazon (or any other site) before? What do you think of it? Thankss!!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

VirtuallyCJ — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:30:56 -0500

I've never heard of them (Visa Giftcards) being available outside of the united states. And a lot of places won't accept them anyway because they aren't associated with a mailing address.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

VirtuallyCJ — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:49:52 -0500

I understand why they are doing this this way, but I agree with those who said they think it would have been a better alternative to offer the proof copy but charge for postage. This really sucks for those of us doing fan-fiction - it would be ILLEGAL for us to accept this offer. Yes, I get that they really have no reason to care about fan-fiction writers - they have zero chance of making a dime off of us, but I just really wish this had been made known before I decided to go with fan-fiction for my project this year.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Jessome — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:25:29 -0500

Createspace aren't publishing really, they're just printing. There was discussion about this somewhere at some point, and the bottom line is that it won't make it "impossible" to sell. If you conduct yourself properly (ie don't, whatever you do, freak out over a bad review like that one writer did last year, and go on a complete Authorzilla rampage and insult everyone) and have a great story, there's no reason why a publisher wouldn't want it! :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:29:44 -0500

I recently ordered 8 copies of my book from last years NaNo, and shipping to NEW ZEALAND came to around $30. That's less than $4 per book. Each book cost me $14.60 NZ total (cost + shipping). I am currently selling them for $20 NZ each via trademe and my facebook page (as well as sales on Amazon). My book resides in the New Zealand National Library (it's compulsory for publishers/self publishers to donate a copy). And I'm just happy that it exists.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:38:06 -0500

Since it's on published copies - could you actually use it to buy someone else's books?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Korinkato — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:35:54 -0500

What if I don't want to publish my book, but just receive a few copies of it? Is that possible or will I have to publish it?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Jessome — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:18:32 -0500

You approve your copy, but DON'T choose any of the sales options, if you want to do that :) If you don't want to make it for sale, that is. It will still have an ISBN and be "published", but people can't buy it if you don't want them to :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Jessome — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:20:38 -0500

I think for those who are confused about the Createspace process, your best bet is to just set up an account on createspace and do a "dummy run", just create a random title on there and look through the steps of the process I self-pubbed last years NaNo novel with them, and found the process really easy :) It's off sale at the moment as I changed the cover and it still needs tweaking, and I'm not entirely happy with some of the alignment inside (which was my own silly fault, nothing to do with createspace), but it's a really easy process. Easy to make it available AND take it down, as and when you please.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Earthsick — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:58:32 -0500

A normal shipping fee from Germany to Austria is approx. 5 Euros. Not 10, without even talking about who ships the thing. Mostly the normal post services though. There are even shops (like la fraise, for t-shirts) that use priority mailing and they still keep the costs at about 5 Euros. The shop I mean just generally charges 10 Euros for shipping - regardless of the weight or amount of books, for people from Austria and Switzerland. That's just dumb since they don't calculate anything but only slap one shipping price on their stuff. (That's frustrating!) At least the calculator at Createspace shows reasonable prices that depend on the shipping method. Great thing.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

isethia — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:25:29 -0500

Yeah, that's pretty much what really bothers me about the way they changed the offer this year. It excludes anyone who's writing fanfiction and might like to have a real copy of their book.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:29:03 -0500

I frequent a website, ralan.com, that keeps tabs on who requires what. A lot of publishers flatly say don't even bother querying them on reprints, i.e., stuff that has been printed already. Others say query them before sending your submission (meaning they will accept some, if they like you/your manuscript) Ralan.com. Click on books, and go through the list. Everybody has a different rule. It depends who you want to publish with. (the summary for DAW says they do not want reprints) Tor Fantasy says query. Baen says no. Etc. etc.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Neffis — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:36:53 -0500

While I understand the need to not officially make statements on publication rights, I think there is a responsibility here to be clear about the generous self publishing offer presented by CreateSpace. They are a self-publishing company, as they've said in their response. ..it is natural then, that their offer would be for a self- publishing prize. If you are interested in self-publishing your book, this is a great prize. If you're not, it's not going to be geared for you. Just like anyone who doesn't plan their novel probably wont avail themselves of the writing software offers. The fact is, if you publish with Createspace you cannot really sell first publication rights to anyone. This is true if you publish anywhere, even on your personal blog. Whether or not this will affect your chance at going a "traditional" route or not depends entirely on the house or whoever you want to offer it too. This is also changing dramatically all the time. I wouldn't want to offer a speculation on the outcome and I can see why no official comment would be made there. Nobody knows for sure if it will or wont stop you from going that route to have a few self pubbed copies out there. But the fact that first publication rights are off the table is not in question. They are. I think what worries me more than debating that, is the ethics involved in suggesting someone use a 'dummy' title to get around a legal matter, or dupe a potential publisher into believing the first rights are still available. And as someone mentioned, self publishing any fan fiction through this deal would be illegal. It is a fantastic offer for anyone wanting to self publish with Createspace and should be seen exactly as that. A self publishing company offering a great deal on their self publishing package. But not commenting on rights is not the same thing as pointing out potential illegal situations, clarifying the facts and making it clear that people fully understand what decision they are making by using this reward.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

VirtuallyCJ — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:15:56 -0500

I would like to suggest for the NaNo office people that some wording be switched around as well. In previous years the CreateSpace offer has been posted as a "Winner Goody" whether it actually is or not, IMO (at least in the past), this gives the idea that this is a prize that is available to all winners which it obviously is not - it would be illegal for those doing fan-fiction to accept the offer and quite honestly, younger participants might not even realize this. My suggestion would be to refer to it as a "Special offer for winners" instead of a "Winners Goody" with very clear rules on the NaNo site for what content is acceptable for this offer. I have already heard people discussing ways to get the free copies of fanfiction by hiding the fact that it is fanfiction. This could lead to some serious problems.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Neffis — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:17:30 -0500

Very good point, Virtually. In particular about young authors. I am concerned about this because I'm also a parent and on the YWP site. One of the things the OLL does is educate and encourage young authors. There is a thread on the young writers page about this offer and they clearly do not understand it or what it means, but no one seems to be clarifying it from an official standpoint. Createspace is a big sponsor and they are, in truth, being very generous. But young authors don't understand the difference between all rights remain with the author and first publication rights being what a publishing house really wants to buy. I understand why Createspace was losing a great deal on the other offer. The intended result of offering a proof was for so many people to go ahead and choose to publish with them. Advertising, sponsorship, what have you usually is intended to pay off in business at some point. If the majority of us took the proof and ran, then, they probably needed to revamp the offer. But if the OLL is truly helping young authors learn about the literary world, then someone needs to say, this particular offer is not legal to redeem for fan fiction because, while we love fan fiction and all our great fan fic Wrimos out there, it would infringe on copyright laws. And on the YWP forums there definitely should be an effort to educate. Just my opinion, but it worries me that the plan seems to be; let them sort it out for themselves.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

VirtuallyCJ — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:40:06 -0500

Yes, and I have an account on createspace from getting my proof copy last year and no where on there is the issue of fanfiction even addressed. It might be in the forum or FAQ, but let's be real - your average 14 year old isn't likely to bother with that. I am not sure how it works, it's been awhile since I have looked around and I never had to deal with it, but is there a safeguard to prevent young participants from doing this on their own? Yes, it may ask for age, but we all know that kids sometimes lie to get what they want, and if they can use a visa gift card to pay - they could do this completely without parental knowledge. Again, I am basing this on the most lax age restriction possibility - it could be more stringent, I don't know, I'm 45, I've never had to be concerned with it. Personally, I would like to see it labeled as a "Special offer for Winners" and then a bold large text warning that the offer is not valid for fan-fiction under penalty of law. Yes, the offer is the responsibility of CreateSpace - but making NaNo participants- particularly kids, fully aware is the responsibility of NaNoWriMo.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Thomas09 — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:21:59 -0500

Some great points made here, thanks everyone. I have perhaps a somewhat different slant. A lot of people seem concerned about giving up first rights. But the publishing world is changing so fast now, and several authors have tried major publishers first with no luck, then gone on to self-publish, had success with marketing, and THEN have been picked up by a major publisher. A good example is Lisa Genova's story with Still Alice, which went on to become a best-seller. So as long as you retain the rights to your work (never give up all rights), then I doubt a major publisher will care very much if you self-published first, as long as you've shown your book is a success and can make money for them (and the same goes for any agent, who will be interested above all in your platform, publicity, and sales).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

cacoethes scribendi — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:22:48 -0500

Thanks for taking the time to explain this so clearly :) It could be painful to miss the importance of this point.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

cacoethes scribendi — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:25:14 -0500

Sorry, my comment above is addressed to WanderingAuthor

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Neffis — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:52:01 -0500

So true, Thomas! The publishing universe is a shifting landscape today. lol I'd never advise anyone to not self publish first, or advise them to, either. You just can't tell one way or the other these days what will be the best move. I think everyone has to judge that apple for themselves. :D But I do think being fully educated on the state of things is the key to making the right choice for you. I have both self published and small press published works, and I'll probably shoot for that traditional contract again in the future as well. Just my personal choice--the way things are going, I want my eggs in as many baskets as possible. ;)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Doogie Race — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:40:18 -0500

So can I BUY 5 proof copies and everything's fine? Or can you buy just one proof copy?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

KonataIzumi1 — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:47:57 -0500

What if I wrote a fanfiction? Some people are saying that my CreateSpace book still gets 'published'. Will it be legal for me to submit a fanfic instead of an original? Or would I be defying a law?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Nimure — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:17:56 -0500

Here is DAW's response No, this would not cause any sort of problem for submission. All best, JAS From: Lindsay Adams [mailto:lva0001@tigermail.auburn.edu] Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 12:41 AM To: PGI Internet, Daw Subject: Question about Publication Importance: High This year, CreateSpace is offering NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) winners 5 free paperback copies of their book. Would this interfere with the possibility of getting a book published by DAW? Example, If I completed the edits on my novel and got my 5 free copies, would the book be considered unpublishable by DAW because it had been "published" by CreateSpace? Note-There would be no sales or places of distribution of the book, just personal copies. Thank you for your time, Lindsay

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:50:20 -0500

Yes. However, if you give it a fairly non-specific title (ie: don't call it "My Pokemon journey" or whatever) and don't release it in any distribution channels - I do not think there is anyway that anyone would find out? Is there?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ZoraSkywalker — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 02:40:05 -0500

And then there's the smaller detail of "Is a first draft (or even a more heavily edited one) that barely resembles what is published by a publisher, really has been published before?" Honestly, I was planning on getting the proof copy this year, but now I'm not so sure. All of this stuff is kind of over my head and I don't want to get into something that prevents me from publishing later. I mean, if I'd planned on using it for one of my "just for fun" novels, than I'd be cool with it, but I'd been planning on using it for my much more serious novel that I've actually been working on the plot for quite a while now.

Another POV, FWIW...

Crowhugger — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 03:09:18 -0500

By and large I disagree. Expecting OLL to hold kids' hands through publishing legalities makes no sense to me. That's the parents' ultimate responsibility. I think that OLL cannot and should not go there. And, isn't the place for all us WriMos, and parents as applicable, to get legal advice not OLL, but from a lawyer who is trained to know what information is needed before dispensing advice (and insured for when s/he makes a good faith error)? Adults visit and use any web site at their own risk. Kids do so at their parent/guardian's risk AND their own. Just because the public generally doesn't bother to educate its offspring adequately about the internet nor does it generally bother adequately to supervise its offspring beyond setting some lockouts, well all that doesn't mean it becomes OLL's job to pick up the slack. My mind completely boggles that OLL would be expected to bridge both a parenting gap AND legal gap by providing legal advice to minors. If there is any relevant message OLL can offer, I suggest it could say: 1. Buyer beware. 2. Read and understand all terms and conditions before you sign up for anything. 3. If an offer seems to good to be true, it probably is, or at least it won't last. 4. Make sure you understand 1 through 3, above. Also, there is already a remedy for when we see a post we consider unethical or risky to the safety--physical or legal--of a minor or anyone else, and that is to click on REPORT and tell the mods why we did so.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Doogie Race — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 04:18:49 -0500

They say they "review" your book before printing, whatever that means...

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Enzan — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:08:37 -0500

It means that they check the file size, interior margins, bleed, whether the author names match the author names on the cover/interior and anything else related to printing the book. If specifications are not met, they send you a message saying what needs to change (ex: cover does not stretch to full bleed, the interior margins need changing, etc). They make no comments about the story itself. I've gone through Createspace a few times. They take about 24 hours to review; I've always gotten messages from 7-9 AM EST. About the issue of fanfiction, I've heard of people who went through the proof stage all right. I can't speak about that since I only sent in original stuff...

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Ayesha123Play — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:03:36 -0500

Okay so, you have your five free proof copies. Can you send them straight from Createspace to different addresses or do they all have to go to one address?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Looking Glaz — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 08:15:19 -0500

Enzan is right. I know several people who published books in languages other than English through CreateSpace. If they were reading very book they are publishing, then they would've probably had some policy on that (say, requiring all books to be in English).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

VirtuallyCJ — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:58:26 -0500

See, this is exactly what I am getting at. Suppose someone did this and somehow it DID get out? Someone posted in another thread about accidentally having a fanfction novel for sale for 6 months. Lets be real, accidents happen. You are risking legal action by doing this for the sake of getting five free books. Remember, these are assigned a ISBN - technically, that is putting it up for sale. I won't even go into the ethics involved here. I had no problem getting my proof copy for fanfiction last year because it came no where near the for sale stage. Once I got my proof I closed everything out and deleted the novel.

Re: Another POV, FWIW...

Neffis — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:04:59 -0500

While I agree on the holding hands and parent responsibility bit... There is a big difference between that and allowing a forum under your organization to post "how-to" comments on illegal action without moderating the thread. I can't count how many times its been suggested here to just use a fake or neutral title and no one would know. Strictly my opinion, but I see that as requiring moderator comment. (Yes I have hit report) In one instance, it was a moderator who mentioned using a false title so no one would know it was published. I agree that the OLL is not legally responsible for kids and publishing law, and YES, no way would I want to go there or want them to go there. honestly. But as a non profit organization catering to young writers/students/educators...one that requests donations based on doing good things for the literary world. I think there's some comment that should be made on the kids site. Just a suggestion to please look carefully and do your research. I have posted this on that page for the kids because I felt like they were confused and completely being left on their own strictly because no one wanted to offend a good paying sponsor. If you don't want to deal with confused kids asking questions, then there shouldn't be a site specifically for students and you shouldnt bill your organization as helping kids etc.... Im not trying to be a rotten pickle about this. I love Nano and have devoted time/effort and money to it as well as rounded up a lot of new people to participate, but this is really souring the event for me.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

VirtuallyCJ — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:19:48 -0500

I believe they all have to go to one address.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

isethia — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:04:43 -0500

What I'm wondering is if it's possible at actually buy a proof for a fanfic, and no go through the rest of the steps. Wouldn't the people maintaining the website start wondering if people order proofs, especially if they get more than one, but then never publish anything? I'm currently on a quest to find a workable way to turn fanfiction into something that looks like an actual book, because if today is any indication, until I figure that out, I'm not going to be writing anything. (I have yet to write a single word all day, and day is more than half over.)

Moderator Note

Dragonchilde — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:16:20 -0500

Hi folks; We really do direct any particular questions about the CreateSpace offer to them; I really cannot comment on the legal implications of publishing a novel under a different title, but I don't believe it's a legal matter; it's contracts and publication rights, certainly not a criminal matter. The only kind of activity we actively police here on the NaNoWriMo website is criminal activity and blatant intellectual property theft. There may obviously be other matters, but these are the issues we can and do actively police. Other things may come up on a case by case basis, but obviously I can't comment on every eventuality. With regards to the CreateSpace offer, there is nothing in this thread that violates our Terms and Conditions, so I do not see the reason to remove any particular comments. If you have concerns about specific posts, please report them directly (rather than the entire thread) so that the moderation staff can review them individually. With 12 pages and counting, finding specific posts that may or may not be a problem is a herculean task. If you have specific questions about the offer, the best bet is to go straight to the source, and ask them directly. The only details we have regarding this issue and its specifics are provided in the first post.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

kerrwyvern — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:25:54 -0500

That was a typo, my browser has auto-correct on it, and I should have read through before posting instead of scan it. However I would like to draw your attention to the following quote that you appear to have missed in my previous post: [quote=kerrwyvern] From what I understand from speaking to other pubished authors (though it does vary from publisher to publisher) is that self-publishing gets you a foot hold into an industry that is remarkably hard to get into. [/quote] I was simply reiterating what I was told by other published authors. Authors whom have come in to do talks at universities, high schools, and ticketed lectures. Never did I state that this is exactly how it goes. No variations. I simply shared the information that I had. Also, please pay extra attention that I am from Canada, a different province and country to your Massachusetts. We do have different publication laws, and I am well aware that they vary from state to state, country to country. Also: [quote=kerrwyvern] Most agents wont look at you if you've never published anything that has a legal ISBN number attached. [/quote] I stated that it most agents wont consider you if you do not have a published ISBN (or ISSN) attached to your name. I said nothing about whether or not the NaNo story in question (lets call it "21 Bees") is eligible. Say I write and self publish 21 Bees, and then approach an agent about publishing another novel called 9 Hornets. I will be considered. I never said anything about self publishing 21 Bees and then approaching an agent about publishing 21 Bees, frankly because I am unsure about the procedure. Has this cleared up you misinterpretation of my previous post?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:17:06 -0500

[quote=isethia] What I'm wondering is if it's possible at actually buy a proof for a fanfic, and no go through the rest of the steps. [/quote] The book full of my fanfic on my shelf says yes you can get a proof from CS even if it contains fanfic.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Crowhugger — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:37:06 -0500

[quote=VirtuallyCJ] Suppose someone did this and somehow it DID get out? [/quote] Okay, we'll suppose it did. I don't get why it's such a big deal to you as long as YOU didn't. Oneself is the only person any of us can ultimately control.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

VirtuallyCJ — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:53:32 -0500

My point is that there are people as young as 13 participating. Why is it so bad that I have a concern about this? Sorry, but I am not completely self-involved, I care about other people and I would hate to see someone unintentionally get themselves and their parents into trouble with the law.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Sheba — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:50:43 -0500

If you absolutely paranoid about not publishing it, you can order as many proof copies as you want.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Sheba — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:56:45 -0500

I think it's very right to be concerned. This actually happened to me. Not because I'm 13 years old, but because English is not my native language. I ordered my fanfic novel through CS, got the proof, thought "looks good" and pressed 'approve proof copy'. I thought it would let me tell them that I thought they did a good job. Because I searched for the review box, I clicked through all the sales channel stuff and boom, published fanfiction. Oops. And I didn't even get what happened until three months later. I then panicked and took the novel off. I hope no one ever finds out about that. The novel is in German, so I hope that saves me...

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Samantha-Aniwaya — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:57:12 -0500

Okay. So I understand the difference is that this year you aren't getting a free proof copy and then from there can either continue the process and publish it, or not, but that you go through the process and PUBLISH it and then get your five copies at the price of shipping. But that you may make it private so nobody can buy copies but yourself. My question is this: in order to go through the process of publishing you must buy and approve a proof copy and then you can begin selling it. So could we not just begin the process as before, get to the proof copy stage, and buy one (rather than getting it for free) and once again stop in the process? Never approving it and selecting distribution channels? What do other NaNoers think? Would that not work? You would only get one copy (or as many as you bought, probably within a limit) but it wouldn't be published as long as you never approved it and selected a distribution channel. Of course, I think that defeats the purpose of them changing the reward offer. Well, you're still paying, right? I guess it wouldn't matter. Agree or disagree?

Re: Moderator Note

flutterbye — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:22:36 -0500

Thank you, Dragonchilde. I made, as far as I knew, a perfectly innocuous and reasonable post concerning some of my own experiences with Createspace, which I think provides a wonderful service. I don't spend much time in the forums: too busy writing, so I was shocked to come back to find myself, apparently, being called a criminal, immoral, and a corruptor of children (and I haven't by any means read them all!). It can't be illegal to change a novel's name,; an awful lot of people who do it between editions, or just because they want to, would have been prosecuted by now if it was. Your novel with the earlier name, whether you do it inadvertently, as I did (I would never have published the first title if I had known that 'unpublish' didn't mean any such thing, or even if I had thought at the time that it really wasn't ready for publication), or on purpose, is most unlikely to be the same book as the one you finally publish: often they are VERY different books. Bowkers recommends highly that you get a different ISBN and call it a different edition whenever you change it substantially, if you do not change the name, so that future readers will know there have been changes. As for the rest, are there that many people out there who have nothing better to do than find fault with their fellows, and then milk it for all its worth? Sorry, but I'm getting too old (and too sick) not to call it like I see it.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

JennyJenn — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:37:50 -0500

I wonder if CreateSpace wouldn't be smart to offer one-time book binding for a lot of the NaNo people (and other people like NaNo'ers). Think how much money they could make by offering for sale what they used to give away to prize winners. (The proof copies.) This would make Createspace money and satisfy a lot of customers who would otherwise not use them. As someone said earlier, you can't find book binding services that make a book look like a book. CreateSpace could create a whole new product that's basically the same as the proof copy - only no ISBN is assigned. Just to satisfy the need for people who want a few copies of a book, people who have no intention of publishing or of self-publishing. No laws broken, no morality issue, no first right publication issue - just a straight up 'I get to hold this book in my hand - my book'. They wouldn't even have to create something new - just tweak the process to assign no ISBN or approve it for sale. (Though they could make it an option because some people could change their minds and go ahead and make it for sale - not the fan fiction, obviously.) No fuss, no muss. There's obviously a market for this service, I'm surprised they haven't jumped on it. I'm self-published but I also write journals and my family did a year long family journal about 10 years ago. It's private to us and I just stuck all the pages in a binder. How cool would it be to go through a non-ISBN, non publication process to get a few copies in my hands? Maybe if we petition them...

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

VirtuallyCJ — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 01:07:07 -0500

This is exactly what I am talking about - I can easily see a 13 year old making that same mistake as well. This also concerns me as a parent. If my daughter accidentally committed copywrite fraud, it would be ME who would be in trouble, me who would be paying any fines and/or penalties. Yes, we can all say that parents should be watching their kids, but we all know that kids can be sneaky, show me a kid who has never gone behind their parents back and good luck with that, because they don't exist.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragon Gal — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 02:42:28 -0500

... ... ... we have to pay for shipping now? Dang.... that means I probably won't be allowed to use this offer (living under parental authority.) This offer sounds fantastic!!!!! ... but I prefer the old one. Oh well, I might not even win anyway! *pathetically low wordcount bar*

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

VirtuallyCJ — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 02:55:20 -0500

You can do this to get a proof copy, you just have to pay for it. It wouldn't be utilizing the offer though so no, it's not really defeating the purpose of the offer.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:54:19 -0500

Just to be crystal clear: Our young writers are not being left without guidance. Our Young Writers Program (where only young writers and their teachers may post) is very well monitored, and all questions we can answer there are answered, or redirected to the appropriate contact information. We are not actually affiliated with CreateSpace, in that we do not have any specialized knowledge about their products and services. Once someone leaves our website, our official involvement ends. It is the responsibility of the parents of minors to provide their children with the guidance they need offsite, and that's not something we can force on them. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Young Writer's Program, you may contact the moderator of those forums (eensybeensyspider) and she would be happy to lay your concerns to rest, but we ask that you please not attempt to create an account there nor answer questions on that site if you are not a child under the age of 18 or a teacher participating in the Yong Writer's Program, for the safety of the participants and yourself. Here on this site, all of our writers have access to the same resources and threads you have, including this thread (where they can and do read) and all of the other forums on this site. It may be that if they ask a question in an off-topic forum, it might not be noticed, but a simple report to the moderators to move the thread will help solve that problem. All of our participants, regardless of age, must educate themselves regarding the specifics of publishing and this offer, because we simply cannot take responsibility for anything that happens off of this website. We absolutely can and do provide as many resources as we can (which will be available in December in a special post-November forum) but there is no reason to assume that anyone is being denied information that others have.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

RAveN-838 — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:27:04 -0500

To begin: when an ISBN is assigned to your book, you have sold one form or another of first publication rights. HOWEVER (while you shouldn't rely on this), there are different sorts of first rights. There's first North America Serial, First North American Electronic, First British, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. You can only offer first rights ONCE, but there are many kinds of first rights, meaning you can offer other types of first rights for sale as long as they DO NOT OVERLAP. That does not mean a publisher has to buy it or not. As for the continued reposting of the fact that you keep your rights: You keep the copyright--you will ALWAYS keep the copyright to your work unless you choose to sell it. Publications buy rights to publish your work. You can sell reprint rights, one time rights--but you cannot sell first time publication rights more than once (for each type). It is also true that most (I stress MOST) houses will not take previously published (this include self-published) manuscripts for submission, but you would have to look at each individual house's guidelines to be certain. Voss

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

RAveN-838 — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:35:14 -0500

The offer is not for proof copies at all--it is an offer for five free books after you have officially published the book through CreateSpace. You can get proof copies, but they are a separate matter not covered in the offer. Voss

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

RAveN-838 — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:37:44 -0500

A proof is fine, as long as you do not continue from there. Putting it up for sale is illegal without permission from the copyright holder.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

s3pendleton — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:45:14 -0500

The proof copy last year was wonderful! It was amazing to actually see and feel YOUR book in your hands. Not only was it extremely inspirational, I noticed many more tweaks that I hadn't picked up on my 20+ revisions. Thanks for sponsoring again this year.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Nimure — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:01:40 -0500

The best thing to do is consult with your intended Traditional Publisher on this method. I contacted DAW (posted earlier) and asked if CreateSpace's offer would make me ineligible for publication through DAW. They responded that it would not. While I can't speak for all Traditional Publication companies, it certainly wouldn't hurt to ask them. -Nim

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

eggofreason — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 07:07:43 -0500

do the five copies have to be of the same book? is it in no way possible to have five different books that i've written be sent to me instead of five copies of the same one?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:31:21 -0500

That's a question you should direct to CreateSapce,

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ACSilva — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 12:11:06 -0500

We complain because we loved a free treat. If you notice, MOST people actually add "we can understand why Creative Space does this". We do understand. Understanding doesn't mean we won't be saddened, and complain, and somehow wish it was different that it is. Nobody is saying CS are the bad guys. They're a business and they need to make money. We can surely put ourselves in their place. But the new offer feels less of an offer and more of a commitment. Again, I'd think them offering the print versus us paying for the shipment would be sweeter, and cheaper for all parties involved - them choosing not to do so kinda, and rather demand the publishing first... leaves me a little iffy.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

robinr515 — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:51:41 -0500

I agree with you. Also, while I do understand why people are upset by this change, people seem to be forgetting that CreateSpace is set up for people who want to self publish. From a business standpoint, this change is very smart of them. Just because people took advantage of an offer from a company in previous years, even though they had no intention of using that company for any other purposes, doesn't mean the company in question should keep on doing it. CreateSpace has been footing the costs for not only the proof copies of thousands of books in past years, but also shipping costs, when most people never had any intention of purchasing anything from them. People should be thanking CreateSpace for having done this at all. I equate it to a manufacturer offering a coupon that is buy one get one free for a product, and then a few months later offering a coupon for a dollar off the product. Either way it is still a good savings and people are still getting a good deal. Also, it doesn't cost that much to purchase a proof copy--and if you live in another country, maybe instead of using CreateSpace to get a proof printed, you could check around for a more local printer--or a self publishing website that is located within your own country--whose prices would be more within your budget!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

robinr515 — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:56:42 -0500

I understand what you're saying about starting small and improving their offer, but depending on who you talk to, this actually is a better offer. This is a huge motivator for people looking to self publish, and CreateSpace is all about self publishing. If you are looking at this offer as someone who is self publishing, this is a great deal.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Kontessa — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:17:51 -0500

Thank You NaNoWriMo and CreateSpace for this opportunity. I have done NaNo a hand full of years and won a few times. I have never however taken any company up on the offers for getting a copy. I think that might be why I don't feel the sense of loss that I see others going through. As I understand it, approving the proof is the first publication date but that might not matter if you change the title and it seems most publishers do just that. Not such a bit deal to me. My situation though I am betting is a bit different than others. I am a mother of 4, I write for myself just in November, it is my gift to myself and the time is a gift from family to me as well. If I win this year, I believe I would like to polish it and work for the deadline for this offer. I would get the proof, and the free copies after, and if I loved it I might buy more to give to family and friends. My gift to them for putting up with me every November and because I am in love with my story like no year before. So I am not thinking about being "found" and taken away to publishing heaven any time soon. I want this for me. Maybe when my children are grown I will dive into and hunt for an agent and such. For now though, this offer is one that I am very thankful for. A side question, can one publish to Amazon through them? Hard copies or e-books and if so can you explain how that works. I think I might like to "sell" it for free or near free on Amazon. Some stories just want to be told!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

adora1983 — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:38:12 -0500

I was looking on createapace and there's a shipping calculator... only an estimate but still gives you an idea. Now from when I've done it before, when you go to order your proof copy, you can approve it the minute after your order, so you could then just order your 5 free copies... but I'm not sure if you can go into your order and change it so all the books would come together? Anyway for 1 copy of a 350 page 6 x 9 book, to the UK, I've rounded it up to the nearest £: priority delivery(2 business days) = £23 expedited delivery (18 business days) = £12 standard delivery (31 business days) = £9.50 For 5 free copies the shipping cost would be: priority = £31 expedited = £15 standard = £10 So the offer working on these calculations would cost you: £19.50 £27 £54

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

SitDownandWrite — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:29:34 -0500

Apples/oranges.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

SitDownandWrite — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:30:16 -0500

The above was in reference to Holly Anne.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ACSilva — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:57:04 -0500

Again, as I said, there are other solutions, which I fully intend to take, as do most people around. I don't consider CS the bad guys at all, but I AM saddened both by the loss of the awesome freebie. And their new "offer" doesn't feel an offer so much as a commitment, as I said before. That is what is nagging me. It's not the price of the Price Copies so much as the whole "You'll have to Publish with Us Before You Get This" I am immensely grateful to them and for shelling out for 2 years, both proof copies AND shippment. But this is iffy to me. I really would prefer them to just offer us the proof copy and let us pay for S&H. Again, as I said, this is me "wishing", I can fully understand them taking decisions that will be advantageous to them. I still think it'd end up being cheaper for them to just offer us the proof, and ask us for the shipment.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:42:45 -0500

Good calculations adora and thanks for pointing out the shipping calculator I hadn't seen it before. I would just like to point out to those who might pick the postage cost through the times given, that they are estimates and basically the maximum time predicted. I have 4 books from CS and they have all shipped via Standard Delivery all took less than a fortnight to get from the US to UK.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Neffis — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:50:21 -0500

You can publish to Amazon through Createspace. They have different distribution channels which you select after publication. I believe however that the minimum you can sell it for is .99 unless you are a paid member. I'm not sure if this is still the case, but they didn't allow me to price my last self-pub as "free" so unless that's changed you'll probably have to charge a small fee or sign up as a paid member. I think that fee is a one time forty dollars and an annual fee per title of five dollars, of those were the numbers last time I checked. : That would be for the print version. If you want to publish it on Amazon as an e-book, kindle direct is available and has a really good, straight forward tutorial. Good luck with the story in the meantime, finding one that sings to you that strongly is a true joy. I'm glad you're thinking of sharing it, one way or the other.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

I Can't Write For My Life — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:57:11 -0500

Oh, then it's not that much! Thank you! It's because my mom has me pretty tight with money now!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:15:50 -0500

Aw, man! 20 pounds?! That's like 30 of our Canadian dollars! I had heard it was cheaper than that. Is that for an average 50k book?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:16:45 -0500

Oh, also, I have another question. What sizes of books can you get? Is it usually large paperbacks? Can you request a small mass market paperback? Would that cost less to ship or something?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:29:13 -0500

I accidentally clicked 'approve proof copy' too last year and then got sent loads of emails reminding me that I hadn't chosen sales channels yet, then I panicked and took my novel off the site. XD It wasn't because I didn't understand it - I just accidentally leaned on the mouse while reading the page! xD It's very easy to make mistakes on their website though. I'm 20 and I still get confused. The kids doing YWP must be totally baffled. o_o

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

rachelynn — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:00:27 -0500

If you only got the free proof copy from them in the past, does that count as "publishing/self-publishing"? (did not make it available to sell, only got the proof copy) Just wondering because I've seen people mention things about "first publication rights."

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:20:41 -0500

Nope, according to everyone here.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:21:33 -0500

I know I'm posting a lot here, but is there a REALLY detailed tutorial for publishing with CreateSpace? I really don't want to screw it up. Do you have to submit and have your book approved before Nov. 30 for CreateSpace? Or is that only for NanoWrimo? What's the deadline for accepting the offer? I'll try to finish editing by the 30th just in case, anyway.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

rachelynn — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:33:40 -0500

I think the offer starts after Dec. 5 and lasts until June or July. So you will have time! Also it's pretty easy, just follow the steps on the Createspace site. The hardest part for me was figuring out the pdf file! Because you have to resize it to fit the size of the book you want. But once you figure that out, it's all easy, and they have to review it first.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

rachelynn — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:40:54 -0500

Most Popular Trim Sizes: 5x8 - I would always get this one 5.25 x 8 5.5 x 8.5 6 x 9 More Industry-Standard Choices: 5.06 x 7.81 - Looks like this is the smallest 6.14 x 9.21 6.69 x 9.61 7 x 10 7.44 x 9.69 7.5 x 9.25 8 x 10 8.5 x 11

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Neffis — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:44:03 -0500

Their forums have a lot of great tutorials and also templates. I've searched the forums for some pretty specific questions and always found answers...sometimes too many answers. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:25:00 -0500

[quote=Gibush] I know I'm posting a lot here, but is there a REALLY detailed tutorial for publishing with CreateSpace? I really don't want to screw it up. Do you have to submit and have your book approved before Nov. 30 for CreateSpace? Or is that only for NanoWrimo? What's the deadline for accepting the offer? I'll try to finish editing by the 30th just in case, anyway. [/quote] No, you do NOT have to have your novel finished by November 30th to use the special offer. November 30 is our deadline, not CreateSpace's. They give you about 6 months to finish. You don't even need to use the novel you're writing now. :) The offer is good for any novel you choose. (or no novel at all... some people have used the offer in the past for all kinds of books.) Be sure and read the first post in this thread. It includes all of these details and more. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:18:50 -0500

OK, understood. One thing: I created a CreateSpace account soon after joining NaNoWriMo, and put in the title of my novel and got an ISBN and such. Was that a bad idea? Do you have to do it only when the offer is "on"?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

AmySparrow — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:39:31 -0500

I used the free proof copy last year and it made me assign an ISBN to the book. Since I had the title slightly different then maybe it won't affect an agent or publisher picking it up? And since I never officially "approved" that book after I got the proof, then it might not have been recorded anyway....

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:52:21 -0500

Also, is there some sort of guide for the proper formatting for a novel? I want the text to be in the right part of the page when it's printed and so on, obviously.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

chibisarel — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:20:51 -0500

You input the NaNo offer code when you actually ORDER the books, i.e. when you tell them, "Yep, I'm happy with this; send me the books." So it won't matter that you've already created the project with them. Last year, I created the project and made the cover and such during November, and it didn't matter later on. This page has a lot of information and guides for how to format your novel: https://www.createspace.com/en/community/community/resources/formatting_your_files?view=all Hopefully, you'll find answers to your formatting questions there =)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Moonbabylove — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:20:30 -0500

Okay. Someone else might have mentioned this, but after reading pages and pages of people saying a big publisher won't pick up an already published book, I would like to say this: bull. From Wikipedia: William Young originally wrote The Shack as a Christmas gift for his six children with no apparent intention of publishing it. After letting several friends read the book he was urged to publish it for the general public. In 2006, Young worked closely with Wayne Jacobsen, Brad Cummings (both former pastors from Los Angeles) and Bobby Downes (filmmaker) to bring the book to publication. They had no success with either religious or secular publishers, so they formed Wind Blown Media for the sole purpose of publishing this one book. The Shack achieved its #1 best selling success via word-of-mouth and with the help of a USD$300.00 website; it is often reported that nothing else had been spent on marketing up to September 2007.[6] Additional startup funds were supplied by Brad Cummings, president of Windblown Media, who spent the maximum credit limit on 12 personal credit cards in order to publish the book.[7][8] From Christian Writing Today: Windblown Media sold 3.8 million copies, and in June, 2008 the huge Hachette Book Group took over distribution. (basically they became co-publishers/bought Windblown Media so that they could make money off an already successful book). An imprint of Hachette also publishes Twilight. It is one of the biggest publishers in the world. So, if I big publisher wants your book, it doesn't matter if you or someone else already sold a million copies of it, in fact that's why they would buy it. Algonquin Books was a smallish publisher bought up by a larger publisher so that the larger one could sell the smaller ones books,authors' contracts, make money, and eat up the competition, I assume. Again, just because you've published a book once, doesn't mean it couldn't be reprinted or published by another company. OR you could re-do your novel as a graphic novel or screenplay or something.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Amaya — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:20:49 -0500

Yes, but if your book doesn't blow everyone out of the water in the self publishing arena then you have almost totally given up your chance of being traditionally published.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

roboticjawa — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:54:58 -0500

I am a title confused, do you have to pay for a proof copy or do you just have to pay shipping costs for the five copies?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Jim Miller — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 23:55:47 -0500

This is a great deal. Wow!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:46:30 -0500

I think you for the proof copy AND to have it shipped, and then just shipping on the 5 copies.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

roboticjawa — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 06:21:49 -0500

Do you know how much it is??

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Burnt Sushi — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:08:17 -0500

That all depends on how it's imprinted. If you go with the self-publisher imprint, then you're right. That book is untouchable by anyone else but the self-publisher. However, the majority of self-publishers offer you the more expensive, but safer, approach of having it imprinted under your own name, tying that novel to no particular house. This makes it open for a big house to pick up.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

benjimum — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:24:10 -0500

I did this last yr and I paid shipping. around 7 dollars.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

benjimum — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:44:45 -0500

Last year I took them up on their offer and I was so glad I did. It cost about 7.00 canadian to have it shipped. It was exciting to have the book (proof) in my hands! There is lots of guidance on the site when you create your book, just thake the time to read the information. My Advice: dont leave it til the last minute as it takes a little while once you submit your story for it to be approved for printing and i couldnt use the coupon from them til the last part of the process... I had used an unknown font in one spot and it was not able to be printed so I was very close to the deadline before they told me it was ready for printing. There are quite a few choices as in size and paper and such, so you need some time to decide and to be sure you are reading the info about what you are doing. This is a great deal, even the new one is. Enjoy.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:01:12 -0500

The price of the proof copy depends entirely on the dimensions and how many pages it has. The cost of the shipping will of course also depend on how much the books weight, and where you live. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:22:26 -0500

Thanks for the info! I'm in Canada, so that's helpful. I'll have to go to their site and check out all the sizes. Do they list prices, too? Like how much it would cost for the proof to be made AND shipped?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:29:41 -0500

It wouldn't allow me to charge less than $1.99 for my ebook :( Still, it is really, really easy to sell as an ebook - just remember - you NEED to do all the formatting yourself, and check out how it looks either on your own kindle or on the mobi reader, because I have had some books that have been formatted in manners that I do not quite understand! Also, when printing as an actual book, the prices started at $12.49, I think. You can sell at base cost and make no profit - I make I believe around 50c per book sold. Not that I'll be receiving a cheque anytime soon and even if I do - it will probably cost as much for me to cash it in (because I live in a foreign country). And if you don't live in the US there's all sorts of funny things with taxes - I believe they automatically deduct 30% unless you fill in a complicated looking form that I don't understand... I just bought a bunch of the books and am selling them via my website, my facebook page (LemurKat, if you're curious) and also occasionally via trademe (NZ auction site). At $20NZ, which is approximately $14 US at our current exchange rate (but believe me, you don't want to pay the postage to buy it from me in NZ). And you have to get it looking just the way you want it to be printed, because all Createspace do is pring it - they'll email you if there's any major formatting issues, but the design is entirely up to you. You also have to remember that Traditional Publishing Houses are struggling now - they're up against some pretty high-end online and POD retailers, and they're also competting against ebooks. They're not going to touch a book by an unpublished author unless they are absolutely certain it will sell! It is an expensive investment for them to decide to publish, and entails a certain amount of risk. So they are not just going to take anything. And with POD, you may not get rich from it, but your book is available FOREVER or until you take it down, Amazon closes or civilisation crumbles (whatever comes first) - whereas if you go through a traditional publisher, they'll print X number of copies, distribute them, collect back what doesn't sell after a time period, and if they deem it not worth their while to keep it in print, they won't reprint it. You then have to wait for your contract to expire and the rights to your title to return to you, which could take months - or years, of your book no longer being yours. Whereas if you POD then the rights remain yours - you can release it simultaneously in different channels and remove it at any time. And, if you pay them money, it could appear in bookstores, too.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:42:08 -0500

Here's the thing with this one - because you need to use the coupon by June or July, you will need to have received and approved your proof copy by then. You can probably approave your proof copy without seeing it (since they don't record when things arrive), but it will likely take a week or two (or three or four if you're international and paying the cheaper shipping) if you do decide to wait. That means that you need to get your story editted and formatted as early next year as you can. My current novel "Lemurs: A Saga" won't even be finished by then, but I have an earlier manuscript I need to polish up and publish - just have to redo some of the illustrations and do a read-through on my kindle to see if I can pick up on any errors. My NaNo novel last year was finished in November, editted over December and January and I ordered my first proof (the free one) around April, I think. It took about a month to arrive. I then found a ridiculous amount of typos and had to submit a new interior and reorder the proof. Then my parents proof-read that for me and found even more typos that I'd missed. I corrected them and ordered another proof, which I then approved without reading because well... I was too lazy to read it again and I was pretty sure we would have found the majority of them. The book became available for regular sale around July, and is up there currently. I've sold maybe 10 copies between the paperback and the ebook, not counting the ones I've sold myself from home (I ordered it in shipments of 12 and 8). With the aquisition of a kindle, I am hoping to require only one proof copy this time, and to have my book available when I go on a US road-trip in June. But a word of advice - DON'T procrastinate, the proofing takes time and you'll be under a deadline to get it done/accepted if you wish to take up this offer. And if you can't get your book in time, you can always buy copies of mine (maybe?) - it's called "Aroha's Grand Adventure" and was written in the month of November, 2010, through hundreds of aftershocks.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:47:56 -0500

I like your excerpt and also that picture in your avatar. Is that one of the illustrations from your book? I tend to really like animal stories, though. Your page says it's part two of something. Is part one Aroha's Grand Adventure?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:12:58 -0500

The costs depend entirely on the dimensions of the novel, the amount of pages, and where you live. :) It it helps, my proof was BIG last year - it was about 600 pages - and it cost £14 to make and ship to the UK.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:52:56 -0500

Nope, it's Lemurs: A Saga, part two - I wrote part one in the month of June for SOCNO (Southern Cross Novel Challenge). My avatar is my muse, her name is Kataryna, and she has wings (which you can't see in the picture). She is a ringtailed lemur, and there is one of those in the novel, but she is currently out of the plot. Aroha's Grand Adventure is about a weka - which is a type of flightless bird, native to New Zealand. She's a cheeky little bird that gets kidnapped by a child and taken across the South Island, from Greymouth to Christchurch, and has to walk home. Which means it's essentially a roadtrip across the centre of New Zealand's South Island. She was a fun character to write for.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Lisa.Vail — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:46:55 -0500

Okay... so here's what I picked up about the publishing thing from reading comments... please correct me if I'm wrong. -It's a good price for the five copies but because it gives you an ISBN you may have trouble if you try and publish traditionally. Fair enough. -If you purchase a single proof copy instead, then you do not get an ISBN. <

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Lisa.Vail — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:48:43 -0500

Why are my comments only half showing up? O.o continued - So if I were to purchase just the proof copy, would my novel still count as 'published'? Or is it only 'published' once you get the five? Would a publisher lose interest if they found out that you had purchased a proof copy?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BlackScorpio — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:33:35 -0500

I've been reading through these comments and felt I needed to add to WanderingAuthor, who is absolutely correct. The point is this: whoever owns the ISBN to a work gets the profits from that work. That is how it's done. For self-publishers, unless you buy the ISBNs to assign to your novels, then you get a lesser percentage of the profit from whomever assigns the ISBN. That is why publishers and/or agents will not buy/represent a work that has an assigned ISBN, because they will need PERMISSION from the ISBN holder to do so. If you get the "free" copies CreateSpace is offering - whether you further publish with them or not - an ISBN number is assigned to your work. If you are wanting to sell that same work to a publisher, they probably will not be interested. Because I intend to seek a publisher for my mystery/thriller novels, or self-publish them in digital format (for the Kindle, Book Nook, iPad, Kobo, & Sony eReaders...and I will purchase my own ISBNs), I have not participated in the CreateSpace offer, and I've won NaNoWriMo since 2005. So, bottom line is to consider what you want to do with a specific work and proceed accordingly. :-)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BlackScorpio — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:49:19 -0500

Every self-published book has to have an ISBN...and that ISBN is either purchased by the novelist and assigned to your novel or it is purchased by the company doing the publishing. Whether a Digital publishers or Traditional book publisher, everything has an ISBN number that is assigned to that novel permanently. All publishers/agents will look up the ISBN to see "who" published the work and a traditional publisher may not take something that has an already assigned ISBN. Everyone might want to read up on ISBNs before making a decision: www.Bowker.com Also, each version of your novel must have a separate ISBN; the print version of your novel will have a separate ISBN from the digital version of your novel. Most digital self-publisher will either assign their ISBN to your novel (which lists them as the publisher) or will use one you've purchased from Bowker (which lists you as the publisher).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:38:47 -0500

It's not published if you just get the proof copy, but it IS published if you get the five books. Publishers should be fine as long as you didn't actually publish it with CreateSpace. Besides, they don't even need to know that you got a proof copy, there's no reason for you to tell them. Hope that clears things up a little. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

happybee32 — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:53:29 -0500

Sooo... i'm a little confused. you're saying that if i ever try to pblish my novel, then I'll get a no for an answer if i do the createspace thing? And, plus, how long does it take to get approved or denied by a publisher? I have no idea, but i want to know so that if i send it in but no one wants to publish my novel, will i still have time to do the create space thing.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Ann Spaulding — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 01:23:16 -0500

First, I wanted to thank NaNo from the bottom of my heart for offering this wonderful tool to get us procrastinators or timid writers challenged to be able to finish a book. Also I am thankful to C/S for their generous offers; past and present. I will have published 3 books with Create Space including this year and find them excellent. Can't beat not having to put down $ to publish. And the freedom of not having to ship or store my books at home. Plus the fast shipping. Did some calculating on the free books and proof copy. If the base cost to me for each book is, say, $8.00+ buying the proof copy with S/H, and shipping on 5 copies at $8.00+ would net me approx. $26.00. I can sell these books at a lower price than offered at Amazon or CeateSpace eStore and make even more. Though I only sell about 12 books, I will this year persue the extra distribution package and work the business of selling. So it's 'off to editing I will go,' to meet the deadline June 30. (Can you believe that deadline is my birthday? Ha, ha.) Bless all you who have perservered. Keep up the good work.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 12:37:43 -0500

[quote=happybee32] Sooo... i'm a little confused. you're saying that if i ever try to pblish my novel, then I'll get a no for an answer if i do the createspace thing? And, plus, how long does it take to get approved or denied by a publisher? I have no idea, but i want to know so that if i send it in but no one wants to publish my novel, will i still have time to do the create space thing. [/quote] I can't really comment on the publication question you first asked; I don't know enough about it. :) Your second question though... it takes YEARS to be published. You don't even hear back from some agents or publishers in 6 months. :) I suggest starting your research now... the publication process can be complex. Also check back here after November 30... we'll have forums for discussing publication. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Thomas09 — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 13:17:21 -0500

I would like to add to Dragonchilde's dose of reality about traditional publishing. It's fine to decide to go this way, if that is what you want--but you might want to do your homework first. Almost all major houses now require submission through an agent, and it takes time to find a capable agent who will be a good match for you (there are plenty of scammers, though). Allow at least 1-3 months to get a response to your query letter. Another 1-6 months to hear back about your manuscript (assuming your agent requests it in the first place). If you are lucky enough to land a contract with a major house, it will take at least 18 months from the time your book is accepted to the time it is finally published.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Lisa.Vail — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 15:58:53 -0500

Hmm.. I'm thinking along the self-publishing lines anyway now... Thanks for your reply!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

spacegirl14 — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:10:50 -0500

Okay. This is my first year at NaNoWriMo and i am almost positive my novel won't get published. It is always on the back burner in my head though that there is a chance. If i do this option but put a penname and a slightly different title then the one i really want, would i be able to publish with first publishing rights if i then used my real name and the real title through an agent?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 05:57:34 -0500

I doubt they'd be very happy if they found out you did that. If it's the same story, it's the same rights, and if you use them here, they're gone.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 05:59:21 -0500

Guhh. I wish non-writers weren't under the impression that you just finish a novel, go out and get it published. I'm planning to rewrite my 2010 NaNo novel next year and start trying to get it published, but I have no idea whether to go for traditional or self-publishing. Also, after your mention of scammers, I looked it up - I had no idea there were people who did that, which makes it even more difficult! XD

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Cry-For-Life — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 08:08:56 -0500

Ok ..... So I can get a proof copy but I have to pay for it all??

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:08:56 -0500

Yes you can buy your own poof copy paying for book and postage which come to about $12 for shipping to the UK with standard shipping so about £8 in total. The offer this year only kicks in if you do the actually publishing with them i.e. past the proof stage.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Cry-For-Life — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:32:24 -0500

Ok thanks! I think I will just buy the proof for now, I have time to think about the other offer.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Lorata — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:43:04 -0500

Whoa, no, there's a word for that, and it's called "fraud".

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ML_Stevens2329 — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 01:31:10 -0500

I picked the 5 inch by 8 inch book and at the word count I have at the moment (around 35,000) I have 68 pages in word. I measured a book that I have that's the same size (two actually, one with little font and one with big font), and the width of the pages aren't even as wide as my pinkie! That's very tiny...is that worth publishing from create space?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:02:54 -0500

That's entirely up to you If you just want a good looking bound copy of your work then a proof from CS and it's like is the way to go or else you can print it out and put in it a binder.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Blue-Dragon — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:05:10 -0500

Wow, this is a bit disappointing. I was wondering if the whole proof thing was back for this year but it looks like the "Pay for proof, agree to publish, and we'll send you 5 free copies" is sticking. I guess I won't be doing it. I was already wary about ordering a proof last year but this extra step of having to agree to publish and the five free copies making it officially published is a bit scary. I have no intentions of ever getting published but time is a funny, funny thing. Dumb luck might come my way and I'd hate to mar it by saying, "Yes, I did publish it but only to get five free copies. That doesn't count, does it?"

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:42:04 -0500

I sorta know what you mean. Oh well, I'm going to do it anyway.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:49:34 -0500

Question: It says when submitting your PDF for publication (IE, you would have to to get the 5 free copies, right?) it has to pass submission guidelines. Mine is all green checkmarks on the Createspace page, but is it actually reviewed by a person? Or is it only the technical guidelines, which the site tells you if you've passed or not?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

rachelynn — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:55:09 -0500

I think it's a real person who reviews it, so it might take some time, usually a day for me.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:31:21 -0500

Is that after or before the proof? If they rejected it, would I have to pay for ANOTHER proof and then keep trying until I get it right? I hope not.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Renee Rosenut — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:02:24 -0500

I have read the CreateSpace offer (I think) and my question is this: Do I have to get the proof copy? Can I just do my editing then order the five free books and pay shipping, not haveing to pay for a proof copy? What exactly is a proof copy for anyways? okay well turned out I have more than one question :) If someone has already asked this somewhere and I missed it I apologize for asking it again but I would like an answer if possible.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Seabird — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:01:41 -0500

I published a book with CreateSpace and I wrote about the process on my blog. Maybe this will help answer some questions about how CreateSpace works. It was really easy! I'm looking forward to using this new offer.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Seabird — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:06:16 -0500

A proof copy is the sample book that they send to you so that you can make sure there is nothing wrong with the files and that nothing got messed up when you submitted it. You do have to get a proof copy before you can publish. You get an author discount, so it's not that expensive. Mine cost about $7 including shipping.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Seabird — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:08:26 -0500

They review it before you get the proof copy. The only reason you would need to get another proof copy is if you didn't like the first one and wanted to make changes to the files before publishing. Then you would make the changes, submit them, get a new proof copy, and approve it. My first proof copy was just fine, so I didn't need to make any changes and I just approved it.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:49:48 -0500

I'm just going to buy the proof copy so it's not published but I still have a copy, it doesn't cost very much. You could do that. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

musthavebeenmykarma — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:33:17 -0500

Couldn't you just change your title when you send it to a publisher? It's not searchable for content, a publisher would only be going on an ISBN (which you don't have to give), a title (which is not the same) and your name.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

musthavebeenmykarma — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:33:54 -0500

oops, meant to reply to WanderingAuthor

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

musthavebeenmykarma — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:35:43 -0500

Why can't you just change your title when you send it to a publisher? The content is unsearchable, and the ISBN is only attached to a title and author, right? You wouldn't accuse yourself of plagarism. If there's no way around what you're saying it makes me quite sad.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

musthavebeenmykarma — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:42:23 -0500

"Not going to accuse yourself of plagiarism*" *Unless you're Mort Rainey :P You stole mah novel.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

musthavebeenmykarma — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:47:31 -0500

I'm hoping I can use a working title on mine to make it anonymous. If anyone gets any more info about making the ISBN anonymous, I want to hear it :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

musthavebeenmykarma — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:18:38 -0500

Find a resource that can help you, like the Writer's Market 2011. If you do a lot of research before you submit (which you should anyway - you should get an idea of the agent's catalog, how they want you to submit, what they print; agents Do Not want to feel like you're just sending your book to everyone in the world. It's like a romantic interest or a college choice, it's a major life decision, and it has to be a well investigated match) you'll discover which ones are frauds. Often you'll find forums where people say "This agent took 500$ from me for an 'upfront' cost and I never heard from him again." Easy red flag. Though you'll also learn quickly to distinguish sour grapes from legit scams lol :D - along the lines of "my book was perfect but I never heard back from them, it's so rude and unfair!!!1 :("

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

CoffeeAndClovers — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:22:49 -0500

Sorry if I somehow missed this question (You are welcomed to skip ahead): The novel from this month I do not plan on going to a major publisher with. So, I was planning to keep 2 and give 3 to my local library (I was told with an ISBN they could manually put it into the county's system). While writing this month (story has finally been finished after 8 years x_x) I came up with another idea that I would like to get published by a major company someday. Somewhat like an expanded universe from what Ive been working on. Some characters will be given a backstory and the world will be fleshed out greatly. If it happens, that would make this years NaNo like a One Shot novella within an expanded universe, I guess? QUESTION-Is a different book,but same universe as frowned upon as trying to republish a book already self published? I think the expanded version may end up far off enough I can just change the characters names and not cause an issue. Just I'd hate for something to happen and because of side story going to a library, not be able to get an entire series published "for real". Thank you

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

musthavebeenmykarma — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:24:02 -0500

Though this confuses me. If you take an axe, change the blade, and then later change the grip, how is it fraud to say it's a different axe? The title is different, the author is different, and most likely it's undergone major revisions unless you're planning to send your nano directly to publishers. I doubt it'd hold up in court and it hardly seems inethical, except that maybe you're sidestepping CreateSpace's "evil scheme" (just kidding, CreateSpace is wonderful for offering anything, I've never had anything but good feelings about them).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

musthavebeenmykarma — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:25:02 -0500

*IANAL, obviously :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

CoffeeAndClovers — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:26:54 -0500

There have actually been times where a publishing compant sued their own author for being to similar to themselves. Its fruad.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:37:39 -0500

I just presumed that they meant it would be as-is, without any edits. If it was slightly different, I think it would still be frowned upon if it was found out. But I think they'd be in a lot of trouble if it was exactly the same story. X3

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Renee Rosenut — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:44:44 -0500

thanks for the info

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:17:49 -0500

That should be ok I think, it may depend on the publisher. One example off the top of my head is Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. "Weyr Search" (a story where a young woman, Lessa, was reruited to stand as a candidate to establish a telepathic bond with a queen dragon at its hatching) was first published in 67 as a novella in Analog Science Fiction and Fact. It was followed by "Dragonrider" where Lessa learns to care for Ramoth. The 3rd story was put with the first 2 and a they were all given a bit of a rewrite then published as the 1st Pern book. Another example being David Wingrove who is reissuing his whole Chung Kuo series after a bit of a rewrite which will apparently be very different towards the end of the series due to him and his original publisher having a disagreement where they decided they wanted him to finish up in fewer books than he wanted.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

musthavebeenmykarma — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:33:32 -0500

Ah, thanks for the clarification, it's such a tricky world, that lawyer one :D I just want some free books haha.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

CoffeeAndClovers — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:57:26 -0500

Awesome. These characters have been in my head for so long, they actually have a fanbase. I am so happy to have finished thier story and when I told my brother he listed of everyone he could think of who would want a copy.... Which lead to my mother doing the same thing so after making a list I've got over 50 readers actually invested in the story plus I recently found out there are online fans that never forgot either. Then towards the end some general things came about to the population (running gag run amok) that made it less vicious and more mainstream. The characters came at a bad time in my life and apparently spoke to a good amount of people for never actually being promoted beyond word of mouth. Their story is done, and now I want to explore their world. Its good to think I can satisfy a tiny fanbase and still publish more later :D Thank you for the examples, I've actually read the Pern book.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

John JAM Arthur Miller — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:35:02 -0500

I'm sorry to bother you, Kerrwyvern, but you said that your novel last year was 120,000 words. I guess that answers my question. I'm at 47,000 words and I'm going to make it. But I'm going to go above and beyond 50,000 words. I guess that's okay, right? I mean, Create a Space won't penalize me for hitting 60,000 words, right? (I hope not).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gravy — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:06:24 -0500

Hello! This is a wonderful Offer. But having won NaNo last year and the year before, I already have an account on Createspace. Do I have to make a new one for the five copies offer or can I use the one I have? And are they separate codes you use for the copies or is it one code?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:57:10 -0500

You can use the same one, I'm pretty sure. I think NaNo links or emails you the code. I don't know how many codes it is, but probably one. (Source: None. I'm a bad, bad reporter.)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ArtsyGal — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:53:52 -0500

Whoa, I am so glad I read this thread! I've never used the CreateSpace offer before because, frankly, I never considered my work of previous Nano's to be worth it. But this year I'm really excited about my book and wanted to have an actual, physical copy of it. I've already signed up and started setting my book up, I almost even got an ISBN attached to it the other day - I'm so glad I didn't!!!! I might have missed it but, can you get a proof copy without attaching an ISBN to it?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 04:18:05 -0500

The proof copy always has an ISBN, I know a few people were unsure about that last year, but you can't get one without. I don't think it affects your publishing chances though - I think it's just something CreateSpace need to do. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gravy — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:32:22 -0500

Thanks1 :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Neffis — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:49:41 -0500

They attach an ISBN to the proof to reserve it, but it doesn't actually get registered until you approve and publish. :) hope that helps.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

1sttimenovelwriter — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:41:11 -0500

I'm kind of wavering right now between CreateSpace, and Smashwords. Cost is a mitigating factor, as I am unemployed, which, is making me lean towards Smashwords; it's free to publish there. But the thought of being able to hold my own book in a physical format; something that I wrote is tempting. If I understand correctly should I go with smashwords, I may be able to maintain the coveted first print rights should I decide to go through traditional channels in the future. Ah... decisions.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

01 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:27:14 -0500

Pity. I was waiting and hoping for the old offer to come back, as I won't be buying six copies of my book. Sadly, I also lost my motivation for the first time when I heard the news. I hadn't realised how much the promise of a nice free print version had spurned me on! :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

sstods — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:53:14 -0500

no, thats great that youre going above and beyond!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Thomas09 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:26:03 -0500

That's unfortunate the proof copy has to come with an ISBN attached, because that will be traceable, I believe, by any agent or publisher in the future. Oh well, I suppose I could just explain what happened--I got the proof but the process stopped there. From what I have researched, there is no legal requirement to have an ISBN for a book in the USA, but some providers (as in this case) require it. For example, if you just want copies to sell out of the trunk of your car, no ISBN is legally required. There's a good chapter on self-publishing pros and cons in the 2011 Writer's Market (including a discussion of potential problems later if you want to approach agents or major publishers).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Ruth Cooke — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:42:21 -0500

If you go with Smashswords, it's published, just the same as with CreateSpace. But as far as I know, there's nothing to stop you from using both publishing sources -- Smashswords for epub, CreateSpace for hard copies. I might do that...

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Jaydex36 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:19:37 -0500

How many words was your novel?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Jaydex36 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:20:23 -0500

Totally worth it for YOUR own book ;)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:27:20 -0500

to get it published traditionally, you would likely have to undergo extensive editting at any rate.. But you should still mention it when you approach them. If the story is exactly the same or only has a few minor changes - then you'd have to mention it or you'd be commiting fraud.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Jaydex36 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:29:26 -0500

So what is the conclusion we have about using CreateSpace for those 5 free copies? Will the book be publishable with other companies (e.g. Dover Publications or someshmittle) if I decide to get those 5 free copies? All this whodabagel about ISBN and legal issues bothers me. I'm suspicious of legal things.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Thomas09 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:49:22 -0500

I cannot speak for everyone on this thread, but from what I have come across it's impossible to answer your general question because it would depend on the publisher and/or the agent--some have no interest in dealing with self-published books but others don't seem to mind (especially if they can make good money from the deal). The ISBN and legal issues bother me too, so I have not decided yet whether to pursue the Create Space offer. But it's nice of them to make the offer, and it sounds like several people here have had a good experience with them.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:31:34 -0500

In general, it stands here; If you plan to approach the major publishers with your manuscript, don't mess around with Createspace's offer this year. If, on the other hand, you've been thinking about self-publishing, well, that is quite a tasty worm on a hook they're dangling right there. Think about it.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

muses_daughter — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:37:02 -0500

I published through Create Space (www.thegoddessofdenver.com) and I'm very happy. The satisfaction of having my novel out there in print, and searchable on Amazon is so wonderful. I've ordered boxes of books myself (3) and I've presented it to my local book stores. Since I write metaphysical fiction, and I have NO track record with previously published short stories etc. This is the best way for me to get the books on the shelves. Almost every metaphysical shop in my city has copies of my novel on the shelf. I'm extremely happy about that. It will take time, and self marketing, but I believe that I will establish my track record and that my books will get out there. Maybe they will be picked up by a traditional publisher, but maybe not. I'd rather have 16 people actually read my book then "save it" for "real" publishing and have no one ever see it. By the way, 16 is the number of people who bought a copy at my book signing this month. But it's not the end. And this year's book will get published too! I hope that some of you that might otherwise never hold a bound copy of your story take the chance and enjoy that experience. Your words deserve to get out there, one way or another! Muses Daughter

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

rachelynn — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:16:10 -0500

Wow that's great! :D

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Sapphire.X.Dreams — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:19:59 -0500

So, do you necessarily need 5 copies of one book? Or can it be 5 copies of various books?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

SitDownandWrite — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:55:35 -0500

About the "is it published/searchable" question, it doesn't matter. When you get a book contract from your agent/publisher, on the very first page, you legally sign off on a warranty that reads the book hasn't appeared anywhere else. Now, you can fudge and change the title or something, but are you really willing to risk that OTHER version showing up one or two years into the life of the contract? Let's say the book really takes off - someone you gave an earlier version to may pop up and unintentionally screw you over big time. Lawd, could you imagine! FWIW, this is not a knock against self publishing or traditional publishing...I've done both. Love both, but there's no way in hades, I'd waltz up to one of my editors with a CS book. No way, dude. The publishing word is small. It's not worth it. I'm going to second some of the statements in this thread: -Contact your intended publishing house and ask...but let's say you get rejected by that one...you call them them all? Also, editors can change guidelines in a week. Still, if the book is ready and its ZXY Company or no company at all, call. -If you're self publishing anyway, this deal rocks. -If you think you want this book to go to publisher, wait. As much as it sucks, wait. Even if you miss out on the CS deal, it's still cheaper to pay $10 down the road for the exact same thing, than to miss out on a deal or have to renege on a contract. I'm throwing that out there, you can throw it right back. Just don't get so caught up in the 'right now' of it all.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:30:19 -0500

5 copies of one book.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Relocation — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:35:51 -0500

When i go to 'Get a proof' or whatever the option is, there's a bubble for 'no proof.' Dunno if it's just people who've used it before

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Menelve — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:16:28 -0500

But again this cycles back to the question, does it count as being published if the original version you self-published is totally different from the ms accepted by the publishers? Personally, if I go for this offer, I'll be doing an anthology of short stories and novellas I've written through nano and other courses/contests. However, to keep them available for "first publication rights" down the road, I won't be revising them before printing--in other words I'll be printing the raw first drafts. For several of them I've already published them in small magazines so I'd be reprinting them. However, for the ones which I might later submit to a publisher, I will have to heavily revise them in order to get them into a state fit for submission. Now I may change the titles on the unpublished ones just to be safe, but I believe that the publishers won't say I have "previously published" because the printed versions were vastly different from the versions of the story I submitted to them. Also, I'm not sure if this applies to more than short stories or not, but most places (like contests) won't consider you, as an author, published unless you meet the qualifications for "professional publishing" which is defined as being published in a magazine or other venue that prints/sells 5,000 or more copies. But I do not know how book publishers would view this issue. ~Anna

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

SitDownandWrite — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:28:49 -0500

Without getting into specifics, the ones I've seen make reference to the work (or sections of it) not having been published in any shape. I'm not saying they all say that, but I've never seen one the didn't - unless it was an acknowledged reboot. Makes sense. They have the right to know and these contracts* are written to account for every possible loophole. *A few boilerplate contracts are available on the internet if you want to check them out.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Thomas09 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:35:04 -0500

Thanks for all the comments, that helps to clarify some of the major issues--for me. It's great to hear from people who have been there/done that.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Menelve — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:44:43 -0500

It really does come down to the publisher, though, on this. Some will absolutely refuse to allow books in through loopholes like rewriting it or changing the title, and some will allow it as long as it hasn't been mass distributed. I think it wise to query each publisher discreetly about their policy if there is doubt. However I'd doubt I'll run into this problem. The content I'd be printing would be mostly either already published, or unpublishable. And even the ones which have the potential for (re)submission will be short stories and magazines tend to be laxer about printing rights so long as the story is either labelled as a resub or has been heavily altered. On another note, I just checked the book price calculator on CS. It looks like it is the page count versus the book dimensions which determine the price. So, if you want to lower the printing cost of your book, then choose a larger trim size with few pages. I do not know if this affects the shipping cost.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Mother Goose — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:03:24 -0500

What do you think? I've written a novel that deals with a current hot topic issue: gay bullying that ends in death through suicide or murder. I think the book is good enough to be published, or will be after several months of rewriting. Now, I have two other novels that deal with gay issues, also well written IMHO. I've spent the last eight years bashing my head against publishing houses and agents and small presses, and independents, and even university presses, only to be turned down, over and over and over again. (I have sold eight short stories to anthologies over the years, so I AM salable.) I was in the process of getting them ready for KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and then Create Space for hard copies when this opportunity to participate in my first NaNo occurred. I still think that's the way to go with those two - because they've been rejected pretty much everywhere. But what about this new one? The topic, as I've mentioned before, is quite current. My location is right in the midst of the controversy as I'm literally next door to the school district that saw 4 gay teen suicides in the last 2 years. If you were me, would you go ahead and self publish this brilliant and TIMELY novel via ebooks and Create Space and hope that word of mouth and buzz will get it noticed? Or would you wait and see if anyone in the mainstream publishing world will sit up and take notice...?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

J.R. Hershberger — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:16:10 -0500

Thanks!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

I Can't Write For My Life — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:43:49 -0500

It's a tough question because many people say that publishing like that is seen badly and if you someday find someone that might want to publish your book they might not like the idea of self publishing. In the end I would wait, but it all depends on what you want.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Thomas09 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:10:47 -0500

I would probably try Kindle and Create Space for the first two books, since that was your plan. For the latest book I would try to find an agent/publisher, by emphasizing how it is a new book on a hot topic right now. Then you can do a comparative study of the two approaches, traditional vs self-publishing. And please let us know what you find out!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Drewski7333 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:59:39 -0500

Have you verified your book? I'd hate to see you miss it, seeing as how you have way over 50,000

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Kuzts_Writer — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:03:11 -0500

I've been wondering, since this year they will be giving you five instead of one free copy... could you then use that code five different times on five different books? Or is it only good for one, printed five times? Because I would rather have five of my books printed then five copies of one book xD Either way is still amazing though!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ilove2wite — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:01:39 -0500

Just a quick question I didn't see here. (I couldn't take the time to read and reread the same questions) how long is this offer good for? I really just wrote very fast and no editing no grammar nothing other than plot and some dialog. I need to major revise. will this offer be good if it takes me longer to edit and revise and revise and and and..?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Menelve — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:11:30 -0500

You have until June 1st I believe, but make sure to allow time for the proof to arrive if you want to use that for editing. Otherwise, you can order the five books just after you buy and approve the proof.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:22:30 -0500

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

swegan — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:25:21 -0500

If you published your novel on, say, amazon, through createspace, would that mean you would get some profit every time somebody bought your book? I have a novel (sadly, not my nano one) that I quite enjoy and would like to edit and get copies of through this offer, but I also know that you can publish through createspace. So what if you got the five copies but then wanted to go further and publish through the site? And as far as rights go, as long as the book is printed in my name (it says it is written by me and all credits for writing go to ME and no one else) I'm not really concerned. Though I guess I'd like to retain the rights to my original work, so that if i wanted to publish differently later I could. Sorry if i sound dumb because somebody just asked this five questions ago! XP

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

TTStewart — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:55:21 -0500

Can't wait for my copy!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

muses_daughter — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:02:39 -0500

I agree that you should read the Create Space FAQ. My experience is that I get paid a nice percentage when people purchase my book through Amazon. I get a little more when they go through my website. When I purchase a box of books myself, I get them for what I consider a reasonable amount, plus shipping. Then I've been taking them to the metaphysical stores where most of them purchase them from me for 40 - 50% of retail. Even though I don't sell much through Amazon I like having it up there because of the exposure and accessibility. I also really like the Search In the Book feature because it can give people a taste of the story. That's good for me because I need the exposure. I'm a real unknown. Good luck to you! Muses Daughter

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

tiger002 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:41:29 -0500

Yes, you keep all rights, and yes, a portion of the sales from Amazon go to you. The only problem is if you wanted to publish through an agent/traditional publisher later, you wouldn't be able to give them the first publication rights to this story, which means it's highly unlikely they'd buy it. However, if that's not a problem for you, go for it!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

hazeltwilight — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:03:04 -0500

Man I am still confused on one point. I get that using the free copies offer makes that book officially published, that you get an IBSN number (which will from then on have the title and author next to it when anyone looks it up, if I understood correctly) so yeah the whole shebang. Even if you don't sell it anywhere. So I'm thinking about forgoing that whole mess and just paying for a proof copy. I'm getting conflicting info an whether getting a proof assigns you an ISBN number (someone mentioned it did, but that the title and author just never appear beside it in the database - is that right?). If it does, does that make it kind of published* or is that just something that CS does to keep track of the books they are printing and no one else will ever know? If is does make it kind of published, does anyone know of any other companies that will make an ISBN-less proof? *by 'kind of published' I mean having to explain to agent/editor awkwardly in the future, yeah it wasn't official published I just got a proof copy. I've never been able to use the createspace offer before and I would love to have a copy, but I'm not interesting in doing anything that will set the long term fate of my book at this point. I'm not wholly against self-publishing, but I haven't decided the route I want to take, and I don't want to commit my book to any path yet.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

skankityspence — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:18:38 -0500

I don't understand. Who would want to have their nanowrimo work published right off the bat? Even six months later that should be a little iffy. So strange. Too complicated. :/

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Ayesha123Play — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:21:13 -0500

So, the 5 copies can only come on the 5th right? Can the proof be shipped out, today for example?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Ayesha123Play — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:32:44 -0500

So, the 5 copies can only come on the 5th right? Can the proof be shipped out, today for example?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:56:51 -0500

CS assigns an ISBN/barcode to all projects be they books, your summer holiday DVD or whatever you produce through them however there are various steps in that process. Until you approve the proof and actually publish the novel the ISBN is only registered as part of a bulk load owned by CS with no details attached to it ie no-one ever has anyway of telling if the ISBN has been assigned to a book or is still in the kitty to be assigned. The proof copy come with the word Proof stamped in the back page so it is clear it is a proof copy not a public copy and if it only exists on your home shelf possibly with a title like Proof of my insanity 2011 or My Novel then it does not count as published which is defined as: 1. To prepare and issue (printed material) for public distribution or sale. 2. To bring to the public attention; announce.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:14 -0500

You can buy the proof whenever you want but it does take a couple of days to get everything formatted right, the files approved and the thing actually printed. The code for the published copies will be made available on the 5th for use any time after that until June 2012.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:04:58 -0500

From the 1st post The offer expires on June 30, 2012. However to qualify for the code your novel need to be run through the validator.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:07:34 -0500

Some people just want to have a few copies for themselves or their families with no inclination of ever having it publicly available.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:30:55 -0500

Yes you get to set your own price, though CS will set a minimum to cover all printing costs and their slice then what you set on top amounts to your profit.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

aliaswriter — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:17:39 -0500

Pretty much they're trying to recoup the losses from the free proofs from prior years, it sound like. No matter if you decide to publish with them or not, you have to pay the cost for proofing. Unless you've got another book ready to go, or you're extremely fast at editing, most people aren't going to want to publish it at this time, which I'm pretty sure they took into account, especially if you want to take your book to a publisher somewhere in the future, so they're not losing much on doing the 5 free books, Personally, the way they have this so-called "reward" puts me off of ever using CreateSpace. I already questioned it before I even started the NaNo, and now that I know more, I don't think I will be claiming this. I feel jipped.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

aliaswriter — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:22:11 -0500

This makes me feel like I am paying for my win, and not earning it. I would rather have had them offer a 50% discount on proofing costs, or some other initial discount.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:20:52 -0500

The CreateSpace offer is not part of NaNo. The only thing NaNo has as a prize is your little winner bar, the winners icons and certificate and the personal satisfaction of having achieved something very few people do. Which considering if cost a person nothing for the great service we get here (forums, widgets, a brand new website that did not spend the 1st week in a semi-permanent breakdown) is more than some places offer especially considering it is pretty much run on an honour system you could write a single letter 50k times and still get everything a person who spend 6 months world building and then 1 month painstakingly working on. The fact that other companies offer a few bonus offers that you can, if you wish take advantage of is nothing to do with winning NaNo.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:28:44 -0500

"jipped"? They're offering a free service. Free. This year they're tailoring that free service so that it shooes away people who aren't interested in self-publishing. That is, they're tailoring their FREE SERVICE so that it has some RETURNS for them. .... "Jipped"? You never paid anything. Lots of folks were getting something for nothing, and Createspace decided that they couldn't afford to be that generous this year. I repeat: We (those who took advantage of their offer before, and I have taken advantage every year they've offered it) GOT SOMETHING FOR NOTHING. To the tune of TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. "Jipped"?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

aliaswriter — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:01:42 -0500

First of all, it's not FREE when you have to pay MONEY to get something in return. The deal is that you have to pay for the proofs before you can redeem this. Second, I am not included in the people you are referring to that took advantage of their prior generosity. This is my first year, and while I think it was kind of them to offer a free service like that previously, what bothers me is the way it is tailored now. It diminished the thrill of winning. Heck, if all I had to do was pay, then I can just do that, instead of sweating and stressing to beat the clock. It was not about getting something for nothing (FREE). I said I would rather they have given a 50% discount, which I thought implied that I don't expect them to be giving everything away. I would have liked though that if they're offering some incentive for winning, that it is one that can be claimed without having to go through loopholes. To me, it feels the same as having those companies that claim they'll give you some high-priced gift for free, but in actuality you have to join all these programs in order to qualify for the "free" gift.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

aliaswriter — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:10:22 -0500

Also, I feel jipped, because I can't even take the offer, which most people seem to be in the same boat, because I don't want to jeopardize my chances of getting it published in the future. I'm not about to print out crap that hasn't been fully edited yet, just to get 5 books.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

SitDownandWrite — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:56:58 -0500

[quote=aliaswriter] Also, I feel jipped, because I can't even take the offer, which most people seem to be in the same boat, because I don't want to jeopardize my chances of getting it published in the future. I'm not about to print out crap that hasn't been fully edited yet, just to get 5 books. [/quote] The sense of entitlement in this thread is crazy. Nanowrimo and Createspace are two wholly separate companies. CS has gone out of their way to provide a discount that they didn't have to provide AT ALL. The only point of Nanowrimo was to finish. Perhaps you'd have done better to read what you signed up for in the first place? While I won't be taking CS on their offer, it is a brilliant one for people who choose to self publish...which...ya know...is what CS is in the business of. Turns out, they are not in the business of printing your stuff for free. Again, CS and Nanowrimo are NOT the same company. CS has no obligation to you or anyone else. What on earth made you think they did in the first place? I'm trying to understand your point of view, really, I am. Maybe you can restate your position again because I'm just not getting it. Take a deep breath and step back...

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:48:30 -0500

Except it was never advertised as a prize to be won it was not even announced until a week after NaNo started. The offer, and it is always only an offer, is just an enticement to try self publishing just like any form of advertising like getting a free gift with a magazine. If you are not interested in self publishing then you ignore it just as everyone on PC's ignored the Mac only Scrivener offers for years cos oddly enough buying a Mac is a bit more expensive than a $5 proof copy.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Thomas09 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:24:18 -0500

Also, unless I'm mistaken, the offer is good for any other book you have ready to go by June, not necessarily this year's NaNo novel. I will have to confirm that, but I believe this is what Dragonchilde posted a few weeks ago about the offer. I am rereading this whole thread because it is so educational and entertaining.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:17:56 -0500

Yes.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:19:01 -0500

Precisely. Nobody is getting gypped; (which, just BTW, is kinda an offensive term to begin with...) The biggest prize of Nanowrimo has always been, and will always be, having written a novel in November. Bam. Flat-out. That's what was advertised. That's what we got. Createspace? I did the math earlier in the thread. They've been spending tens of thousands of dollars on this offer. With the years they've done, we're up to almost a hundred thousand dollars. And there's more Nano participants this year than ever before, with more anticipated winners! That's... A lot of money. A LOT OF MONEY. They figure that they can better spend that money tailoring their offer to draw in folks who'll self publish. That's a great idea. That's going to benefit them, and still benefit some folks doing Nanowrimo. Who can fault them for that?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:20:46 -0500

"sense of entitlement"... I do not know you, and yet I feel suddenly heart-warmingly close to you.

Moderator Note

Dragonchilde — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:25:24 -0500

Guys, may I please remind you that while you are not expected to agree with or even like the posts you read here, everyone is entitled to your respect. We at NaNoWriMo have no control over the offers our sponsors kindly give us. CreateSpace has always been incredibly generous with us, and their grant and past sponsorship has enabled us to continue to bring this event to you free of charge, with all its community and bells and whistles. They have indeed changed the offer this year, but that's their prerogative, and we can't control how they distribute it. It's not a winner prize, simply a special offer provided by our sponsors as a thank you for participating, and a congrats for winning. Not being able to take advantage of a special offer should not affect your win here. The only reason it's offered to winners and not just everyone is to keep people from just joining the site to get the special offers. :) Either way, remember that it's okay to disagree, be disappointed, or whatever. Let's not attack each other over a difference of opinion. And as a side note, let's please discontinue the use of the word "gypped" (and it's misspelled counterpart, jipped.) It's an offensive racial slur, and should not be used here.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:26:59 -0500

[quote=Ayesha123Play] So, the 5 copies can only come on the 5th right? Can the proof be shipped out, today for example? [/quote] No; at the very earliest, you won't be able to use your special offer codes until they're released. That won't be until next week, around the 5th or so.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:29:02 -0500

Please note, folks; if you have a BLUE BAR, you will not receive your special offer codes from this sponsor. It's not too late to validate, even though validation tools have been disabled because the event is over. time is of the essence, so if you want your special offer codes and you have not validated your winning novel, you'll need to go through our late novel validation process as outlined in the Tech Help forum. If you do NOT validate your novel before special offer codes are distributed, you WILL NOT receive a code, as we receive codes based on how many winners we have, and no more will be issued one we've received them from our sponsors.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:31:33 -0500

Correct CS do not care if we use this years novel, last years novel, a non-fiction discussion on whether putting you kids in the compost heap might actually make them grow.... it is simply an enticement to encourage us scribblers to think about using them as an alternative to traditional publishing houses.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:47:52 -0500

Now I want to read/write a science fiction book about growing kids in compost heaps.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:20:53 -0500

Random comments are always good for next years NaNo ideas....If you write it I'll read it :p

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Angelynx — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:49:32 -0500

Since the offer is good until June, I'm guessing that what they expect to get is your edited and polished, or at least semi-polished, draft, not the patchwork draft we all have on our hard drives now. That is, if you do take them up on this offer, you'll have six months to prepare.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Angelynx — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:55:10 -0500

Anyone who joins NaNo and completes a 50K novel in the month of November is considered a NaNo winner. That's all, there's no other prize except your accomplishment, and that's a pretty great prize. =)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

amo1967 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:03:54 -0500

Books about growing kids in compost heaps. -->Like<---

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Angelynx — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:15:53 -0500

Not quite. You order --and pay for --ONE proof copy. Once you approve the proof copy, they print, for free, five FINISHED copies. You get these five for free and just pay the shipping.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Angelynx — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:17:22 -0500

Yes,

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Angelynx — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:32:54 -0500

I guess what I'm most surprised abiout, besides the sour grapes, is the idea that selling the rights to your NaNovel in some way affects the rights to your future writing. Some people sound as if you can never approach a grown-up publisher ever, if you've self-published a first novel. It's not like that, is it? And surely, after having this fab experience, no one intends to stop at just one book?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

skankityspence — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:13:15 -0500

I understand. And I'd love the free copies, too. But their process is confusing and the discussion on this thread seems to go back and forth. Makes me nervous to use the promo.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

rainclouder — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:15:21 -0500

Guess who's a minor and does not know if this is going to work right! Me. So legally I can't even agree to the member and services agreement since I'm under eighteen unless I have my guardian sign as well, so what I'm wondering is how the heck I'm supposed to get in on this whole thing if there isn't even a contract that can be physically signed by a guardian.... Anybody know what I can do?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

moviechick51 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:47:59 -0500

do we get to create a cover for our book?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:01:08 -0500

You can create your whole cover via photoshop and the like using their guidelines or templates. Or you can go the lazy way and use their cover creator basic but headache free (most of the time) in my experience.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:23:01 -0500

The main point of NaNo is not the prizes or the gifts. The real prize is your novel and anything else is just a bonus or an incentive. :) Yes, I loved getting a free proof copy of my novel last year, but I know that it must have cost them thousands and they got hardly anything in return. I still want a copy of my novel this year, but not to publish it yet, so I'm just buying a proof copy. But CS and NaNo are too separate entities. The free books are not the real 'prize' of winning NaNo.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

JP. Lacey — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:01:54 -0500

Ok, I'm really confused over this whole CreateSpace offer. I just wanted five free copies of my book, to, you know, hold in my hands, and think of how maybe one day I will actually get a book published. As of now, I have no intention of even publishing this particular book. All I wanted was the copies for myself and family and friends. Why is everyone making it sound so scary to take them up on the offer? And if I changed the title of my book, and used my nano username as my author name, how are future publishers ever going to know about it? But the fact, to me, still remains that I don't really want to publish this book for the world. I just wanted the copies. So is everyone saying that I CAN'T do this? Or I SHOULDN'T? If someone could please clear this up for me, it would be greatly appreciated :) ~JP

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:02:55 -0500

[quote=JP. Lacey] Ok, I'm really confused over this whole CreateSpace offer. I just wanted five free copies of my book, to, you know, hold in my hands, and think of how maybe one day I will actually get a book published. As of now, I have no intention of even publishing this particular book. All I wanted was the copies for myself and family and friends. Why is everyone making it sound so scary to take them up on the offer? And if I changed the title of my book, and used my nano username as my author name, how are future publishers ever going to know about it? But the fact, to me, still remains that I don't really want to publish this book for the world. I just wanted the copies. So is everyone saying that I CAN'T do this? Or I SHOULDN'T? If someone could please clear this up for me, it would be greatly appreciated :) ~JP [/quote] If you have no intention of ever actually publishing your novel, you can set it up on a private distribution channel where it won't be available for anyone to purchase but you. There's no reason not to if that's what you want to do.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

JP. Lacey — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:29:12 -0500

Ok, thank you so much! ~JP

Re: Moderator Note

WanderingAuthor — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:19:52 -0500

Thank you, for that side note. I am never able to understand how that term has survived so long after many of its counterparts are no longer heard. (No, I am not Rom / Roma myself - but even if two groups I belong to had not been targeted, I don't have the temperament to wait quietly until they got around to me. Which would have qualified me for extermination under the Nazis a third time, as "anti-social"...)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:20:07 -0500

As Dragonchilde says if you aren't interested in doing the traditional publisher/agent route with this book the this is a GREAT offer for you. Yes you need to buy a proof before you can redeem the offer but if you do all your editing and cleaning up to the point where you are happy with your book before that then you can get 6 copies of your book for the price of 1 plus the postage.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:36:26 -0500

It all comes down to if you really, really/ want to have your book published at some point via a traditional agent/publisher route then this years offer is not for you. If you want to edit (you have until the 30th June to use the offer) and self publish your book then this is a great offer, amazon sales channels etc. If you have no intention of ever submitting your work anywhere near a publisher but want a couple of copies for friends or family then it is a great offer. 6 professionally printed and bound books for the price of 1 plus postage = bargin. I have used CS to get proof copies done before, the stories may at some point be entirely rewrtten and made into a coherant narrative but not now so this years nano is not going anywhere near this offer (but will probably be bought as a proof, it would look odd in NaNoWriMo 20011 was not beside 2010, 09 etc I do really boring titles) . However I do have a non-fiction idea that would be worth maybe a dozen or so copies for my family, no publisher would be ever interested in a few pictures and notes from my grandfather during the war but that bit of family history will be lost when my Gran goes or anything happened to a battered old shoe box as as a family book would be priceless and anyone interested could have one making it an intriging offer and one to be thought about.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

PumpkinKing97 — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:49:17 -0500

I really wish there were a way to get the five free copies without having to actually have it published. Say, if there was an option not to assign an isbn number to the book. I'm willing to buy a proof, but I'm not willing to give up my chances at publishing my book. I would go via self-publishing, but I really don't think I could generate enough interest in my book to make it popular.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Angelynx — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:08:30 -0500

Well, I'm going for it. I think I can have my novel in readable shape before the end of June, and the idea of seeing it listed at Amazon.com is very exciting to me.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

bluealien — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:44:09 -0500

The subject of 'first publication rights' seems to be coming up a lot, and it's a complete red herring. First publication rights are an issue with magazines, not book publishers. If you take up this offer from CreateSpace, you will have zero chance of getting a magazine to serialise your work - but the likelihood of that happening anyway is already so close to zero that very few people will be affected by it. There may also be some contests for which you will no longer be eligible, but again, it's a very minor issue that is unlikely to affect most of us. Publication rights for books are sold by area. You might sell North American rights, or UK rights, or Commonwealth rights, for example, or French or German language rights, but you do not sell 'first publication rights'. CreateSpace have clearly stated that in this case, all rights revert to you; thus they are yours to sell. Publishers need to know that you own the rights you are offering them, and they won't touch a self-published book that flopped, but getting five copies published by CreateSpace and giving them to your family (or better yet, your beta readers) is NOT going to have any adverse effect on your chances of landing an agent or a publisher. To all practical intents and purposes, it's just a private printing. Once you've landed an agent, it might be wise to say, "By the way, I had five copies of an earlier version published through CreateSpace for my beta readers, and they gave it an ISBN; does it matter?" The answer will be "No, as long as the books never appeared anywhere for sale". The chances of a publisher even finding out that you used this offer is remote (they don't go reading through the ISBNs to see if they can find it, they have too much else to do!), but if they do, it's best your agent can answer them right away so they don't think you were trying to hide a flop. Because that is the real reason why agents won't touch a book that's already been self-published: if you've already proved you can't sell it, why should they invest in it? But if you own all the rights and the book has never been for sale, it has the same (slim) chance of acceptance as it would have if you ignored this offer and gave your beta readers manuscript copies. Just be very careful, as you go through the CreateSpace 'paperwork', to ensure that the book is kept strictly for your eyes only, and you'll be fine.

Re: Moderator Note

ms_erupt — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:58:43 -0500

Thank you for side note because that was seriously making me uncomfortable.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ms_erupt — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:00:48 -0500

My apologies if this has already been answered. There are a lot of comments in this thread, and after a while my eyes started to glaze. But, all I want to know is if I can use this offer to get some copies of the fanfic I wrote this year without being sued out of existence. Haha. Thanks if anyone has an answer. If not, I'll be sure to head over to the CreateSpace site and ask. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Lady_Indis_Dress — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:13:20 -0500

Please be advised that if you want to delete your files from the CreateSpace servers at any point, you need to do so soon after getting your five copies of your book. I was told that the file from my 2009 NaNo, which never went beyond the proof stage, cannot be removed because too much time has passed. Maybe not a big issue, but it bugs me and I don't buy that explanation. Sadly I was unable to get past that response in trying to pursue the issue.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

steffiebaby140 — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:47:32 -0500

You know, I have never taken advantage of this offer before...because I never felt that my story was edited enough by the deadline to do so. But this year, I am sooooo taking it! I have way too many people begging to be beta readers for me that I am doing this and working my tail off editing until then.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

AmySparrow — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 01:15:47 -0500

BlueAlien, I actually asked a publisher about this and she said she would be very unlikely to consider a book that had a CreateSpace ISBN, even if it wasn't available to the public.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Thomas09 — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 02:49:56 -0500

Looks like we're back to square one about whether a self-published book might be picked up later by an agent or publishing house--it depends on the agent or the publishing house. Mostly, I think it depends on whether you can show a strong platform for sales. Why would an agent or publisher take a risk on your book otherwise? Especially since they are all struggling financially now and losing ground to e-books and self-publishing. After considering the pros and cons, I've decided to go ahead and self-publish, I want to see what it's like. And I'm optimistic that, with all the tips I've picked up this year, and previous years, at nanowrimo and elsewhere, my self-published novel will go on to be a best-seller. And so it will be published later by a major house, which undoubtedly would have turned the book down (after considering it for several years) if I had approached them first about it.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Chillibean — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:58:46 -0500

I have a question, though. To be able to receive 5 copies, you must first approve it for sale. If the answer is: "No, as long as the books never appeared anywhere for sale", doesn't that mean you can't, since it's already approved for sale? But will this still apply if you sell it on CreateSpace's private option?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:05:43 -0500

No CS does not allow fanfiction to be published through them, It is in their terms and conditions the work (characters, plot and any images used) must belong entirely to you and in fanfiction that does not apply. They do manually review the files and this years offer means it will count as published. However if it is never publicly searchable then odds are you will not be sued even if you did manage to wriggle it through the review process. I have seen on 1 occasion a CS book on amazon that slipped through the net and was actually publicly available for a while and caused a huge panic for amazon, createspace and the writers whose stories he had stolen to put into the book and sell for his profit when it was noticed.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:12:06 -0500

you can however upload a different file. Either scrambled with all letters and paces turned into A's for example or just a blank document (though I would advise a couple of words just in case) which according to a question asked a few years ago overwrites the previous interior file. I've done that once with my first one then had a huge panic when I thought I might have destroyed my only way of getting my 1st story back as my PC had just died a spectacular death since then I have left the files on there so if the house ever burns down or something I can get get access to the stories again.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Splatt — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:12:47 -0500

Why not donate the extra copies to libraries to help get you more widely known? Good Luck

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

PaigeDolan — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 11:19:28 -0500

Im all up for this idea! But like... Is is just a manuscript or what? Since like, wouldnt we need a cover for the actual book to be published, and also, I took the advice to not edit in november and wait until december, I just tried uploading the edited version of my story onto here, but it seems that its not letting me :/ Can someone help me please? Its my first NaNoWriMo so im still unsure on everything x

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 11:41:14 -0500

How do you mean, 'is it like a manuscript'? It's a proper book. It looks like this: http://bloodroseangel.deviantart.com/art/Breakwater-proof-copy-213117786 Except that's a proof copy and so it's not published and it says 'proof' in big letters in the back. If you go for this offer, you need to buy a proof copy first anyway, and then if you decide to get the five copies, your novel will be published. What filesize/format do you have the edited version at? It might be too large.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Chocoholic156 — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:51:12 -0500

When will winners receive the promotion code to get the 5 free copies of the book? Will they send it via NaNoWriMo Mail, or E-mail? When will we get it? Thanks!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:59:20 -0500

The codes are normally up by the end of 5th December California Time. Normally there is a link via with front page of the site when you are logged in.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:04:19 -0500

Even if you have it as a private listing it is still a selling option listed somewhere and counts as being available to buy.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Realta — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:51:42 -0500

I am not sure if this has been answered before, but since most posts here seem to deal with publishing rights and fees and stuff, I skipped many, and may have missed the question ... But I was trying to read the Member Agreement, and I am a little worried that I wasn't able to fully absorb all the content. If someone who understands this stuff better has read it too, I have two questions: - If they have trouble with selling many copies with bad credit/getting too many devolutions, can they demand money from me to repay their losses? Or would they just not pay the royalty, and thus I wouldn't receive anything but not have to pay anything either? - Can I give free access to my published books in an e-book form in my website, or would I not be allowed to? Or, can I post this story on a site like FictionPress once it's published through them, or would that be 'infringement of copyright'?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:59:53 -0500

I know this is off-topic - but cool! That's a nice looking book! Did you do the illustrations?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:03:04 -0500

This is a stupid question: My book is not intended to be published by any company besides CreateSpace, so I decided almost on day one that I'd go through with the offer. Anyway, after searching for help on formatting on the CS forums, I learned that my book would look unprofessional as all bean if it didn't have headers (IE Author name on the left, book name on the right). I learned that my program couldn't do that, so was told to get LibreOffice. However, LibreOffice is a bitch to learn how to use in only a few days (I want to get my proof as soon as possible). I've got the page numbers inserted, and the header as well - the only problem is, the header shows up on all the pages except the first. Normally it's only supposed to show up in the actual "book" part, the story, not the copyright page/title/intro, etc. I don't really know why I'm worrying, since only 1-3 people will ever see the book. Maybe its' because since this will be the only time I ever print it, I want it to be as good as I can make it (the printing, not the actual book; oh my no, it's an awful novel).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

muses_daughter — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:51:19 -0500

Hi Gibush, I had the same issue. My first proof copy was so awesome to hold in my hands, an actual book with my name on it! Big improvement over the printed out copy in the 3 ring binder that I'd had a few friends read and offer some editing suggestions on. It gave me the opportunity to put it into the hands of my editor, a dear friend and former English teacher. Beyond that, it was a disaster. The margins were wrong. The font was wrong. The cover was hideous. I got it back from my editor with more post it notes than pages. I was shocked speechless at how many errors she found. She was quite blunt about the aforementioned physical errors, especially the cover. My second proof was a lot better. I had changed the cover entirely. I had fixed the margins. I had fixed the font. I had spent a month correcting the text. I changed the blurb on the back. It was much better But once I had this nearly perfect edition of my book in my hands I realized that something else was wrong. I raided my shelves for other fictional works of the same size and noticed a few things. Just as you mention, each and every one of them had the author name on the left side page and the book title on the right side page. Also they had cream colored, not white, page. I made the changes and ordered another proof. Because I took CS up on their offer, my first proof was free. The rest were not. I was therefore, thrilled about this offer of 5 proof copies. Yahoo. So, to answer your issue. I use Scrivener for Mac. I compile and open in MS word I set the page size, margins, fonts, header and footer there. It takes some doing but now it's smooth. Then I export to PDF and upload it to CS. The first time, it was agonizing. The learning curve was ugly. Now it's just fine. I'm looking forward to doing it again. You are way ahead of the game making these observations of other books already on the shelf. I congratulate you and wish you the best. It's a blast. Muses Daughter

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:58:08 -0500

I've never had the headers on in mine but then I only worked out the alternating headers a few months back. Not all "professional" books have them either. Inside of one of my proofs Front cover Back cover What Word Processing program are you using? If you want them in someone might know a way.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:21:17 -0500

[quote=Realta]- If they have trouble with selling many copies with bad credit/getting too many devolutions, can they demand money from me to repay their losses? Or would they just not pay the royalty, and thus I wouldn't receive anything but not have to pay anything either?[/quote] Createspace is a Print on Demand publisher if no-one orders a copy they never print one. They prints as the orders come in. So if I ordered one tomorrow then it would come to me freshly printed and bound and if person B orders the 2nd copy 10 years down the line they will get one just as freshly off the printer. You never have to pay anything for the prints as the cost if covered by the person buying it. The price you set over the production cost determines your royalties/profits. [quote=Realta]- Can I give free access to my published books in an e-book form in my website, or would I not be allowed to? Or, can I post this story on a site like FictionPress once it's published through them, or would that be 'infringement of copyright'? [/quote] From CS: 6.4 Ownership Subject to the licenses set forth in this Section 6 and the following sentence, and as between the parties, you own all right, title and interest in and to the Content, including all patent, copyright, trademark, service mark, mask work, moral right, trade secret or other intellectual property or proprietary right (collectively, "Intellectual Property Rights") therein. Subject to your underlying rights in the Content, as between the parties, we will own all right, title and interest in and to the templates and other materials created, provided or used by us in our performance under this Agreement (including Source Files, Future-Proof Archive Files and Packaging Materials, including all Intellectual Property Rights therein. By my reading of that, not actually being a lawyer you retain all rights to your work i.e. the book content but they own the work they did i.e. providing templates for covers, ISBN etc. So yes you could do what you want with your story including posting it on a website or printing it with another publisher but you couldn't use the ISBN CS gave you or a cover designed using their template.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

robinr515 — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:26:38 -0500

I agree totally!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Chocoholic156 — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:55:52 -0500

Thank you!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:28:47 -0500

Thanks! That helps, and also makes me scared of screwing up! In the time since I posted this, someone on LibreOffice forums helped me out, and I got the headers done properly, I think. I followed CreateSpace's margin guides, I THINK. I sure hope I did - .75 for inside, and then .5 for the rest (plus mirrored). They suggested those for any book up to 400 pages, I think, and mine's only 260 or something. One more question - LibreOffice spat out a PDF of my book (so I can upload it to CS) - is the PDF EXACTLY how the book will look? That's sorta what I understood, but someone tell me if I'm wrong. I think I'll print a few pages out with my printer to see how it goes.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:39:50 -0500

One more thing. I just did some Googling, and found people recommending AGAINST Times New Roman 12 point font. They say it looks amateur-ish or something, and is normally used in newspapers. Everyone seems to recommend Garamond, which Harry Potter uses... I don't have Garamond, though. I suppose it costs money, or something. Is there any font that comes default with Windows that isn't "amateur-ish"? I don't see the problem with TNR, myself. I'm obviously no expert on which fonts are cool/crappy. I still partially can't believe I'm worrying over this, because I believe three people at most will read it, and one of them is me.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:42:19 -0500

Man, I wish there was an edit button. Maybe next year. Last thing: White or cream paper? I know I shouldn't believe everything I read, but another forum post mentioned "most" books using cream... I myself have a couple awesome fantasy trade paperbacks (the works of R.E. Howard, in fact) that are clearly VERY white. I'm not sure what a cream book would look like. I imagine it costs more, too?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 02:18:48 -0500

I'd like to know how to do this with OpenOffice - I tried, and had a b**ch of a time trying to get the numbers off the first four pages (my husband eventually figured it out) and I completely gave up on the headers. I'd like to add them in my second book, though.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 06:49:45 -0500

Thanks! I did some of them - the one on the photo at the bottom is mine, but about half of them were commissioned from other artists. :) If you'd like to see the other illustrations I did for it, I have a folder in my gallery there called 'Breakwater' and they're all in there. ^^

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 06:57:13 -0500

Try font websites for other fonts - there are tons of free ones. I'm an illustrator and ex-graphic design student so I use a LOT of fonts. Try dafont.com or something like that. You can search for fonts by style, serif, sans serif etc. I personally would not use Times New Roman. I didn't even like using it for essays at college. For my proof last year I tried to fit the fonts to the theme so I spent ages finding the 'right' ones. My chapter title font was called Sea Dreams and the general text font was called Andalus. I don't think it's a default Windows font but it was pretty easy to find - one of my friends uses it and I liked the effect. And yes, the .pdf is EXACTLYhow your book will look - so remember not to make your font too small, because it'll obviously look much bigger on screen than in the proof copy unless you zoom out a lot. And I recall that cream paper was free last year, but I went for white because it made the illustrations I put in it look better. Hope that helps! :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 07:48:33 -0500

Never managed to get the numbers off myself. For the headers: Go to Insert menu and select Header as normal. Got to the Format menu and select Page. In the format page box click on the Header tab. Unselect the tick box labelled Same content left/right Then just go to the first page and type in your "right hand" header and the left on the 2nd page they will duplicate through the rest of the pages as you go. You can also adjust the margins for the headers to match the page margins if it doesn't do it automatically on that same header tab of the format box.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 08:03:14 -0500

[quote=muses_daughter] Just as you mention, each and every one of them had the author name on the left side page and the book title on the right side page. Also they had cream colored, not white, page. [/quote] I wonder if that is a modern thing or a US v Europe thing then as 5 of the 8 books I have just check don't have headers. Harry Potter yes Harper Collins no x3 Penguin no x2 Arrow yes Macmillan yes Hennieman no [quote=muses_daughter] Because I took CS up on their offer, my first proof was free. The rest were not. I was therefore, thrilled about this offer of 5 proof copies. Yahoo. [/quote] It is not 5 proofs. It is a 5 finished books in one order deal.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 08:22:58 -0500

Most books do use cream paper but then most books are using recycled paper as cheaply as possible these days the dollars you pay for a book the pages themselves are only a few cents of that. The quality of the paper the CS prints use is far superior to most commercial paperbacks I come across as and as a library assistant that is quite a few. CS say they print to "library-quality" which believe me most commercial paperbacks are far from due to cheap paper and glue used. The old CS offers only applied to white paper until last year I think so white is the option I have always gone for. It is up to you which you choose someone around here probably has a picture of what a CS cream page book looks like.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

muses_daughter — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 10:13:56 -0500

[quote=Bee82] I wonder if that is a modern thing or a US v Europe thing then as 5 of the 8 books I have just check don't have headers. Harry Potter yes Harper Collins no x3 Penguin no x2 Arrow yes Macmillan yes Hennieman no [/quote] Well, in that case, I say it's a good idea to pick up current, published books that are like your book and see what they do. I'm sure there are trends in publishing as there are in fashion. [quote=Bee82] It is not 5 proofs. It is a 5 finished books in one order deal. [/quote] Well, that's still good. I'm less likely to make the same mistakes as last year, so I'll need fewer proof copies. But it kills me to hand out freebies for review, since I have to pay for them all myself. Muses Daughter

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 10:43:13 -0500

Actually, those are kind of awesome. I'm not hugely into anime (I think the only full series I ever saw was 6 episodes) or manga (of which I've only read about 2 volumes), but your drawings seem a little more realistic, or grounded (or something) than most, rather than with perfect airbrushed characters. I dunno. Anyway, I'll stop derailing the thread, at this time of utmost importance - when people need advice on how to get printed.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 10:47:08 -0500

I printed it out, making sure it didn't "fit" or "stretch", so it's the size it'll be, and it looks fine to me, even if Times New Roman is "amateurish", I didn't notice it. But I'm definitely not a font expert. This'll sound lazy (and it is) but like I previously said, since it's really just for me and a small number of friends, I'll probably keep it because first of all, I'm still not sure about downloading fonts for LibreOffice (and making sure they're embedded, which is mainly what I'm not sure of) and also changing the font could change my page count, and I have it all set up with the right blank pages and such.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

seirentsukiko — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 14:13:27 -0500

How exactly do you claim the manuscript?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:20:12 -0500

If you mean claiming the offer then the codes would normally be up at some point by the end of the 5th December California Time.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:55:09 -0500

If you want new fonts, you just download them, and if you have a PC, you go to HDD > Windows > Fonts and drag them in there and then they should show up in all the programs you use. If you have a Mac, I'm not sure. X3 But if you don't feel you want/need to that's fine, as long as you like how you proof looks. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

L-live — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:02:45 -0500

Do you have to get five copies or can you just get one? Sorry if this has been asked already.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Looking Glaz — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:08:28 -0500

Different numbering (and different headers/footer for different pages) can be done using page breaks. Also they have pre-finished templates for the inside of the book. Don't remember where exactly on the site, but I've downloaded them from the CS just to see what it should look like. You can download the template and copy/paste your text into it.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

RAveN-838 — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:39:44 -0500

Each publishing house has a different time frame. For novels, what I tend to see (on average) is somewhere from 1 month to 6 months, althoughsome houses can take a year or more--I hvae not yet heard of a house taking much longer than a year to accept/reject a manuscript for publication. Voss

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:43:54 -0500

Hmm. Adobe Garamond seems to cost from $35 to $170. Heh, no thanks... Guess I'll stick with TNR despite it being meant for a newspaper, or whatever.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

WholeHeart — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 01:02:54 -0500

*shrugs* My grandma and I both won NaNoWriMo both this year and last. Grandma writes by hand and wasn't able to get her novel typed up in time to use last year's code (she validated under the Luddite clause, with my help), so I got to use it (good for me because I never got around to using my 2009 code, so I was able to actually get a proof of both my 2009 and 2010 novels last year--in all their shockingly bad glory, because I didn't have time to edit the 2010 one, and the 2009 one was 50,000 words but not actually finished). This year I'm going to give Grandma my code, if we can get her manuscript ready in time (I think this year's offer will actually be really good for her, and twice as good if she's got both my code and hers). There is no way that I can get my novel ready by the deadline, even if I wanted to self-publish, which I'm not sure of. So, I'm going to help my grandma publish hers and see how the process works, which will be good practice for me, my grandma, and my mom (all of us like to write; my mom hasn't actually won NaNoWriMo, but at least she tried participating this year). It all depends on what you're looking for, I suppose.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:42:02 -0500

You will have to buy a single proof copy anyway before it is finalised, and the 5 copy option is available, so if that is all you want then then that is all you need do.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:44:22 -0500

There are a number of free fonts which are a good deal more professional looking, including free versions of Garamond. And cheaper versions of Garamond than you're looking at. Times New Roman is default in so many places that it just plain smells like an amatuer. Google 'what font should I use for my book' for a bunch of suggestions. http://www.rochestermedia.com/what-font-should-i-use-to-write-my-book-in/ Just for starters, that link explains a bit of the hows and whos. Century Schoolbook and Garamond are both default on the editor I'm using right now. On my home one, I believe I have Georgia. Bottom line; if you have to use a cheap free copy of Garamond, that's still better than Times New Roman. Printed, it looks like nothing so much as a paper you wrote for school in that font.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:49:51 -0500

Making your own cover is, in my experience, a bit chancy. I'm all artsy and what-not, so I tried using my art. It turned out okay once, second time it looked awful. Using their cover creator means having a very basic non-specific cover. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it didn't feel terribly custom... it didn't feel like mine as much as I wanted it to. But making your own definitely means a lot of time figuring out what looks good in print and polish, polish, polish. When in doubt, sometimes the generic professional look is the best choice.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ninequarter — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:33:22 -0500

how much is the proof copy if you need to buy it before getting the 5 free books?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:50:22 -0500

It depends completely on the size of the book and the amount of pages. And then, of course, the postage on top depends on where you live. Mine was a BIG book and, including postage to the UK, it cost about £14 ($21), but most people's cost far less.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

frenzied — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:58:26 -0500

Will you be emailing the winner code to us? I understand from CS rep you will (called this morning after uploading my nanonovel Loving Inn.)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

frenzied — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:02:02 -0500

oops saw the answer after posting. I'll look for that email link later today.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Smitty2377 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:06:44 -0500

I bought proofs of a 100 page book for $3.66 USD shipping was less than $5 as I recall. It really turned out nice. However, I want to add to my book, "Zeb's Watch," (A small collection of 4 horror stories) and re-release it on Kindle with more stories. The break-even point for it to sale on Amazon is $6.10 therefore, I want my readers to feel like they are getting their money's worth. I will base my page count on an average of several books in that price range. (250-300) First I need to finish editing my Nano Novel enough to get proofs by January. (It's a birthday gift for an old friend, a romance novel written on a dare. It was the only thing I had plotted when NaNo kicked off.)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

John JAM Arthur Miller — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:20:26 -0500

This is my first NanoWrite. So if the password isn't on my NanoWrite homepage, there's nothing to worry about, right? The 5 books was one of the incentives for finishing, and I would feel foolish if I screwed something up and let it slip by. Thank you for putting up with me.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

mariya17 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:08:56 -0500

I know that this has already been asked a couple of times and I am sorry for asking again, but will the codes be sent in an email or posted up? This is my first time ever winning NaNoWrMo (this is actually my first time ever trying in general) and so I have NO clue how this thing works. I have checked a couple of times and there is no code posted up on my main page and I have received no email with the code. I would be super disappointed if some how I messed up and missed the chance to get the copies. I would really love it if someone could help me out. Does the code just get put up at the end of the day? Thank you guys!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Aosaw — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:19:18 -0500

I was wondering about this as well. Last year the winner page was up fairly quickly - it seems like this year it's taking a little bit longer to collect the information (or to put it where it's visible).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:43:07 -0500

[quote=frenzied] Will you be emailing the winner code to us? I understand from CS rep you will (called this morning after uploading my nanonovel Loving Inn.) [/quote] No, the winner codes will be posted on the Winner Prizes block on the dashboard, where the Procrastination Station is now.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:43:34 -0500

Folks, I'm going to ask you to please have patience. The code distribution is not an automatic process, and it's still morning in CA. The Winner's Prizes block is going to appear on the front page, in place of the Procrastination Station. Please have patience, as it will likely be later in the day California time, as we have a few loose ends to tie up before we're ready for them to go live.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:34:34 -0500

Nope it has in my memory always been around the 5th, assuming of course that it is not on a weekend. The normal winner page goes up as soon as you validate but for the extra goodies..... toward the end of the 1st week of Dec is normal. It takes a few days to count up the stats from here and YWP, give people a bit to go through with late validation in case of major last minute computer glitches, send stats to the companies involved, have them generate the needed codes, send the codes back, post codes etc..... Not exactly a few minutes work.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:41:23 -0500

To quote Dragonchilde: No, the winner codes will be posted on the Winner Prizes block on the dashboard, where the Procrastination Station is now

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

HazelMason — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:55:32 -0500

I have not got a password or username?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

WannaBeHeard — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:27:57 -0500

So, I've read alot I the post, but still confused. Are we alowed to Distibute our books to other channels.(Amazon ect....)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

MJE — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:37:08 -0500

Um, where is the code at? I have looked everywhere and found nothing.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:43:18 -0500

Yes CS is owned by Amazon if you set your book to public listing it is automatically available to the general worldwide public via Amazon.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

WannaBeHeard — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:48:02 -0500

Thanks

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:52:55 -0500

[quote=HazelMason] I have not got a password or username? [/quote] You will not get a username or password. On a front page, a link to the winner prizes page will appear where the Procrastination Station is now, and it will include your special offer code. It's not an access code, username, nor password. As I said above: Folks, I'm going to ask you to please have patience. The code distribution is not an automatic process, and it's still morning in CA. The Winner's Prizes block is going to appear on the front page, in place of the Procrastination Station. Please have patience, as it will likely be later in the day California time, as we have a few loose ends to tie up before we're ready for them to go live.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

HazelMason — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:01:03 -0500

Okay thank you

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:06:09 -0500

Nope nothing to worry about it takes a while for even the wonderful NaNo team to get the codes from the companies involved and posted for us.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Wake Me Up Tomorrow — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:06:11 -0500

I'm sorry. I'm waiting to receive the code today, and I went to the winner's goodies page (that's where it's supposed to be, right?) Well, I can't find it and I'm freaking out. If anybody can help me or something I would really appreciate it since this is my first year doing NaNo.. Thanks.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:19:42 -0500

Not up yet. It's only early afternoon in CA and it takes time to do the work needed hence all the postings today about the codes. When it is up the link will replace the Procrastination Station on the main page according to Dragonchilde.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:23:41 -0500

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

mariya17 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:15:25 -0500

[quote=BloodRoseAngel] To quote Dragonchilde: No, the winner codes will be posted on the Winner Prizes block on the dashboard, where the Procrastination Station is now [/quote] Oh, so I just have to wait for the Procrastination Station to change to the Winner Prizes block? Okay,there is no set time when the change will occur correct? Sorry for asking so many questions.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

unicawn — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:57:08 -0500

I want to know that if I printed with Create Space, and then went on to self publish, for Kindle, on Amazon, would create space be entitled to any fees because of their links to Amazon?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Celticsmc12 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:10:31 -0500

When do you think it will be up in eastern shore time?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

John JAM Arthur Miller — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:24:05 -0500

[quote=mariya17] [quote=BloodRoseAngel] To quote Dragonchilde: No, the winner codes will be posted on the Winner Prizes block on the dashboard, where the Procrastination Station is now [/quote] Oh, so I just have to wait for the Procrastination Station to change to the Winner Prizes block? Okay,there is no set time when the change will occur correct? Sorry for asking so many questions. [/quote] Thanks for asking this. Now I know exactly where to look (the Procrastination Station). That helps a LOT!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

mariya17 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:41:55 -0500

[quote=John JAM Arthur Miller] [quote=mariya17] [quote=BloodRoseAngel] To quote Dragonchilde: No, the winner codes will be posted on the Winner Prizes block on the dashboard, where the Procrastination Station is now [/quote] Oh, so I just have to wait for the Procrastination Station to change to the Winner Prizes block? Okay,there is no set time when the change will occur correct? Sorry for asking so many questions. [/quote] Thanks for asking this. Now I know exactly where to look (the Procrastination Station). That helps a LOT! [/quote] You are very welcome. All that still want to know is when the Procrastination Station will become the Winner Prizes block. Have you received your code yet? Hopefully I will get mine soon.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

bsswrites — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:48:06 -0500

I'm a WINNER! But.... I'm not finding the password for createspace? Am I missing something or not looking in the right place? I've already created a createspace account and am anxious to start! Thanks!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

bsswrites — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:49:16 -0500

K... so after I posted I see more notes - it's not just me! ha ha ha!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LaurenRox — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:29:14 -0500

From the Winners Goodies Page: "To get your password, you must be an official NaNoWriMo 2011 winner, and be signed into the NaNoWriMo site. Once you are, your unique password will be displayed at the bottom of this paragraph." No password popped up at the bottom of this paragraph. Am I cray cray?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:30:07 -0500

[quote=bsswrites] I'm a WINNER! But.... I'm not finding the password for createspace? Am I missing something or not looking in the right place? I've already created a createspace account and am anxious to start! Thanks! [/quote] There is no password. YOu won't be able to use your code immediately anyway; you have to go through the approval process and proof process before you'll be ready, so it'll be a couple of weeks at least before you'll be able to use it. ;) It's not a password; it's basically a coupon code. Edit: I stand corrected. ;) The process is different this year.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:30:27 -0500

[quote=Celticsmc12] When do you think it will be up in eastern shore time? [/quote] We can't give any ETAs. It'll be up when it's ready. :) They're working on it as we speak.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:33:18 -0500

Same here, for the CreateSpace offer OR the Scrivener. Perhaps they don't have all the codes yet or something.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:35:13 -0500

Folks, please stop posting in this thread to ask the same question over and over again. I know you're excited. We're working on this as hard as we can, and asking the same questions won't help them get up faster, and it makes it harder to find official answers. Just sit back, relax, and wait. It'll come eventually. These codes are good for months (and in the case of the CS code, you won't be able to use them for a couple of weeks minimum, anyway, simply because of their publishing process.) :) We do appreciate you supporting our sponsors so enthusiastically.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Lady Marvelous — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:48:39 -0500

My "unique password" isn't appearing at the bottom of the paragraph. PLEASE HELP. SEND ME SOME NANO MAIL ON HOW TO FIGURE THIS OUT. HELP!!!!!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Lady Marvelous — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:49:34 -0500

GAWD. *FACE PALM* IM SORRY!!!! I DIDNT SEE THE POST BEFORE MINE! SORRY!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Mister_eareyous — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:56:51 -0500

Help! I don't see the winner's password! I am a winner and I want my 5 free books, but I don't see the password. Help!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:59:08 -0500

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Angelynx — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:59:24 -0500

yay! codes are up! *writes code down carefully in big red letters* Thank you SO MUCH for all your hard work, dragonchilde and everyone!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

RobWeb13 — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:18:25 -0500

So I've got my code and I'm enthralled! Thanks so much! One question! I'd prepared my CreateSpace so that my book is ready to go and it's at the stage where it says I need to order a proof. Does this need to be done before I can get my five free copies?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

KazeTaco — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:43:21 -0500

Quick question-- is it possible to just get a proof (no ISBN or any of that stuff) and not the five copies? I really don't want to risk making publishing any harder than it already is.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:02:08 -0500

Yes.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:02:13 -0500

Yes.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Raven West — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:57:14 -0500

Chris, where is the code? I didn't see it on the page

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Raven West — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:02:04 -0500

Ok, so the Winners Prizes block is up, but there still isn't any codes showing at all. I have my certificate, and the CONGRATS WINNER, but still nothing on the page for either offer.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Chillibean — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:57:03 -0500

Oh, okay ): Thanks!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Mirach — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:03:19 -0500

I see there is a long discussion about the publishing rights, but what about fanfiction? If you don't enable sale anywhere, and put a disclaimer in, can you use the offer for a fanfiction story?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:48:12 -0500

Yes you can buy a proof BUT CreateSpace will still give you an ISBN on it they just will not register it until you actually go beyond that into the publishing stages, If you are worried use an anonymous title like NaNoWriMo 2011, My Book, etc....

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:52:27 -0500

No as per the terms on CS you cannot publish Fanfiction with them the work, (the contents, cover images etc) must be your own intellectual property. It has been done as far as a Proof copy in previous years and even then it could have been iffy if it was spotted ie someone used a cast picture but the 5 copies would could as published even if it was set as private and disclaimed and if you missed anything in the settings it would be a breach of copyright for profit.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:17:13 -0500

All rights to your work belong with you so you can always do what you want with them. If you list your book as public on CS then it appears on Amazon automatically. As for the Kindle option see this page.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:21:06 -0500

One note if you use the Cover Creator for your book then that belongs to CS rather than you as they own the pictures and templates etc. Same as the ISBN that cannot be used if you publish with anyone else. Both CS and KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) both being Amazon companies may allow overlapping but you would need to check that out yourself.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:16:51 -0500

[quote=Raven West] Ok, so the Winners Prizes block is up, but there still isn't any codes showing at all. I have my certificate, and the CONGRATS WINNER, but still nothing on the page for either offer. [/quote] According to your profile, you didn't validate as a winner. I'm not sure how you got your congrats winner and certificate, but your winner bar isn't showing purple, so you wouldn't have been distributed a code. You will need to follow the late validation instructions for getting your purple bar, but you'll need to contact HQ about the missing code now that they've been distributed.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ninequarter — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:39:44 -0500

thank to all who have answered my question... uhm, can i ask one more? what is the way of payment? is paypal acceptable in ordering proof and shipment in createspace?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ninequarter — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:40:07 -0500

*thanks I mean.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Mirach — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:21:04 -0500

What do you mean by "missed anything in the settings"? I understand the answer as "no", but that sentence confuses me - if I don't miss anything in the settings, it's possible?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Raven West — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:48:48 -0500

Well, I got the WINNER notification and you're right, there is no purple bar and now I can't find how to validate it, which I DID on Nov 24th... this new system is terribly confusing!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Stephen M — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:46:16 -0500

As far as I know, they do not currently accept Paypal. (discussed somewhere else in the thread)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:05:11 -0500

[quote=Raven West] Well, I got the WINNER notification and you're right, there is no purple bar and now I can't find how to validate it, which I DID on Nov 24th... this new system is terribly confusing! [/quote] Validation for winners wasn't turned on until the 25th; that's probably the problem!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

vidar — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:55:01 -0500

Or you could just ask at CreateSpace. I'm sure they can tell you....

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Marie.94 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:56:24 -0500

Wait, so I actually have to PURCHASE a proof copy before I can get my five free copies? How much does the proof copy cost? DX This is a little disappointing.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:38:34 -0500

Sorry I probably gave too much detail. On Create Space there are setting to chose to keep the stor options Private or Public. To even pay for a PROOF copy for yourself you would need to keep everything about the book involving fanfiction as Private or because it is a commercial book there would be issues. Publishing it which allows you to use the 5 book offer is not allowed on CS as Fanfiction breachs the Terms of Service stating that you must own your entire work, characters plot etc but buying a single non published proof and never approving it is possible is what I was trying to say.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:43:21 -0500

Yes. This years offer is to PUBLISH your book, not just provide a free posh printing service. CS is hoping for a bit of a return on the thousands of dollars it's been giving NaNo winners for the past few years. Proofs for a NaNo sized come in normally under $10 including postage to the States. It depends on the size and style of the book colour printing costs more and the proof stage must be done before the book cane be approved for p[ublishing by yourself.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:46:52 -0500

From the CS website We accept the following cards as payment for your orders: Mastercard Visa American Express Discover You can use debit and check cards issued by the companies above in addition to their standard credit cards. For example, if you're paying with a Visa Check Card please select Visa from the drop-down menu on the order form when indicating the card type. Similarly, if you're paying with a EuroCard or MasterMoney Card, select MasterCard.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:59:40 -0500

In their FAQ they say that ordering a proof copy costs as much as later orders you place through your member account, which, as far as I can tell, is the minimum price. I'm working on ordering a book of 124 pages, which comes to about 5 dollars, as far as I can see, excluding shipping costs (and possibly taxes). So count on anywhere between 8-15 bucks depending on where you live and the size of your copy. Since I'm doing a bundle of early work, I've already been ordering it. Please keep in mind you'll be working on this for several days: (at least one day:) 1. Reading up on their articles for formatting and figuring out how their templates work (it's relatively easy to do so, BTW). I can especially reccommend the article on front matter and back matter, which explains what stuff goes on the title page, on the copyright page, etc.) 2. Formatting your book's content and the cover, making sure all the page breaks, fonts, etc. work out alright. 3. Submitting these files to CreateSpace and filling out the information on the book. (at least a second day:) 4. Waiting for the files to be approved. 5. Making adjustments to the cover and content files, and possibly resubmitting them and getting them approved again. (a third day:) 6. Ordering a proof copy (an unknown amount of time:) 7. Receiving the proof copy, reviewing it and approving it. 8. Arranging for the book to be published (or not) and order your five free copies. PLEASE REMEMBER: What you've received on the winner's page is not the code for getting five free copies. The code from the winner's page needs to be taken to link provided below that, inserted, and what it then generated into the field next to it on THAT page is the code. Write THAT one down and save it somewhere, you will not be able to get this code a second time, I think.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

amo1967 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:02:06 -0500

[quote=Angelynx] yay! codes are up! *writes code down carefully in big red letters* Thank you SO MUCH for all your hard work, dragonchilde and everyone! [/quote] Seconding this.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:04:35 -0500

Excellent guide Arike :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:11:47 -0500

Thirding too.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Derek Jensen — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:14:19 -0500

But what if your book is a fan-fic?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

angonzo — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:27:08 -0500

Sorry, I'm still feeling a little unclear on the fanfiction issue. We can purchase a proof copy and never approve it (but we'll still get a copy)? Or as long as we don't ever make it available for profit, we can get our five free copies? I sent an email to the createspace people asking the same question and they gave me a generic response that failed to answer whether or not it was okay, so I was going to just print it off until I saw this thread. As a teacher who deals with copyright issues A LOT, I know that intent is often a big component to whether or not you are breaking copyright law. I have a clause in four spots on the cover of the book I designed and notes on the inside as well stating that I do not own the rights to these characters and have no intention to ever sell or even distribute my book to anyone. I still could not order 5 copies of my book legally if I did that?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:37:19 -0500

CS say in thier Terms of Service Fanfiction is not allowed to be PUBLISHED by them as it breechs copyright. I said people have managed to get a proof on their fafnction from CS before by basically disguising it. Generic cover, not mentioning it is a fanfic etc Diclaimers in the text etc that it is never intended for sale. Others however have been knocked back from even a prrof because the put cast pictures on thier cover etc. For the offer as it counts as PUBLISHED even if you set it to private and not listed anywhere it still counts as published and if found will possibly cause problems for you, CS etc. CS will register the ISBN against the title once you approve the proof so it would be searchable by all publishers so if you wrote "Harry Potter and the year of eresitting exams" the Bloomsbury/Schoolastica can find it if they want even if it never gets sold. For a more precuise answer either CS would have to repply more fully or a lawyer would be best to advise you.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

angonzo — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:44:14 -0500

Ahhhh ok that sucks. Thanks, I just want to make sure I won't go to jail because I want a copy of what I wrote last month! I think I might get them on the phone then, as it seems as though I'll just get another generic reply.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BlackScorpion — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:17:39 -0500

I am sorry if this has been asked over and over again, but can someone please help me? I thought that the past years you could get a free proof copy of your book and no shipping costs had to be paid either, or am I utterly wrong here? I personally don't need 5 copies of my book, because just like the last two years I would just like to print a proof of my NaNo winning draft. Just to have for myself. Thanks for letting me know. As I can't check often, if anybody has the answer: NaNoMail me? Thanks!! Blacky

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:27:57 -0500

Done.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:33:03 -0500

BTW, www.lulu.com does appear to allow fanfiction (they have a bunch of fanfiction books in their collection), so if you want to your fanfiction as a book, that's a possibility. I've also known bookstores and libraries to have the Espesso Book Machine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espresso_Book_Machine), which is basically a big copy machine that spits out books. You can look for one in your area?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:34:26 -0500

Fourthing! (Look ma, it's a new word!)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:40:59 -0500

Fanfiction's not really legal anywhere; some places may allow it, but if the original copyright holder comes after you... you're not even a little bit in the right, even if you don't intend to make money off of it. It's best NOT to publish (or attempt to publish) fanfic. We don't mind for the purposes of NaNoWriMo, but you'll need to check with CreateSpace directly to see if they allow it.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:27:00 -0500

My winner's page shows my code, but when I click the link for the page where I enter the code in order to get the ACTUAL code, I get "this page can not be found".

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Enkeli-tyttö — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:50:14 -0500

I didin't found my own code ;< "your unique password will be displayed at the bottom of this paragraph." It not there! D;; And next is some link, but it dosn't work... Someone please help me! Can somene take print screen (sensure your code)?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Enkeli-tyttö — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:51:54 -0500

And why the hell everyone else have on their profile "WINNER!", but I don't have?! O.o I finnish my story days before the end of NaNoWriMo.....

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gepard Valk — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:55:04 -0500

Hi! I don't know if this is the right place to post this but when I click the link on the Winner's Page with the Createspace and Scrivener to go to the Createspace NaNo page it doesn't work. The link isn't right. Help?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Tarun Hazarika — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:58:01 -0500

Did you validate your novel?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gepard Valk — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:05:09 -0500

Did you put in your over 50,000 word count BEFORE 25th? If that's so then you it will say you haven't won. You'll have to send it to the NaNo crew for them to manually validate it.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gepard Valk — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:32:31 -0500

Please, someone help!!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:39:31 -0500

Copy the link into the address field at the top of your browser. The html's wonky on that link.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

TheEsther_Bunny — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:41:23 -0500

one questiooon......where the hell is the winner's prize block??! I've looked at the goodies bit, but there's zich there?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:42:29 -0500

When you've logged in, the link should appear bottom right on the page. The url's www.nanowrimo.org/en/winnerprizes.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

rfacklam — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:44:07 -0500

Is there only a certain amount of people that the free code works for, because I've put my code in the apply discount box on createspace and it said "The following discount code(s) did not apply and must be removed: [MY CODE IS HERE]" and idk why it says its not working because thats the same code that i got from the site.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:44:21 -0500

For your convenience, that's: http://www.createspace.com/pub/l/nanowrimo_winners.do

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:45:41 -0500

Thanks!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

TheEsther_Bunny — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:46:23 -0500

actually, my question is, should the pages be A4 or A5?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Marie.94 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:28:00 -0500

Take the code that is on the winner's page and enter it here: https://nano-code.createspace.com/ That should give you the code for the free books.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:39:04 -0500

[quote=Enkeli-tyttö] And why the hell everyone else have on their profile "WINNER!", but I don't have?! O.o I finnish my story days before the end of NaNoWriMo..... [/quote] Unfortunately, it looks like you did not validate your novel in time to be an official winner; Special offer codes were only distributed to those who validated a winning novel before the end of the event (or late validated before the codes were distributed.) We can still validate you manually (instructions here) but at this point, we can't guarantee you the special offer codes, as the late validation deadline for those has passed.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:41:02 -0500

Try this.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

CrystalRox — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:55:53 -0500

Can you buy more than one proof copy from CreateSpace and just pay for two or three rather than claim or buy actual copies?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:59:43 -0500

You would have to order them one at a time. Reloading the text files or adjusting the cover and going through the verification process again each time but yes it is possible.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:06:52 -0500

You can also, after you approve the proof, order some copies through your member account, which will be the same price as your proof copy (if you order them as the author while logged in).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:23:07 -0500

But they are counted as published and not proofs if you approve and then buy, in which case the offer is good but not if you only want a proof or 2 or your unpublished book. Last year you could only get a single proof without approving it so the work around was change something and reupload as I suggested.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:41:51 -0500

You didn't have to validate before the 25th, just before midnight on the 30th :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:43:14 -0500

Yes you can. You have to order them one at a time but it's pretty easy. I got five last year because friends and family decided they all wanted one XD

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Angelynx — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:53:09 -0500

Worked fine, thanks. =)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Angelynx — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:03:21 -0500

Right, in past years I gather CS gave out single, free proof copies to any winner, which must have cost them tens of thousands of dollars. This year they're making the special offer available only to people who sign up to publish through them, but it's one proof copy (which you pay for) -plus- five finished books for free (you pay only postage).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Angelynx — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:04:17 -0500

I guess this year if you only want one copy you'll have to take it to your local Kinkos (or other pay-to-copy place)...

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:30:32 -0500

[quote=Angelynx] I guess this year if you only want one copy you'll have to take it to your local Kinkos (or other pay-to-copy place)... [/quote] You can still get (and pay for) a regular proof copy if you don't intend to publish. It's basically what most people last year did. ;)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

filipia — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:47:42 -0500

I'm pretty sure this is an original question, sorry if it's not. Does anyone know if I have to go through the whole "Royalty Payment" routine? it looks like a whole lot of paperwork and trouble for a non-american like me.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Wom Bat — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:07:28 -0500

I have the same question. What are we supposed to do for that?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

writerGal2011 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:08:11 -0500

where do i find the promo code to get my five books?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:30:25 -0500

Same here. Me no Americano.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

isap8 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:36:48 -0500

I tried to enter the code but it wouldn't count it. Here's what it said: The following discount code(s) did not apply and must be removed: ******** What do I do?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:21:10 -0500

If you guys are having trouble with your special offer codes, you'll need to contact CreateSpace customer support... we get the codes from them, and don't have any access to their backend, so they'll need to troubleshoot the process at that point. :) You can contact them right here!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:35:34 -0500

At what point do you get that reply. Is it when you try to generate the code initially on the CS website? or when you try to sign up for your account? or when you try to go through the checkout?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:36:40 -0500

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/winnerprizes Be sure to follow the instructions carefully.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:48:24 -0500

True, that.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:56:46 -0500

This page details the tax issues Including telling you what forms, providing links etc you should complete and file with them however this little bit is interesting esp if you are only planning on getting the 5 copies and not actually making it available for anyone to buy... Neither a TIN nor W-8BEN form are required to receive royalty payments, however, if you choose not to provide a W-8BEN, we will withhold 30% of your earnings for tax purposes regardless of any tax treaties your country may have with the U.S. By my reading unless you have it available publicly on Amazon it shouldn't make any difference as them keeping 30% of nothing is nothing. If you are wanting to sell publicly then the forms would be a very good idea as tax treaties mean most counties pay significantly less that 30% including UK and Canada which is set at 0%

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 06:02:19 -0500

*If you're not selling the book (so just getting a proof copy, or getting the five free copies), no. *If you're offering your book up for sale through Amazon or other channels, then yes. Selling books, like getting a job, means you have a form of income. Income means you pay tax over it in the country where you earn it, at least in this case. Depending on where you're from, you might ALSO pay tax over it in your own country. Getting the paperwork in order for this in advance means less headaches down the road.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Mirach — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:09:47 -0500

Let me know if you do, please!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

filipia — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:22:51 -0500

I know I should be editing this down, but editing isn't my strongest side. So here goes, CreateSpace's answer. My original message: I have a question on behalf of some of the Nanowrimo users. A lot of us are not from the US and are unsure about the royalties and the tax problems that might create for us. Is this something we should be worrying about? Might we be better off publishing through local companies? CreateSpace reply: Thank you for contacting us with your questions about royalty payments for our international members. Basically, international members can always receive their royalties via check as long as they have provided an accurate shipping address for the check to be sent to. Royalties can also be placed on hold if a member wishes the amount to accrue over time. To take advantage of any tax treaties a country may have with the United States, the member would have to obtain a U.S. Tax Identification Number (TIN); however, we will still issue royalties whether the member has a TIN or not. For your reference, I have provided more detailed information below regarding royalty payment options and obtaining a TIN. I have also attached a copy of the Commitment Letter, which is part of what is needed to obtain a TIN. International members have the option to set up a U.S. bank account or create an account with the U.S. branch of an international bank. Any member with a U.S. bank account can be paid their royalties via direct deposit. International members who do not have a U.S. bank account will be paid by check mailed to the payee address listed in the Royalty Payment Profile. If you have established a U.S. bank account or created an account with an active U.S. branch of an international bank, please follow these steps to enter direct deposit information: 1. Log in to your CreateSpace Member Account using your e-mail address and account password 2. Click "Edit Account Settings," under "My Account Information," and then click "Royalty Payment Information" 3. Check the box next to "Request Direct Deposit" 4. Enter your 9-Digit Bank Routing Number, Bank Account Number, and Name exactly as they appear on a check from that account 5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Save" This information will be updated within 15 business days, and future payments will be sent via direct deposit. As a reminder, CreateSpace pays your royalty for a given month's sales towards the end of the following month. For example, you will receive your royalty payment towards the end of March covering all the sales reported in February, as well as prior months if a payment hasn't been made. Royalties are paid via direct deposit once an amount of $20 or greater is accrued. We keep a running total of your earned royalties and once the amount exceeds $20, you'll receive a royalty payment. The lag time of approximately 30 days covers any sales revenue collections and payment processing. Again, you don't have to enter a TIN in order to be paid royalties. All you have to do is enter a valid address and select a “Business Type” in the "Payee Information" section of your “Royalty Payment Information." Also, you are not required to complete a W8 form in order to receive your royalties. However, royalties paid to a foreign entity or person are subject to tax withholding in the U.S. A foreign entity or person is someone who is not a resident or citizen of the U.S. or a green card holder. The general rate of tax withholding is set by U.S. tax rules and regulations and is currently 30% of royalties paid. This withholding tax rate can be reduced if the recipient (you) is resident in a jurisdiction that has a valid income tax treaty with the U.S. This reduced rate is only available if we receive the appropriate documentation from you. Without this documentation, the 30% withholding tax rate will apply. This documentation is either Form W-8BEN or Form W-8ECI issued by the Internal Revenue Service and includes a valid U.S. taxpayer identification number (obtained by filing Form W-7 or SS4). For more information on these forms, instructions and description of which form may be appropriate for you, please refer to the Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov. We are required to receive a new form from you every three years. Best regards, Charlotte, CreateSpace Member Services

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

The_Squidd — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:01:16 -0500

I'm sorry if this has been asked already, but if we don't buy all five copies, the code will still work right? And kind of on that same vein, if I don't buy all five to start, could I use the code later if I did want to get all five after all? So, if I only buy, two, would that still work? And if afterwords I decide I want the other three, would using the code again still work? Or will I have to buy all five all at once.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

FLIPPA — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:53:41 -0500

I'm sorry to barge in but I don't know where else to ask. I updated my wordcount to 51 082 words on 29th of November, but I haven't received anything indicating that I'm a winner and therefore that I can claim some of the special offers. I've read all the instructions and under Novel Info can't find anywhere the link that should allow me to upload my novel so its wordcount is verified; I want to buy Scrivener with the special 50% offer and get my 5 free copies but can't do so because I don't have any code or special password appearing anywhere as a winner. I've checked and my stats do show I reached 50K. What can I do please??? Thanks a lot

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

rochke11 — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:02:31 -0500

You needed to validate your word count before the 30th in order to be considered a winner

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Crunchy Snape — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:03:41 -0500

You can go to this thread and follow the instructions. :) http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/tech-help-site-bug-reports/threads/45838

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

FLIPPA — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:04:05 -0500

But how did you manage to validate it? I never found a link for it!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:07:37 -0500

[quote=FLIPPA] But how did you manage to validate it? I never found a link for it! [/quote] The validation link was on the Edit Novel Info page, under the usual word count entry box. It was a bit small, I'm afraid, so quite a few people missed it. :( It's something we're fixing for next year.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

FLIPPA — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:10:20 -0500

Damn!!! Never saw it! Thanks for being kind enough to answer though :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:11:02 -0500

So, with the files reviewed, I was able to go to the next stage: ordering a proof copy. Turns out mine would only cost four dollars. With four dollars shipping. Not bad yeah? Big drawback: you need a credit card, or a Master or Visa debet card. Yeah. Little detail about living elsewhere: different methods of payment (and we are reminded why it is so lovely NanoWriMo accepts paypal). So, I'm going in search for a friendly neighbourhood credit card holder. *wanders off to phone family*

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:33:43 -0500

That you will have to ask CreateSpace via their contact form. Do let us know their answer if you do.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:37:45 -0500

Full list of payment options lifted from the website in case it helps your search Mastercard Visa American Express Discover You can use debit and check cards/cheque cards issued by the companies above in addition to their standard credit cards. For example, if you're paying with a Visa Check Card please select Visa from the drop-down menu on the order form when indicating the card type. Similarly, if you're paying with a EuroCard or MasterMoney Card, select MasterCard."

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

isap8 — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:11:42 -0500

When I went through the checkout...

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:18:19 -0500

Okay was it the code straight off the NaNo winners Page or the one generated when you put the Nano code into the CreateSpace site at https://nano-code.createspace.com/ If it was the code from the Winners Page go back and put it into the link above to get the full code. If it was the one generated by the CS page then maybe check it again and if it still doesn't work you will need to contact CreateSpace

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:49:45 -0500

I was told on the forum that I could almost certainly use a pre-paid card as well. They said to phone customer service, but that it's very likely.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:19:13 -0500

Yep, as most prepaid cards come from Visa, Mastercard etc the checkout should just read them as a normal credit card.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

AKimlin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:35:34 -0500

I'm having the same issue it is the one off the generate the code bit.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 06:49:16 -0500

Whoa o_o That lot is confusing. I was thinking of actually publishing my NaNo 2010 novel through them when it's done. But I live in the UK so that sounds like a lot of hassle! XD Why can't they just have a branch here ;_;

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:15:29 -0500

If it is the CS generated code then all I can think of is are you trying to order using the code at the proof stage? This year you need to order and pay for the proof before you can approve it for actual publishing when this code for 5 published copies will apply. Proofs can only be ordered 1 at a time and only once you approve the finished article for publication can you redeem your 5 published copies.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

RobertLent — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:38:21 -0500

If you're writing a fanfic, change the names so that it isn't a fanfic anymore. ;-) As in "I know my book is set on a starship, and the captain has a emotional doctor, and a first officer ruled by logic, but it's totally not Star Trek! See, the names aren't the same!"

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:52:52 -0500

You can check whether your own bank has offices in the US, I think then your account would count as well? Or you can have a check mailed your way :) Very cool long letter, thanks for posting that! It's interesting.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:55:06 -0500

Thanks! Unfortunately, I'm from a country where we work mostly with online transfers and debet cards of a different brand :s. Credit cards are present but, eh, don't have one. No worries, I had a secret weapon: family.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:09:15 -0500

Last update on ordering proof copies and those five free copies. As I said, my book is small, 124 pages, so the proof copy was 4 dollars, and shipped for another 4 dollars. Nice detail: if you want multiple proof copies, you can order them all in one go (so you only pay shipping once). After you've ordered the proof copy, you will receive an email when they've shipped. For me, this happened pretty fast, I had it the next day. From the moment you receive this email, you can approve the proof copy, and order your free copies. I did this, because someone is bringing them across the pond for me. I do not recommend it, however, if you want to be sure your books will look good. As soon as you've approved, the link for ordering copies appears on that page, and you can enter amount five and the code you've had generated as the discount code. The cheapest shipping rate (14 days) 5 124-page books is six dollars. So, overall I could have ordered six books for fourteen bucks, including shipping. Again, it depends on the amount of pages what the book cost and how much the shipping is, so if someone's writing a 700-page fantasy novel, it's more expensive. 50.000 words is a book of 175 pages, so the price shouldn't be too far off from what I've seen so far. I will not be publishing my books, so this is it for me. Hope the posts are the slightest bit helpful. Good luck to everyone with editing, ordering and/or publishing their books!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:15:01 -0500

*approved it *rate for *will cost Sorry for the typos!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

RobertLent — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:37:31 -0500

Will Libraries accept you donating your own book? I had an idea to just sneak my book onto their shelves. Then if anyone tries to check it out, the library staff might assume that it simply hasn't been entered into their system...

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

The_Squidd — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:48:44 -0500

Alright, I asked them and was told: "Unfortunately, all of the free copies must be claimed at once. The codes will not remain valid after the first order for your free copies." Which is a little inconvenient maybe, but fine all the same.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

kararenee333 — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:20:52 -0500

I went on the winner's block thing, and i didn't get a password, but I did win

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:08:38 -0500

It was helpful. I can't find information anywhere on shipping to Canada... looks like my proof will cost $7 + $7 to ship. How much would 5 copies be, I wonder? I can't find out. I made a thread on the CS forums, though. And also, my final concern (which relates to getting a proof copy and finding it's not right) is that I read somewhere people use the "justify" option on their text. What does it do, and should I do it? They mention it being "professional".

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Iguana67 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:13:40 -0500

I had the same problem as well, and I can't seem to fix it so far!! Gaaaagh! :P Need help!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dhui_Darling — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 02:45:59 -0500

I'm so confused. An email I got told me that the code came out today (9th December) but the website says the 5th December :/ Have I missed it? And wheres the winners page? Is it the same as 'collect winners goodies' because I don't have a code there.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:35:44 -0500

The Pricing and Postage Calculator is down towards the bottom here. Fill in the book details first then select the number and where it is to be shipped and you should get an accurate quote. In justified text the spaces between words and sometimes between letters are stretched in order to make the text align with both the left and right margins. It's the little icon in the tool bar of most word processors with even lines alongside the Align Left, Right and Centred buttons. Some times it looks good, other times it looks ridiculous, 2 words stretched out across the whole line is not a good look.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Wom Bat — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:42:21 -0500

HELP! I made an account with the code and finished my book editing and cover stuff and got it verified and stuff, and now it's letting me order copies. I entered the code that I got when I first signed up (not the one on the website but the one that it gave me) in the discount code place and it wouldn't let me use it! What do I do?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:53:27 -0500

Have you ordered and approved your proof copy?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:41:18 -0500

[quote=Dhui_Darling] I'm so confused. An email I got told me that the code came out today (9th December) but the website says the 5th December :/ Have I missed it? And wheres the winners page? Is it the same as 'collect winners goodies' because I don't have a code there. [/quote] No, it's a separate page; to find it, go to the dashboard, and look for the Winner's Prizes block, where the Procrastination Station used to be. That should have the link to your winner's code.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:45:26 -0500

[quote=kararenee333] I went on the winner's block thing, and i didn't get a password, but I did win [/quote] Unfortunately, it looks like you're not showing purple, so while you hit 50k, you didn't validate your novel between November 25 and November 30. You had to upload your winning novel for verification during that time period to count as a winner. This unfortunately means that it's past the deadline for late validation. I can still verify you as a winner, but I can't guarantee any winner's codes, since they've already been distributed. You can, however, check this thread down in Life After NaNoWriMo to see if someone who isn't going to use theirs is willing to give you one. (be sure and read the first post, since only code offers may be posted. You need to contact folks privately.) Check quickly, they tend to go fast!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:47:30 -0500

[quote=Wom Bat] HELP! I made an account with the code and finished my book editing and cover stuff and got it verified and stuff, and now it's letting me order copies. I entered the code that I got when I first signed up (not the one on the website but the one that it gave me) in the discount code place and it wouldn't let me use it! What do I do? [/quote] If you're having trouble using your code, you'll need to contact CreateSpace directly; we don't have access to their servers or process. All we do is distribute the access codes they generate and give us. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Katieh_04 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:34:54 -0500

I was verified as a winner (I had to do a late verification, because like a lot of others I missed the changes made to the website). When I go to collect the winner goodies, I can't see the code for createspace. Do late verifications not get the Create Space prize?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

xxFrozenFlower — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:41:10 -0500

Sorry if this has already been asked and answered, but can this code be used for another project? I've been wanting to self-publish my poems, and five free copies would be a great push towards forcing me to format everything, but I'm not sure if that's allowed (it's all under 10k words total, haha, clearly not a sign of me winning NaNo). I'd really appreciate it if anyone can answer (so I don't make a stupid mistake). Thanks! o/

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

xxFrozenFlower — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:42:26 -0500

It's not under 'winner goodies', it's under 'winner prizes' on your dashboard~ Check there just in case you were looking at the wrong place? :>

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

xxFrozenFlower — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:43:49 -0500

"five free copies of their 2011 manuscripts"... aww, I guess that answers my question. ;3;

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Wom Bat — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:58:11 -0500

Oh, I was trying to use the code for the proof! How many copies do you have to get for the proof?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:06:25 -0500

I NaNo mailed you with some critical information.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:07:00 -0500

Ballsdangit. It's going to be $35 to ship. Hmm... reconsidering. TARNATION! Asked on CS forum if there was a way to get only 2 copies out of 5 or something. Not sure if it's possible.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:17:48 -0500

just the 1 proof. Then once you get it and give it a look through you aproove it and then you can use the code to redeem the 5 copies.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:19:04 -0500

CS do not know what you wrote for NaNo 2011. So you can use it for whatever project you want. Poems included.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:30:19 -0500

$Can or $US cos that sounds that sound rather expensive considering it is listing mine (based on last years one) $15 to Canada.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Wom Bat — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:48:40 -0500

Thank you!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

gadzooks97 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:46:53 -0500

I'm not sure if this has already been answered or if I'm just missing something but do the five copies have to be of the same book? As in, can you get 3 copies of one of your books and 2 of another? Or are they all printed at the same time for the same book? - Any help would be appreciated thanks!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:53:11 -0500

We know the code can only be used for the one order. Confirmation would need to come from Createspace themselves but the wording of the offer would imply it would be the same book.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:19:00 -0500

[quote=Katieh_04] I was verified as a winner (I had to do a late verification, because like a lot of others I missed the changes made to the website). When I go to collect the winner goodies, I can't see the code for createspace. Do late verifications not get the Create Space prize? [/quote] Unfortunately, because your validation was submitted after the codes were distributed, we can't guarantee you one. It's a manual process, and we only get codes based on the number of winners we submitted on the 5th. You can check the Special Offer codes Giveaway thread in Life After NanoWriMo to see if anyone has a spare.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:19:29 -0500

[quote=xxFrozenFlower] Sorry if this has already been asked and answered, but can this code be used for another project? I've been wanting to self-publish my poems, and five free copies would be a great push towards forcing me to format everything, but I'm not sure if that's allowed (it's all under 10k words total, haha, clearly not a sign of me winning NaNo). I'd really appreciate it if anyone can answer (so I don't make a stupid mistake). Thanks! o/ [/quote] Yes. CreateSpace has no way of knowing what your 2011 project is, and we don't save a copy of your novel on our servers anyway, so you can use it for any project you like.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BloodRoseAngel — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:16:24 -0500

Aw, thank you! I've tried to pull my style away from anime before but it boomeranged back again, so I'm glad it's managed to get a little hint of something else in there. ^^

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:48:29 -0500

Those machines really do exist? I'd heard about them, but didn't know the technology had gone beyond trial stage. That's pretty awesome!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:52:19 -0500

I decided that the tax forms looked like too much of a headache and they could just keep 30% of whatever I made. So far it's probably not more than about $6 anyway.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:11:48 -0500

Can you make them not add them onto the first four pages?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:19:01 -0500

Whaaat?! How do you get it to do that? The Canadian and US dollar are not that far apart right now, and I've never seen it so far apart that it'd double the price... hmm. OH WAIT! It could be my pages. Mines 276 pages. (Also it's the smallest size, 5.06 by 7.81) I put in black and white, 276 pages, trim size, 5 copies, and it says $35.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

bloodkissed — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 01:21:28 -0500

Why is there shipping this year? I mean, I'm glad they upped it to five books (though what I'm going to do with 5 books is beyond me) but isn't there a way where we can lower it back to one book so as not to pay shipping? I liked that...it was especially useful when I didn't have a card to pay with!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

gadzooks97 — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 05:21:11 -0500

Ok thanks! :) Just wanted to make sure!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 05:55:53 -0500

I've used it for a collection of short stories and poetry, since I do not anticipate I'll finish NaNo 2011 before the offer expires.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 06:04:31 -0500

It is basically a discount code to get up to five free copies of your finished manuscript. So you can also use it for one free copy, if you like. It's just most people are making the most of the offer. In my case my mother's shameless and already pulled out her puppydog eyes and demanded a copy for herself, it would be cool to have a copy to lend to friends, and then one for myself to lock in a big box and keep for the grandkids... or something. But whether it's one book or five, you will be paying a certain amount of shipping, I'm afraid. That's not included in the offer. And I know what you mean about the card :). I hope you find a solution for that. I think as long as it's master, visa, etc. it can also be a debet card.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 07:10:04 -0500

Now I am really confused because when I put in the details you gave I still got $14.99 Standard 9 business days $29.99 Priority 2 business days Which does tally with this pages rates. Country Speed.....................Shipment Fee... Per item Fee (1-9 items) Canada Standard 9 days.......$4.99..................$2.00 ................Priority2 days ...........$19.99................$2.00 Standard $4.99 + 5x$2.00 = $14.99 which is what the shipping calculator shows me as well

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Strof — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:48:33 -0500

My code isn't working either. I got CODE1 from the NaNoWriMo site, put it in the code-box on Create Space, got CODE2, which I tried to use at the checkout. But it didn't work. I have not ordered a proof copy, do I have to do this to be able to get the five free copies? (This seems weird since I can get copies that's not proof copies, if I pay for them.)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 11:14:03 -0500

You have to order and then approve your proof copy before you can order the five published copies. The code only works for the published copies not the proof stage.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Strof — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:24:07 -0500

Uhu. Then it's barely worth the extra shipping fee to first order a proof, then the five published copies.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 14:22:08 -0500

This years offer is an enticement to actually publish via them rather than using them as a fancy print service. If all you are looking for is a single copy then the offer is not quite what you are looking for and maybe even pricing Lulu might be option. OTOH if you want to actually publicly publish or even just have a half dozen copies to share among friends/family then the offer is great.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:41:01 -0500

Phew. Hopefully that's true. If it's $35 I probably won't go for it. Thanks. I'm guessing maybe it was tallying the price of the book, too? Like if someone bought them without the code?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

WriteYourHeartOut123 — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:37:13 -0500

I'm confused... To get the five free copies, do you have to publish with them and sell it and stuff? I think it would just be cool to have an actual book writen by me in my hands, but I don't really want to publish it.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Gibush — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:10:08 -0500

It's technically publishing it. You can take it down/off the market right after you get your books, though.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

amo1967 — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:48:55 -0500

Gibush, did you figure it out? Cause I get the same as Bee, $14.99, when I input the figures that you stated there. Rather interested in that, as I'm in Canada, too. Where did you get the figure for how much it would cost for the proof + shipping to Canada?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

amo1967 — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:53:05 -0500

[quote=amo1967] Where did you get the figure for how much it would cost for the proof + shipping to Canada? [/quote] Ah, never mind, found it. The cost for the proof and shipping is the same as the cost for ordering a single book.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragons13 — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:05:58 -0500

When you are making your book, you have to do all this Payee stuff and Tax stuff... How do I get it for free? When do I use my promo code?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

walking-with-a-ghost — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:06:36 -0500

Quick question: Do you have to publish your NaNoWriMo novel, or can you publish a different one? CreateSpace doesn't allow fanfiction, so I can't publish the novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:20:31 -0500

CS have no idea what you wrote for your NaNo book so you can use it for whatever you fancy as long as it is your own work.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:26:11 -0500

The promo code is used when you have bought and approved your proof and are ready to check out with your 5 published books. Re the tax issue there is a thread towards the top of this "nested" page discussing it along with link to relevant pages. Any earning you make on it will be taxed the same as any other income you have. If you are only after the 5 free copies and not selling it publicly then allowing CS to automatically keep 30% of your takings 30% of nothing is nothing. If you are wanting to sell it commercially then you would be advised to fill in the details etc to get more of the money for yourself.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:30:34 -0500

Yes this years offer is to publish the book with them. If all you are wanting is a single copy then you can buy just a proof copy (and not approve it for publication) or consider buying one off another company like Lulu.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Mister_eareyous — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:55:49 -0500

Wait, so the code DOESN"T work on the proof copy so we order the proof copy then we distribute it and then we buy the actual book the code only works when we buy the actual book right?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ms_erupt — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:00:20 -0500

Thanks for the heads up. I did get CS to send me a few proof copies of a fanfic (and it was labeled as such), but I figure the guidelines are different for something like this. Hmmmm...will have to think of if I want to try it or not. I certainly have no plans to make it public or available for sale.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:59:28 -0500

Yes the code will only work after you have ordered your proof copy (traditionally for checking for any remaining erros formatting issue etc), and approved it for publication. THEN you can order your 5 copies and the code will work.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Celticsmc12 — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:39:48 -0500

Okay,I have a question. I wrote my novel on Open Office, which I love, but I have a problem.How do I know that the inside of my book on Createspace will look like I want it to look? Will they give me a preview of inside,or guide methrough making the inside after I send in the file for review?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LaurenRox — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:45:45 -0500

You need to buy the proof copy first to get the 5 free copies. Sort of a bait and switch if you thought it was 100% free, but I'll take it.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:34:04 -0500

No you do it all yourself, though if you are very off it should hopefully get picked up on review, but mostly what you see on screen is what you get. Basics: set your page size to the dimensions or download the formatted template for sheer ease it takes care of some of these steps and paste your manuscript in. pick your font/spacing etc put in what blank pages etc you want (remember odd numbered pages will be the upward facing right hand leaf, so if you want a double sized blank page you will have to put in 2 on screen pages for the front and back.) set the margins to the sizes CS state as your minimum for your page count (I would mirror your margins) Once you are happy with the formatting run through the whole thing again to make sure your chapters don't suddenly start on the wrong side of the book etc. save the file as an uploadable format, this used to be pdf only but they have allowed others this year for ease of use (doc etc) but check the site

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LEwolfwriter — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:24:31 -0500

I can not, for the life of me, find where to put the code or how to mark that I don't want to distribute copies. *confused* This is why I didn't use Createspace last year. They never make it easy to use. Could someone tell me how to mark that I don't want to distribute, and tell how to use the code? Thanks.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LEwolfwriter — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:26:16 -0500

Oh, also, I'm on the step where you order a proof copy. Now what?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:18:17 -0500

You do not use the sode at the Proof copy stage. This year they have changed the distribution channels slightly in that it looks like (since I haven't gotten this far yet myself this year not 100% sure) you have to buy and approve the proof before you casn even set the sales channels which are found by clicking on the project title in your Members Dashboard and they are found under the Distribute tab. Untill you have approved your book for publictaion (after you get the proof) then is not listed anywhere untill you set the options you want. The private option should come up after the approval is done and you follow the rest of the steps tey guide you through by the Save & Continue buttons.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:49:20 -0500

I've used Open Office. It was easiest to go to Format>Page and then in the tab that appears, set Width to 6" and Height to 9" (that's a trade paperback). You can leave the margins alone, they're within the limits Createspace recommends. On the right side you can set Page Layout to "Mirrored", press ok, and voila, what's on your screen is more or less how it would be in the book. Hint, for making blank pages: use page break. I'm afraid I can't help you with making clever headers and using numbering well, because I didn't. Good articles on making the document "booklike" are: https://www.createspace.com/en/community/docs/DOC-1721 https://www.createspace.com/en/community/docs/DOC-1732 On embedding fonts: don't worry about it, this will automatically happen when you make it a PDF. Only in Word is this a separate thing. You can make it a PDF by downloading e.g. PDFCreator, which will then appear as one of the printers, and you can "print" your document to a PDF.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:52:25 -0500

I believe you can already set what sales channels you want to use before approving the proof copy, but the five copies you can only order after you've approved your proof copy. The link to do so appears on the same page you've given your approval. Do you know if the profile is automatically public or automatically private? I've ordered copies but not selected sales channels, since I don't want to sell it. Does that mean it's visible?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

dwilder — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:04:57 -0500

[quote=LaurenRox] You need to buy the proof copy first to get the 5 free copies. Sort of a bait and switch if you thought it was 100% free, but I'll take it. [/quote] I have my books available in hard copy through CreateSpace. They just (this year) started a procedure where you don't have to buy a 'proof' copy to get your book printed. You can just approve it as is. Just read each screen and see what it says. (I have to say this: as arrogant as I can sometimes be about getting everything spot-on, every time I've said 'Pooh! I don't need to get a proof copy - it's perfect right now!' I've discovered some embarrassing blooper that necessitated my pulling the thing off distribution and fixing it. As to sales channels - don't select any. The freebies are Amazon and CreateSpace's e-store (which you own and run). Expanded distribution channels cost $39. For that, I just sold a copy of Pharaoh's Son (sells the best) and got the magnificent sum of $.25. Woo hoo. Anyhow - no one in the world is forcing anyone to take advantage of this offer.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:14:41 -0500

Well now that I am not dipping in and out things during breaks in work I got a chance to check out my other older projects. Sales Distributions does seem to be able to be set up after the Proof Review process (since that's as far as I've ever got). Since all I get are options to select the options rather than opt out I would hope it is private. Ahh OK When you go into Sales channels you have 3 options CreateSpace estore, Amazon.com, and the Expanded Distibution Channel. The 1st 2 are the ones to worry about as the 3rd only applied if you pay for it. Go into the Select options for one then the other They both have a clickable link to Disable CreateSpace estore/Amazon.com. You need to click it and it means the work isn't listed anywhere.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Todd186 — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:59:03 -0500

I approved my book without ordering a proof because I think it's a waste of time and money. The site said it was the equivalent of ordering a proof and approving it. I ordered my copies and the discount worked, but I'm waiting for an answer as to if my order is still going through since some idiot told me he took the liberty of cancelling it for me. It seems like everything's in order, but I don't know.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

WastedVengeance — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:06:31 -0500

Is anyone else having problems entering their code? I try to enter mine in and all it says The following discount code(s) did not apply and must be removed:" :/

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:25:32 -0500

A couple of people have but most seem to have been putting it in at the wrong point or using the wrong code. Was it the code straight off the NaNo winners Page or the one generated when you put the Nano code into the CreateSpace site at https://nano-code.createspace.com/ If it was the code from the Winners Page go back and put it into the link above to get the correct code. If it was the one generated by the CS page then are you using it to order a proof? The code will only work for published copies so the proof has to be approved before copies can be ordered. If all this is correct then you may need to contact CS themselves.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:28:12 -0500

Ahh thanks for the confirmation that you can now approve without buying a proof. It'll still be several months before I get that far with my offering so can only base my answers on what previous years were and what I can see on sceeen eithout a completed project. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Telling_It_Like_It_Isn't — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:40:57 -0500

Is there any way that you can print yourself different copies of the novel - for example, one copy of the original manuscript for people to edit and revise in a hard format, and then four with the revisions later?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:02:25 -0500

[quote=Telling_It_Like_It_Isn't] Is there any way that you can print yourself different copies of the novel - for example, one copy of the original manuscript for people to edit and revise in a hard format, and then four with the revisions later? [/quote] I believe the code itself must be used on a single order, but I don't see a reason why you couldn't order a proof copy... that's what proof copies are for, after all. :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:14:05 -0500

Cool, thanks for that!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Wom Bat — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:38:52 -0500

HELP!! So I have a book on adult nano and ywp nano and the adult one went through fine without a glitch. So I signed up for my ywp one, but CreateSpace never asked me for the code on my winner's page and never gave me a discount code. I thought it might automatically do it or something since I signed up through the nanowrimo link, but now I've gotten my proof and stuff and I'm ready to order my 5 free copies, but I have no discount code. What do I do?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Alyssaly — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:53:59 -0500

Too many replies to read all!But these post and replies are useful!They give me some tips!Thanks!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Raven Snow — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:37:16 -0500

When you find out if you can indeed approve your book without ordering the proof, and still use the discount, would you please post the answer here? I too think that ordering a proof is a complete waste of money with this year's offer, but I'm not sure if I can use the discount code otherwise.

Help!!

rina28 — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:59:33 -0500

Can't use my promotional code for some reason... or maybe I just put it in the wrong place? Can someone guide me, as this is my first NaNo too :/

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:31:15 -0500

Not 100% sure what exactly you are asking the YWP codes should be on http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/wordcount/youwon. Unfortunately I cannot see them cos I'm too old so I can only assume the same procedure for getting the correct code applys. You have to input your code manually at the checkout stage when ordering your copies.

Re: Help!!

Bee82 — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:34:34 -0500

Where you you trying to use your code? The only place it will work is at the checkout when ordering your 5 published copies. It will not work when ordering a proof, you used to have to order a proof but we have since had it confirmed that this year you can approve the proof without ordering one (though if there are any formatting or other issues it will end up published with them if you do not get a proof and check it). Only after you appprove the proof can you order the published copies and it is in the last stages of the order that the code can be used

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Rowana Renee — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:04:57 -0500

I'm actually going to wait a bit to get copies made. My book is at a hundred pages and I'm not even halfway through with the first section, meaning that it's nowhere near actually being done, so getting a copy made would be relatively pointless. So instead I'm going to wait and just get it published for real once I'm actually finished writing the whole thing ^:^

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:11:03 -0500

It's going to be a long time before mine is ready too. In fact it'll probably be a last minute dash in June again for me.......

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LaurenRox — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:32:52 -0500

Well, then a rep from CreateSpace, um, accidentally misled me. I wrote in to ask them if I indeed had to PURCHASE the proof before I got my 5 free copies. Here is the excerpt from my response email: "This year, NanoWrimo writers have received discount codes that will provide five free copies of your paperback book. However, you will first need to order a proof copy for you to review. Once you have received and reviewed your proof copy, you can approve your book and make it available for sale." I wish I had known that you didn't actually have to, hence why I referred to it as a bait-and-switch...

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:36:31 -0500

I wonder when it actually became live that you didn't need to because a few months ago you DID need to buy the proof.....

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LaurenRox — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:49:59 -0500

I wanted to get my hands on a hard copy of my first draft so that it was more easily distributed amongst my friends, who could then make notes in the margins that would go towards my second draft. Hooray!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Sophsoph97 — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:37:09 -0500

When does this offer expire? :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:16:02 -0500

It should say so on the page, and right above here ^ I get the idea June's the last month you can order the 5 free copies.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Arike — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:16:33 -0500

Good luck to you both!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Angelynx — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:17:34 -0500

[quote=Bee82] It's going to be a long time before mine is ready too. In fact it'll probably be a last minute dash in June again for me....... [/quote] Yeah. I've barely even started editing. I expect to be working on this right till the end of May at least.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Angelynx — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:18:00 -0500

[quote=Sophsoph97] When does this offer expire? :) [/quote] June 30th.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

dwilder — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:06:29 -0500

Late summer. (When you didn't have to buy the proof). I was a beta tester for a program they put in place to do an internal manuscript review. The program allows you to review your manusccript online in facsimile form. You still have to give things a full, hard review because it doesn't catch spelling mistakes. On October 10 I got a gift for being a tester - 10 free copies. I just updated a book I have available in hard copy for anyone who wants to get one after reading the ebook. I decided to cash in the gift offer, so... (bear with me) we had the following: (1) I had reviewed and reviewed the revisions with and without the internal scan, so I declined the proof copy (you have to read the screen) (2) I ordered 3 copies of one of my books, 3 of another and 4 of the updated one. In the course of ordering there was a place to put in a code. I did so and voila! I got ten books for the cost of shipping. There has been a lot of angst over having to pay shipping costs. (If it was previously free, I can sympathize). The shipping cost of ten 130K word books with a projected delivery date of 12/29 was $8.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

dwilder — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:18:40 -0500

Hm. Reading the updated official post, it appears that for this offer you do have to order a proof.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

starlost — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:53:30 -0500

Chris, It's so nice for CreateSpace to offer five free copies of my book. But I can't find the password. It's not on the page that says "At the bottom of this paragraph." I finished, really I did. How can I find my password? Jon Batson starlost "Mars Quake"

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:45:29 -0500

[quote=starlost] Chris, It's so nice for CreateSpace to offer five free copies of my book. But I can't find the password. It's not on the page that says "At the bottom of this paragraph." I finished, really I did. How can I find my password? Jon Batson starlost "Mars Quake" [/quote] Unfortunately, since you still have a blue bar on your profile, it looks like you missed the window for validation. In order to receive your special offer codes from our sponsors, you had to validate (either yourself during the event, or through the late validation process after November 30) before codes were distributed. However, you may still be able to get one if you watch the code giveaways thread, where people post codes they are not going to use for others. You can contact people privately that way and ask for them.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Narroch — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:04:07 -0500

I can't seem to find the "No Printed Proof" option. Where did you find it?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Narroch — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:12:09 -0500

NEVERMIND. I just called create space. You have to order one proof, you can't skip that step. If you have ordered from them before you can skip, but until then you have to order at least ONE proof. Which is frustrating because these so-called 'prizes' were supposed to be FREE! I understand paying for shipping, but with this deal you have to essentially pay for shipping TWICE and order a proof you don't even want. It's rather deceptive to call it free.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:50:57 -0500

The prizes and any terms imposed are nothing to do with NaNo, and are in fact more a special offer you can choice to use than actual prizes. The terms are set out by the nice companies willing to give away thousands of dollars of services to NaNo winners. It is still 6 books for the price of 1 plus shipping,

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

starlost — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:34:15 -0500

Still have not found my password. It's not on that page. I keep checking. Jon

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:18:54 -0500

[quote=starlost] Still have not found my password. It's not on that page. I keep checking. Jon [/quote] I answered your previous question already; I'll copy the text for you: Unfortunately, since you still have a blue bar on your profile, it looks like you missed the window for validation. In order to receive your special offer codes from our sponsors, you had to validate (either yourself during the event, or through the late validation process after November 30) before codes were distributed. However, you may still be able to get one if you watch the code giveaways thread, where people post codes they are not going to use for others. You can contact people privately that way and ask for them.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Tigers Eyes — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:48:57 -0500

What about YWP?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:41:34 -0500

Not sure what you are asking.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Rose:) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:43:00 -0500

I accidentally deleted my email with the code............is it OK if I ask for another one? PLEASE HELP ME D:

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:30:44 -0500

the codes weren't emailed out, and once issued there are normally no more available, except those that are not wanting to use their own. Go back to http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/winnerprizes and try the link again it may be possible to retrieve the proper code on the CS page. If not then you will need to contact CreateSpace

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Rose:) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:09:31 -0500

Thank you so much!!!!! I DO have the code now:D

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:00:44 -0500

Excellent news Rose. good luck :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

BrettGardner11 — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:07:18 -0500

Is it possible to order the copies of your book without selling it to the public?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:08:07 -0500

Yes after the proof review stage you can set the Sales Distribs. When you go into Sales channels you have 3 options CreateSpace estore, Amazon.com, and the Expanded Distibution Channel. The 1st 2 are the ones to worry about as the 3rd only applies if you pay for it. Go into the Select options for one then the other They both have a clickable link to Disable CreateSpace estore/Amazon.com. You need to click these and it means the work isn't listed publicly anywhere.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ssme — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:22:40 -0500

this is going to sound silly but i wrote my novel (60000 words... oh yeah! :D) but didn't realise i had to update anything here to be considered a "winner" (to be honest, i didn't even know what a "winner" was in nanowrimo terms). so i just got on with writing the novel in november, got distracted in december, then remembered this morning about the offer i saw for free copies of the book. am i too late to get this offer now, even though i have a novel written? thanks.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Andrea M. Gilson — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:59:47 -0500

Congratulations to all he 2011 winners. I have used Createspace's gift the past two years and love my two books. My question this year is... Where in the world is the assigned nanowrimo password in order to take advantage of the offer. I looked on the winner's page, winner goodie page, and my page. I am obviously overlooking it. Can someone guide me please. Thanks! Andrea

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:06:49 -0500

[quote=ssme] this is going to sound silly but i wrote my novel (60000 words... oh yeah! :D) but didn't realise i had to update anything here to be considered a "winner" (to be honest, i didn't even know what a "winner" was in nanowrimo terms). so i just got on with writing the novel in november, got distracted in december, then remembered this morning about the offer i saw for free copies of the book. am i too late to get this offer now, even though i have a novel written? thanks. [/quote] Unfortunately, yes; in order to guarantee receipt of your winner codes, you had to validate your novel either yourself by November 30, or through the late validation process before December 5, when the codes were distributed. You can still validate your novel using the late validation process, but it's just for the purple bar bragging rights and downloadable winner goodies. We receive special offer codes based on the number of winners we have, which means that those not on the winner roll didn't get a code reserved for them. I'm sorry! Check the Special Offer Code Giveaways thread over in Life After NaNoWriMo. They tend to go quickly, and it's slow offering mid-season, but there will be likely more posted as the deadline next June approaches and people realize they aren't going to use them.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:07:49 -0500

[quote=Andrea M. Gilson] Congratulations to all he 2011 winners. I have used Createspace's gift the past two years and love my two books. My question this year is... Where in the world is the assigned nanowrimo password in order to take advantage of the offer. I looked on the winner's page, winner goodie page, and my page. I am obviously overlooking it. Can someone guide me please. Thanks! Andrea [/quote] Look on the dashboard, on the front page of the NaNoWriMo site, on the lower right corner, where the Procrastination Station block used to be. The winner prizes block will take you to the page you're looking for.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

ssme — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:49:45 -0500

this is my first year with NaNoWriMo, so please excuse my curiosity. from reading this thread, in previous years it would seem createspace offered a single free proof copy with free shipping to anywhere in the world to all winners. is that correct? or was it just to US authors?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

poysen — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:30:55 -0500

As with previous years, I will not be taking the CreateSpace offer. I liked Lulu's offer better as there was clearly no strings attached or concerns with losing first publishing rights with them. I'm not risking 6+ years of work for a shiny copy of my novel with CreateSpace. The trade off of the copies vs no agent representation and no traditional publishing options is by far not worth it.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

poysen — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:35:46 -0500

[quote=Bee82] Not sure what you are asking. [/quote] I think they mean what about the codes they get for the YWP. It's the same offer. My son got it, too, but his 'novel' is only 500 some-odd words. He wants the copies, but not sure how they can make something that short into a novel.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:35:24 -0500

[quote=ssme] this is my first year with NaNoWriMo, so please excuse my curiosity. from reading this thread, in previous years it would seem createspace offered a single free proof copy with free shipping to anywhere in the world to all winners. is that correct? or was it just to US authors? [/quote] The offer was worldwide; it took longer for international deliveries. However, the offer has changed, and that is no longer offered to NaNoWriMo winners (as of this year.)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Lisa.Vail — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:02:40 -0500

I've come up with a way that I can keep my very small chances of publishing and also get the offers! Kind of... I'm writing another novel. I'm doing it half-nano, as in finishing the minimum 50k in two months rather than one. It should be nicely finished before the offer runs out. Then I'll read both novels and decided which I should send out to publishers, and which I should self-publish! Best of both worlds, wohooo!!!! (and not, um, cheating at all!)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

keriamon — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:59:33 -0500

I used CreateSpace to print proof copies of my first novel two years ago. They're fast, and even when you don't have a coupon, the cost of a book, with shipping, is about $14. I love getting a proof; it allows my friends and family to read the book easily and offer critiques. I also find it easier to find typos in the printed copy than on my computer. I have three versions of my first book, one version of my second book, and I'm getting ready to order a proof for my newest book. I use the following settings to print my book as a large (not trade) paperback: Print margin size: Top: 0.6 Bottom: 0.6 Inside: 0.5 Outside: .75 Mirror margins Page size: 5.13 x 8 Also, set your Times New Roman font to 11 points; 12 looks too large. And tabs should be set at 1/2" inch, not the standard 1". That will make your proof look like a typical book. The only thing I would do differently is when I print my final proof--where I comb through it for specifically looking for typos--I would increase the spacing between lines to 1.25 or even 1.5 so I have room to write my edits. In short, make yourself a copy for ease of reading (the copy you loan out) and one for ease of editing (the one you keep for yourself).

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:44:13 -0500

[quote=poysen] I think they mean what about the codes they get for the YWP. It's the same offer. My son got it, too, but his 'novel' is only 500 some-odd words. He wants the copies, but not sure how they can make something that short into a novel. [/quote] I thought that was probably what they meant but without an actual question it is hard to give an answer. Maybe he could put together a few more short stories or even artwork and make a mini collection out of it?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

MORGAN0105 — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:49:51 -0500

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

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Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

poysen — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:46:24 -0500

He might be able to do something like that. He does love to draw and has been doing other little stories here and there. I'll have to run that idea by him and see how he likes it. Thank you for the suggestion!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Korinkato — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:51:31 -0500

Just a question, I don't want to publish my book, or distribute or anything at all, that works too right? And about the ISBN'S, should I just use the free createspace assigned ISBN, seeing that I won't publish it? Thanks.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:31:52 -0500

To get the 5 free copes your book will count as published though you can set it as private. Any CS book needs an ISBN so you either need to use to the free one provided or buy your own. They cannot publish without an ISBN. If you would rather not have one then going to Lulu and just paying for the copies you need/want would probably be your best option.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Komonio — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:16:41 -0500

What happens if I choose to publish my book in the future with a different publisher? Will the assigned ISBN code cause me any problems?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:58:20 -0500

Possibly, is unfortunately the only answer than can be given accurately. Some houses will not touch previously published work others will, for example if they buy another from you and want to connect them, or you've reworked it and it is no longer exactly the same book. Most publishers prefer to be the first or sole publishers of a work and while this is self publishing it does still count as published. If you are dead set on using traditional publishing methods later for this work than maybe this is not the offer for you but if you still want to go ahead then there are steps you can do to give yourself some added anonymity: 1) Use a generic title My novel/ My Nano etc rather than the title you are set on using. 2) Make sure you have the settings regarding the book as private ie only you can get copies. 3) Control access to the copies so you can truthfully say it has not been available to the general public.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Komonio — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:27:31 -0500

I'm not taking the risk. Goodbye CreateSpace.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Takushi Rena — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:56:30 -0500

Can we use this offer with stories that are basically fanfiction or use some already existing characters and such? This wasn't a problem in the past with the proof copies, but I'm really unsure if it would be a problem now. Granted, I have absolutely no intention of selling this and it's for my own personal use only, but I don't want to get into trouble because of this. Thank you! :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:10:19 -0500

That is a slightly awkward situation. CreateSpace's terms and conditions say no fanfiction to be published via them, that you must own the characters etc yourself, so any fanfiction would be in breach of it and if they pick up on it during the proof stage it will not be allowedas this will count as a published book not a proof. However if you willing to risk it and take all the precautions you can, ie private settings only the 5 copies to ever exist etc then it is possible to do it. It is entirely up to you and your conscience :)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

fuzz — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:43:20 -0500

What's the rule with resubmitting work? I'd like to get a copy of my novel but it needs a lot more editing. Does anyone know if I'm unable to re-publish a tidier version of the same novel later on?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Georgina_W97 — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:29:56 -0500

QUESTION: When you first sign up for Createspace you can get a free proof copy. Can we use that to get a proof then the offer to get our five copies of the book?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:11:53 -0500

As it is self publishing you probably can esp if you keep everything set to private. you should really check the FAQs on CS though.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:13:52 -0500

I don't see why not as assuming you don't already have an account but checking with CS is how to get a confirmation as it is nothing to do with Nano.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

dodomino — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:06:29 -0500

Does this mean that you get a paperback or just 5 times your story printed out on A4's ?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:34:37 -0500

The offer is for professionally published and bound books exactly like those you would find on the shelves of book shops.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Ayesha123Play — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:20:00 -0500

Question: so I got my proof copy and I'm currently editing it. I'll have to upload a new file. Does that mean I need an entirely new proof copy before I can order the five cioues?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:36:31 -0500

It used to. This year I think you can now electronically approve it without reordering a new proof now you have ordered the original one. Just be very sure of your layouts etc.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Takushi Rena — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:37:17 -0500

Ah, okay! :D That makes sense. I'm still sort of tempted to do it, though, but it would only be for a proof copy most likely and not for the actual offer, which kind of goes against the point of the whole thing. Yikes. The only thing that would go against that is that the characters, for the most part, belong to me, but things like most locations do not. Still, there's copyrighted things in it. But nonetheless, thank you very much! (: I'll figure out what to do with this and I greatly appreciate your help!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dragonchilde — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:07:49 -0500

If you're not sure what's appropriate or not, Takushi, you can head down to the Writing 101 forum, where we have a discussion going on. Locations aren't copyrighted, and it's usually fine to include them (else New York could sue all those authors and moviemakers who regularly destroy it!)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Ayesha123Play — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:43:50 -0500

Ah this helps greatly! Thanks so much!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

LemurKat — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:19:57 -0500

You can. I've just removed mine from sale (it's been up 6 months) in order to fix the remaining errors. I hope I've got them all now! I haven't ordered the fourth proof copy yet though. I reckon I'll be cutting it a bit fine to use this code!

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Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

thrilleraddict — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:21:22 -0400

Just reading everyone's comments makes me nervous. ( This is my first NaNo ) If anyone has any tips for what I need to do after NaNoWriMo ( and CampNaNo ) please tell me! Thanks!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:32:09 -0400

Not sure what you are actually asking here but so far there has been no announcment made if this offer will apply to NaNo 2012 and it is not a part of CampNaNo.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jjbond — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:53:08 -0400

Just checking.... 1) the ywp of nanowrimo gave winners a password. 2) You take the password to https://nano-code.createspace.com/ which then gives you a code. 3) You finalize the proof and get your book to the selling stage. 4) And once your book at createspace is finally approved, you can put 5 copies of your book in your cart, and enter in the code, right? And it should give you a $0 balance (plus shipping)? I'm having horrible luck with this last stage. When I click "apply discount" it just says "The following discount code(s) did not apply and must be removed." I've tried many different codes (I have a few students). Just wanted to make sure I'm doing it right (Createspace seems to be pushing these through as complementary orders for now...)

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Dywindel — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 20:00:57 -0400

Hey, I've just finished editing my novel and want to take advantage of the five free copies, but when I fill in all the details on Createspace it wants me to add American bank account to collect the Royalties. I'm from the UK and don't have an American account. How do I get around this problem? If It helps, I don't want to sell the book, I just want the five free copies, so if I could skirt around the Royalties altogether that would be great.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Ayesha123Play — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 02:27:03 -0400

Same here. I live in South Africa!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

filipia — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 09:49:51 -0400

I contacted CreateSpace with that question, you can see their response on page 10 of this forum but basically, you don't have to worry about it. just don't fill it in

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

jjbond — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:28:44 -0400

Still having problems getting my students' codes to work. When I click "apply discount" it just says "The following discount code(s) did not apply and must be removed." :(

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 05:29:39 -0400

By my reading of what you said earlier then it seems to be ok. I would try go back to the start with the originals and check them again just to be sure they are exact. Unfortunately I'm not at the checkout process atm and my brain doesn't work that well on a 2 minute page a year ago. I do remember the dicount code goes in at the very last stage. Try checking with Createspace. They're a fairly helpful bunch.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 05:46:40 -0400

As filipia said just don't fill it in. They will then use the default taxing settings for the sales. So if you aren't actually selling it commerically then it doesn't matter as them taking a percentage of nothing is well nothing. If you are planning on selling it freely, then the 30% rates is high compared to the real rates allowed for each country (normally about 10%) so then it starts paying you to do the paperwork but only if you are selling it commerically.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

heymom1968 — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:27:47 -0400

You could certainly take your edited NaNo novel to an agent. You are not selling "First Publication Rights" to CreateSpace - you retain all rights. Chances are, this is purely a copy just for you anyway (please understand that your NaNo novel will need a lot of work before you are ready to shop it around). Before you try to sell it to an agent, you will revise and rewrite and edit and take it through a critique group. It will not be the same book after you get through with all that - and IF you are lucky enough to get an agent to represent it and IF that agent is able to find an editor interested and IF that editor is then able to get it published, it will likely have a different title and it will get its own ISBN at that time. In other words, don't stress about whether or not you'll ever be able to publish this book if you get these free copies. Get them, put them on your bookshelf and share them with family and friends.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Ectw101 — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:09:25 -0400

Sorry - I don't know if this has been asked before but I didn't want to read through 12 pages… Are we allowed to use the code five different times to order one book each time or does it have to be five books all at once? Thanks!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Hikiro-Lauren — Sat, 19 May 2012 20:59:45 -0400

From what I read in an earlier page, once you use the code, it's no longer valid. My question: (I've read some earlier pages but I'm still confused) Do you have to order a proof? I'm cutting it close and may not have enough time to get the proof, edit it and order the five copies?

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 20 May 2012 17:58:36 -0400

The code is for 5 copies of one published book bought in one order.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Bee82 — Sun, 20 May 2012 18:03:38 -0400

Yes a proof does have to be ordered if you have never used CS before. If you have got a previous proof from them then you can proof it electronically apparently not got that far as my plans have apparently collapsed.... If you are happy with your document when you order the proof and all you want are 5 copies for yourself and a few friends and family who might not might the odd spelling mistake or chapter starting on the wrong side then you will be able to approve the proof after it has shipped to you and order your 5 copies before the proof can even reach you if you are cutting it too close to wait.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Ectw101 — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:47:14 -0400

Thanks!

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

colindardis — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:55:12 -0400

I'm a 2011 winner, but I'm not receiving any code on the Winner's Prize page. It says... To redeem the offer, you’ll need a special NaNoWriMo winner’s password. To get your password, you must be an official NaNoWriMo 2011 winner, and be signed into the NaNoWriMo site. Once you are, your unique password will be displayed at the bottom of this paragraph. Take this password to www.createspace.com/pub/l/nanowrimo_winners.do and enter it there to receive your promotional code from CreateSpace. ... but there's no code at all. Can anyone help please? Cheers.

Re: CreateSpace's offer for 2011 NaNoWriMo winners

Heather Dudley — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:42:44 -0400

Unfortunately, this is because you validated after the November 30 deadline. I'm sorry! You can check in this thread to see if anyone has one they aren't using (check back often, they go fast!)