We have regained the rights to our 2011 book, The Guide to Computer Simulations and Games, originally published by Wiley.
We are in the process of updating it for a new edition, but in the meantime we are releasing the first edition on LeanPub (e-versions only; no print versions).
This re-released first edition is available NOW!
For the remainder of the summer, this first (1.1) edition is available at a discount ($14.95) as the proofing is not complete (bit.ly/gcsg-coupon). We’re hoping to crowdsource some of the proofing so feel free to contact us if you find any errors or omissions.
Note that when you purchase a book on LeanPub you will be eligible for ALL updates to that edition. In other words you will be able to download all updated versions of this book as they roll out for no additional cost.
So please, let us know about any errors, typos, formatting issues, etc. and we’ll fix them!
ENJOY!
I’ve been publishing drafts of my textbook on LeanPub for a few years, and am now considering moving in the opposite direction from you: getting it published by a traditional publisher. The upside is the potential for better marketing. The downside is that the price would go way up without my seeing any more money per book.
I’d be interested in your opinion of the advantages and disadvantages of commercial and self publishing, and how to maximize the advantages while minimizing the disadvantages.
If you have a publisher who is aggressive about marketing for you AND you have your book classified properly, then traditional publishers are probably the way to go.
That said, traditional publishers usually sell for WAY more than self-publishing would – you typically have no say in how much the book will sell for.
The copy and subject editors we had for this book at Wiley were really good. Unfortunately, the chief editor insisted on classifying and marketing this book as a computer science book, which it most definitely is NOT. It’s an Education / Talent Development book. As a result, it didn’t sell well.
The book I have published with Springer is very expensive, and the editor I got for the series did a very mediocre job. I was used to Wiley’s editors and so I trusted the Springer editor to proof-read my work carefully. He didn’t so the book got published with far too many errors for my liking. On the other hand the marketing is really good.
There are some “hybrid” publishers. I’m working with one of them on my next book. I’m using Tellwell. (A Canadian outfit). These guys charge an upfront fee for things like cover and general book design, editing, marketing, etc. After that, you get almost all of the profits (the printer’s costs for physical copies are subtracted from the book’s income). You get to set the price. I’ll let you know how it goes after the book is published.