So I finally got around to that meeting.
Hey guys! I've brought up all of your points with the floor, and after many a shouting match I've convinced them that we do need a change.
Seriously, I'm listening to you. The whole point is to make a service that you lovely chaps and chapettes would actually find worthwhile. So I hope the changes we're implementing are ones you'll deem favourable.
Now I apologise for not knowing my stuff earlier, but after a few meetings I've attained some modicum of clarity.
First off!
You're right. We're a self-publishing service, not a publishing house. The site's in the process of being reworded to reflect this more accurately.
I'm very sorry for any prior misinformation.
Next - price point.
While $349 does sound steep, I followed the leads you guys pointed out and checked out the competitors. Lulu offers typesetting for the same price (although I think they're offering 10% off it right now).
We're not trying to compete with free ebook publishing sites - we're offering a service that people can use if they want a professionally presented final product.
Fluffbunny pointed out that the free ISBN isn't something that everyone wants, as an ebook doesn't have to have one. So we'll remove it from the package, cut down the price and offer it as an option. Does that sound like a better idea?
The services.
Since we're not a publisher, we're not doing the editing. We're not affecting the content of your work, but we're here to make sure that the presentation is immaculate and professional.
Granted, we're considering hiring some experienced editors (like you mentioned, not just some intern with a lit minor) for the service later down the track if that's what folks want.
There are a handful of cover options - you can use your own, use our cover creator for $49 (which will feature templates and customisation options, currently in progress), or get one of our designers to create what you have in mind (which will cost more).
We'll push the epubs onto Apple and Amazon for a royalty fee - 7.5% is still much more reasonable than Lulu's 20%. We were tossing up the idea of a flat rate for putting it up instead of a royalty.
What do you reckon? Also, if you find these costs unfavourable, there's also the option to get the epub off us and go through the hoops of uploading it yourself. We're trying to be completely transparent with all the costs here, so you'll hopefully see it as a justified price point.
The rights.
We're just printing and helping writers self-publish, so the rights stick to the author entirely. We're not a publishing house, so this point is kind of moot anyway and I should shut up about it now.
I hope that covers most of the main issues brought up in this thread. If not, please feel free to ask me more. I really appreciate you guys so much for helping us clear out the kinks so far, and truly do hope that we can evolve it into a valuable service for writers everywhere.
Also, side note - for those who took the time to follow the breadcrumbs back to our house: What prompted you to do so? There's a debate that we can't settle at the moment.
Would putting a face on the site and writing staff bios make a difference to you? Does the fact that we're modern Melburnians make us more reputable or trustworthy than a Bangladeshi sweatshop - or is where we're from/who we are not really something you find important?
Thanks again!