In the world of self-publishing, there are many options available for authors to bring their work to the market. Two of the most popular and reputable companies in this field are MindStir Media and selfpublishing.com. In this article, we will compare and contrast these two companies to help authors decide which would better fit their publishing needs.
MindStir Media is a full-service self-publishing company that provides a wide range of services to authors. MindStir Media handles all aspects of book publishing, from editing and design to printing and distribution. On the other hand, selfpublishing.com is a platform that mostly provides various tools and resources to authors to help them self-publish their work. It is mainly a DIY (do-it-yourself) approach to publishing.
One of the primary differentiators between the two companies, other than the approach noted above, is the celebrity endorsements provided by MindStir Media. MindStir can align authors with celebrities like Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank, Mariel Hemingway, The Office star Kate Flannery, Tom Arnold, and Chris Noth, best known for his lead roles as Mr. Big in Sex and the City, Detective Mike Logan in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Dr. Harry Stagler in American Psycho 2. SelfPublishing.com does not offer celebrity endorsements.
MindStir Media also provides a wide range of additional marketing services such as the ability to make a book a Wall Street Journal bestseller. With a WSJ bestseller campaign via MindStir, the company is able to run an aggressive ads campaign to launch a book onto a WSJ bestseller list. Selfpublishing.com doesn’t appear to offer this in any form. They focus primarily on Amazon bestseller lists.
Run by the best-selling author J.J. Hebert, MindStir Media certainly takes the cake when it comes to mentoring as premium self-publishing packages enable authors to work with WSJ bestselling author J.J. Hebert as their book coach and book marketing consultant, via the mentoring program offered exclusively at their website. Selfpublishing.com does appear to offer a level of coaching but not with a Wall Street Journal bestselling author.
MindStir Media has an extensive distribution network, meaning books published through the company are available in bookstores, libraries, and online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. MindStir Media also offers professional editing, cover design, formatting, printing, and distribution, all of which come at a cost. Selfpublishing.com can also help with distribution but this mostly comes in the form of pointing to the right tools and resources to self-publish their work. Authors may have to pay extra for certain services, such as editing and cover design.
In short, MindStir Media offers a comprehensive range of services, so authors do not have to worry about any aspect of book publishing. The company provides a team of professionals who work closely with authors to ensure that their work is of the highest quality. In contrast, selfpublishing.com provides tools and resources for authors to self-publish their work. This means that while authors have control over their work, they must also handle more of the process themselves. It should be noted that selfpublishing.com has been rolling out a full-service option of their own but it has been available for less than a year, so we could consider this sort of a beta release.
Customer support is another area where MindStir Media and selfpublishing.com differ. MindStir Media provides excellent customer support, with a team of professionals who are always available to answer any questions or concerns that authors may have. Selfpublishing.com also provides customer support, but it is less extensive than MindStir Media’s support. Authors who use selfpublishing.com may have to rely on online forums and resources to find answers to their questions.
While selfpublishing.com offers valuable services to authors who want to self-publish their work, MindStir Media provides a comprehensive range of services that take care of all aspects of book publishing. With access to a professional team to handle all aspects of publishing within a fixed budget, MindStir Media comes out as a winner compared to selfpublishing.com.