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Self Publishing A Book Is Inexpensive and Simple

By Bob Burnham (Article Inspector)

Self publishing a book has to be one of the most satisfying things you can do in your life. You will increase your value to society by offering information to people who seek it. You will have opportunities be offered to you without even looking – we are talking amazing and interesting opportunities you never considered possible before you wrote a book. You will make money while you sleep – internet bookstores do not close, they are open 24 hours. The question, however is how are you going to make it happen? Many people are thwarted by the idea that self publishing is only for the rich with an abundance of time on their hands. That idea could not be further from the truth.

Okay, well the truth is that ten years ago self publishing was for the rich who had an abundance of time on their hands. Sort of, it was called vanity publishing and it was mainly for folks who wanted to see their name in print. That was the perception anyway. Some very famous authors have self published including Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, Upton Sinclair, ee Cummings, Virginia Wolf, Henry David Thoreau and even John Grisham. Some pretty famous writers got their beginnings in self publishing.

Okay so now you know that some very famous people have self published and that self publishing used to have a negative connotation. Today, with the invention and proliferation of internet usage, self publishing is now available to anyone who has something to say. In fact, it is so simple and inexpensive that there are almost 90,000 small publishers.

What makes it so easy?

Competition is a huge factor. Because the internet has made it so easy to publish, there are tons of fulfillment options, distributors, printers and even book writing tools. In fact, there are a number of tools you can use online to help you write and publish your book that are completely free. For example open office offers a word processing program. Weebly offers free website hosting and design and open source marketing tools.

In addition to free options and low cost printing there are an abundance of distribution and fulfillment centers. In fact Amazon.com is happy to help you sell your book and offers a variety of options ranging from letting you simply list your book to full fledged printing and publishing.

Additionally, the internet makes it tremendously easy to research for your book, including research for the target market, your competition, and research for the book itself. The internet also makes it easy to market your book. A website and a few tools to drive traffic to your website and your book can take on a life of its own.

Lastly, the internet makes it easy to become a publisher. All of the information you need from naming and establishing your publishing company to applying for an ISBN number can be found and implemented online.

The internet has made self publishing tremendously inexpensive and simple. All you need to publish a book is a little time and determination.

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How to Find the Best Self-Publishing Firms

By Bev Slomka (Associated Content)

In Today’s Competitive Literary Market, More Authors Are Self-publishing Than Ever Before

After almost two-years of my agent and I trying to find a traditional publisher for my non-fiction book for teens, I decided to take the plunge into self-publishing. I came to this decision after articles I read on AC, as well as from magazines such as Writers Digest. I eventually chose iUniverse as my self-publishing firm after thoroughly researching this market. If you are considering self-publishing, you need to take the following steps before you decide on a self-publishing firm. This is how I came to my decision.

1) I familiarized myself with the names of top self-publishing firms, such as Authorhouse, Xlibris, iUniverse, etc., and checked their status and ratings by the Better Business Bureau. I learned to do this after hearing about people’s experience with PublishAmerica, a publishing house that is not a self-publishing firm, but pitches that they will publish your book like a traditional publisher. Checking with the Better Business Bureau uncovered many problems with this firm, and prompted me to check every other firm I was considering.

2) Searching through Google and Netscape, I plugged in “Ratings of self-publishing firms” and came up with various types of reviews including those who had direct experience with self-publishing firms, as well as independent reviewers of those firms. Some reviewers did not speak highly of self-publishing firms in general, but many more recognized self-publishing to be right the answer for many authors.

3) After getting general information on a few of the more popular self-publishing firms, I requested an information packet that gave me details of their packages, costs, services and distribution capabilities. You will need to know what you can spend on self-publishing a book, and what firm and specific packages meet your needs. Some firms charge more for a self-publishing package, but that package may include more services. Other firms have a lower cost and charge additional fees for things like proofreading services. Also look for the self-publishing firm’s relationship with outlets such as Amazon.com and Barnes and Nobles.com. A good self-publishing firm should be able to have your book available on-line. Look at what companies they are using for printing and distribution. The best firms will use Lightning Source and distribute through Baker & Taylor and / or Ingram.

4) When you have studied your information packet from each company, write down a list of questions. Will you be assigned a Publishing Assistant? Will you have access to editorial staff? Will you receive an evaluation of your work, or will it just be published as is? Are there special packages / recognition for quality books? How are royalities calculated? Will you have any marketing support, etc…? You will need to feel comfortable that the self-publishing firm will give your book the best chance for success.

More people are self-publishing today than ever before. The former “vanity” presses have given way to the Print on Demand (POD) technology and that has opened up a whole new world for those who may want to self-publish. If your self-published book sells, your royalties will be higher and you retain control of your book. You can still send your final bound book to traditional publishers who, seeing the finish product, may be more attracted to it than if you sent them a double-spaced manuscript. Traditional publishers also check the sales of self-published books and will take on authors whose books are doing well. You will have to spend more time getting your book reviewed and marketing it, but there is no one more interested in your book than you when it comes to getting it recognized.

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Five Tips To Consider When Choosing A Publisher

Author: Danielle Hollister (SmasHits.com)

Choosing a publisher probably seems like a complicated task, however, you may find the process somewhat less challenging if you consider the following five suggestions.

1. Research the legitimacy of your prospective publishers. Consider factors like: how long they’ve been in business; how many books they’ve published; what types of books they seek; how successful their published books are. etc…

2. Do not assume that the giant publishing houses, which put out more than 200 books annually, are your best option. The competition is obviously arduous with these organizations.

3. Refer to industry bibles like: The Writer’s Market.

These respected resources will provide information like: what kinds of books each publisher prefers; contact information for editors; tips on how to submit your proposal and more.

4. Find books similar to yours and make a note of each publisher’s name, address, website etc… Search for related books online at amazon or barnesandnoble.

5. Consult other published authors for their personal advice. You easily do this online by joining a professional association – you can find a list of numerous such organizations on this page.

You can also use the web to seek help from other writers by enrolling in a writer’s group, participating in discussion forums, or asking for feedback in critique circles. You may find writing groups and professional associations for writers in your local community as well.

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Choosing a Publisher & Marketing Points

By Ruth Baker (BiblioScribe)

What a wonderful feeling it is to have completed a book!  However, that is just the beginning for the author.  The first question you may have is, how do I get my book into print?  Another question is, how do I know which publishing company should I choose to send my manuscript to?  Perhaps you will do as many others do, search the internet for just the right publisher for your book.  This is the quickest and easiest way to conduct a search.  Nevertheless, there can be unseen problems since there may be conflicting realities between the initial information one receives and what will be actually be done as outlined in the contract.  My goal is to help you to discover what steps to take and questions to ask before actually signing a contract with a publisher.
 
When you find a prospective publisher for your manuscript, there are many aspects of publication that need to be seriously considered.  This is especially important to the first-time author, especially when you will be required to pay an up-front fee when the contract is signed.  The most crucial aspect of publication is a publisher’s marketing strategies.  So you should begin your investigation with this most important question in mind:  What does the publisher do regarding marketing and what is expect of you in the marketing area.
 
The first and basic step one should take is exploring the publisher’s website to see what claims they make regarding the publication of a first-time author’s work.  Among the items you should look for is:

What are the requirements for manuscript submission

Is there a fee connected to publication

What is the author’s  royalty fee

See if the publisher includes all the editing, cover design, and other steps of the publication process in an author’s up-front payment. Once you find claims to the above items, print them off, read it carefully, and keep it.The second step a new author should take is to ask the publisher if they have a set of “Most Frequently Asked Questions” along with their response to these questions.  Sometimes this is provided on the website; at other times they are sent via email.  In either case, print them off, read them carefully, compare this set of data to the first material acquired from the website’s claims as mentioned above.  Always make sure that the information you gather is in written form:  from the website, via email or conventional mail.   Do not ask questions via the telephone, this may later be considered “casual conversation” and later stated that only what is in the contract is valid.  Print this information and keep it.
 
In the event that questions and answers are not provided in either of the two above mentioned venues, don’t be hesitant to email a set of questions you may have to the proper authority at the publishing house and request that answers be returned via email or conventional mail.  Keep it.
 
In either event, here are a few questions regarding marketing strategies that you may want to ask the publisher or look for on their website:

Where does the publisher distribute books—worldwide, just in the United States, Canada, etc.?

Does the publisher actively seek out placement centers for their books and physically place books on bookstore and library shelves?These two questions are vital to the life and sales of your books. Why? Because many first-time authors may confuse distribution with the actual placement of books in retail outlets.  Distribution is merely the shipping of books to a person or place.  It has nothing what so ever to do with marketing a book.  Also don’t be confused with such a statement as, “books will be available at all book stores.&rdqu! o;  More often than not this really means that the book can be ordered through a bookstore but is not and will not be physically available in any particular store.  This can potentially hurt book sales because people generally don’t want to wait and may not order the book.

Does the publisher make efforts to send pre-release copies of your book to important reviewers, such as the Library Journal?  Many of the big reviewers require this review copy at least three months in advance of the book’s release.  Most authors are not made aware of this requirement and a crucial opportun! ity is lost for their book to get in a major nationwide catalogue with a credible review.

Will the publisher find other reviewers for you books which can be posted in major websites?  Again, many authors are not aware that the publisher requires the author to find any and all reviewers and to find a way to get the review to the public.  This can be a daunting task.

What promotion will the publisher provide for your book on major websites like Amazon?

What type of press release marketing will the publisher do for your book?

What is the geographical area will the press releases be made in?  Many authors are not aware until well into the marketing phase that these releases are only made with a fifty mile radius of their home—and a fifty mile radius period!  All other publicity and marketing avenues and strategies are expected to be the responsibility of the author, both physically and financially.   This is nearly impossible for an author to accomplish unless one has a pocketful of cash and nothing else to do in life.

If the publisher accepts your manuscript and it gets to the marketing phase, how many authors will your representative be handling while they are working on yours?  You may discover at some point that your representative is responsible for six hundred authors.  When this is broken down over just one month of four forty hour workdays, the average time that a representative could give one book is less than twenty minutes for the entire month.  This fact can be quite shocking when one finally realizes why their book has received minimal and inadequate attention.

Finally, and this is vitally important, if you decide to submit a manuscript to a publisher and it is accepted, under no circumstances or promptings from the publisher’s agent should an author read, sign, and return a book contract with your payment unti! l you see a contract lawyer!
Please pay close attention to this advice because of several reasons:  the material on the website may be misleading and couched in ambiguous terms and language; the material in FAQs can be misleading and couched in ambiguous terms and language.  The danger will rise up and bite you because one will undoubtedly read the contract through the veil of information that one has previously received.  It must be stated that although a contract looks like it is right up front, it may also be couched in equally ambiguous terms and language.  Warning!!   The bottom line is that the contract will stand regardless of any misconceptions, deceptions, or ambiguities that have been given to an author in previous or will be given in later material or statements.It is therefore cheaper to spend a few hundred dollars to have a contract lawyer to analyze a contract than to spend thousands with a publisher and consequently suffer months of frustration, hard work, financial layouts, and ultimately, major disappointments.  You may find your money is gone with little to show for it!Ultimately, each author is responsible for the time and effort to search for and research a publishing house.  Then the decision is his and his alone to choose a publisher for his manuscript.  It is my hope and belief that this article will help any number of new authors in the decision making—to make an informed decision. 
 
Please allow me to leave you with two jewels of wisdom:
 
A book can contain a lot of valuable information or entertainment to a great many people, but, if no one knows it is on the market, they can’t buy it.Sometimes it is wiser for an author to reject a publisher who wants to accept your manuscript.
 
May blessings and guidance come your way!
 
Author homepage http://www.livingproofofhope.net

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