How to Self-Publish Using Print on Demand

The introduction of Print on Demand publishing sparked a bit of a revolution in the publishing industry. Writers no longer need to be at the mercy of editors and publishing houses, earning only tiny portions of the sales their hard work actually generates.

What is Print on Demand?

Print on demand is not a publishing style. Rather it's a form of technology that allows the printer to create limited runs of a book that you've created.

Print on Demand simply means that the printer creates only as many copies of your book as you've ordered. Computer technology effectively replaced the old type-setting blocks that used to be the standard in publishing so that writers are now able to take control of their own publication careers.

Before the advent of Print on Demand (POD), writers who wanted to self-publish had to pay for large print-runs of books that they would often need to store in garages or spare rooms until they'd sold. Using POD means that you only need to order as many books as you've sold. This saves you time, money and storage space!

Why Should Writers Self-Publish?

The traditional method of publication was to write a novel, submit it to a publisher and then wait 6 or 12 months for the editor to decide if they would accept or reject it. If they accepted it, the book would go into a large print run of usually 10,000 and get shipped out to stores.

The writer got offered a contract that promised that they'd get paid 5% or 10% of the sale price of the book in the stores. If the book didn't sell well within a few short months, then the book was withdrawn from sale and the writer would usually not get offered a new contract to write anything else.

This is a harsh way for any talented writer to make a living, but self-publishing changes the rules.

When you self-publish, you're self-employed. You're in control of all the profits - not just a tiny percentage of them - and you're in charge of marketing and sales. By using Print on Demand technology to have your book printed, it means that you only have to print as many books as you have orders for.

Writing Your Book

Always be sure you've written and edited the complete manuscript before you send it out to your Print on Demand publisher. Many newer writers tend to send out incomplete manuscripts that haven't been edited to check for typing errors or plot problems.

This might not seem like such a big thing when you're excited about finally finishing your manuscript, but your readers will notice. Word of mouth is vitally important to a self-published author.

Visit some of the professional writing sites available to learn how to edit your work on your own properly without having to pay exorbitant fees to a proof-reader.

How To Self-Publish

There are plenty of reputable print-on-demand publishers available, all willing to allow writers to publish their own books. Always check that the company you choose has a good reputation with the writers who have already used them.

Some POD companies, such as Lulu or Booklocker, will create an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) for you as part of the printing service they provide. If you don't want them to have control over who owns your ISBN, you can register your own at isbn.org

Check and double check the formatting guidelines your print on demand publisher expects. There's no point sending in a manuscript that is incorrectly formatted. After all, your printer will only create what you send them. It's important that you get your formatting right before it goes into print.

Creating a Cover

If you know someone who is great with graphic design and you can have your own cover created, then this can help you enormously. Paying a print on demand company to hire a graphic designer for you can get a little expensive, but it's still a better option than trying to create something yourself.

Remember, your self-published book could be listed on sites like Amazon or Barnes and Noble, so you'll want it to look as professional as possible.

Print on Demand vs. Vanity Press

Learn the difference between self-publishing and vanity press. A true self-publishing print on demand publisher will always be clear about you keeping your own rights to your work. You control the content and the cover art. You control the sales and pricing.

A vanity press is where you pay a company to publish your work for you and then you only receive a percentage of the sales price back in return. This arrangement is NOT the same as self publishing through print on demand and can actually compromise your rights to your own work.

Marketing Your Self Published Book

If you decide to self publish, you're not just in charge of writing and creating the book. You're also in charge of sales and marketing too. The first place most writers think of selling their book is in a book store.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of bookstores and chains won't stock self-published books. However, you might be surprised to find that more books are sold outside of bookstores anyway.

It's possible to list your books for sale on your own website, but unless you have some serious visitors to your site, you might find your book sells a little slowly. Your POD publisher might have a great bookstore listing right on their own website that will happily list your book for sale there.

Submit your book to book review sites. Many readers will only buy books after they've read a recommendation and a little teaser about what the book's about.

Finding a way to get the large online bookstores to list your book can be a great benefit to your marketing efforts. Submit your book to Amazon, Barnes and Noble or any other online bookstore you can think of to help increase your exposure.

Conclusion

Self publishing can be an incredibly rewarding way for any writer to realize the dream of being published. You not only get to hold your finished book in your own hand, but you might also find that the freedom of creativity you have along with the control over the potential profits is second to none.

Discover how to successfully self publish from leading self published authors. Here at Self Publishing Explained we focus on bringing you the most relevant self publishing information. Start now with real life strategies and information by visiting Self Publishing Explained to read what people are saying. http://www.selfpublishingexplained.com

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Should You Wait For a Traditional Publisher Or Self-Publish?

If you can't find a publisher for your book, don't feel bad--it's very hard to get published by a major house unless you're famous. However, don't give up. If you have a message that will inspire, make your readers smile, or teach them a truth that can change their lives, then by all means, self-publish. If you're willing to promote it, you may just find a publisher for it later on.

Two of my books were traditionally published and two were self-published. There are advantages and disadvantages to both so you may just find that self-publishing is the route best suited for your story.

My journey into the book publishing world started in the mid 90s, when I decided to write a memoir about caring for a profoundly handicapped child. I called it, "A Time to Weep; A Time to Laugh." After receiving a round of rejection slips with responses like, "We already did a story like that"; We don't do personal experience stories" and even, "Our editor died," I decided to publish it myself.

I had my manuscript professionally edited and typeset. Sweltering in my garage during a particularly hot summer in Maryland, I attached the pages together with an old comb binding machine and made a hundred copies.

At first I felt embarrassed promoting a book to the news media that had been rejected by publishers...until the day I received my first letter from a reader: "Dear Lisa Saunders, I recently read an article...about your daughter Elizabeth. I just had to buy your book...I've had a hard time with accepting [my daughter's disabilities]...Thank you for writing your book. It helped a lot." Her letter meant the world to me. My story did have a purpose.

Then, unbelievably, a publisher contacted me. The editor said, "I am attracted to your book, not only because it's a good story that fits into our market, but because you have already laid the foundation for a good promotional campaign." I signed my first contract with a publisher. I gave up the right to sell my self-published version (which hurt when I received an order for a hundred copies from a hospital) and spent an entire summer rewriting the manuscript according to the editor's specifications. But moments before the book went to press, the publisher downsized. My editor was let go...and so was my book.

Although I was able to keep the small advance, I felt utterly defeated and shelved the manuscript. I just didn't have it in me to pursue another publisher or to self-publish it again.

I moved on. Besides, memories of my great-grandfather's bed clanging back and forth in his bedroom on railroad-like tracks, my aunt making me use the outhouse, and the terror of riding my ornery pony, blossomed into the children's novel, "Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator." While the Sentinel newspaper in Maryland serialized "Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator," I searched for a publisher. Another set of rejection slips convinced me to try getting an agent instead. Even getting one of those was difficult, but I finally did and signed a one-year contract with her.

But she was unable to sell the story to a publisher within the year so I decided to self-publish again. This time I had a printer bind it to look like a real paperback book (called perfect bound) and I sold it to local school children, horse enthusiasts, and New York and Iowa featured it as part of their state-wide 4-H program called, "Horse Book in a Bucket."

I have since been traditionally published. My first book to find a publisher, "Ever True: A Union Private and His Wife," published by Heritage Books, was a result of me finding three-years of Civil War love letters between my great-great grandparents in my mother's attic. And the next book to find a publisher, "Anything But a Dog! The perfect pet for a girl with congenital CMV (cytomegalovirus)" published by Unlimited Publishing LLC, was my updated story about my disabled daughter Elizabeth, but this time, I wrote it about her life in relation to a homeless, old dog who found his way to her couch.

Although being published by someone else gives you some credibility with certain media, most readers don't care. Unless you are fortunate enough to get published by a major house that will spend a lot of time and money promoting your book (which is unlikely unless you are famous), I think it is better to be self-published because you can do what you want, when you want, and without asking permission.

With all the authors out there willing to share their experiences, there is no need to feel alone on your journey to getting published.

Good luck!

Lisa Saunders, Suffern, New York
Web site: http://www.authorlisasaunders.com
Blog:"How to Get Thin and Famous (or at least published!): http://howtogetthinandfamous.blogspot.com/

Lisa is a full-time writer for the State University of New York at Rockland and a member of its Speakers Bureau. She is the author of the books, "Anything But a Dog! The perfect pet for a girl with congenital CMV (cytomegalovirus)"; "Ever True: A Union Private and His Wife"; "Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator" and free e-book, "How to Get Published."

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How to Self-Publish a Book On a Shoestring Budget

Let's say you want to know how to self-publish a book, and you want to do it in the least expensive and best way possible. Is this contradictory?

In fact, on my web site at Write and Publish Your Book, the two questions I'm asked the most are how to self-publish a book and how to do it on a shoestring budget. They also, coincidentally, want to know the BEST way to do this.

But for now, let's focus on this question of the best and cheapest way to publish a book. In fact, these are two entirely separate questions. The first question is, "What is the best way to publish my book?" Then, the second question should be, "What is the cheapest way to publish my book?"

See, most people who ask me this question are really just new to the business. It's a perfectly legitimate question, especially if you've slaved over writing your book for two or three months (again, the timeline for writing a quality book is the subject of another essay). So let's take these two questions apart.

What is the best way to publish a book?

Write an outstanding, must-read book that is unique, provocative, controversial, a literary masterpiece, or is endorsed by someone like Oprah. No, really. That's the best way to publish a book.

Take for example Joseph Finder, author of the best selling corporate espionage book, Paranoia. He'd had moderate success with his previous well-written CIA suspense novels, but didn't hit it big until he inadvertently created an entirely new genre with Paranoia. In his words, "All I was doing was trying something new - a thriller with a fresh setting, a fresh cast of characters."

Or, how about Nora Raleigh Baskin, popular author of middle-grade novels such as In the Company of Crazies (HarperCollins). She'd had a knee-high stack of rejection letters until she wrote the book she'd always wanted to write - not because she wanted to be published, but because she wanted to write this particular book. That one book, which she wrote from her heart, got her on the road to a successful writing career.

Many people have a great idea for a book, and many of these books are from their life experiences. They have no experience as a writer, but the strange thing is that they almost always ask first about publishing the book before it's even written.

Even if they do ask how to self-publish a book, they're still thinking in terms of publishing their best seller before they've even determined if there is a market for the book!

For example, remember the story about the guy who had to saw his own arm off with a dull knife in order to save his life? Aron Ralston didn't just come up with the idea to write his book Between a Rock and a Hard Place. His story was popularized well before the book was ever written.

Contrast that with the woman who wants to write about her experiences with domestic violence. Unfortunately, this is not an unusual story. As much as I'd like to see an end to this horrible sickness, the story won't necessarily sell books.

And selling books is what it comes down to. Will your book sell? That's the ultimate question you need to answer if you want your book published. The question of the salability of your book applies whether you're self-publishing or attempting to sell your book to a publisher. Either way, it's got to sell or it just won't go anywhere.

That said, let's get back to the original question: What's the best way to publish my book?

Self-Publish or Traditional Publisher?

There's no easy answer to this question, and the answer you get will depend on who you ask. I think a lot of it depends on you, the genre of your book, your experience as a writer and in sales, and your intentions for the book.

Self-publishing is ideal for a business person who wants to use the book as part of his or her overall business strategy. It's a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field (assuming the book is well-written and informative). The book can be "repurposed" into E-books, teleclasses (telephone conference-call classes), Webinars (seminars held on the phone and Internet), and eventually advanced courses sold for thousands of dollars. Thus, the book itself is printed at a loss and is generally given away to seminar attendees.

Self-publishing is also an option for novelists who really believe in their books, but because they're new can't find a publisher for the book. The key here is that you've at least tried to sell your book to a traditional publisher.

Self-publishing with an aim toward eventual publishing with a major publishing house will require a tremendous amount of energy and perseverance to market and sell your book. If you can show that the book sells, you'll find a publisher. Just putting it on Amazon won't do a thing. You absolutely must work at marketing your book.

There are many self-publishing options, ranging from "free" (Lulu) to several thousand dollars. Perhaps the worst option is to go with what's called "Vanity" press. These are companies who will publish your book for two to ten thousand dollars, print 2500 or more copies, and do a minimal amount of marketing. You're stuck with a garage full of books and an empty wallet. Beware those companies who want to print your book in bulk.

Lulu is the most popular, but has its own costs. Most of the books published on Lulu sell no more than 10 copies - total. The books are amateurish, with home-made covers that look like something the dog chewed. The book print quality is good, but the printing prices are steep. For a fee you can have an ISBN number assigned and the book listed on Amazon.

On the other hand, for just a little more money you can buy your own ISBN number and have your book printed at Lightning Source for far less money per book. You'll make your investment back with less than 100 books printed.

Then, there's everything in-between, including "Print on Demand" book publishers who will create the cover, edit your book, and format the interior of the book so that it looks professional. Some POD publishers simply publish your book as-is. You provide the cover and the interior formatting.

Just consider that you generally get what you pay for, although some POD publishers will charge you high fees for what loosely resembles a marketing plan. Make sure you compare the options closely.

Traditional Publishing

Expect rejection. Seriously, the vast majority of books submitted to both big and small traditional publishers (publishers who either pay you up front or don't ask for any up-front money from you) are rejected. It's a fact of life simply because they're in it to make money. If they don't think the book will sell, they'll reject it.

The best way to ensure success is to write a beautiful, clever, provocative, inspiring, brilliant book. No, let me take that back. The best way to ensure success is to already be someone popular, well-known, famous, or influential. Think Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, or Paris Hilton (dread the thought).

If you're writing a nonfiction book, it's best to be someone important, have a track record in sales, or have excellent credentials. If you're not any of these, then consider co-authoring your book with someone who fits the above criteria.

Also, for nonfiction or a memoir, do your marketing research beforehand. If you can go into your book proposal or query letter armed with documented proof that people are buying your type of book AND that yours has a interesting and unique twist on a highly relevant topic, then you'll get their attention.

You'll need to write an excellent proposal. I've charged thousands to write nonfiction book proposals (and I have a good track record of success). It takes time to write a compelling lead that draws them into the benefits of publishing your book, and following that with a comprehensive plan for marketing your book. For nonfiction, you should have two solid sample chapters written.

But what about writing fiction?

The first thing you'll need is a good, well-written, and interesting book. We recently had a novel writing contest at the site, and you'd be amazed at how many books had basic grammatical errors and were poorly written.

What are people thinking? Obviously, this isn't you. So, take your great book and write an even better query letter. You'll need to have your book written. Don't say that "it's almost done," or that "I'm thinking about writing..." Ideally you will have gone through about a dozen drafts of your book before you send it to anyone.

It's far easier to get your book published if you've already been published. But if you're new, don't worry. There are ways... and there are certainly ways to do it on a shoestring budget. You can have cheapest, and you can have best, but you're going to have to work at it to have both!

Good luck and good writing!

Writing, publishing and marketing a book on a shoestring budget takes work, but it's possible. Visit us to earn How to Write a Book on a Shoestring Budget, How to Publish a Book on a Shoestring Budget, and How to Market a Book on a Shoestring Budget.

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How to Self-Publish Easier, Faster Than Ever Before

Compare PODs Then Choose Wisely!

Technology has advanced in the publishing world. I love it! I have been greatly helped to realize my publishing dreams. I think it's wonderful that aspiring authors have a greater range of choice. Now you may choose to pursue traditional publishing or quantum leap into self-publishing. Perhaps some would never have the opportunity to see their work in professional print without the arrival of publish on demand or POD Publishing. Print-on-demand means exactly what it implies: the company print books as they are ordered. They use modern technology to store and print your book in electronic form, removing the need for a warehouse and large print runs.

In my opinion, POD publishing does not take the place of its proud elder brother "Traditional Publishing." As with anything, there are pros and cons of each method. With that said, I won't attempt to convince you whether POD publishing is a good choice for you. There are lots of good reports out there on that subject.

Back in 2002 when I chose to self-publish my first book, I compiled a report comparing the top 3 companies. It helped me make my decision. I have revised that report for you and offer it fr~ee at the end of this article. If you have decided to publish POD, here are five of those ten top things to consider and compare.

1. Cover? Covers sell books! Of course it's not the only selling aspect of your book but it is one of the most important. One shot at a good first impression to capture the interest of your potential reader is all you get.

Author's Note: Look at their covers in on-line bookstores - back in 2002 I liked what several companies offered but their existing author book covers looked like crayon drawings. Most companies have since improved but I still think it's one of the main points to consider. You are looking for bookstore quality or trade quality.

2. Contract? - Most Publish-On-Demand or print when ordered companies are not considered publishing houses but publishing service companies. Therefore, you should expect a non-exclusive contract period.

3. Setup Fee? If you are like most self-publishers you are budget conscious of the initial setup fee of your book. The basic package of the 4 leading companies I researched average about $500. For my first self-published project, I let the other options determine my decision more since my 3 contenders' basic package was about the same.

4. Distribution? - Make sure they list their books in the leading wholesaler database as a part of the package or at least have an add-on option to list in & distribute through the two leading book wholesalers in the United States: Ingram and Baker & Taylor.

5. Royalty payments? - You may be wondering like an author friend of mine asked, "Shouldn't royalty be the first thing I should ask about?" Not necessarily, the traditional publishing company industry standard is 5-8% quarterly or bi-annually. The industry average for POD companies is about 15-20% at the time of this writing. Even so, tt's good to know when to expect your royalty and how much. Most pay quarterly or monthly.

6. Book Price? Find out if they are pricing their books at a competitive market price. It will probably hurt your sales if your book is priced too high above its competitors.

7. Author Support? Know what kind of support the company you contract with will provide. One on One support, representative assigned, phone support, email support are among the options. Find out so you can know what to expect. Make sure you are comfortable with what they propose to provide if you have any problems in the publishing process.

8. Proof Ready? Although most POD companies provide proof way ahead of traditional publishing standard of 1-2 years, its still good to know.

9. Books Returnable & Discounted to Bookstores? Do you plan to sell many books in the bookstore? Books aren't automatically stocked on the precious shelves of bookstores, you know. You should know upfront, if you publish POD publishing more than likely your books are unreturnable.

Author's Note: Though that is rapidly changing - there are still lots of companies that still go by this policy in their contract.

Why is this important? Bookstores expect full trade discount and anticipate buying books on a returnable basis. This includes museums, gift shops, libraries, schools, etc.

10. Author Purchase Discount? This is important for your marketing campaign. Yes, you do have to market your book. With any self-publishing project, all marketing is considered your responsibility. Even with the econimies of traditional publishers you only get a portion of your publiscist attention (may be assigned to 10-100 authors) for about 30-90 days.

Author's Note: Let's assume you are an excited author that just finished your book-your labor of love, decided to self-publish, saved $2500 but feel daunted about all the things you have to learn about to self-publish. Things you must do like hire a cover designer, book editor, someone to professionally layout your book, hire printer, purchse barcodes & isbn number, etc. We haven't even gotten to the work of marketing. Why not consider a POD publisher who handles all of those stages and steps for you? You are only left with investing in your book at the lowest price possible to re-sell to your readers at whatever price the market will bear.

I hope these thoughts are helpful to you. It helped me make an informed choice when I knew nothing about the industry of publishing. Here's to the success of your book publishing dreams!

c Earma Brown, 11 year author, business owner, web developer ebk: Self Publish Your Book Now helps service business owners, professionals and writers who want to write and publish their best book now! Visit her at Self Publishing Help for more book writing and publishing tips.

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Why Self-Publish Your Book?

When I meet an author with a great book concept, one who's definitely the right person to write that book, right away I'll often encourage him or her to self-publish. This is because I know that, if an author is thoroughly invested in what they have to say, and if they're determined to create a buzz about their message, they'll discover ...

5 Fantastic Benefits of Self-publishing

1. Control. When you enter into a contract with a major publishing house, you're signing an exclusive agreement that prevents your having input into most of the important decisions that will affect your book's perception by the public, and its sales. You'll have very little say about the look and feel of your book cover, the endorsements that appear on the back of your book, or the wording of your press release, for example. And since all of the above elements are critical to giving your book its best chance for bestseller status, such loss of control can pose significant problems. "But don't publishers know better than I what to do to sell a book?" you may ask. Not necessarily. Authors usually know more about their book's subject--and hence, about their target audience (market)--than anyone else. Hey, they wrote the book!

More food for thought about signing with a major publishing house: If for some reason your book doesn't sell quickly and the publisher lets it go out of print, there's often a "waiting period" before the author is allowed to self-publish the book to get it back on the shelves. In the meantime, the reading public sees that your book is "out of print" and a great deal of word-of-mouth damage is done. Self-publishing means that you are at the helm of your book project. Of course, it also means that the responsibility for its success rests in your hands. But when you believe in your message and know that you're going to do everything in your power to get that message out to your target audience, isn't it a good feeling to know that you're the one driving its success in the marketplace?

I suggest a balance of control and delegation. The right publishing ally can coach you through the process of writing and editing your book, and will also advise you to design and market your message in a way that gets optimum results. Your publishing ally may be a book editor, a publishing consultant, a published author, or all three. If she's worth her salt, though, she'll know what it will take to get your book published, and she'll know how to help you make it happen.

2. Money. Why does it make good business sense to self-publish? Consider the following: a contract with the book publisher doesn't give you an ironclad guarantee that your book will ever and upon the shelves. If you're a new author, your publisher will allocate zero marketing dollars to promote your book. It's sink or swim! If your book does sell well, it will be due to your own hard work and ingenuity--and your reward will be a tiny fraction of the book's total profits. Self-publishing admittedly involves more capital risk, but it also means that the extensive footwork you do to market your book will go to producing income for the person who most deserves it. After all, you're the one who's doing all the work to ignite word-of-mouth about your book. Not only that, you wrote it! Don't you deserve to reap 100% of the profit?

3. No Waiting, No Rejection. The Cinderella story of the little book that gets discovered by a publisher and becomes an overnight bestseller is mostly just that--a fairytale. Yes , it happens. But it hasn't been happening a whole lot lately. In the current publishing climate, with major houses paying gigantic advances to celebrity authors--their "cash cows"--not much is left to spend on developing new talent. Let's be honest: a publisher isn't going to spend a dime marketing a book by an as yet unknown author. To get your book considered for publication in the first place, you'll need to have an extremely convincing marketing strategy in place which you intend to implement on your own, at your own expense! Such as the case in every genre from children's books to alternative health to historical novels. First-time authors are being turned away en masse. And since many nonfiction book projects are time-sensitive--well-placed offerings intended to respond to a specific market trend --their authors often while way their precious window of opportunity waiting for agents or publishers to respond to a proposal. It isn't impossible to get a major publishing house interested in a book by a first-time author, but it's getting more difficult all the time. Self-publishing removes the wait (and the accompanying weight from your shoulders) and the discomfort of rejection from the process of getting your book into print.

4. Independence. Self-published authors are usually people with confidence in their message. Many have already developed a following by giving talks and seminars in areas where they live and work. Experts know when they have a powerful personal message--they don't need a publisher's approval to pump themselves up. Such authors, many of whom are already seasoned professionals, self-publish their books because they love being in the driver's seat of their book project. Rather than gamble that a big corporation will treat their book with the respect it deserves, such an author takes the publishing reins to ensure that her message reaches the widest possible audience. No one cares more about your book than you do.

5. Power of Belief. The power of belief in our words is what makes promises good and turns dreams into reality. Authors who self-publish their books believe deeply that others will benefit from reading what they have to say. They have unshakable conviction. Such authors often tell me, "I had to write this book. I just have to get it out there!" Deep belief is the selfless power that drives all true service and makes a difference in the world. Authors with a strong sense of purpose know that they can make their books succeed. They don't want to wait around for a publishing house to "accept" their work. Aware that time is precious, such authors create their own publishing opportunities. They get behind their own message. They launch a campaign fueled with belief in the creative power of intention.

Every good editor or publishing consultant knows that the best way to make your book a true success is to create and market a message that you will both be proud of for years to come. Creating uplifting books is a passion. Make it yours, and every one of your books sold will be a vote of confidence in yourself and the rest of humanity!

About The Author

Ceci Miller, MFA, President of CeciBooks Editorial & Publishing Consultation, has been writing and editing books with bestselling authors since 1988. A graduate of the University of Iowa Writer?s Workshop, Ceci Miller has written, co-authored and edited numerous published books, and worked as staff editor for an international magazine. For a free initial consultation, or more information, go to www.CeciBooks.com.

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Self-Publish? Or Use a Publishing House?

Should I self-publish my book--or send it to a publishing house? What are the pros and cons of self-publishing, compared with submitting a manuscript to a traditional "for royalty" publishing house? Consider the following:

Using a Publishing House: The Pros

The biggest plus for you as an author, if your book is published by a "traditional" publishing house, is that the publisher assumes the full expense of producing the book. That includes the editing, the cover design, page layout, printing, and binding.
Once printed, your publisher also takes care of storing the finished books as they await sale.
Another major advantage to you is that the publisher assumes the expense for advertising and marketing the book.
Finally, the publisher takes care of order fulfillment and shipping. Smaller publishers may have their own internal order and shipping departments. Most large publishers supply inventory to a large distributor, which then supplies the "big box" retail chain bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders, as well as online sellers such as Amazon.

Using a Publishing House: The Cons

With some smaller publishers, you may be able to submit your manuscript directly to their editorial department. But most large publishing houses do not deal directly with authors but with literary agents. So you will need to locate a good agent (not always an easy task), and then if they successfully pitch your manuscript to a publisher, the agent is paid a percentage of the proceeds from book sales (typically 15 percent but can range from 10 percent to 20 percent).
Once your manuscript is in the hands of the publishing house, you may have quite a wait to receive their decision on whether or not to publish. Be prepared for possibly waiting six months to a year or even longer.
Most publishing houses retain the right to choose the book title and cover concept. You also must accept their editing: cuts, changes, etc. You can weigh in on these decisions, but the final choice is theirs.
Your biggest "con" when using a traditional publishing house is that when your book sells, your profit is a set percentage of either the retail or wholesale price--a royalty, Some publishers base their royalties on the retail selling price--others on a discounted wholesale price (the price for which a distributor or retailer can buy books from the publisher). Royalty percentages vary from one publisher to another, but can typically range from 7 percent to 15 percent.
When will you see some money? When your book is accepted, the publisher sends you a contract. When signed and returned, you'll be sent a royalty advance against future sales. For authors not yet well known, this will typically be a rather modest amount--perhaps in the range of $1,500 to $5,000. Authors with a proven record of sales can command much higher advances.
The final "con" to traditional publishing is that once the book begins selling, you may need to wait a year or more to receive your first royalty check, as it will be based on the publisher's first selling cycle--typically, a year.

Self-Publishing: The Pros

In many ways, the pros and cons for self-publishing are the reverse of those for using a traditional publisher. This begins with the decision to publish or not. If you're in favor, the decision is made! No waiting long months for some committee to reach a verdict.
You'll have no need, either, to locate, work with, and split profits with an agent.
You have control over the book's title and cover concept. And you have "veto" power over the work of the editor you choose to edit your manuscript. He or she is performing a paid service for you, so the final say is yours.
Far and away the biggest advantage to self-publishing is that once your books are printed and sold, you keep 100 percent of the profits. If your book sells for, say, $20, you keep $20 from that sale, rather than say, the $2 per book you'd make from a 10 percent retail-based royalty. Many self-publishers not only recover their initial investment but go on to realize satisfying profits once the inventory is all sold out.

Self-Publishing: The Cons

The obviously largest "con" for self-publishing is the up-front expense you must underwrite to have your manuscript made into a book. You'll need to fund the editing, the page layout, the cover design, obtaining an ISBN number, the printing, the binding, the shipping, and storage expense. Some editorial services companies offer a "turn-key" package for self-publishers that includes most or all of these expenses.
Once you have edited, press-ready files, you'll need to find a good printer/binder. This can be daunting for someone new to self-publishing. But many editors and editorial service companies can match you up with a reputable high-quality, reasonable-cost printer.
Once you've taken delivery of your finished books, you are then responsible for advertising and marketing the books--getting them sold. This too is an expense to you and can include online or print advertising, website expenses, distributor fees, and the "shoe-leather" work of arranging book signings at local bookstores, doing radio and TV publicity, and other selling avenues.

For those with sufficient resources to fund the expense and with enough enthusiasm and energy to market their books, self-publishing can be not only enormously satisfying, but can generate a significant profit above its costs.

A final caveat: Self-publishing should never be confused with so-called "vanity" or "subsidy" publishing, which often requires an author to pay an exorbitant price to a publisher promising both quality and aggressive marketing but which may fall significantly short in both areas.

If you choose the option of self-publishing, you'll need first to locate a professional editor, a page designer to lay out your book pages, and a cover designer. Occasionally, you can find someone qualified to perform all of these services for you. One such source can be found at: http://pageone-communications.com

For a free price estimate, be prepared to submit a sample chapter and your total word count.

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To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish - Thoughts About Self-Publishing

Out of curiosity, I hosted a survey about self-publishing on a writing site. Many people have self-published their books; others have considered self-publishing; and some would never consider self-publishing.

Answers to the questions in the survey varied considerably. One thought that seemed rather consistent was most people didn't know the difference between self-publishing and vanity press. In today's publishing world, the two differ, but they also seem to overlap each other at times.

The survey contained six questions or remarks. I will quote or summarize the results and in places add some information found through other research.

1. What is the definition of self-publishing?

A summary of comments include self-publishing is where the author has enough faith in his own work to underwrite the cost of publication. The author does not go via a commercial publisher, but arranges everything directly with the printer.

Self-publishing is where the author takes on the role of publisher, editor, layout specialist, publicist, marketing guru, production coordinator, and sales manager. For an author who is skilled in these areas, cutting out the middleman and keeping more of the profit makes a lot of sense. However, if an author is not skilled in all of these things, the end product can be a disaster.

According to definition, self-publishing is the publishing of books and other media by the authors of those works, rather than by established, third-party publishers. Although it represents a small percentage of the publishing industry in terms of sales, it has been present in one form or another since the beginning of publishing and has seen an increase in activity with the advancement of publishing technology, including xerography, desktop publishing systems, print on demand, and the World Wide Web. Cultural phenomena such as the punk/DIY movement, the proliferation of media channels, and blogging have contributed to the advancement of self-publishing.

2. Is self-publishing the same as vanity publishing? What is the difference or how are they the same?

One person answered, "No! But they do tend to carry the same stigma, for the same reasons. Too many people are too eager to see their words in print and too impatient to carefully attend to the details, so 'self-publishing' and 'vanity press' and 'subsidy publishing' all share this image of high price and low quality. I doesn't have to be that way, though."

Other remarks supported the first statement. In some respects the two are the same, except some publishers found ways to blur the lines. At least one "publisher" doesn't require the author pay anything to have a book published, but the author receives little or nothing in return. Only the most surface editing is done, and the book is not promoted. The royalty fees are low, and the author's rights are kept for seven years or more.

3. Have you ever self-published, or will you in the future? Why or why not?

The first group of comments deal with "no" answers. "No, though I easily could. But a writer shouldn't have to force himself on an audience ... But then, John Grisham is noted for self-publishing his first effort to sell out of the back of his care."

"No. I'm a bookseller. We resist vanity presses (considers self-publishing and vanity press as synonymous) all day, every day. Here's why:

The lack of an impartial selection process.

The (likely) lack of an editor in the mix.

My prior experience of hideous uncommercial amateur jacket art - do not let anyone tell your jacket design is irrelevant to a book's chance of selling.

The fact that Sale OR Return won't be happening, so if the vanity press title does not sell, the cash that purchased it is tied up in increasingly scruffy stock on the shelf.
owe it to the world to get my work into print, and they'll help me do that for just $4995, I'm going RUN, not walk, the opposite direction."

"I think a small or independent publisher would treat my work with far more care and dedication than a major publisher."

"Small publisher = smaller slush pile."

6. Comments:

A person should decide what he wants from being published before deciding what kind of publisher wanted.

From the bookseller: "I'm not sure that writers get how intensely booksellers despise vanity presses. You cannot imagine how abysmal the stuff they put out can be. ... The big commercial house put out enough bilge."

"My opinion is not formed by experience, but I have seen enough to sense that the 'times they are a changing.' A number of artists, mainly recording artists, now produce and distribute their own works, bypassing the stranglehold and limitations of the established producers."

The bottom line is whether or not an author has the means to have his work thoroughly edited, to have a quality design for book block and cover, and is will to do all the promoting necessary. If so, he might consider self-publishing. However, once the book is printed, the hard work begins: getting bookstores to accept the book, marketing it so that enough copies are sold to create a profit.

However, as noted above, getting work accepted by a traditional publisher is also extremely difficult. Even if an author is fortunate enough to have a quality agent accept him, persuading a publisher to accept a manuscript is hard.

Small publishing houses might be the answer for beginning writers, if they are good writers. Self-publishing may be answer for some authors and some types of writing.

After teaching composition for twenty-five years and becoming an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ a site for Poetry, Vivian Gilbert Zabel produced Hidden Lies and Other Stores, Walking the Earth:, The Base Stealers Club, and Case of the Missing Coach, which can be ordered through most book stores and on Amazon.com.

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Self-Publish Or Get a Mainstream Publisher - Which is the Best Way to Publish?

Publishing a book is a big decision, and most people automatically look for ways to get published by a mainstream publisher. While there are definitely advantages to being published by mainstream publishers, there are downsides as well. It really comes down to what your goals are in getting published. Then you can figure out which path is best for you.

Let's take a look at some of the advantages to each kind of publishing.

Advantages of Self-Publishing

In some instances, self-publishing is the better route. Consider self-publishing if:

you want to get your book out quickly. For instance, if you're a business person or speaker who wants a book to boost your credibility, garner you higher consulting or speaking fees, and have something to sell in the back of the room, self-publishing is the best path by far. You need to get your book out there. You don't have time to wait sometimes years to find a literary agent, then a publisher.

you plan to sell your book yourself. Again, if your book is mainly a way to enhance what you're already doing, you want the maximum control over when the book is printed, and how much profit you make from it. Mainstream publishers often don't give authors a huge break on books they buy to sell themselves. Plus, you're at the mercy of their decision as to when and even if to reprint.

you have the resources to pay the upfront costs. Especially if you know you can sell books in the back of the room, or that it's worth it to give them away as a lead generator for your business, you will likely recoup those costs from sales. Look at it as an investment in your marketing. A book is an asset that can bring the financial rewards mentioned above: higher-paying clients and speaking fees (your book brands you as an expert), an easy way to get new clients, something to give away to promote your services, a way to introduce people to your expertise and lead them to your higher-prices products or services, etc.

The downsides of self-publishing are the upsides of mainstream publishing.

Part of the reason for that is the sheer number of books being published (something like 180,000 per year). Media folks need some way of culling out the best from the second-best. Mainstream-published books generally are better written, better edited, and better packaged. The media who review books knows this.

Another important thing to know:

It can take a long time before your book gets published. If you want a mainstream publisher, you absolutely must have an outstanding book proposal to attract a literary agent and then a publisher.

If you have the luxury of time, have a burning desire to be published by a mainstream publisher, are willing to devote yourself to "being an author" which means building and maintaining a platform, and don't need to depend on a book as a main income generator (royalties alone seldom make any author rich), then go for mainstream publishing.

What it really comes down to is: Why do you want to publish a book? The answer to that question gives you the lens to focus on the right choice for you.

Advantages of Mainstream Publishing

Get paid to publish. The obvious advantage is the fact that you get paid to write your book, rather than having to pay any upfront costs yourself. Though your advance against royalty might not be large (nowadays the average is $10,000, but they are actually shrinking), still, it's better than having to put out the money yourself. However, know that there will still be costs involved, mostly in terms of marketing your book. While some publishers will still give you some marketing at launch time, the success of your book is up to you. If you don't actively promote it, the publisher will soon put your book out of print.

Your book gets into the bookstores. Another huge advantage: You get into the bookstores. Most print-on-demand publishers don't get you into the bookstores, though they promise they will. Read the language carefully in self-publishing contract. Most POD publishers won't take bookstore returns, and because of this, bookstores won't stock their books.

Possibility of getting on bestseller lists. Another little-known fact is that bestseller lists are based on bookstore sales. If you want to get on the typical bestseller lists, your book needs to be in the bookstores.

Credibility with the media. When a mainstream publisher backs you, you have more credibility. Especially with the media. Believe me, they know who the mainstream publishers are, and, for the most part, give precedence to books published by those publishers. Part of the reason for that is the sheer number of books being published (something like 180,000 per year). Media folks need some way of culling out the best from the second-best. Mainstream-published books generally are better written, better edited, and better packaged. The media who review books knows this.

One important thing to know about seeking a mainstream publisher: It can take a long time before your book gets published. If you want a mainstream publisher, you absolutely must have an outstanding book proposal to attract a literary agent and then a publisher.

If you have the luxury of time, have a burning desire to be published by a mainstream publisher, are willing to devote yourself to "being an author" which means building and maintaining a platform, and don't need to depend on a book as a main income generator (royalties alone seldom make any author rich), then go for mainstream publishing.

Changes Blurring the Lines

Publishing is undergoing huge changes, fueled by changes in technology. With print-on-demand technology being used by all publishers, and with all the changes happening in the publishing industry, the lines between mainstream and self-published books are blurring.

So, though many in the media will not look at a self-published book, it often has more to do with the fact that so many self-published books don't look as professionally packaged as mainstream books. If your book looks just as good as any you'd find in a bookstore, you overcome that hurdle. If you have an interesting idea, a platform (as in, website and some kind of demonstrable media exposure), and an interesting hook--they will overlook how your book was published.

I know it sounds like I'm contradicting myself, but the bottom line is: What you really need is a great idea, an audience, and a well-packaged book. By well-packaged book I mean: arresting title, professional-looking cover, interior design (most authors overlook this crucial factor, and their books stand out as shoddy because of it).

So, if you determine that your book will have these things, you can either look for a mainstream publisher or self-publish.

Again, it all comes down to: Why do you want to publish a book? The answer to that question gives you the lens to focus on the right choice for you.

For more about the crucial questions you need to answer to become a published author, check out Write Your Book Right: 12 Questions Successful Authors Always Answer at http://www.writeyourbookrightnow.com - To find out more about writing, publishing, or marketing a book, visit http://www.publishingcoachweekly.com to ask a question and sign up for free weekly coaching sessions by Diane Eble, "Your Book Publishing Coach."

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