Congratulations! You are about to embark on an exciting journey to see your dream of becoming a published author realized. Welcome to the world of self-publishing. You have just begun a journey that will challenge and delight you as you break new ground with your ideas and achieve things you never thought possible. Self-publishing is an expression of ideas and a belief in what you do. It is also a path to a better, more satisfying future.
If you've ever dreamed of writing a book only to have your aspirations dashed by multitudes of people telling you how hard it is to get published, you're not alone. Self-publishing is a great option to help you 'get your book out there'; especially if it has been rejected or ignored by agents, publishers and the 'traditional publishing industry' in general.
Perhaps you want to write a family history, a fantasy trilogy, you have a craft idea you want to share or you may want to share your expertise in a particular field to benefit others. Self-publishing is the perfect way to get your ideas out there and you will be surprised how little it costs to get started.
The great thing is, with print technology developing all the time, you can now utilize Print on Demand to publish your book. This allows you to make your book available to the world for a minimal investment. This means you could sell the book from your own website and only have copies printed as they sell. This means you no longer have to print thousands of books, only to have them collect dust in the garage. You can even have your book available in bookstores via Print on Demand, which allows people to order your book over the counter.
If you're ready to break free of rejection and take control of your manuscript's future, you're ready to ready to self-publish.
This free version of our Publishing College will show you how to get started. All it takes is the desire to publish, an idea, minimal technical ability and, of course, the will to succeed. I'm guessing if you've read this far, you've already ticked those boxes.
Going the Traditional Route
Once you have completed your manuscript, you are ready to consider different publishing options. If you choose the traditional publishing route you could end up totally demoralized with enough rejection letters to fill a recycling bin. Some writers are published, but sadly they represent a tiny fraction of those who never make it beyond the proverbial slush pile. The truth is, less than three per cent ever get published. And if you're not a proven author, you may be forced to buy your book if it doesn't sell.
Alternatively, you could approach a literary agent, but they too are becoming increasingly selective. They want to know they have a sure-fire winner on their hands before they invest their time helping a 'wannabe' writer make it big.
If you've already been down this route, no doubt you have been tempted to hit the delete button or throw your manuscript into the bottom desk drawer and forget about it. However, it's time to put that rejection to the back of your mind and get proactive by seeking out viable self-publishing options.
Self-Publishing
What is it?
Self-publishing is the ultimate hands-on experience in book creation. Not only do you write the book, you are in complete control of all aspects of book production. In other words, you become a mini-publishing company. You are the publisher.
In your publishing journey, you may deal with and outsource to:
- An editor or proof reader (to ensure your manuscript is as professional and does not have any errors)
- A printer
- A graphic designer (for a professional book cover design)
In this process you will have to finalize the book size, the font and font size, and type of paper that most suit your book. As mentioned in chapter 3, check out your local bookstore to finalize your ideas.
Self-publishing has a long and honorable tradition. Authors including Mark Twain, Rudyard Kipling and Benjamin Franklin brought their books out themselves. One of the most popular books, “The Joy of Cooking” by Irma Rombauer, was published in 1931 as a project for the First Unitarian Woman’s Alliance in St. Louis. Scribner’s now sells more than 100,000 copies a year.
Richard Paul Evans self-published “The Christmas Box” and within a year had sold 250,000 copies. Subsequently, Simon and Schuster offered him $4.2 million for the book. Mark Victor Hansen, of the Chicken Soup series fame, is another successful example of someone who started out by publishing his book himself, only to have it picked up by a major publisher. The series has now sold over a billion copies!
Advantage
Self-publishing puts you in the driver’s seat. You have complete control of all aspects of turning your manuscript into a book. You may outsource most of the work, unless you have the skills and tools to complete some of the production process.
By outsourcing, you have the opportunity to choose people you feel comfortable with who will give you what you ask for and custom-design the product to suit your specific instructions.
Being in charge can give you a tremendous sense of satisfaction. You’ll see your book in print form quickly, allowing you to get on with the marketing and distributing aspects. You determine the number of copies you want printed and you set the price for your book. Not only do you keep all the royalties but most importantly, you retain all the rights to your work.
Since you are in effect a publishing company, even if you have just one book, you may find that you are considered slightly more respectable than a vanity press to book distributors who may be more inclined to feature your work in their catalogues. That way you can get the book into bricks and mortar bookstores and start making some sales.
Disadvantage
Realistically with self-publishing, if you’re in this to make money, you’ve got to work to break even. For the most part, by the time you’ve sold the book to your family and friends, you’ve barely paid the bills. Of course, there are always exceptions to this scenario (and you never know, it could be you!), but the odds of making it big and hitting the New York Times Bestseller List are probably the same as for winning the lottery.
Still, we all have our dreams and the disadvantage of not making any money can be lessen (and even overcome) by doing thorough research on the demand for your manuscript before you decide to print a mass quantity of books. The sure fire way to test the market without having to cough up heaps of money upfront, is by first printing a test run of 50 – 100 books (via POD method) to check out the response. If you've hit a niche interest and have gained great publicity with the local press from your first print run, you've made it!
With the risk of sounding bias, Book Pal has created a one-stop shop for self publishers. The company can help from concept to print to getting you into bookstores and gaining publicity for your book. Although this doesn’t guarantee overnight success, it does tip the chances of success in your favor!
The satisfaction in self-publishing comes from being intimately involved in the book production process and shedding the reliance on others to bring your work to fruition. Regardless of what option you choose when deciding to self-publish, if you follow the straightforward and practical guidelines set out in this book, you’ll boost your chances of success and just might find yourself well on your way to having a winner.
Where to begin?
Please read the following statements, they’ll direct you to the most relevant part of the course for your needs.
- I have a book idea but I haven’t started writing it yet. Please go to Module 1.1 Generating Ideas.
- I have started my book, but I’m still quite a way off finishing it. Please go to Module 1.1 Generating Ideas.
- I have finished the first draft of my book but it needs some work. Please go to Module 2.1 Structural Editing.
- I have completed my book to a fairly high standard, but it still needs editing. Please go to Module 2.1 Structural Editing.
- I have finished my book and edited it, but I’m still worried there are errors in it. Please go to Module 2.1 Structural Editing.
- I have finished my book, it has been edited and proofread, and I’m confident it’s good enough to print, but I need help with typesetting and cover design. Please go to Module 3 PREPARING YOUR FILES.
- My book has been typeset, I’ve got a cover design, and I think my files are print ready. Please go to Module 3 PREPARING YOUR FILES.