17 Jan 10 How To Self Publish Your Book

Many people have written something they feel is good and even publishable. Yet, good as they feel it is, one after another publisher rejects it. They get discouraged and wonder if all the trouble was worth it. Yet they feel what they wrote has a message they want to share with others.

For such people self-publish may be a good option. Here are a few good reasons to consider this method of getting your writing published. First, some publishers want what sells even if the subject is, to you, offensive. You want to stick with traditional themes that may not sell in today’s society. Perhaps too your writing ability is improving but you don’t want to wait until you are really good to get it in print.

Working with a self-publishing firm means you cover some or all of the cost of printing your work. There are several options. Typically, the writer simply contracts to buy a given number of books. In such a case, the writer is then in charge of his own marketing. Some better companies will work with the writer to improve it and help market the final product.

The relationship between the publishing company and the author varies. Some share the cost of printing and then in profits. Others require the cost to be paid by the author who then gets all the profit. Be careful that you are working with a reputable firm. There are many scammers who want to profit from you inordinately. For example, does the company expect you to send them all the money up front? If they do, you are in danger of ending up with less money and no publication.

The advantages of self-publishing include the assurance that your favorite parts won’t be deleted by an editor. Also, you can still share your work to others with a minimum of cost. Third, personal financial investment motivates the writer to do his best and makes him ask if he really believes it is good. Fourth, some good books were first self-published and then, as they became more public, a publisher is willing to invest in it.

Self-publishing also has some disadvantages worth considering. First, though you have no editor to strip beloved parts from your writing, you also may lack the expert critique that an editor gives. Often the work of an editor improves the writing.

Second, without a major publisher involved, you will probably lack the exposure you book would have gotten. A private person may find it difficult to sell enough to just meet expenses. Third, it is more money out of your own pocket. You may wonder why no one wants to publish it; you must believe in it to put both your time and money into the project.

If you only need a few copies, you might consider this. Print a copy of your work just as you want it to appear. Programs like Clickbook all you to collate it in a variety of sizes and with front and back correctly figured. Then get a local printing firm to copy it as many times as you would like.

Then take these copies to a hand bookbinding company who can make them into hardback books for you. This way, it will last for generations to come. If you need an expert, consider Tightly Bound Books where you’ll receive “Custom book repair with personal care.”

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