Self-Publishing options

I recently came across an article on Promotion a la Carte that talked about how more and more authors are turning to self-publishing because it's getting harder and harder to break into the traditional publishing market. Read the full article here. It's short and very interesting. 

Traditionally, an author submits a query (a letter about your book) to an agent or publisher. They either accept the manuscript, suggest the author edits and then resubmits it, or reject it. The process is slow, painful, sometimes expensive, discouraging, but potentially worth it.

When your work is accepted by an agent, the agent then submits your book to publishers until someone decides to buy it. The publisher then edits, corrects, prints, ships, and markets your work. There should be little to no cost to the author, and sometimes the author has little say in what happens to his or her work, including the book cover.

An author also has the option of self-publishing. "Self-publishing is the act of publishing your work independently of an established publishing house." - about.com.

Vanity Press: A publishing option in which the press with (likely) proofread and edit the manuscript, design a cover, print the book and even offer some marketing tools. All this comes at the expense of the author.

This is a very expensive option, but it might be the only one for authors who don't have the resources to self-publish through a POD (discussed below). This is a good choice for family memoirs and non-fiction, such as a business book, cook book, etc. There is some opinion that this is not the best alternative for fiction.

Examples:

Dorrance Publishing
Xlibris
iUniverse

Publish On Demand (POD): A press that has the technology to print books only as needed. This eliminates the cost of warehousing books and keeping an inventory on hand. The author has total control and responsibility for content, book cover, and marketing. Some POD presses have editing and marketing options available, but at a cost.These services are completely optional with POD. If you are required to pay in order to have your book published, you are dealing with a Vanity Press. Note that Vanity Presses can have POD capabilities and may not require you to buy an inventory.

The cost to print with POD is more expensive per book, and, like I mentioned earlier, the author is responsible for editing and content. If you don't have the resources for editing your manuscript, you can either use their editing services (for a fee), or try the Vanity Press.

Most POD presses have the capability of putting your book directly to a major online retailer like Amazon or Barnes and Noble, as well as the option of offering your book as an ebook.

Examples:

CreateSpace - Note Amazon.com is the parent company.
LuLu

As you can see, if you are considering self-publishing, you have a few options and a little bit of research to do. Luckily we live in a day and age where making our work available is an option.

If you decide to try getting picked up by an agent or a publishing house, just be aware that you should never be asked to pay for any part of the publication process. If they tell you there are fees involved, that's a big red flag!

Good luck! Pin It

No thanks.

As most of you know, I am a writer. A lot of you got to read the first 17 pages of my book The Gifted when they were featured on Amazon.com. Since that time I have had a lot of questions about when it will be published. Even a very good friend of my family's joked he wanted to open a publishing house just so he could print my book and read the rest of it. That makes a person feel good.

Since last July I have been sending it to agencies and publishers trying to get someone to love it as much as I do. Last week I got yet another rejection letter. Honestly, I haven't gotten that many because I have not sent it to that many agencies or publishes, but it's enough to be a little discouraged.

I have decided to publish The Gifted myself. I'll be going through CreateSpace, which means The Gifted will be available for sale directly on Amazon.com. I had pretty much decided to do this a few months ago, but my dad told me to give this last agency one more shot. I did and they shot me down. Oh well. You have to have a tough skin. The only thing this really means is that I won't become rich and famous. But hey, at least my book will be published and anyone who is interested can read it.

Are you excited? I am. But there's one more thing. I won't even be able to start working on The Gifted until February. Until then I'll be busy in a series of edits for manuscripts to enter into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. I'm entering the book I wrote in November, but as it is no one would take a second glance at it. It needs lots of work.

So, at the beginning of February I'll pick up The Gifted and work it into a polished state worthy of the printing press. Until then, you'll just have to find something else to read. Pin It

Bad to worse.

There's nothing like getting pooped on in the wee hours of the morning and not knowing it until you rub it on your nose. (I feed and change him in the dark.)

There's nothing like a fussy baby who only eats a quarter of what he's supposed to every 45 minutes - starting at 3 am, ensuring you are grumpy and irritable when you get up three hours later...if you were ever down in the first place.

There's nothing like getting a phone call first scolding you for something you inadvertantly did wrong.

There's nothing like getting an email from your insurance saying you owe hundreds of dollars worth of doctor's visits for your newborn...who apparently saw a psychiatrist in Texas the day after he was born...in Nevada, and knowing you have to fight them on it.

And to top it off, there's nothing quite like getting your first rejection letter from a publisher saying they don't feel strongly enough about your work to pursue it.

I guess I just have to hope that tomorrow is better.

Good thing I know what is really important: this little ball of wiggles in my arms who can't decide if he's hungry or if he has sour tummy, if he wants held or put down, if he wants his binkie or not...

Ahhhh.... Pin It