How to Self Publish a Science Fiction Novel and Sell It On Your Own Website

The genre is alive and thriving, from Isaac Asimov to Robert Heinlein, from the golden age of science fiction to modern science fiction. If you write science fiction, you're probably aware of how competitive the field is. Although it's possible to get your science fiction stories published traditionally in science fiction magazines such as Asimov's, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Strange Horizons and others, or your novel placed with science fiction book publishers, you may be considering self publishing your work. There are certain advantages to self publishing. Learn how to self publish a science fiction novel and sell it on your own website, either using a print-on-demand service or by creating an ebook.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Print on demand publisher or service
• Microsoft Word or OpenOffice.org word processing software
• PDF creator

1. Self publish the best science fiction novel you can. This means writing the best novel you can. Optionally, get a critique of your science fiction book to see if you need to revise it before polishing.

2. When you think the manuscript is perfect...go over it again and revise it again. If you're not going through the traditional editorial process, then you must be your own critical editor. Alternatively, hire an editor from freelancing sites such as oDesk or eLance (see Resources) to review and critique the work, and possibly revise it. Don't skip the editing step, whatever you do. To truly eliminate the bad reputation self publishing had on the market, you must create something very, very good.

3. Explore self publishing options. Print on demand publishers or services such as Lightning Source, Lulu.com and others will have specific requirements for formatting manuscripts electronically.

4. Format your completed manuscript with wide margins, single spacing, and page numbers. Add a title page and any front and end matter to make the book complete. Design a cover or hire a graphic artist to design the cover. Use the format required by the self publishing service you're using. Or convert your manuscript to a .pdf file to sell it as an ebook on your website.

5. To sell an ebook on your website, use a service such as e-Junkie to create a shopping cart that allows digital downloads (such as for ebooks) on your website. Or add a Google Checkout or PayPal shopping cart feature to your website or blog to sell your book using print on demand--that is, a copy gets printed and mailed only when you sell a copy of your ebook. Self publishing services such as Lulu streamline the process and take care of a lot of this for you.

6. Sell your science fiction novel by promoting your website. If your website is new, register the site with Yahoo and Google. Get the word out. Include an excerpt of your science fiction novel that readers can sample before buying. Take out an ISBN number and get it listed on Amazon.com. Spend time in science fiction forums and plug your ebook or print novel when appropriate.

Tips & Warnings

• When you self publish your science fiction novel, expect the sales to be slow at first if you don't already have a following.
• The jury's out on whether to price an ebook high or low. Try it one way and if that doesn't work, try it the other way.
• Another self promotion tip: Send your science fiction novel to online reviewers who review science fiction and fantasy ebooks, politely requesting they review your work. They may refuse, but it's worth a shot.
• Self publishing is going through a transformation. While publishing your own work had for decades been deemed "vanity publishing," times have changed. With the rising cost of paper and fuel, publishers have cut back in how many novels they're publishing. And computers and the Internet have made it all too easy to self publish and bypass traditional publishers altogether, as well as market your own work. The publishing industry is going through a transformation; the exact nature of it is yet to be seen. Given this, self publishing a science fiction novel to sell yourself is worth a try.

Resources

• Build an Online Team on oDesk
• eLance