How to Self-Publish a Book -- and Why

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By Gardengates
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How to self-publish a book -- and why

Once upon a time it was difficult to get a book published. You had to win over the big publishers and deal with whatever politics might be involved. Today you can publish your own book. You can print out hardcopies on your computer or circulate your book on the internet. For greater range it is still best to have your book published by a reputable publishing house, but you can also get your book out there by yourself if you can't get it published elsewhere. Before you consider publishing, you need to know not only how to get published, but consider whether self-publishing is the right route for you to take. Here is a little information to help you know how to self-publish a book -- and why.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

The most important part of getting your book published is writing the book in the first place. The better book you write, the better chance you can get a good publisher to pick it up, edit, print and market it. Or, if you self-publish, the easier it will be to sell your book. Remember that sales will depend more on how much demand there will be for your book than how great you may think your book is!
Step 2

Self-publishing is very useful if you want to market your own ideas or teach others about your business concepts or special skills. For fiction, marketing can be a bit more tricky. For general market consumption with any genre, you not only will do better with an established publishing company, but you will need to write an exceptional book that stands out among all the other millions of books being written. And a good dollop of luck, excellent connections in the industry, or a special person or event that will catapult you into the national limelight will help a lot to bring your book to the fore. Still, some books have a niche market that will be perfectly served on the internet or through personal distribution. These are ideal types of books to self-publish.
Step 3

If you are willing to do your own marketing and you feel you have a book with a lot of public appeal, there are a number of online publishing sites that can help. Consider such publishing sites as AuthorHouse, CreateSpace, Lulu, Xulon, Lightning Source and Cafepress among others. But check out the quality of the services as well as the financial costs and earning potentials. You usually get what you pay for and a cheaply produced, shoddy book will be even more difficult to sell. Do some research on custom sizes and designs as well as specialty costs. And be very chary about any company that charges a lot of money up front.
Step 4

The subject of self-publishing is quite extensive, so I've provided some good, informational links below under the additional Resources below. These should help anyone seriously interested in how to self-publish a book -- and why!

Comments

keytothestars said

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on 4/11/2009 Thanks for the excellent insight on self-publishing!

alystarcrane said

on 4/11/2009 Thanks for sharing your insight and wisdom on How to Self-Publish a Book and Why-great information.

masada1966 said

on 4/10/2009 Wow, this article was right on time. I've just completed a manuscript, I'm retooling the illustrations as we speak. Great info, thanks!! 5* and recommended.