How to Publish a Book Yourself

With the technology now available, the publishing industry is changing. Self-publishing and independent publishing companies are to the publishing business what independent filmmaking is to the film industry. If you invest some time researching book publication and marketing, you too can publish your book or someone else's.

Instructions

1. A good place to start learning about do-it-yourself publishing is Dan Poynter's "Self-Publishing Manual." This is the self-publishing bible. They call it the book that launched a million books. There are other books on the market to get you started, but Poynter's was the first and in my opinion it's all you need. Learn about your options and make informed choices.

2. Many authors self-publish using the services of what's known in the trade as a "vanity press" that utilizes print-on-demand (POD) technology. Some of the most famous of these printers are Xlibris, Authorhouse, and iUniverse. Their packages may cost as little as $1,000 and run to $6,000 or more. As part of the package, you receive guidance through the production and printing process and can make your own decisions about the book design. Some of these publishers will also give you marketing advice and limited marketing assistance (usually in the form of a kit you can buy). Do not be fooled: their basic goal is to help you easily produce copies of your book that they can sell to you at a profit for them. This is not necessarily a bad thing. You will wind up with as many copies of your book as you want to buy or can manage to sell. You can give copies away to friends and family. If you are a performer or lecturer, you can sell copies to attendees at your workshops, performances, or on your lecture circuit. I have a friend who is an actress who tours college campuses with a one-woman show and gives workshops in acting. She published her autobiography through Xlibris and she sells copies at her performances and workshops. She is turning a profit, which is unusual if you go this route.

3. It is important to note that these self-publishing POD vanity presses make more money selling books back to the author than the public, that their imprints usually stigmatize a book as a vanity press title, and that it is highly unlikely that you will make a profit with a book published this way because the cost of printing each copy is high. Also, the vanity press, not the author, owns the book's ISBN number (International Standard Book Number), which basically means that the author must buy their books from the press. You, the author, own the copyright, but not the books, so technically you are not self-published. You are published by a vanity press. On the positive side, you won't be stuck with thousands of copies you paid to print and can't sell and you won't have to worry about warehousing. Recently, Amazon has created its own POD service and threatens to refuse to list any books that were printed using any other POD service. If you want to sell your book on Amazon, make sure that it will be possible with whatever service you select.

4. You can elect to use the POD technology, but not a vanity press. You can truly self-publish by working with an established printing company that uses digital printing technology (many now do both offset and digital printing), and print the book yourself. Lightning Source is one of these companies. Lulu is another. To do this, you will need to research how to do such things as purchase an ISBN number, put a barcode on the book cover, copyright the book, etc. (Dan Poynter's book is helpful with these things.)

5. Many doors that would be closed to a book with an Xlibris or iUniverse type of imprint may open if you establish your own independent publishing company and imprint. By starting your own indie publishing company, you can have complete control over every aspect of your book's production.

6. You may still decide to use POD technology, which these days has the ability to produce a handsome book. But the more traditional web offset printing has an important advantage over POD, which is: if you print enough copies (the tipping point is roughly 3,000), the unit cost of each book will be low enough for you to make some money as well as offer terms that will work for booksellers. The unit cost is high with POD (digital) technology, which makes it challenging for you to turn a profit; however, you can produce a lovely book and it may be a more economical and practical alternative for you. No matter which printing process you choose (POD or web offset), you probably want to produce a book that meets industry standards for quality and industry expectations for pricing so that you will be taken seriously in the business.

7. To meet this goal, I suggest that you get help. Hire a "guide," especially if you start an indie publishing company. There are many people in the publishing business who serve as "book shepherds" (a term coined by Poynter). They charge a fee, either a flat rate or hourly on contract, to show a novice the ropes. A list of some of these guides is provided in the back of Poynter's book. Find a guide whose style and services suit you and your needs. These consultation services will cost you a bundle so budget for it. Also, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) is an invaluable resource. Join IBPA and you receive their monthly newsletter, which is packed with useful information.

8. Don't kid yourself: starting an indie publishing company to self-publish means starting a business. You should develop a business plan, a budget, a mission, goals, recordkeeping systems, etc. You may want to take a community college class in small business management before you get started.

9. Perhaps the most important part of self-publishing is marketing your book. Printing the book is only the beginning. Once the book is published, then the real work begins, and you will find that you have little time for writing while promoting your book. Marketing a book is a bottomless pit. It can absorb as much time, money, and energy as you are willing to pour into it. Even authors of books from famous mainstream publishers have to do most of their own marketing. If they are lucky, the publisher gives them a budget (usually meager) and assigns a staff person to help. But this is not always the case. Blockbuster authors regularly "give back" a substantial portion of their royalties to their publishers to contribute to the marketing budget for their books. Some return 50% of royalties or more to the publisher. Getting the word out about a book can be extremely expensive, and people will only buy a book if they know about it. Many excellent books can help you learn how to market your book. I can suggest John Kremer's "1001 Ways to Market Your Books."

10. There is an old saying in the publishing biz: "If you want to be a millionaire publisher, start out with $2 million." You will be surprised at how many books you have to sell just to break even. After starting my own publishing company and successfully publishing (and marketing) my first book, I can give you this advice: go into self-publishing for love, not profit.

Tips & Warnings

• You many want to explore the option of publishing your book as an e-book rather than a book in print. This is a growing and viable market.

• THIS ARTICLE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR.

• Note that I have no vested interest in promoting any of the resources or companies mentioned in this article. I have simply recommended some that helped me.