How To Self Publish A Book
Many people have tried their hand at serious writing. The publishing industry is hard to enter and most of the time such writing is rejected. It’s easy to get discouraged and wonder if it’s worth the trouble. Yet they feel what they wrote has a message they want to share with others.
If you identify with this, consider self-publishing your work. Here are some reasons to consider this investment. First, some publishers want what sells even if the subject is, to you, offensive. You want to be more conservative than what is selling today. Perhaps your writing style is developing but you still want to get your message out to others in the meantime.
Self-publishing through a printing firm involves a financial commitment on the part of the author. Many variations of this are available. Typically, the writer promises to invest a given amount of money, depending on the size of the writing, in exchange for a given number of books. The writer will then market them himself in hopes of recouping the cost and making a profit. Some firms will work with you in improving it and marketing it once it is printed.
Companies handle self-publishing in a variety of ways. Some share the cost of printing and then in profits. Others require the author to cover all costs and then, of course, the author gets full profits. Be sure to check a company’s reputation. There are many scammers who want to profit from you inordinately. For example, do they demand that you pay in advance? If you do, you may find your money and the company vanish without a trace.
The advantages of self-publishing include the assurance that your favorite parts won’t be deleted by an editor. Also, a minimum of cost is needed to share what you wrote with others. 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 change your content, you also may not have someone to help you improve it. Usually an editor’s work makes your writing better.
Second, without a major publisher involved, you will probably lack the exposure you book would have gotten. If you don’t know a lot of people, it may be difficult to sell enough to recoup your expenses. Third, it is of course, a greater personal investment to self-publish. 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 and even capabilities in some word processors allow you to print and collate half sheet size. Then get a local printing firm to copy it as many times as you would like.
Then take the copies to a custom bookbinder to make into hardbacks. This is a simple way for you to preserve your hours of writing in a permanent way. Tightly Bound Books is one such bookbinding business. As their motto states, they provide “Custom book repair with personal care.”