Self Publishing?

Question

I'm thinking about self publishing my book. What would the easiest/most profitable way to do this?:

1.) Print copies and ship them from my home

2.) Sell it as an ebook

3.) Give it to a publishing house for on demand printing

Thank you.

Answer 1

My suggestion is none of the above. Don't expect to sell more than 100 copies or so self publishing. That is about average.

Let's call self publishing what it used to be called ... Vanity Publishing. It is for people who want to publish things that they know don't stand a chance in the world of traditional publishing. It is so they can see their names on a book and sell some copies to friends and family.

You say print copies and ship them from your house. To who?? How is anyone going to know the book even exists?? It is going to cost you a great deal of money to promote the book so people know about it. And that will not put your books on shelves in bookstores. Without being on shelves, you are not going to sell many books. Books in stores is the key to success. How will you print and bind it at home anyway?? Will it be a quality book or more like a pamphlet?

If you sell it as an e book, you will make a small percentage of the sales when someone orders it. However, you run the risk of someone copying it and sharing it with people - depriving you of sales. You won't make a lot of money that way.

Easiest and most profitable are two different things. Self publishing may be the easiest because it is quick and you don't have to go through the hassle of being rejected. However, you cannot beat traditional publishing when it comes to the most profitable way to publish a book. Only something like 9 self published books have made it to the best seller list. One was the Celestine Prophecy. I don't recall the rest. I think they were non-fiction.

You also have to face the fact that self publishing does NOT make you a "published author". If you present yourself to a publisher or agent as such, they will fall off their Aeron chairs laughing. I could self publish the Kalamazoo phone book and nobody would say a word as long as I could pay the bills. They honestly do not care what you publish - just pay them.

If your work has any merit, you owe it to yourself and your work to at least spend a year trying traditional publishing.

Pax - C

PS Authorhouse has one of the WORST reputations in the self publishing industry. Check with Preditors and Editors and Absolute Write Water Cooler's Bewares and Background Checks, Writers Wall, Writers Weekly as well as other warning sites like Anne Crispin's before you sign any contracts or send anyone any money.

Answer 2

Contrary to what many people say against self-publishing, it's not as bad as some would make it out to be.

There have been many books of good quality that have been self-published; books that have been recognized and honored by different book festivals and award giving bodies.

It is always to your advantage to evaluate all your options when it comes to publishing your book. Assess the pros and cons of each option, consider the suggestions of other as well, so you can come up with an informed decision based on your research and on what is best for you, not on someone's opinion or experience of a publishing process.

With that said, I would suggest that you check out sites like Xlibris.com, which is a self-publishing company. You can go to their website and see for yourself what they have to offer.

If you find that what you need isn't there, you could always go to traditional publishing houses or other publishing options. There are many choices if you leave your mind open to all the possibilities.

Parting shot: check out Xlibris' publishing guide by clicking on the link below.

Answer 3

go to www.authorhouse.co.uk

They provide all of the services you need

good luck