Are there ways for a non professional author to get his book 'out there' without the chancy use of publishers?

Question

I already have a job and I don't want to have to go through the stress of being the lucky 1 out of 100 people that gets to get a book published while the rest spend too many misled years going to other publishers.

After I finish my book I just want other people to have access to it so I can share my work with others. Does the fact that I do not seek a profit increase my chances? What could I do to get my book out there without too much financial investment?

Thanks alot.

Answer 1

Yes. There's a really slick site that helps you called lulu.com.
You can get your work out there while maintaining full rights to your work.
That's important because you can continue to shop your book to publishers while your work is posted and getting attention.

Best of luck to you. Exposure is everything. I've gotten some offers on short stories this way. Good stuff.

Answer 2

Sure, you could try a site like lulu - Vanity publishing - which is one million times more "chancy" than traditional publishing. It will not get your books in stores. I cannot say that enough times here. It will cost you several thousand dollars and you will sell about 2/3 as many copies as you have friends. Self published books are not sold in book stores. They are also poorly published junk. Is that what you want for your book?

You have to realize something. It takes time to publish. Sometimes lots of it., Gone with the Wind was rejected FIFTY times. Stephen KIng got so mad he threw Carrie in the trash and his wife fished it out.

If you believe in yourself and in your book, you owe it to yourself to spend at least twice as long trying to publish it traditionally as you did writing it. Your book deserves that chance. So you stack up rejection letters. So what? Everybody does. You may call that "chancy" but winning the lotto is a chance too. You gotta be in it to win it.

I star all great Q and A on publishing and writing. You can access them on my profile. Print out any you think will be helpful. Print them all out if you like. A lot of people who know the publishing business have taken the time to come here and leave very useful information. Use it.
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They're, Their, There - Three Different Words.

Careful or you may wind up in my next novel.

Pax - C

Answer 3

Only if you have a friend, who will introduce you to his or her Literary Agent. That's how it often works.

Answer 4

If your not that serious about the book you could post it on fictionpress.net