Self Publishing
WHAT IS SELF-PUBLISHING?
OK…you have just finished your first book with a fantastic ending and you know it is great.
Or maybe you finished your book last year and you can’t seem to get agents and/or publishing houses to read your manuscript.
Or maybe you have already published three or four books with a big house and you’re tired of not making any money and not having control over your own work.
Now you’re thinking, “Hmmm…maybe I should give self-publishing a try.”
But what exactly is self-publishing?
It depends.
Very few companies allow you to do professional quality layout work on your own. And remember, these companies don’t offer much in the way of editorial services and they usually charge a high cover price for their titles.
These places are usually best if you have a noncommercial book such as your family photo album that you can print one at a time.
Other self-publishing companies ask for a “camera ready” file of your book. This means that what you turn in to the publisher is more than likely what your book will look like in the end. It also means that the burden of design and layout are on you, so if you have a background in print layout or just like doing things yourself, then this way of self-publishing could be for you.
The last type of self-publishing is what you might call “assisted self-publishing”. This means you send your manuscript to the publisher and they take care of the rest.
This publishing solution may be a tad more expensive, but then,
you’re paying the company both for their expertise and to deal with any
headaches that may arise.
Companies who specialize in assisted self-publishing often vary
quite dramatically in the types of services they offer for your book,
as well as the fees they charge for those services.
Make sure you define your goals for your book (both personal and
professional), then ask the company as many questions as you need.
