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So you want to self-publish....
Have a product
- Finish your book and
make it the best it can possibly be
- Hire a professional
editor who will evaluate pacing, flow, characterization, and structure. Do not
rely on the input from friends or relatives. They may be afraid of
hurting your feelings.
- If non-fiction, have
editor confirm all facts and references
- Work with a reliable
writers' group or another writer to gain constructive criticism
- Write and rewrite
- Have someone proofread
your work for spelling and grammar
- Ask yourself if you
would pay $20 or more for your book if someone else wrote it
Caution - This is NOT a way to bypass or shortcut the process.
Self-publishing requires just as much work as traditional publishing, if not
more. It is merely different.
Why do you want to self-publish?
Be clear on your answer to this question.
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Have you been rejected
by a few agents? Have you analyzed why? Is your work truly ready to be in
print? Be honest with yourself. Agents immediately reject work that has
obvious errors. (I do, too, when reviewing resumes.)
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Would you publish your
book if you had to invest thousands of dollars in it? Again –
self-publishing is NOT a short-cut.
Self-publish only if the option provides you with important things not offered
by traditional publishers. Things to consider include:
- Control - Cover design, manuscript content,
marketing materials
- Time - Can you produce a book every seven to
twelve months as is often required by genre publishers?
- Time - Can you devote the time necessary for
marketing and advertising your work to keep sales at the level
require by the traditional houses?
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Select the method - self-publishing has two options
Fully self-publish
(Author does it all)
Completely
responsible for written work
Hires
designer and/or photographer for cover
Hires printer
and makes font, paper and layout decisions, decides size of print run (how many
copies)
Handles order
fulfillment and distribution - establishes policies for sales and returns
Responsible
for all marketing, advertising, etc
Collects
monies from wholesalers and retailers
Self-publishing support company such as iUniverse, Lulu, or AuthorHouse
Completely
responsible for written work
May have option to
provide cover
Responsible for all
marketing, advertising, etc.
Responsible for
some levels of distribution depending on contract with support company
Do your homework
Talk to writers who have experience
doing what you plan to do
Read all contracts thoroughly and
understand their terms
Be aware of the dollars and cents - how much will you spend
on creating and marketing your product and how much
will you make per copy sold?
Understand the business of publishing and your place in it
Talk to an accountant and/or an attorney
Prepare a business plan and a marketing strategy
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