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Self-Publishing: New Options for Writers

According to a recent article in the New York Times Book Review, by some estimations upwards of ten million people in North America have written books that have yet to be published. Compare this figure to the fifty thousand or so new titles per year that are brought out by traditional trade publishers of all sizes. In other words, the odds are against any new writer who is trying to get his or her first book published.

But this doesn't mean that first-time authors should give up on seeking publication. Promising newcomers will always continue to be discovered and published--how else could the book business preserve its vitality? But the process of getting into print via traditional publication can be long, difficult, and frustrating.

Just how frustrating it turns out to be is a matter of individual temperament and circumstances. Some authors simply endure all the waiting and the rejections, and eventually achieve their goal. Others reach their limit, and for this reason, many worthy books go unpublished, while good ideas remain unaired and creative voices unheard.

Until recently the only alternatives to nonpublication were to pay a vanity press to bring out your work or to become a self-publisher and to finance and take charge of every phase of your book's production, distribution, and promotion. These days, thanks principally to the growth of the Internet, authors now have more satisfying as well as less expensive and taxing options.

The principal breakthrough has been print-on-demand book manufacturing. Now authors do not have to pay high fees to produce large numbers of copies of their book, which then may, or may not, sell. With the print-on-demand method, the author pays a comparatively modest fee, receives a few sample copies, and subsequent copies are printed as orders come in. In return for collecting an up-front fee, print-on-demand publishing services typically provide the book's mandatory ISBN (International Standard Book Number), send out press releases, publicize the book on the Internet though search engines and online outlets like amazon.com, and allow for generous royalty payments to authors.

There are now a number of Internet-based print-on-demand publishing services--for example: BookSurge.com, iPublish, iUniverse, and Xlibris. The one that I know best and often recommend is Trafford On-Demand Publishing Service.

These and other similar operations appear generally to give satisfaction, but ultimately it is up to you, the author/consumer, to comparison-shop and decide which POD service best suits your needs and budget. You might also wish to investigate other options, such as online or epublishers, like MightyWords, or simpler for-fee prepublishing services, which do not directly sell your writing but give it exposure on the Internet.

These are just a few of the options now available to authors who want to bypass the old-fashioned lengthy publication process, find more immediate outlets for their work, and retain greater editorial control than traditional publishers might allow. If all of this appeals to you, then you may be a candidate for print-on-demand publishing.

But before you commit yourself to a particular service, be sure you are armed with reliable information about your publishing options. The following resources will help:

Books:

Kremer, John. 1001 Ways to Market Your Book: For Authors and Publishers.

Ortman, Mark. A Simple Guide to Self-Publishing: A Time and Money- Saving Handbook to Printing, Distributing, and Promoting Your Own Book.

Poynter, Dan. The Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book.

Radke, Linda F. The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing: How to Produce and Market Your Book on a Budget.

Ross, Tom and Marilyn. The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing.

Internet Resources:

Bookzone's Publishing Resources

Para Publishing

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