Archive for the ‘Self Publishing’ Category

When you choose to self publish, it means that you will need to do all of the jobs that a traditional publisher would normally do.  You find a printing company.  You pay the printing company to print your book.  You can hire a fulfillment company to take care of shipping and handling orders or you can do it yourself.

Advantages

• There is a volume discount.  This means that the more copies you order, the lower your cost per book will be.  This is an advantage over P.O.D. publishing, where the cost of the book is the same no matter how many you order.
• You receive the books in a relatively short amount of time.
• You have exclusive control of the look of your product.  The look of the cover and the format of the interior are entirely up to you.
• You will have more control over the amount of money that you earn per book.  You can set the price of the book wherever you choose.  You can control costs by choosing the type of paper, the number of pages, and the colors of the cover.  A full color cover will cost more than a four-color cover or a two color cover.
• You retain all the rights to your book.  You can publish it in a different format, if you want. You can turn it into an ebook, an audio book, or make an e-course out of it.
• You don’t have to deal with a publisher. All of the decisions are yours.

Disadvantages

• Printers don’t generally provide editorial services.  You need to make sure that your copy is free of spelling and grammatical errors before you send it. 
• You will need to spend time learning the ins and outs of the publishing business.  Discounts and remainders, etc.
• You will need to pay at least a portion of the printing costs at the time you order.
• If you want your book to be placed on the shelves of large chain bookstores, you will need to hire a professional distribution or fulfillment company.
• You will probably need to obtain your own copyright and ISBN.  (I have seen some printers include this in their service, so if you aren’t sure, ask.)
• You are responsible for marketing your book.
• You will need to store them somewhere (or hire a distribution or fulfillment company to do it for you).

To read about more book publishing options, follow this link.

As always, I’m dedicated to helping you create a successful career as a published author.

Julie Coan