Tag Archives: Print-on-Demand

A Guide to Self Publishing

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Self publishing involves the act of an author publishing books or magazines at his or her own expense. If the author self publishes, the author has control over content, editing, printing, marketing and distribution. In traditional publishing, the publisher invests money prior to publishing for marketing, printing, binding and promotion of the publication. Because the publisher wants to recover the cost of the initial investment, the publisher researches to make an educated guess about whether the author and the book will earn enough money to recoup the initial investment after its release. The publisher will only select the author’s writings if a profit can be earned.

The author will assume all financial responsibility of the project from marketing to distribution and storage. The writer will receive all of the profit from the sales and maintain all rights to the publication. In this case, the author typically will not accept pre-prepared packages, but will submit a bid for each aspect of the publishing process. In some cases, because the author has full autonomy and receives all proceeds, the author can yield a much higher quality product.

Vanity publishers will publish the work of an author without regard to the quality of work or its potential to be marketable. The vanity publisher is only responsible for printing and binding the publication. Since, the responsibility lies solely with the author, vanity publishing is often more expensive than traditional publishing, but offers more autonomy. Vanity Publishers make their money from the fees charged to the author, rather than on sales from the publication. Therefore, it is the author’s responsibility to market and advertise to gain exposure.

Print on Demand allows authors who have a desire to self-publish to do so for a small fee and in some cases, for free. Print on demand companies typically offer to print and ship a book only when the book is purchased. Their services can also include collecting royalties, listing in online bookstores and in some instances, formatting, proof reading and editing. Because the process is digital, the initial investment required by the author is generally less than vanity publishing.

Print on Demand companies such as Lulu, xLibris, and Trafford Publishing all require a small initial investment for each of their packages. Companies such as Yudu.com, Amazon’s Booksurge and CreateSpace offer self publishing services for free. When publishing a work with these companies, the responsibility of getting a work to submission ready status generally lies with the author. These companies allow the author to design book covers, as well as, choose whether the publication will be an eBook, hardback or paper back.

These low cost services give amateurs, as well as, seasoned authors independence from publisher demands, editorial control and more profits or royalties than with traditional publishing.

With subsidy publishing, the author pays for the printing and binding of the book, but the publisher will contribute a certain amount to the author to cover expenses such as editing, distribution, marketing and storage. Because of the publisher’s contribution, the publisher possesses, owns the book and also has a portion of the rights, while the author only receives royalties on the copies that are sold. In this scenario, the author will possess little or no autonomy in certain production decisions.

Martin Alan enjoys writing on subjects such as literature, online publishing, digital magazine, publisher software, file sharing sites and how to self publish. He also enjoys keeping up-to-date with the latest developments and innovations in technology and online marketing. For more information on online publishing click here; http://www.yudu.com.

Author: Martin Alan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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How to Publish Your Informational Book, Part 3 – Self Publishing

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In previous installments of this series, I described the four basic methods of publishing your information book – Traditional Publishing, Self-Publishing, Print-on-Demand, and eBook – and wrote at length about the pros and cons of Traditional Publishing. In this article we’ll look in depth at the next method: Self-Publishing.

Self-Publishing is a topic that is near and dear to my heart, because that is the method I chose more than eight years ago when I published my first fiction book. It required a steep learning curve, but became profitable quickly, and in fact, I have since self-published five more books, all of which sold well and continue to sell well.

Here’s what you need to know:

Self-Publishing essentially means that you take on the role of publisher as well as author. And with this new role comes a long list of new tasks, and a whole new set of people that you need to interact with. You are responsible for supervising the book printing, the cover, the layout and artwork, the paperwork for procuring an ISBN number (the number that’s required to create the bar code, so that your book can be sold in retail stores and online), shipping, storage, distribution, and more.

It can be a pretty daunting list.

So why in the world would someone want to take on all that responsibility? Because the list of positives is even longer. Here are a few of the main benefits to Self-Publishing:

1. Guaranteed Publication – 99% of all manuscripts submitted to editors and publishers are rejected. Unless your subject has instant mass appeal, your chances for publishing your informational book are even higher. Instead of trying to please some faceless editor or publisher, why not let the buying public determine if you have a winner or not?

2. Speed – If you want to get a book out quickly, or if you are dealing with time sensitive material, then self-publishing is the way to go. Unlike traditional publishing processes which can take a year or more to complete, a self-published book can go from completed manuscript to physical book in as little as 30 days.

3. Control – Self-Publishing gives you the ability to create your perfect vision exactly as you see it. Cover art, subject matter, tone and feel… it’s all up to you, and no one can overrule your decision. When you work with a traditional publisher, it is a constant negotiation, and the author rarely wins.

4. Money – Samuel Johnson once said, “No man but a blockhead ever wrote, but for money.” If the purpose of your book is to bring in cash, than self-publishing may be your best option. The reason is simple: since you are your own publisher, you get to keep all the money. For example, if I print a book for $2.23, and sell it for $10, the difference – $7.77 – is mine to keep. Contrast that with traditional publishing, where royalties can often measured in pennies.

When I released my first self-published children’s adventure, I generated more profit in the first few months than other authors I know generated in years. And I did it not because I sold more books, but rather because I made far more profit on each book that I did sell.

Self-Publishing is not for everyone. It takes an entrepreneurial mindset and a love of learning new things beyond just authoring a book. Yet, in many cases, it can be the fastest, more profitable way to get your book to market.

Understanding all of your publishing options certainly brings you one step closer to a successful book. But nothing happens until you can interest people in buying it. So what should you do next? What can you do to entice people to try your book? These are exactly the questions I’ve spent the last 10 years researching, and you can find out the answers by visiting me at http://www.FictionSecrets.com. Download a 30-page report and receive a 5-day eCourse covering this subject.

Kevin Franz is a successful fiction author and online marketer. For more than twenty years he has made his living putting words to paper, and he has helped thousands create their first written works. He is currently showing internet marketers how to incorporate the techniques of great fiction into their online sales efforts. You can find the details on his blog – http://www.kevinfranz.wordpress.com.

Author: Kevin Franz
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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