Presidential Medal of Freedom winner and acclaimed American author Toni Morrison once said: “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
Good advice especially in this day and age, where traditional publishing is only one of the options you can choose, when it comes to making sure others read your books.
And, according to many mainstream sources, it may not even be your best option.
(Think about it: Even assuming it’s going to be accepted by a traditional publisher, not only are publishers getting pickier and pickier (and turning out less titles) but there will be at least a year in between submitting your manuscript, having it reviewed, then sent to a higher authority, then accepted, then negotiated.
And then production begins…) This comprehensive guide will present you with a variety of self-publishing options and explore their viability.
We’ll take a look at all types of books and book-delivery systems, including:
Information Products
Kindle eBooks
Books on CD/DVD Audio books (DC and MP3)
Hardcover books
Pictorial books (Manga, comics, photo books, calendars) We will finish off (almost) with CreateSpace, Amazon’s own self-publishing machine one of the most popular self-publishing venues today.
Before you rush to sign up with CreateSpace (which does have some noticeable disadvantages, to be weighed against its very real advantages) or join the Kindle eBook bandwagon, do take time to check out your alternatives.
After all, ninety-per cent of self-publishing success lies in taking time to plan your publishing strategy and putting yourself in a position to make the right informed choice. Make no mistake:
Self-publishing the easy way involves:
Knowing your market – and their reading method preferences
Determining your budget
Determining what elements are essential for your target reader… and what you can live without Picking the right company
Having an overall goal and plan
Being prepared to create a marketing and promotion plan for your book and putting it into action
Traditional Publishing Vs. Self-publishing There are usually two major reasons people select self-publishing, when it comes to getting their books out there:
1. The book has been rejected by a slew of traditional publishing houses, and the author is considering self-publishing out of frustration and a strong belief in their book/message.
2. To make money fast. In the shortest time possible. If you lean towards the latter motivation, your strategies will need to be very different from someone who has written what they believe to be the Greatest Literary Masterpiece of all time those are usually dependent on getting reviewed by the right authority sources.
Your strategies will also be affected by budget and your value system. If making fast money is your primary concern and your venue is sales, you would almost certainly want to choose creating a Kindle eBook over approaching a publisher.
On the other hand, if you’ve written the great existential novel of our time, your best course to reputation-building and review potential might be to approach the right traditional publishing house and cultivating literary magazine editors and reviewers.
In other words, everything is relative: There’s no “one size fits all” for self-publishing.
Before we start looking at self-publishing options, however, let’s focus on the one essential “law” you must observe and obey…
