| Many people write novels and memoirs. Many | | | | pay for it directly up front. |
| professionals write books to enhance their professional | | | | Getting a book you can sell online, at personal |
| reputations. Should they consider self publishing? Book | | | | appearances, and in your office need not be long and |
| publishing print on demand makes self publishing easier | | | | expensive. If you just want to give the book away to |
| and cheaper, but potential authors may have some | | | | family and friends, it can be quick and inexpensive. It is |
| questions. | | | | only a little more involved than duplicating pages and |
| Q. Should I publish my book through an established | | | | having them bound at an insta print shop, but you get |
| publisher? | | | | an elegant book. |
| If you can, sure. You'll probably need an agent who | | | | With print on demand, you can buy even a single copy |
| expects a piece of your advance and royalties. If | | | | at a modest price. I published a 108 page US Trade |
| there's not much chance of a lot of sales, there's not | | | | perfectly bound paperback and printed off a single |
| much chance of finding an agent. Your royalties are | | | | copy that cost me $10.65 total, shipping included. In |
| going to be maybe 5% to 10% of what the publisher | | | | even slightly larger quantities, they cost less apiece: |
| receives. That means your book will need to sell a | | | | You save on both printing and shipping. |
| large number of copies to make it worth the time of | | | | Q. Aren't print on demand books of poor quality? |
| any agent to pitch it for you. | | | | No. Many publishers now use print on demand |
| If you can get a conventional publisher, the publisher will | | | | technology. The quality can be every bit as good as |
| handle editing, proofreading, cover design, layouts, | | | | you get from a conventional printer. The one I ordered |
| indexing, ISBNs, Library of Congress numbers, and the | | | | was excellent. |
| multitude of details that separate professional book | | | | Q. How much money can I expect to earn? |
| publishing from amateur. If you are published by an | | | | For most books by most new authors, not very much, |
| established publisher, you get credibility. All those are | | | | no matter how you publish it. Self publishing and selling |
| worth a lot. But you will still need to promote the book | | | | personally and online, you can keep more than half the |
| yourself. | | | | price. Selling through bookstores you would get much |
| Q. Isn't publishing a book a long, expensive process? | | | | less than half the price. You're responsible for |
| Through a traditional publisher, yes. Of course, a lot of | | | | promoting the book in either case. |
| the time and money is to insure quality and to launch | | | | If you are an independent professional, the real benefit |
| the book into bookstores. | | | | of publishing a book is in building a reputation among |
| If you expect to self publish, do a full launch, and | | | | clients as an expert in your field. Clients will seek you |
| compete in bookstores, yes, it is a long and arduous | | | | out. Publishing with a major publisher is better for your |
| process. Do not try to compete in bookstores without | | | | reputation, but a small publisher is better than no |
| first reading Dan Poynter's "The Self Publishing | | | | publisher--unless you are in an academic field. If you |
| Manual." | | | | self publish, buy your own ISBN and name your small |
| Quality can be expensive. With a traditional publisher, | | | | press something different from your name or the |
| you pay for it by low royalties. With self publishing, you | | | | name of your book. |