The Joy of Self-Publishing

I found this interesting post in the web today. Please read below. I edited some parts to generalize it.

“The Cure For Jet Lag” was published more than a quarter-century ago. Yet it could well represent the future of book publishing in New Zealand or any other continent.

A Springs trio teamed up this year to issue an updated version of the book using the print on demand—or POD—process. Indeed, with a growing number of writers making use of the POD method, Publishers Row may be moving from Manhattan to the East End, which for many years has already seen its share of writers, editors, and agents.

“This area is a hothouse of creative types, from writers to artists who can benefit from print on demand books,” stated Lynne Scanlon, the co-author of “The Cure For Jet Lag.”

“These folks will gravitate to POD not only because it is the most expedient way to produce a book, but because literary agents and editors could care less about un-established writers these days.”

But don’t the authors of books published in non-traditional ways in New Zealand risk acquiring a sort of stigma as not really being professional writers, thus giving agents a reason to steer clear? “Good luck finding an agent if you don’t already have one,” Ms. Scanlon said. “That’s the Catch-22 of publishing.”

Her career in publishing has included being a marketing executive with Barnes & Noble and a book publishing consultant in addition to an author. In 1983, she collaborated with Charles Ehret, who had been conducting research underwritten by the U.S. government to reduce the problems associated with long-distance air travel. The original goal was to make the U.S. Army’s rapid deployment forces more effective.

Dr. Ehret himself served in the Army’s 87th Infantry Division and won a Bronze Star and Purple Heart in the Battle of the Bulge. With Ms. Scanlon doing the writing for lay readers of the results of Dr. Ehret’s research, “Overcoming Jet Lag” (the original title) was published.

It was a success when issued by the Berkley Publishing Group, selling more than 200,000 copies worldwide and remaining in print for more than 20 years. Sales eventually faded, but problems with jet lag did not. Last year, Ms. Scanlon wanted to release an updated edition of the book but did not want to wait the 18 months or more it would take a traditional publisher to have new books on shelves. There was also a financial incentive: After publishers and agents and book wholesalers get their slices of the pie from a $20 book, the author’s slice may be as thin as $3.

Ms. Scanlon worked out an arrangement with Dr. Ehret’s estate and founded Back2Press Books, which specializes in republishing titles that have sold in excess of 100,000 copies. Naturally, “The Cure for Jet Lag” would be the company’s first effort. There would be no long editing and production process nor any danger of printing thousands of copies that might not sell. The new edition would be printed on demand and be readily available on the internet (www.thecureforjetlag.com) as well as at the major chain bookstores and selected shops.

What is POD, other than the dreaded form of the infestation in “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”? The plain language answer is that it is a digital printing technology that allows a complete book to be printed and bound in minutes. This makes it easy and cost-effective to produce books in small lots rather than in large print runs. What has long bedeviled traditional book publishers is the practice of “guestimating” how much a title will sell: if the prediction is wrong, a publisher has to warehouse or even destroy tens of thousands of already-printed books. Read the rest of this entry »

By Brian Coulton (metronews.ca)

With financial risk and a lot of work, authors can find their way into print.

Erin Bolger had a vision of what she wanted her maiden manuscript to look like in published form: A country-meets-city cookbook with punchy colours, vivid photographs and an openness about herself at the “heart” of the book.

Erin Bolger took a leap of faith to self-publish her first book, The Happy Baker: A Dater’s Guide to Emotional Baking.

“I thought publishers might want to take that out and make it a little more safe,” said the Toronto-via-Blyth, Ont. author. “They might want to change the title or direction of the book.”

Instead, she took the reins — and complete creative control — before publishers could, opting to self-publish The Happy Baker: A Dater’s Guide to Emotional Baking. Using connections she made working as a makeup artist and in television, Bolger hired a photographer and designer and sought out an Ottawa printer to turn her literary loaf from dough to dessert.

But it didn’t come without work. “With self-publishing, you’re doing everything,” said Bolger, who estimates she worked 12 hours a day for a year, “I’m the one driving my books to the Chapters distribution centre. I still have to do all my own PR.” And as someone who had never entered debt, going $45,000 into the red was a setback she took on largely because of wider economic circumstances. “In a way, the economy being the way it was, was the reason I decided to do it. Everybody was in debt. I just thought I’d be in debt with everyone else.”

By Keith Ogorek’s measure, it may have been Bolger’s best bet. The vice president of marketing for Bloomintgon, Ind.-based Author Solutions, a network of self-publishing companies, said money woes have categorically affected traditional publishers, who are acquiring less content and investing more in “celebrity author” sure bets instead of up-and-coming writers.

“It’s really squeezed the market, including an author’s ability to get their books into the market and develop a following,” he said. “Self-publishing allows an author to invest in their work, whereas before, they would have been completely and fully dependent on a traditional publisher liking their work.”

And the price of a publisher picking up an unknown’s work can be hefty, yielding a new author about one dollar per book. But Ogorek said direct distribution enables authors to earn higher royalties, a trend he said is akin to what’s already happened in film and music. “Artists (who) really believe in their work have circumvented the traditional major channels to invest in their own films and distribution, music and recordings. Now, it’s become the same trend in publishing.”

by Michelle Angermiller (nj.com)

ROBBINSVILLE — Alfred Pris tash was looking through some old letters he had written to his parents when it dawned on him: Perhaps he should document his life so his two sons could learn their father’s history.

“I didn’t have a plan. I just started,” said the 80-year-old Rob binsville resident.

He started off writing about his father’s time in the Navy, and it “just went from there.” Pristash is living proof that it is never too late to try something new or discover a new dream — in his case, adding the title of “author” to his colorful life.

Pristash is among hundreds of thousands of people now turning to the self-publishing industry to convey a personal message that perhaps may not be highly commercial but still important for family and friends.

He begins the book with this simple statement: “I am 76 years old, and when I look back, it is hard to realize the many earth-changing events I have lived through.”

That is Pristash’s tone in a nut shell. What started as a writing exercise stretched out to a 220-page book titled “My Changing World.” The sometimes poignant, extremely honest and very detailed book takes the reader on a tour of world history narrated by a man who has experienced it all.

The book begins one year be fore the stock market crash of 1929, then chronicles Pristash’s life as a child during the Depression. The drama unfolds as Pristash takes his readers through World War II, his enlistment in the United States Navy during the Korean War, his enrollment in Rutgers College of Pharmacy, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and other events in modern history.

Pristash said writing the book came easily. He would write out the chapters longhand and then recite them to his youngest son, Alfred Daniel, who typed them out for him. In all, it took about 18 months to write, he said.

When he was finished, Pristash decided he should try and get the book published.

“I met a publisher in Baltimore, but the book was too big for her,” he said.

He found a home with AuthorHouse, a company that helps book authors self-publish their novels.

The self-publishing industry offers writers like Pristash a less expensive way into print and gives them more control over their finished products.

According to statistics released in May by publishing industry tracker Bowker, the on-demand and short-run publishing market, which includes self-published books, had grown 132 percent from a year earlier.

Noel Flowers, the marketing manager of Xlibris, a self-publishing company, said out of the 560,626 books published last year, 285,394, or 51 percent, were self- published.

“Self-publishing has definitely come into its own light in the past decade, and it is the best and most viable option for many authors to publish their work,” Flowers said.

Authors of family memoirs, like Pristash, or other niche, nonfiction books may find it difficult to obtain a contract with a larger publishing house, Flowers explained, or some may be interested in publishing a book aimed only at family and friends, not commercial success.

Although self-publishing companies may not offer the same level of marketing assistance found at more traditional publishing houses, or the connections sometimes necessary to get books into bookstores, Flowers said the self-publishing mode allows authors to take more control over their work.

“Many authors have been left high and dry after getting a contract with a traditional publisher after the publisher has decided not to aggressively market the book, and furthermore to stop printing copies,” Flowers said. “Print-on-demand technology ensures self-published authors that their book will never go out of print, and the control over their own destiny appeals to them.”

Flowers said companies like Xlibris often offer marketing advice and campaigns to authors in an effort to help them publicize and sell their latest work. Commercial success, he said, “is largely dependent on the authors themselves,” and how willing they are to aggressively market their book to retailers.

Pristash’s self-published work, which contains family photos of his parents and sons, Alfred Daniel and Nicholas, letters, and memorabilia, is history as seen through Pristash’s eyes. He writes, in remarkable detail, of his childhood in Clifton, his service during the Korean War, his trips through India and Pakistan, his sister’s battles with multiple sclerosis, his employment at Hoffmann-La Roche as a pharmaceutical chemist, his ill- fated marriage, harrowing divorce and subsequent battle for the couple’s two children.

It’s not all heavy-handed. In one chapter, Pristash armchair-quarterbacks the history of the New York Giants. Through it all, he shares his view of the changes he witnesses through several presidents, wars and general societal gradations.

“I’ve seen and done a lot,” he noted.

He also believes that although the story is centered on his own life, most readers will relate to his spin on world events.

“A lot of things that happened before are happening again,” he said. “History has a way of repeating itself, and you can see it with what’s happening in this country at this time.”

“My Changing World” retails for $73.99 and is available through (Amazon.com) and (Barnesandnob le.com).

Staff writer Erin Duffy contributed to this report

by Dorothy Thompson (American Chronicle)

J.R. Hauptman (pseudonym) has been a professional pilot for nearly a half century. Barely twenty years old, he began as a military pilot and for almost two years he flew combat support missions in the Viet Nam War. Upon leaving military service he was hired by a major airline and was initially based on the West Coast. His flying career was interrupted by the turmoil that racked the airline industry during the early days of deregulation. In the interim, he worked as a travel agent, a stockbroker and even trained dogs and horses. In the late nineteen-eighties, he returned to aviation, flying jet charters and air freight. He concluded his career flying corporate jets and now lives in Florida. He is completing his second work, a non-fictional social commentary and surfs every day, waves or not. You can visit his website at www.caddispublishing.com.

Thank you for this interview, J.R. Can you tell us where you got the inspiration for writing your latest book, The Target: Love, Death and Airline Deregulation?

The inspiration came from my personal experience as an Army Aviator in Viet Nam and flying as a professional pilot for the passenger airlines, in jet airfreight and corporate aviation, as well as working as a securities and insurance broker, travel agent, tax preparer and other odd jobs I performed between flying jobs just to make ends meet. It is based on the turmoil that resulted during the first years of Airline Deregulation and the disastrous effects it had on the airlines and the people who worked in that industry. It is directly linked to current events of today where deregulation of the securities and banking industries has lead to the nearly total breakdown of our economic system.

Is this your first published book and if so, can you tell us your experiences in finding a publisher for it?

Yes it is, and as I will mention later, I wrote the first three chapters of the book some twenty-odd years ago and on the advice of a do-it-yourself “Guide to New Authors,” I set out to nail down an agent and a publisher for my book. I sent out thirty-some query letters and in time, I received about twenty rejections in reply, which I completely expected. I was surprised, though, that at least two of the agents were highly indignant that I would dare to write a novel about a disgruntled ex-employee who would set out to whack his former boss. I guessed that they hadn´t heard of murder mysteries. More correctly, I have since learned that my mistake was in not screening those agents for their preferred genre. This was some time after the stock market Crash of ´87 and with my securities career in shambles, it became necessary for me to return to flying to pay the bills. I knew I had a great concept for a story but in reality, I had no idea how it would end. As it turned out, the experiences I gained over the next years of working with fly-by-night jet charters, airfreight and corporate jet operators, offered me a wealth of material to integrate into my story and I plodded on, completing an outline and fleshing it out. By the time my book was nearly ready for market, the concept of self-publishing was in full bloom and I pursued that angle. It was apparent that the mainstream publishers would not consider a first time author and to my surprise, I was even rejected by one rather prominent firm that specialized in self-publishing. They feared the potential liability from any airline executive who might feel libeled by my novel. I am grateful that Xlibris agreed to take on my project but I must point out that this approach is not without its pitfalls and the learning curve is steep and painful for all of us, especially when we choose to go it alone. I then set out once again to find an agent who could possibly market my book to the major publishers. This time I sent out six-hundred or so queries to literary agents I found on every list I could get my hands on, once again making the mistake of failing to focus on those who would choose to promote books within my particular writing genre. I am eternally grateful to the two respondents whose rejection replies carried the nearly identical notes that said, “J.R., what you need is not a publi-sher; what you need is a publi-cist!” This time I found a PR firm that promoted books and this lesson was enjoyable but very expensive. The people I worked with were quite good and I enjoyed the radio interviews, but partly due to the current recession and the shortness and expense of the campaign, it didn´t sell any books. I only wish that I had contacted my old airline comrade and accomplished novelist in his own right, J.A. “Jerry” Hunsinger, a bit sooner. Jerry, whose series of novels on the Vikings in America, “Axe of Iron”, is to be found at www.VinlandPublishing.com, had learned the same expensive lesson with the same publicist a few months prior. He recommended that I contact Dorothy Thompson and check out her “Pump Up Your Book Promotion” internet book tours. I did and the rest, as they say folks, is “History about to be made!”

How has Xlibris been to work with?

On the whole it has been very good, but I must point out that self-publishing has its own learning curve and it seems we all are learning it together. All the services are there but the first-timer like me has to sometimes painfully figure out which services are required at a particular time. In my case, it would have been much better for me to use their proofing and editing services, at least for the first run. One of the problems with Xlibris is that most of their services and contact personnel are located out-of-country. I don´t think I trusted their editing services enough because of the use of foreign nationals. Let me say that everyone at Xlibris I have dealt with has been extremely nice, polite and eager to please, but sometimes the language skills are just not there. On the other hand, I am confident that my decision not to use their promotion and sales services was correct. Although they claim to have some new programs, most seem to be based on massive email blasts and catalog listings.

Do you have an agent?

At the present, Dorothy Thompson is serving in her current role.

Can you tell us how long it took you to write your book and also how long it took from the time Xlibris sent the contract and the time it was released?

In calendar time, it was twenty years, but you have to consider that this book was entirely based on my life experiences over that period. Had I waited till the end of the period and then completed the story line and outline, it could have probably been completed in two to three years of focused writing for me as a first time writer! Also, during those twenty years I had to make a living, by performing some pretty hairy jet flying.

The reasonable time for Xlibris to bring the book to market is six months. The wild card here is proofing and editing. You can pay the professional editor now or pay through the nose later. Fumbling through the process with amateurs is a waste of time and money. When my next book is professionally edited and complete, I feel confident that we could have it on the internet market within ninety days of contract signing and have printed copies on hand for personal sales and promotion in another three weeks.

Do you have any words of inspiration from other writers who would like to be wearing your shoes?

Just do it! Find the material you love and write about it. There are at least three sources for material: life experiences, research and imagination. I am old enough to have lived through “interesting times” and it “ain´t over yet!” Historical research provides the nearly infinite number of stories of us humans on God´s Earth for you to tell and retell. Imagination allows us to make it all up, if we like and as an aside, writing science fiction, although not my bag, will even allow you to escape the bounds of history and fact! Be professional by using all three sources to polish your skills and become a writer by writing! Blogs are a great venue for us but use caution. You can´t depend on your opinion alone! Research pays off here; journalistic fact finding will go a long way in establishing your credibility.

I understand that you are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in July and August via a virtual book tour. Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual book tour to promote your book online?

Jerry Hunsinger convinced me when he sent a copy of the review of his “Axe of Iron” in the print version of the Chicago Tribune. Now we can´t all be guaranteed of a great spot in the “Trib,” but with a virtual tour we tap into what seems to be the infinite potential of the internet. The skeptic should try this: Google J.A. Hunsinger or J.R. Hauptman. Neither of us has made the Times Best Sellers yet but you will definitely find “The Target” and “Axe of Iron” and our little publishing companies will probably pop up too. My tour hasn´t even started and the other day I found a review on a site I had never hear of.

What´s next for you?

Two major works: one is political and will require more extensive research. It will be built around the concept of “The Constitutional Commonwealth and Twenty-First Century Populism” and based on the writings of the early twentieth century conservative, Reinhold Niebuhr, as well as the modern writers, Ron Paul and Andrew Basevich. The other will be titled, “Romancing the Grey Lady; Surfing the Atlantic and Greeting Certainty.” It will be very personal and will contemplate how we can live our lives to the fullest in our remaining days on this Earth.

Thank you for this interview, J.R. Can you tell us how we can find out more about you and your new book?

I certainly can. Go our personal website, www.caddispublishing.com/ which was used for the initial test marketing to current and retired airline workers. We offer the airline discount and autographed copies to all of our internet friends and personal referrals. Author notes are also located there. Reviews are now posted on Amazon and the other major internet marketing sites. It has my pleasure to appear here and I thank you for this opportunity.

by Sara Wolski (eXaminer.com)

Entrepreneurial spirit and smart marketing has propelled several self-published books onto the bestseller list, including John Javna and Julie Bennett’s 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, John Roger and Peter McWilliams’ Life 101, and Richard Bolles’ What Color is Your Parachute?, according to the New York Times. To some in the literary industry, self-published books had a stigma of amateurism, but today that attitude is very much a thing of the past. Certainly in the publishing hubs and within the traditional literary industry this stigma may remain, but it’s quickly becoming a wake-up call for trade houses, agents, and writers alike.

Helen Gallagher, a local expert on everything from computers and web-based technology to ins and outs of self-publishing, says that many writers don’t realize how beneficial self-publishing can be as a means of making timely material available to the masses. “Writers don’t like to think their books aren’t good enough to get published, and they think their work is too good for print-on-demand. Many think POD is a last resort when in reality it is the quickest way to publishing success for most authors, especially first-time authors,” she explains. It can be a tough decision for many writers who want to try the traditional route first: approaching an agent, waiting a while for a response, and potentially dealing with rejection.

Gallagher aims to educate those interested in self-publishing while empowering them as well with marketing ideas, promotion strategies, advice on building a platform, and guidance to maintain a long life for the book. She has self-published twice and her second book, Release Your Writing, was recently featured as a finalist in the National Best Books 2008 Awards sponsored by USA Book News, in the Writing & Publishing category – it’s all about how to successfully self-publish a book and create a sustainable life for it in a very competitive literary marketplace. “It’s up to authors to give their books life and drive,” Gallagher says. “If a book isn’t selling, the author isn’t trying.” This is a statement equally true of traditionally published books. Trade houses are increasingly tight on their budgets, leading to less publicity funds and more reliance on authors to self-promote an create their own visibility.

The bottom line is that self-publishing is a very viable means to achieving a successful book career. In the midst of a changing literary industry, trends thus far indicate that self-publishing may just be the proboscis on the new face of literature.

Helen Gallagher is a publishing consultant based in the Chicago area. Her next publishing workshop will be at the Book Stall of Chestnut Court in Winnetka, IL on July 15, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. For details, and to learn more about her work, visit her online.

Image source: caccioppoli.com 

by Robin Nixon (El Dorado Times)

Local author D.A. Chadwick has a new work on book shelves.

“Rennes le Chateau: The Point of Origin” explores the mystery surrounding the French village in the Lanuedoc.

“The lead character, Sarah Cabot, is a descendent of Joan of Arc and becomes queen of France in the near future,” explained Chadwick. “Once crowned, Sarah discovers the shocking secrets that lie beneath the villages of Rennes le Chateau and Perillos.”

Chadwick has a total of seven works published which include fiction and non-fiction.

She began her writing in grade school.

“I have always been an avid reader,” said Chadwick.

Her favorite book as a youth was “The FBI Story.”

Research and investigation have always been interests of hers and her mother read extensively, joining a book club.

Her childhood playgrounds were in Virginia near Civil War battlefields.

“I loved to imagine being a soldier,” she added.

“Writing is the only way I can time travel and participate in history.

“I’ve always wanted to write books,” she said. “I used to staple notebook paper together and write novels.

“My mom wasn’t too wild about the amount of paper I went through.”

She wrote her first official book at the age of 20, but never published it.
She plans to eventually publish her first book.

“My mother and best friend are fond of it,” she explained.

Chadwick also has high hopes her recent work, “Music from the Soul: The Singing Nun Story,” will take off.

“It took me three years to write, ‘Music from the Soul: The Singing Nun Story’ with the French writer, Florence Delaporte.

“A movie on her life premiered in France this April.”

Chadwick’s late brother prompted her to publish the first book, “Sight Picture” in 1999.

For her most recent work, the Rennes le Chateau mystery has fascinated her since the book, “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail,” was first published in the 1980s.

“I combined that interest with the notion that Joan of Arc was the legitimate heir to the French throne and escaped the stake, fleeing to Rennes le Chateau where she died in 1464. The fact that the area around Perillos has a weather station and power transformer that are classified top secret by the French government fueled my imagination.”

Chadwick’s writing process consists of constantly searching for ideas and remaining perceptive and up-to-date with news and science research.

“I like to have all of my research laid out where I can access it,” she explained.

“When starting a book I like to make the title page, introduction etc. and then the last page stating, The End. I set up the outline then actually start to write. I also write down any interesting dreams I have that might make good plots.”

Chadwick has a few words of advice for struggling writers.

“Write because you want to, not because you have notions of getting rich as it probably isn’t going to happen. Keep writing and keep trying to publish. Proofread many times as editors do not work with writers like they did in the past. If you believe in what you are writing and cannot find a publisher then self-publish.  Some of the books we now consider classics were self-published such as ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and the ‘Celestine Prophecy.’ I always remind myself that ‘Gone with the Wind’ was rejected 47 times before publication and it took John Grisham five years to sell, ‘The Firm.’”

Xlibris Publishing Guide - Get this free guide now and learn how you can self-publish your book!

Images sources: Dachadwick.homestead.com , Costumzee.com and Pokspensieve.blogspot.com

by Adam Balkin (Capitalnews9.com)

Ten years ago, David Carnoy starting writing his first novel, “Knife Music.” Only a few months ago, he finally published that novel online.

“I actually had a lot of luck getting a high-powered agent and then having some close calls with traditional publishers and then crickets after that. So what do you do?” says Carnoy.

As executive editor at the technology website CNET.com, Carnoy always knew that self-publishing was an option, and looked into several of the dozens of do-it-yourself websites. He found they vary greatly in cost and service and that different sites are better fits for different authors, depending on how professional they want the book to look and how many they plan or hope to sell.

“The self-publishing market had changed a lot with Amazon getting so huge,” says Carnoy. “The fact that you could have your book on the same page as a [John] Grisham book was a big change for self-publishing.”

However, don’t be fooled into thinking that being paired online with Grisham will bring in Grisham’s sales figures. Carnoy says the average self-published book sells about 100 copies, mostly to family and friends.

“You really have to think in terms of it’s really not about making money. It’s about actually getting people to read the book,” says Carnoy. “It’s really difficult to get people to read books these days so I put it out there for free on the iPhone, for free on the Sony Reader, and for not so much money on the Amazon Kindle. And then you have the print version out there.”

Carnoy’s literary agent, John Silbersack of Trident Media Group, says that self-publishing is not always a last-ditch resort for books neglected by traditional publishers.

“If it’s an excellent book, it’s bound to find a readership, whether it’s self-published or backed by a very large firm,” says Silbersack. “In fact, there are numerous instances of traditional publishers looking to mine successfully published self-published books.”

Self-publishing may cost more than traditional publishing, but authors do retain the rights and total control over the book’s sale every step of the way. Authors also get a bigger cut of the profits assuming there are profits.

Xlibris Publishing Guide - Get this free guide now and learn how you can self-publish your book!

Peter’s Argyll relates the life of Lance Corporal Lorne Andrew Marr who was killed in action August 27, 1944 at Igoville, France while serving as a dispatch rider for the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders of Canada. His large extended family was devastated by the news. However, they never knew what exactly happened or how Lorne had met his fate.

There were stories told by returning soldiers after the war, but those stories didn’t give them what they wanted to find out. Many years had passed and with the author’s interest to look into what really occurred, things started to come out leading him to fulfill his desire to know more about his unseen uncle. He had seen pictures of him, which bred many questions in his mind. He wanted to know everything, and he wanted to make a difference with his longing.

This book tells us of how he uncovered his Uncle’s story and that it was one that needed to be told. This book is a quest for family history. Along this journey of discovery, he had the privilege of meeting various people who helped him understand the events, and complete his account. He was looking for Peter, and when he found him, everything fell into place.

Sixty years in the making, the story of Peter’s Argyll is a wonderful tale about a man whose death was never told, whose story was almost forgotten, but now will be shared with everyone.

Take this interesting adventure, and find the value of someone in your life! For more information, log on to Xlibris.com.

About the Author

George Wilkinson lives in Burlington, Canada with his wife, Darlene and two children — Amanda & Thomas. He has always had a passion for history along with writing and when the opportunity arose to write the final chapter in his Uncle Lorne’s story, he, somewhat reluctantly, rose to the challenge. It turned into a 4-year immersion into his Uncle’s world. George had spent nearly 40 years in the lumber industry, starting with his family sawmill where he gained a true love for wood. He has now retired from the world of business and is focusing on woodworking full time with an emphasis on wood turning. He says he never wants to create the same piece twice allowing each piece to be unique unto itself. He has just started a website www.woodentreasuresbygeorge.com.

Xlibris Publishing Guide - Get this free guide now and learn how you can self-publish your book now!

Image source: Martinfrost.ws

by Lou Belcher

When comparing whether to send your manuscript to a traditional publisher or to publish it yourself, it is important to assess what you are looking for from the publishing experience. Here is a comparison of the two forms of publishing:

1. Speed. Publishing is slow in any case compared to other businesses. Self-publishing, however, is faster than traditional publishing. From the time you complete a book, you can begin the process of printing and selling it immediately if you self-publish. In traditional publishing, you need to send the manuscript to agents or publishers. In each case, they could keep it for several months while making a decision whether to take it on. Once a publisher decides to publish your book, it usually takes eighteen months for them to get it to the public.

2. Control. With self-publishing you have complete control of the title of the book, the design of the cover of the book and the content of the book. You are your own editor and make all the final decisions. In traditional publishing, you will be assigned an editor who will guide you through the changes the publishing house will expect in the content of your book. In addition, the publishing house usually has total control over the name of the book and the design of the cover.

3. Money. In self-publishing, you will have responsibility for the cost of the book. You will have to pay the printer and all marketing costs. However, once the book begins to sell and you earn back what you put into it, you will earn more per book than you will from a traditional publisher. In self-publishing you will keep all of the profits. In traditional publishing you will earn a percentage (usually 10% to 15%) of the profits made from your book. However, traditional publishing houses usually give an advance against sales. This is an amount that you will be given up front for signing with a publishing house.

4. Distribution. Traditional publishing comes out on top with distribution usually. They have access to all the big book stores and distributors, and they can ensure a wider distribution for your book at no cost to you. In self-publishing, the writer must make the contacts and distribute the book. In many cases, book stores are reluctant to carry self-published books. The on-line markets are leveling this field somewhat.

5. Marketing. In both cases, most of the marketing falls to the writer. You are the one who will be responsible for sending out bookmarks or advertisement for your book. And, you will be responsible with scheduling book signings. Gone are the days where publishers financed elaborate book tours.

It’s your choice to determine what is best for you and for the release of your book.

Xlibris Publishing Guide - Get this free guide now and learn how you can self-publish your book!

Article source: Helium.com ; Image source: Toastmasters.org