Self Publishing

Would you ever consider self publishing a book? I don't mean on Amazon or online, but a printed book. Would you consider printing and trying to sell it yourself? I personally think that there is a big financial risk but it could be worth it if you are successful.

 

There are a few vanity presses like Lulu that I suppose you could use. The printing fees are high, though so I'm not sure it would be worth it. I think it's more realistic to self publish an ebook. Especially when you're first starting out. Are you a writer, Julia?

 

Createspace is another, if you are already publishing ebooks. There are getting to be quite a few places that can take an ebook manuscript and convert it into a full paperback if you want to

 

Am I a writer Ellie? That's a good question! I like to think of myself as one! I have written a children's book with my daughter and everyone says it is a great book. I'd like to try and get it published but was wondering if I should do it myself and start trying to sell it locally in the shops around my home.

 

There are many ways to self publish and get your book printed, and in all honesty a lot of people do it. A lot of authors order their paperback books in bulk and sign and send them to fans.

 

I did my first in the 90's, when Kindle hadn't come around yet and people were saying that ebooks, clunky PDFs with huge download sizes, would never take off. Digital printing has made it is far easier now, with Createspace and Amazon Kindle's paperback option available. It requires far less outlay and certainly makes connecting with a distributor and managing distribution easier. I have many horror stories about distributors well into this millennium I could share.

 

Most authors I know who have self-published used Createspace. Most say it's friendlier than the vanity presses and you can sell printed copies via Amazon as well.

 

Mite sight cheaper than a vanity press, too. Know someone who pubb'd through a local and had their book picked up by Grubb Street. It can work out.

 

You should give it a go! I love the idea of writing with your daughter which could be a huge draw. I bet your local library and any nearby book clubs will throw their support behind your book. I hope it works out!

 

Bookclubs and review blogs are a really good way to get support and get the word out.

If you are UK-based I will give a word of warning. Most Bookshops work on sale-or-return so they won't order copies from Createspace only their distributors. If you run into that problem, look at Gardners or Bertrams, who are the two main distributors. If you pay to print some copies, Gardners used to offer small press distribution that put the book on the central UK book system so anyone can order it. Libraries, again, may be supportive depending on area but several councils are trying to shut them and have restricted what books they can buy. Your donated copies may quickly end up on the bargain sales table.

 

I am hoping for their support and really think that I would have it. I live in a small area and people really try and support one another here so I'd have that as well. I think I am going to give it a go! Wish me luck!

 

I was using friendly as a bit of a euphemism, but sometimes cheaper is the way to go.

I've also heard of self-published authors getting picked up my publishers. Then again, I've seen it the other way too, where published authors choose to self-publish for whatever reason. It definitely opens the door for many people. Unfortunately, it makes it tough to know what's good versus what's been thrown onto Amazon in the hopes of making quick money.

 

This is exactly why we started doing reviews and exchanging recommendations: getting readers to learn about a good book is far harder than publishing one. There are some excellent independant books available that just were not picked up by a publisher for marketing, genre, or budget reasons, but they get swamped by the dross that makes up much of the rest, like PLR. Sturgeon's law unfortunately applies here: "ninety percent of everything is crap" and readers are rarely prepared to wade through it for the infrequent gem.