Self-publishing your own written work can be greatly beneficial, but can also be a very daunting task. The key to making self-publishing work for you is to not sway from quality in your efforts to save money; here are five tips to get you on your way.

1. Editing is Crucial

Good editing plays a strong role in the image you project. When you do things yourself you don’t have a team of editors eager to make sure typos and grammar errors don’t tarnish the public’s view of your work. You’ll need to extend effort to protect your reputation.

• Hire a freelance editor you can trust. You can’t do it all on your own; having an unbiased professional editor is a must. Be careful though, not all proclaimed editors have exceptional skills. Investigate the satisfaction of their previous clients beforehand.
• Don’t settle for the results of initial edits. Your editor is only human and has likely missed a few things. Have a few other readers, with a keen eye and a good education, read the piece for overlooked errors.

2. Keep Expenses to a Minimum

The whole idea behind self-publishing is to maximize profits; however, some avenues can be unnecessary costly.

• Plan on a soft cover. You may think hard covers impress more, but in reality your reader cares more about what’s between the covers than the construction of the book itself.
• Have a local artist design the cover. You can even hold a contest in your area to find the perfect one. Artists will jump at the chance to be featured on the cover of a published book, and you’ll enjoy some exposure as well as a nearly free design.
• Get quotes from at least ten printers that specialize in book production before deciding on whom will get your business. You will be surprised at how much pricing can vary when you shop around.
• Having a black and white cover can be cheaper, but it can also cost you buyers. Most people buy books based on the intrigue created by their cover. Make sure that cutting costs doesn’t have you forgoing saleability.

3. Ensure your Book is Highly Promoted and Easily Accessible Online.

In today’s digital age, promotion and sales has gotten much easier; however the avenues available are more numerous; making choices more difficult.

• Identify your target market. Advertising heavily in online areas that your target market tends to frequent is key to getting noticed by potential readers. Make sure your not staying inside the box too much though, or you’ll miss out on drawing new interest.
• Make sure your book is today’s hot topic. Start an author’s blog that includes the story behind the book, interesting facts, sales information, and other relevant topics that will draw attention to your work.
• Sell and publish your book online. Locate the most popular e-book providers and check into the requirements for publishing in an online format. You can also list printed copies for sale in buyer communities.
• Communicate with your readers. Readers who enjoy your book may enjoy a chance to speak with its brilliant creator. Join numerous social networking sites, and create a website about yourself and your works.

4. Promote Within your Community.

You don‘t need to spend money on expensive bookstore signings, but don’t leave behind the community that knows and loves you. You’ll pull most of your readers’ right from your own neighborhood.

• Volunteering or hosting community events can do wonders. You’ll shine up your reputation and gain a chance to self-promote while helping other groups. Talk to local schools, youth centers, libraries, and other organizations where you can giveback and get the word out.
• Don’t be afraid to give away a few hundred copies. It may seem fruitless, but you’ll definitely reap the benefits. Set up a stand in your local park or at community events in which you give away free copies to the first 20 or so customers; you’ll be known all throughout the area in a matter of days.

5. Seek Out Reviews

Book reviews enhance advertising and intrigue potential buyers. Bloggers and other online sites as well as newspapers and magazines offer free book reviews for writers. Securing positive reviews will ensure your increased publicity and readership.

Self-publishing can be intimidating; however, with effort and dedication it can also be rewarding. A writer that not only creates quality written work, but can successful publish it, has truly accomplished their dream. These tips will surly help you pave the way to success.

Deborah Smith is a freelance writer for websites that are able to compare car insurance, home insurance, and credit cards. She has been known to write some great books on her free time and knows self-publishing like the back of her hand. When she isn’t helping people save money on their necessities, you can find Deborah helping up and coming writers have their books published!

I published my first ebook in December of 2010 and made about $40 that month, mostly from friends and family members who took pity on me and bought my book. As I write this, it’s September, 2011, and I’m the verge of quitting the day job, thanks to my ebooks. You may be thinking I’m one of those internet marketing folks who sells ebooks on how to get rich, how to find love, how to lose weight, etc. for $50-$100 a pop. Not so. I’m an indie fantasy author e-publishing my stories on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, etc. for the ever-growing population of readers who prefer delving into books digitally.

I sell my novels, novellas, and short stories for prices ranging from $0.99 to $3.99. Thanks to all the promotional work I’ve done–and the awesome readers who have helped get the word out about my books–that’s all I need to charge.

I’m not unique either. More and more authors are choosing to stay independent instead of seeking representation from an agent or a book deal with a traditional publisher. Some of them are making a lot more money than I am too (look up John Locke, Amanda Hocking, and Brian S. Pratt, for a few).

I can’t speak for them, but I thought I’d share a few ebook promotion tips based on what’s worked for me:

1. Get your ebook out there anywhere you can.

Some authors only sell their ebooks through their own sites or only worry about getting them into Amazon. There are lots of other markets, and the more places people can find you, the more chances you have of being read (and bought!).

You can upload directly to Amazon and Barnes & Noble (and iTunes if you get your own ISBN). Beyond that, Smashwords can help you get your ebooks into other e-reader and smart-phone markets (Sony, Kobo, Diesel, ScrollMotion, etc.). They don’t charge you a fee, and they’ll even hook you up with a free ISBN (they take a small cut of the sales for their role as distributor).

2. Give away something for free.

Many of the markets I’ve mentioned will let you “sell” a book for free (to get into B&N with a freebie, go through Smashwords, and for Amazon have someone report that your ebook is listed for free elsewhere–Amazon often price matches). This is a great way for readers to try your work with no risk.

I went with a free short story (there are no rules when it comes to length on an ebook). I used characters that appear in my novels, and then I included an excerpt for Book 1 at the end. Lots of people have told me they went on to purchase my not-free ebooks after reading that short story.

3. Be prolific!

When it comes to fiction, most authors aren’t going to make a living based on one book or ebook. The more work you have out there, the more doorways there are into your world. Also, fans of one book have the chance to promptly go on and buy others.

Most of the indie authors doing this for a living (and some are making six-figure incomes) have eight or more full-length novels out there, and they publish fairly often.

My body of work isn’t that big yet, but I’m working on it. I have three novels out, two short story collections (these don’t sell nearly as well as the novels, but they make me a little), and two novellas. One thing I’ve noticed (and I’ve heard other authors say the same) is that sales of my ebooks tend to increase across the board with every new release. The more you have out there, the better your odds are of eventually making a living as a storyteller.

Those are my three big tips. If you’re interested in hearing more, please stop by my new Savvy Self-Publishing blog where I share more about what I’ve learned along the way. If you’re a fantasy fan, you can also visit my author blog to check out excerpts from my books and see what I’m all about.

Thanks for reading!

Publishing is exciting because it means your book is finally going to become “real” and tangible. Yet, this is the part that so often derails even the most passionate and determined author. One reason is that many authors struggle through the writing and then suddenly have a finished book and nowhere to send it. If you are one of them, it may be that you started in the middle — writing — instead of at the beginning — planning. What follows are the seven most common publishing options.

1. Conventional or traditional publishers
There are two choices here. (1) You submit a proposal to a recognized publishing company and it is accepted; (2) The publisher assigns the book to you as a writer for hire and pays you a set fee. In both cases, the publisher assumes all publishing responsibilities. The publishing industry is highly competitive, and many of the larger houses are gobbling up the smaller ones. Publishers are in business to make money, and they look at your book as a commodity. They ask one question: will it sell?

2. Self-publishing
You take on these responsibilities by forming your own publishing company. For advice on how to do this, check out Independent Publishers’ Association (PMA) or its local chapter in your city. The guru of self-publishing is Dan Poynter, whose book, The Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Book, has become the bible for self-publishers. As a self-publisher, you are responsible for printing, warehousing, marketing, and distributing your books.

3. POD/Subsidy Publishers
Author services companies until recently were called Print-on-Demand (POD) publishers, but that designation is changing. POD is a digital technology that prints anywhere from one to 1,000 books at a time. The rest of the time your book is stored as a digital file on a large server. This eliminates the need for large press runs and storage space. Most author services companies, such AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Infinitypublishing.com, Xlibrus, and PublishAmerica offer a variety of packages to authors and contract out the actual printing to Lightning Source or some other digital printer.

4. Co-publishing
The publisher provides many of the necessary services, such as the ISBN number, production, and printing, and puts up the money on the front end. You, as the author, pay it back out of sales.

5. Independent publishers
These are generally small houses that handle from 10 to 20 titles a year, usually in few selected genres, such as African American literature, spirituality, inspiration, and religion. An “indy” publisher must put out at least 10 ISBNs a year in order to be accepted by a major distributor, such as Ingram or Baker & Taylor. This a growing segment of the publishing world. Most independent publishers belong to PMA.

6. Electronic Publishing
Your book is published as an electronic or eBOOK through an e-publisher, on your own website, or on CD-ROMs. Or, it can be self-published and distributed through other appropriate websites, listserves, or chat rooms. (E-publishing looked like it might be the wave of the future, but it languished a while and seemed to be going nowhere. Now, due to new technology and renewed interest, it is making a comeback.

7. Do nothing
Ninety-five percent of authors do nothing. That means more than 400,000 manuscripts go unpublished each year because, when authors get to this point, they simply stop.

Each one fills a particular set of needs and preferences. For some authors, nothing will do but a well-known, New York publisher on the cover of their books. For others, it’s the creative control or the profit that matters. For some doing the work involved in finding an agent, approaching a publisher, or learning the ropes of self-publishing is just too intimidating. That’s why it is important to know what you want or don’t want in the publishing process before you get to far along.

Bobbi Linkemer is a book coach, ghostwriter, editor, and the author of 16 books under her own name. She has been a professional writer for more than 40 years, a magazine editor, and a book-writing teacher. Her clients include Fortune 100 companies, entrepreneurs, and individuals who want to write books in order to enhance their credibility or build their businesses. Visit her Website at: www.WriteANonfictionBook.com.

Unpublished and published authors alike learn valuable trade secrets to successfully self-publish and market books from the updated second edition of The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing written by 24-year veteran publisher Linda F. Radke, owner of Five Star Publications, a producer of award-winning fiction and nonfiction manuscripts for adults and children. Authors that follow Radke s expert advice will get their work to readers faster, while maintaining creative control and making more money! While The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing gives writers the nuts and bolts of publishing, such as copywriting, acquiring an ISBN, editing, typesetting, printing and distributing, etc., in an easy-to-digest manner, it doesn t end there. Readers also receive an invaluable arsenal of conventional and sometimes unconventional methods for marketing, promoting and obtaining free publicity. In addition to updating all information to remain current with the times and ever-changing publishing

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Having gained significant experience of print-on-demand self-publishing by publishing his own books using Lulu.com and CreateSpace, and by offering publishing assistance services to other authors, Tony Loton now shares his experience with you in this completely revised and updated second edition of… BOOK PUBLISHING DIY Packed full of tips, tricks, and real world experience, this book shows you how to: * format your manuscript in Microsoft Word or another word processor. * create a high quality book cover using Microsoft PowerPoint or a simple paint program. * publish your book as a print-on-demand paperback using Lulu.com or CreateSpace. * publish your book as an Amazon Kindle e-book. * sell your print and e-book editions from your own web site or blog. * sell your book via retail web sites including Amazon with an ISBN. * take payment of your revenues and royalties. * reach your target audience through effective marketing. You can be a publisher!

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With the advent of technology, writers have numerous options when it comes to publishing. If you’re blessed to get a book deal with a traditional publisher (i.e. Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins), you’ll get an advance, royalties and a marketing allowance. Given the volatility of the book industry and emergence of e-books, landing a deal with a traditional publisher is a rare feat.

Tons of vanity presses make it easy to publish a book. These companies charge tens of thousands of dollars by preying on the fact that naïve authors will pay and do just about anything to be in print. I know of companies that charge $12,000 for 500 books. That’s $24 a book! As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, “Vanity, vanity all is vanity!”

Subsidy presses will offset, or subsidize, a portion of the publishing expenses. The author pays for editing and printing, the press pays for marketing; however, they will also participate in the proceeds for each book sold.

An independent or small publisher usually focuses on a specific genre. These publishers may or may not pay advances and often have fewer than twenty authors on the roster.

Print-on-demand (POD) publishers are better described as high-priced printers than publishers. These companies charge exorbitant fees and act more like the middle man on a book project. One of my clients paid $150 to copyright her title through a POD. Had she done it herself, the cost would have been $35 (that’s a markup of almost 500%).

I am a proponent for self-publishing because you control the process. You decide when the book releases, the cover and content, the retail price, the printer and the marketing strategy. As a self-published author (self-pub), you can expect to spend about $3,000 to publish 1,000 copies of your title (or $3 a book). And if you sell those copies for $10 each, you’ll gross $10,000!

Sidebar: Regardless of the publishing option you choose, your books will not automatically fly off the shelves. You will have to market, promote and sell, sell, sell!

Let’s take a look at some differences between self-publishing and PODs:

1. Many PODs do not provide a comprehensive edit although they charge like a professional, developmental-writing editor who’s providing personalized coaching and a manuscript critique. Self-pubs can find competent editors for a fraction of the cost.
2. PODs use templates for book covers. I have a client whose inspirational book has the same cover image as a book about demons, witches and warlocks. She was horrified by the discovery. Self-pubs can contract with graphic designers to create customized one-of-a-kind covers for as little as $300.
3. Now for the real deal: making money!
   1. If you’re in business to make money, it’s almost impossible with PODs. Thorough self-pubs can acquire books for less than $2 each; however, the POD cost for a comparable book often exceeds $10. Doesn’t sound like much, but when authors try to market to bookstores, libraries and distributors, they soon learn that it’s not cost effective. To make money, bookstores charge 40% of the retail price and distributors up to 70%. So, if a book is priced at $15 and the author has to give up 60% (or $9) to a distributor, the gross profit is $6 ($15 retail price – $9 to the distributor). If a POD printed the book, the loss is $4 a book ($6 gross profit – $10 POD print cost). As a self-pub, each book sold results in a net profit of $4 ($6 gross profit – $2 printing cost). I have a client who went with a POD—against my recommendation—because she wasn’t charged any upfront fees. I admonished her to find out her cost to purchase books, but she was too ecstatic about “the savings” to read the fine print. Well, as I expected, they got her on the back end. The POD charged her $25 to buy her book which should retail for $12.95. The cost made the book a hard sell, so she packaged it with trinkets to enhance the perceived value, sold it for $20 and lost lots of money.
   2. PODs don’t pay royalties on books purchased by the author and most books sold through PODs are purchased by the author. Go figure! For the few books that are sold by the POD, the author earns a whopping $110 in royalties on average. The earning potential for self-pubs is limited only by the author’s persistence and ability to creatively market and sell books.
   3. PODs charge excessive fees for promotional material and marketing. One of my clients purchased business cards through her POD. They charged her $200 for 200 cards (at $1 per card, they’re too expensive to give away) that didn’t even have her contact information. To add insult to injury, the cards directed the consumer to the POD’s site, so she paid to advertise for the POD. Awful!

The only plus to PODs is the ability to print small quantities. For writers who want to test the market or print copies for family history, POD may be a viable option. If you absolutely must go POD, go straight to the source, Lightning Source. Most of the PODs contract with them to print books and then markup the fee to authors.

If you’d like a FREE list of PODs or want us to rate your publisher, visit the Contact Us page at PenOfTheWriter.com.

As a bestselling author and award-winning publisher, Valerie J. Lewis Coleman has helped thousands of aspiring authors navigate the challenges of self-publishing. With over ten years of experience in the book business, this expert divulges industry secrets on avoiding the top five mistakes made by new authors, pricing your book to sell and identifying dishonest publishers. Her dynamic presentation and knowledge of the business takes writers from pen to paper to published as they master self-publishing to make money! To learn more about Valerie, her books and succeeding as a self-published author, visit ValerieJLColeman.com, PenOfTheWriter.com and QueenVPublishing.net.

Copyright © 2010 by Valerie J. Lewis Coleman

First time authors and first time self-publishers may find the world of self-publishing confusing, intimidating and overwhelming. Authors who are experts in the field they have written about are often not experts about publishing. Author Kevin Sivils has self-published 15 titles and shares his hard learned lessons with authors desiring to learn about the self-publishing industry. 301 Frequently Asked Questions About Self-Publishing: Answers to Common Questions About Self-Publishing, Print-on-Demand, Book Marketing, Using CreateSpace, and More is meant to make entering the world of self-publishing easier. 301 Frequently Asked Questions About Self-Publishing is a quick reference guide for authors considering self-publishing. Answers to common questions are provided in an easy to use question and answer format. Topics covered include an overview of the self-publishing industry, print-on-demand, e-books, book marketing and the language of the publishing word. The book covers

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IMPORTANT AUTHOR’S NOTE: a lot has happened since this book was published. Please order my new Independent Self Publishing: The Complete Guide. It’s more up-to-date, has 88 more pages, and the price is the same as the older book. It’s better-looking, too.There is lots of confusion about “self-publishing.” This book will help you sort out the misstatements and misunderstandings. It will guide you from your first word to your first sale. It can help a frustrated writer make a quick and painless transition to become a less frustrated writer and publisher.Independence from England in the 18th century led to the establishment of a vibrant and strong democracy in the United States, where “anyone can be president.”In the 21st century, independent self-publishing, made possible by new technology, has led to a democratization of publishing where any writer can be published. Anyone with a few months and about $600 can publish a book that looks just as good as books published by the companies

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The decision to self-publish can be a difficult one. Self-Publishing with Amazon’s CreateSpace: A Resource Guide for the Author Considering Self-Publishing can answer many questions for an author. For the questions it does not answer, it will point the direction to where the answer can be found. Version 2.0 includes information about the new author services now offered

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The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, now in its fourth edition, has been lauded by industry professionals as a ”must read” for any author considering self-publishing. The Fine Print (Third Edition) was awarded the Gold Medal for best writing/publishing book in 2009 by the Independent Publisher Book Awards. The Fine Print has helped thousands of authors understand self-publishing companies’ services, including contract terms, printing markups, and royalty

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