If you're thinking of self e-publishing there are several things you need to think about.
Obviously, one thing that you should decide is whether or not self-publishing is the way you want to go. There are a lot of arguments for and against self-publishing. I'm not going to go into all of the arguments here, so take some time, do some research and find out if it's right for you. If you've already done that, and you have decided you want to self-publish, keep reading.
If you have any questions, or if you want help or clarification on any of these steps, please contact me and I will do my best to help!
Things to consider when it comes to self e-publishing:
1. Design of cover and layout of interior
2. Purchase of ISBN and copyright
3. Marketing (Getting people interested)
4. Distribution
1. Design of cover and layout of interior:
-You can obviously do this yourself. However, I wouldn't suggest trying this unless you have a working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, unless you are looking for a very simple design. Learning how to work with InDesign and Photoshop can be extremely useful. InDesign allows you to design the layout, text, etc of your book, and Photoshop would allow you to make interesting covers for your book. It can be very useful to have a cover that looks good even as a thumbnail. A poorly done cover can lead people to believe that the quality of your writing might also be sub-par.
-You will want to put your work into PDF format. Calibre, which is free and can be found here: http://calibre-ebook.com/download, is a useful, easy-to-use tool that will help you change the format to different e-book types.
-You can submit your work to one of the companies below for help—fees differ from company to company. However, if you go this route, depending on the company, you may not have a lot of control over the layout or cover of your book.
2. Purchase of ISBN and copyright:
-If you go through one of the self-publishing companies below—again, the fees and process are different for each company—and they can do this for you. Make sure you understand if you are giving up any rights to your work by doing this.
-It is a good idea to do this even if you don't plan on having print copies available immediately. It secures your work and will allow you to more easily create print versions in the future. It is also important for selling your book in mainstream outlets and allowing the reader to easily find and access information about your book. This is different when you are only working with a single short story.
-You can do this yourself pretty easily. It is going to run you approximately $100.00- $200.00 to do this, depending on how you go about it.
- For more information on doing it yourself, go to this website: http://www.artbookbindery.com/ObtainCopyrightISBNCIP.htm
3. Marketing (Getting people interested):
-It is suggested that authors set up blogs or websites for themselves. Put up samples of your work to let people know what your work it like.
-Send your work out to blogs (like this one) for review! It may seem daunting, but it's a very good way to get the word out about your writing, and to gain readership.
-Make a youtube video promoting your work. Sure, you won't necessarily get a lot of people to watch it, but if you gain even one reader, it's worth it—at least in my opinion.
-Have your friends tell their friends. With social networking sites being as popular as they are, having your friends and family put the word out about your writing can be very helpful.
-Goodreads is a really wonderful website (www.goodreads.com). Sign up, make friends, have people review your book (once your book is for sale, and after you have the ISBN). You can even put up giveaways for your book to get readers excited—everyone likes free stuff, right?
4. Distribution:
-One somewhat controversial idea is to offer your story for free through a torrent site (such as www.piratebay.org) or on your blog. You can also leak your own work to torrent sites, rather than just having it be completely free. This can allow people to feel as though they are risking less in reading your work, and can help you gain readers. However, it has been said that potential agents will take you more seriously if you are charging something—anything—for your work, so if you're doing this, leaking it might be the way to go. If you go through a company and do not retain rights of your own work, I would warn against leaking your material or offering the entirety for free. However, I would first warn against giving up your rights to your work to a self-publishing company.
-If you have hard copies of your book, which is generally suggested, talk to bookstores in your area. Many bookstores, big and small, have local authors sections and will be willing to carry your book.
-Some companies that will help you with the printing of your book will help with the distribution, as well.
Companies to help you*: Lulu: http://www.lulu.com,Create Space: www.createspace.com, Dog Ear Publishing: www.dogearpublishing.net, Author House: www.authorhouse.com, X-Libris: www.xlibris.com, www.instantpublisher.com, Infinity Publishing: www.infinitypublishing.com, and www.iuniverse.com. **
There are lots of other companies. Look around and see what is right for you based on what they offer and what you would want them to do for you.
*Please do not take this list as my recommendations for you. I am not familiar with the majority of the companies above and do not endorse them. A lot of what company you use will depend on what exactly you are looking for the company to do for you. Please do your research—you can easily find sites that compare different self-publishing companies.
**Before deciding to go through a company pay close attention to the rights you retain, the royalty you will receive, if there is a price you must set your book at, any other costs, and any other small print agreements. You might also want to look into the type of paper that they use, and, if you can, get your hands on a copy of a book they've printed and check out the quality. The books I have seen printed through Lulu's look fairly nice and were printed on nice paper and the author's I spoke to seemed happy with their choice.
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