self publish?

1. 65

   PaulaHenry1posted 12 years ago

   Does anyone have any good advice as to how to self-publish yourself? I'm not interested in ebooks, but an actaul hardcover.
   
   Any place to start with be great as I dont have alot of money to get it going....

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      Jlbowdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hi:
      
      I believe there are a couple of sites out there that will help you to accomplish your goal. If you click on vantage press' link here http://www.vantagepress.com/ they may be able to offer you some good tips. There are a few others, but I cannot think of them off the top of my head. Also I am not sure, but usually most of these sites, ask for a percentage of the royalties you receive. This is better than paying them up front. Hope this helps and good luck with your publishing endeavour.
      
      Jl

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2. 60

   Chaotic Chicaposted 12 years ago

   There are numerous programs out there to accomplish this goal but it all depends on how you want to approach it.  Their are self-publishers that are essentially (sp) independant publishers that still review your manuscript to see if they are willing to publish  based on their definition of saleability.  A couple of examples are Dorrance Publishing and Tate Publishing.  Both cost a substantial amount of money but if I had to choose I would go with Tate.  Their cost (of $4K) is cheaper and they much more 'user friendly' and accessible.  Dorrance has a habit of not being available when I called and being full of attitude when I did get them. I found them to be very rude and lacking. 
   
   Then there are the print on demand (pod) companies.  Some are better than others, obviously.  There is CreateSpace which a lot of people like but I'm still unsure, there is RoseDog which is a partner of Dorrance, and there are more but of course my mind has decided to draw a blank.  It all depends on how much you have to put down or put out (not THAT way).  It also depends on what exactly you are looking for.
   
   If you want to publish, pure and simple, pod is the way to go.  If you would like or need assistance with promotion than finding a company like Tate or Dorrance is the way to go.  Either way I wish you the best of luck!! 

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3. 77

   jenniferrpoveyposted 12 years ago

   Okay. First of all, you want to do print books.
   
   This *greatly* increases your outlay and cost per unit. Hardcover increases it even more. I would strongly not recommend going with hardcover as a self publisher. Trade paperback is a better format. (Now, if you just meant print, you can ignore this).
   
   I am going to...sorry Chaotic Chica...recommend *against* going the vanity press route. And sorry, Dorrance and Tate are vanity presses. You will pay a lot of money for books you may not be able to sell. Don't even TOUCH Author House/iUniverse. I know somebody who's done really well with them, but she's a minority.
   
   First of all, you can go through CreateSpace or Lulu. Of the two, CreateSpace is the easiest to handle. Smashwords is a great alternative if you only want to do ebooks.
   
   However.
   
   IF you let them buy the ISBN for you, then your book will be listed in catalogues as published by CreateSpace/Lulu/Smashwords. It is more professional to purchase your own ISBN. They cost, currently, $275 for 10. If you can't afford it, by all means, go with the distribution platform's ISBN...not everyone looks at it.
   
   You WILL need cover art. The best way is to hire an artist experienced in doing book covers. Some people have found great artists on Deviant Art, or you could try one of the comic book art forums. You can also make your own cover with a good quality, relevant, legally obtained photograph and a free graphics program.
   
   Your manuscript will benefit from editing, although this is not necessary. As a minimum, though, I WOULD hire somebody to proofread it if you don't have a family member able to do it.
   
   By my calculations, professionally self-publishing a novel costs between $1000-1500 if you pay for editing and cover art and buy your own ISBN. Which is why I haven't done it yet . A full length non-fiction book would be about the same cost.

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      Chaotic Chicaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you!! I could not for the life of me think of the term 'vanity press'!  I was not actually advocating them only stating that they are an option.  I myself have not chosen them after further research into the matter.
      
      I forget that most people need help with cover art.  I'm a graphic artist and freelance photographer by trade so I did it myself but you are right, I have heard Deviant Art is a great place to find such help.
      
      To further agree, manuscript editing, though sometimes pricey, is WELL worth the money.  When you have spent so much time writing and editing and revising your own work, there are sometimes things that your spell checker or grammar checker may not catch giving you a false sense of peace of mind on the matter.  A fresh set of competent eyes is always helpful.

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      1. 77

         jenniferrpoveyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Sorry for thinking you were, then .
         
         And I agree. To be honest, I'm planning, when I get the money together, to self publish a bunch of short stories ebook only through Smashwords. I'm also considering posting the one I already have to Kindle Direct, but Smashwords keeps saying Amazon integration is on the horizon and I don't want to do unnecessary work. On the other hand, I've sold precisely three copies so I clearly need to do *something*.
         
         If you can do your own cover art, that's great. If not, there ARE people who will do simple but professional covers for under $50.

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