How to publish books?

1. 72

   G Miahposted 15 years ago

   I would like some info on how to publish an interesting story in a book. How much could it cost? Is it very difficult to publish books? Which publishers are good?
   
   Please let me know, thanks.

   replyreport
2. 60

   Gale Forceposted 15 years ago

   The cost of publishing a book - yourself - depends entirely on how many pages it is, and if you want it to be hardback or paperback.  Do you want it to be Pay on Demand (POD) or do you want to have an actual print run of 500 to 1000 copies.
   
   Typically, the more books you order, the less they cost.
   
   You can publish books on Kindle Amazon for free, but you are limited to Kindle customers. I've published a couple of books there with absolutely no success. However, they were non-fiction books. I think fiction books would do better.
   
   A big "vanity" press is lulu.com.  Check them out.

   replyreport
3. 61

   worldlifesiteposted 15 years ago

   I self published with Amazon's CreateSpace.com
   
   I got a free ISBN and international equivalent.  Once my book copy is approved after editing I get a CreateSpace sales page and listed on Amazon automatically.
   
   One reason I chose them over others such as Lulu was the legal contract gives you more control over your works and derivatives of your works. 
   
   I'm on google books and was pleasantly surpised that I'm at Barns and noble with out having to do anything to get there.  I think Google Books did that unless they pick up books from Amazon's lists.
   
   CreateSpace.com also offer a community of great helpers from start to finish(marketing) and they offer professional services for book creation and sale at lower prices than most.
   
   Check them out at CreateSpace.com
   
   You can still get a free Pro level account which basically allows you author pricing to be very low per paper back copy.  They also do digital works.

   replyreport
4. 91

   AdeleCosgroveBrayposted 15 years ago

   Before rushing to self-publish, study the subject.  It's now relatively easy to self-publish through a number of online sites but do consider that publishing and promotion need to go hand-in-hand.
   
   If you wish, you can read one of my Hubs on the pitfalls of self-publishing which will save you a lot of work.
   
   Go into any book shop and look around.  How many self-published books do you see?  None, or virtually none.  That in itself should go a long way to demonstrating just how effective self-publishing really is.

   replyreport
5. 72

   G Miahposted 15 years ago

   Thank you all for your much appreciated advice on this topic. I am in the process of researching publishing a book, and you have given me more avenues to go down.
   
   Thank you.

   replyreport
6. 0

   JeffEmmersonposted 14 years ago

   Check out Lightning Source....Indie Publishing is the future.
   
   Go get 'em!
   
   - Jeff Emmerson

   replyreport
7. 60

   kookoo88posted 14 years ago

   I also recommend Smashwords.  Self publishing for Indie Authors is the new wave and it's a fun ride.
   
   Smashwords takes your work and puts it into a lot of different formats then distributes it to stores like Barnes & Noble, Apple, Sony, and soon, Amazon.  They also have a good marketing guide.

   replyreport