What does it take to self-publish a book/novel?

1. 71

   donnaisabellaposted 10 years ago

   What does it take to self-publish a book/novel?
   
   I have been considering self-publishing my work for some years now. I would like some advice from people who have self-published before.
   
   

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2. 46

   MissKatieLynneposted 10 years ago

   I have not self published before, but would advise against it. These days, almost anyone can self publish from a variety of websites. If you're considering the cost, self publishing can be more expensive in the end. Self publishing means all the work relies on you. The advertising, putting it together/layout, editing, EVERYTHING. Essentially, the whole book and whether it's a hit or miss is on you. You are the editor, the agent, the publisher, the publicist, etc. If publishing is something you want to do seriously, especially novels, I would consider spending that time and effort into at least finding an agent or submitting to a publisher. In the end, I think you will find your work will be better off in the hands of a professional.
   Honestly, I would only consider self publishing if it's not a novel. A poetry book might be acceptable if you write poems. Recipe books are also good to self publish, I think. You might even be able to get away with a children's book. But, personally, for novels, I would leave that to professionals. Self publishing, as I said, can be a lot of work and require all your attention. And if anything goes wrong, it's on you.
   Hope that helps you some!

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3. 79

   bat115posted 10 years ago

   Self-Publishing used to have a stigma that is gone now., These days, it is considered the wave of the future. Google the name Joanna Penn, or JF Penn, she has a lot of good info on her site that should help you.
   
   As for the best place to use? I'd suggest createspace.com

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   1. 83

      M. T. Dremerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I would argue that some of the stigma remains because there is still no quality filter on self published material.

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4. 83

   M. T. Dremerposted 10 years ago

   It all depends on where you want to focus your efforts. Self publishing is very easy to do, but it's very hard to be successful at it. Where as traditional publishing is very hard to get into, but you have people helping to make it a success. I self published my book only after going through the traditional process. After 50+ rejections I just needed to get the book out so I could move on to other projects. Self publishing helped me do that. However, as of right now, it has done little to nothing on the path to making me successful.

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5. 60

   gposchmanposted 10 years ago

   There are a number of sites you can go to to self publish a book.  I self published the first book in my mystery series call Jonas Watcher: The Case of the Running Bag.  Three are sites I can recommend; LULU, CreateSpace and Smashwords.  You can publish your book for no money and you can get it distributed on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple iTunes.
   
   You have to market and work on getting the physical book out there on your own.
   
   I hope this helps
   
   Gene Poschman  Author of Jonas Watcher: The Case of the Running Bag.

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6. 58

   Henry Bemisposted 8 years ago

   Look into the process and then start shopping software. Depending on if you have Windows, iOS, or Linux there are options for each even some open source programs. I would suggest Sigil, it's free and easy to use after a minor learning curve. Once you know the in's and out's of the program, practice! Don't just give it a go, while it's mainly file importing there is a need for code writing and metadata knowledge. Be wary of sites that offer free publishing, there is always a catch. Amazon offers a free service however they stipulate you may only retail your novel on Amazon for the first three months, which I consider anyway, the books Golden Age and when it stands the best chance of making high returns. Honestly, I recommend researching desktop and indie publishers in your area, albeit, if you are intent on self-publishing, educate yourself to the full extent. Sites like www.freecodecamp.com, eBook Architects and Preditors and Editors, are good sources of information and learning centers. You can also check out my new weekly article series here on Hub called 'A Subtle Madness: Self-Publishing, where I will be covering this topic in extent. Good luck!

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