I am frequently asked about the process of publishing a book. It is a simple question with a complicated answer. There are an increasing number of options available to authors today as technology increases and more people are authoring books than ever before.
It is important to be informed and weigh each one of your options before deciding what route you take. There is a lot of information out there and my best advice is to do your research from multiple sources and talk to other writers. Be aware of scammers and check the validity of your resources. Writers are a wonderful group of people who I have found are always willing to share their expertise and what they have learned. Don’t be afraid to draw upon the wisdom of others.
There are four routes to publication: traditional, vanity, hybrid, and self-publishing.
There are pros and cons to each. Unless you are a well-known established author, it is difficult to get in with a traditional publisher, and if you do, you may give up some of your rights and may not have the royalties as you do with self-publishing. You will work through an agent, who also takes a cut. There are smaller traditional publishing companies as an option who do take first time authors and may have different requirements. Be sure you read the fine print and do your research.
Vanity publishers on the other hand, require authors to pay money up front prior to the book selling unlike traditional publishers, and may not be as motivated to sell your book.
Hybrid publishing has become an appealing option for many writers. They work with the author to produce and distribute the book to a variety of channels. Both the author and the publisher share costs. They offer services and packages tailored for the author with different options available. In the end, you own your rights and pay for the company to produce and distribute your work.
Self-publishing gives the author the most royalties and control. The author keeps the rights to their books, and I have found it has a lot of advantages. Amazon KDP is a platform many authors use for self-publishing with print and eBooks and is available for both new and seasoned authors. Self-publishing requires a lot of work, and it has its own learning curve. There are people in the industry who have companies and assist authors ala cart or bundled packages with a fee. There is a wealth of information available at writers’ conferences with seasoned authors who present workshops and share their expertise.
After reviewing all the available options as a first-time author, I decided to go with self-publishing through Amazon KDP to order, print, and sell my book. I had a website developed where I am linked to Amazon. I utilize Ingram Spark as a means for Barnes and Noble, libraries, and other online retailers to access my book. The process of self-publishing through Amazon requires you create an account with KDP, format and upload your manuscript, set your price, select categories, and submit a book description. You will also upload your book cover and a few additional steps to complete the process.
The steps to publishing can feel overwhelming and learning the industry challenging at its best. As one author once said, if you choose the route of self-publishing, you are in for quite a ride. As someone who accepted the challenge, it was worth it. I wanted to learn and be involved in the process, so I chose the route of self-publishing. Although difficult at times, it challenged me to learn and be an active participant rather than turn it over to someone else.
Many times, people love to write for personal enjoyment and do not have any intention of selling their book. They won’t need to enter the world of publication, yet they gain much fulfillment. It is possible to print a book without selling it to the public through local print shops or other print on demand services.
I hope you challenge yourself today to learn something new.
Next time, I will explore the business side to publishing your book.
Until then – read, write, and learn…. J
