My Personal Self-Publishing Experience
By Sandy Buckalew
Equally confusing is the multitude of sites offering e-book publications and/or POD (Print on Demand) publishing. Writers are being offered various warnings by writer organizations, and discussion groups are abuzz about these new avenues to publication. It is imperative for a writer, especially a first time novelist to do their homework (especially the math) and be realistic when considering this real recourse of instant publication. For once you are "self-published" you are not only the author, but the publisher as well. And unless you are willing to hire a marketing firm the duty of marketing and promotion of your book falls into your lap too. All of these play a vital role in the success of any book. You have to be not only willing to give of your time, but you need to educate yourself on the real aspects of each of the duties involved in self-publishing. Today there is enough information available online or in the library that even the least formally educated author can get his or her hands on the knowledge necessary to take those first steps. Leads are everywhere as well. Through other self-published writers experiences, articles that have been written on the subject, and the hundreds of literary links provided online there is an endless source of "pros & cons", leaving no real reason to feel uncertain about what it takes and what to expect when self-publishing today. The only real decisions are personal ones, what you the individual writer is seeking in a POD company, your cost, time and expectations are important considerations too of course.
Armed with encouragement from the numerous articles written by today's growing number of successful self-published writers I too joined the ranks of the "self-published", and found it not such a bad rank in which to be listed. I was a shocked during my research when the names the likes of; Stephen King, John Grisham, Edgar Rice Burroughs, James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, Edgar Allen Poe, Carl Sandburg, George Bernard Shaw etc... kept popping up as having at one time in their careers been self-publishers.
Truth is self-publishing is not so new. When I first started my investigation into this option I found that self-publishing was widely practiced throughout the world until the 20th century. Then the large publishing houses consolidated the elements of editing, layout, printing, marketing, and distribution of capitol for you. Slowly, the idea of an author publishing his or her own work was brushed off and even looked down upon. But with the onset of new technology today, self-publishing has become very author-accessible and cost-efficient. And I'm happy to report it is once again considered a legitimate and respected way for authors to get their words into print.
Having picked up tips at various writers sites, scrutinized scores of self-publishing and POD companies I finally made a decision to use Instantpublisher. The cost was within my budget and they just offered so many more options than most the others. Best of all, there was no contract to sign. I had complete control of my manuscript from submission to the press. It was printed exactly as submitted.
The company guaranteed my order would arrive within seven days so I started my own promotion campaign the day I ordered my books. I contacted all the local bookstores in my area the week my book was being printed and was pleasantly surprised that nearly all of them had special display shelves for local authors. Some were happy to accept a certain number of books on consignment and others were willing purchase their order upfront. Both scenarios left me in the negotiation seat, and admittedly I felt uneasy about first. But, like all aspects I quickly realized it was a simple mater of math. I'd already determined my cost for printing, shipping etc..and knew exactly how much "profit" was factored into my bar-code price after the cost of each book was subtracted and I set my "negotiation" prices by that number. I'll say today that though that might have been one of the more difficult phases of self-publishing for me it was quickly conquered by the a great feeling of awareness that it was "I" who was in control of my book and profits. The local experience opened doors in many ways and gave me the confidence to approach the big guys like Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com and book distributors. After all, your book must be made available to be a success so you will need to create accounts and relationships with such companies.
Of course there are very many reasons to self-publish, and obviously each individual story and experience will vary. But in my opinion there are very few reasons for any author to exclude self-publishing as an option today. I truly believe that no one, person or company, will work harder for the success of a book than the authors themselves. But it is really important to be realistic. Don't self-publish and sit on your book with hopes an of an agent or publishing scout coming along and spotting your gift, although I have read that actually does happen these days. It would be foolish to invest in self-publishing and not follow through with the responsibilities of all the positions you are stepping into. When you are doing the math be practical, not just about cost alone, but also how much time and energy you will need or can give to the marketing and promotion of your book. I think it is an added bonus to be able to take things at your own pace and work within your personal schedule.
I have learned so much, and I am still learning! With my next self-published novel I will be miles ahead of the game. And yes, I'll do it again. I recommend self-publishing to almost every writer I know or meet. And lately I have found myself sharing the cache of knowledge my experience has afforded me with other self-publishing or potential self-publishing authors.