Should You Self-Publish? How to Make the Decision

It is the question on every writer’s lips these days and the subject of countless blog posts. However, here is the first comprehensive and dispassionate guide to making this career-defining decision. The flowchart below will guide you through all the essential questions. Answer each one honestly and I guarantee you will come to the right choice for you.

Instructions:

1. Start at the box labelled “Start” and follow the arrow.
2. Answer each question YES or NO – you are not allowed any maybes. And follow the associated arrow.
3. Take the advice you end up with and get on with your life.

It’s as easy as that.

FOUR NEW CATEGORIES! We’re now accepting submissions of eBooks, apps, and special editions.

Winning an industry book award can be used as an effective marketing tool to boost sales and invigorate publicity. Your books don’t have the opportunity to be recognized, unless you enter.

Go to PubWest.org for more details. The deadline for entries is March 9, 2012.

Winning books will be displayed at PUBWEST 2012, October 25-27, 2012, in Keystone, CO. Contact the PubWest office for details about attending this event.

–Rick Frishman, publisher Morgan James Publishing

http://www.MorganJamesPublishing.com

From the vanity presentation that could never find its way to a shelf in a bookstore (most likely a LuLu type of book) to a slick presentation that a buyer at first glance assumes is from a traditional publisher, the self and independently published books from small presses have prospered.

Self-publishers range from those who only envision selling a few books to those who sell thousands of them. Many New York Times bestsellers began their publishing journeys via the self-publishing route. The usual reason is that they couldn’t get a publisher to pick it up and/ or get an agent to become their champion, thus never getting it to a publisher’s doorstep. Self-publishing’s Hall of Fame includes mega seller John Grisham. His first book, A Time to Kill, started out published by the author after multiple rejection notices and was later sold to Fleming H. Revell for a few thousand dollars. Revell in turn sold it for over a million dollars for much needed cash.

Management guru Tom Peters rolled out In Search of Excellence in self- published format before it was bought by New York; and Ken Blanchard started his One-Minute series from the kitchen table as did What Color is Your Parachute? author, Richard Nelson Bolles. Betty J. Eadie birthed Embraced by the Light on the self-publishing route along with Sandra Haldeman Martz with her When I Am an Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple and Richard Evans with his The Christmas Box. Then, there are a couple of reference gems that started the self- publishing route. Consider Robert’s Rules of Order by Henry Martyn Robert and the all-time classic, The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr. and EB White. To date, over 10 million copies of those tomes have been sold. All were rejected by traditional publishing the first go around. The authors had their vision and did it themselves. By the time New York came to the party, the checks written were quite hefty.

There is a difference between self-publishing and independent publishing. Most people put the two in the same pot. Don’t. Self-publishing is certainly on your own. So is independent. Within the self-publishing category is what we call the “hobbyist” or “casual” publisher. Making money isn’t the key factor. Just having a book is. Most selfpublished books look, well, self-published. Money isn’t dedicated to quality, although the content may be good. If you plan on selling fewer than 300 copies, this is a reasonable route to take.

MORE TIPS AT http://www.rickfrishman.com

http://globalebookawards.com/

Video explanation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yNa85sdA-A

http://bit.ly/qXuQsU

OBVIOUSLY, THIS INFORMATION CAME FROM WRITER’S WEEKLY. I MOSTLY AGREE WITH THEM, WITH THESE EXCEPTIONS:

BookLocker: I haven’t heard much about them one way or another.

LuLu: AVOID, I have spent more time cleaning up messes after them for customers than I can count. It is impossible to get through to a live person but you can communicate on FB with an imaginary employee they have, hmmmmmm?

CreateSpace: I’ve recently been hearing more complaints about them, BEWARE.

In my opinion, these companies are in the business of selling over priced services to people that don’t know any better, they will over-charge you to purchase “your own” books from them and they are not going to do much to help you sell books. The only reason they call themselves publishers is because they hold the ISBN and when you’re sick of them it is not an easy process to get your book rights back from them!

BookLocker: $517 (Deduct $200 if submitting your own cover)  Rated “Outstanding” by Mark Levine, attorney and author of  The Fine Print of Self-Publishing. **

iUniverse: $999.00 (includes 5 “free” copies)  Rated “Publisher to Avoid” by Mark Levine, attorney and  author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.

CreateSpace: $1022.00 (Deduct $299 if submitting your own cover)  Rated “Just OK” by Mark Levine, attorney and author of  The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.

Lulu: $1131.00 (Deduct $450 if submitting your own cover)  Rated “Pretty Good” by Mark Levine, attorney and author of  The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.

Trafford: $1324.00  Rated “Publisher to Avoid” by Mark Levine, attorney and > author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.

AuthorHouse: $1517.00  Rated “Publisher to Avoid” by Mark Levine, attorney and  author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.

Xlibris: $1972.00 – (includes 5 “free” copies)  Rated “Publisher to Avoid” by Mark Levine, attorney and  author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.

***Prices above based on least expensive package offered by  each publisher on similar offers targeting U.S. authors. Fees  include interior formatting (based on a 200-page book), original cover design with up to 5 images, print proof, ebook creation, up to 25 interior photos/graphics, an ISBN,  barcode, a listing on the publisher’s website and  distribution by Ingram, all within 6 weeks.  NOTE: All publishers above currently offer distribution  through Ingram (the largest book distributor), as well as  inclusion of their titles in the major online (amazon.com,  barnesandnoble.com, etc.) and physical bookstore systems.  NOTE: Many companies offer perks that others don’t, some try  to upsell authors on extraneous services, and a few even  claim ownership of files the author has paid them to create.  Study each publisher and contract carefully before making  your choice.

badly edited book, you don’t just make yourself look bad,

you make all self-published authors look bad.

Readers are becoming increasingly sensitive to self-publishing and have no

reticence to give very bad reviews to badly constructed books.

As a self-publisher commit to the highest standards possible.

(provided by Kathleen at Parlez-Moi Press via Dan Poynter’s eNewsletter)

1) Start with a question that makes them ponder?

2) Talk about a dramatic moment in your personal life that connects

with the book you’ve written

3) Tell them immediately about your platform

4) Compliment them on a specific recent sale

5) Tell them who referred you

Use one of the 5 suggestions above and you’ll be one step closer to landing an agent.

If you would like to see an example of query letters that worked, visit:

http://www.HowtoWriteaQueryLetter.com

Jeff Rivera is the founder of http://www.HowtoWriteaQueryLetter.com. He and his works

have been featured or mentioned in Publishers Weekly, GalleyCat, Mediabistro, Los

Angeles Times, New York Observer, NPR and many other media outlets.

Congratulations to the 2011 Glyph Award Winners!
http://azbookpub.com/onews/2011-aba-winners/

On Saturday, May 7th, 2011 the Arizona Book Publishers Association had their annual gala event at the Phoenix Country Club to present the 2011 Glyph Awards.  I was very honored to receive the Most Valuable Person Award! For a complete list of winners follow the link above.  Congrats to everyone, including the committee and volunteers that helped make this a smashing event!