Is Self Publishing Your Book a Better Option?

is self publishing your book the right choicePublisher’s Weekly reported on November 24 that Bloomberg Press is closing their book publishing business, adding that the firm is the second one this week to announce a business closure (Graphic Arts Center Press is the other).

Publishing industry firms aren’t the only ones closing their doors. However, their decisions may impact on your ability to secure a book contract from firms most interested in your proposal.

This makes self publishing, an option that you may have considered in your quest to become a published author, another avenue to explore.

A lot has been said and written about self publishing. There’s lots of negative feedback, mainly around three concerns:

1. Amazon.com sells certain types of self-published books, the ones that are connected to a major distribution chain.

Knowing that, part of your plan is to ensure that your book is published by and associated with one of these firms.

2. Some vanity presses, which are publishers that print single copies of books, have not been up front about their policies, causing authors to be remorseful about the relationship.

There’s plenty of information on the Internet so that you know which vanity presses are upstanding and which are not.

3. You required to pay for everything to get your book published, including the cover graphics, editing, and printing, tasks that a traditional publisher pays.

Budgeting is a key issue with all projects, including this one, and the good news is that self publishing allows you to keep all the profits, not just a percentage as is the case when under contract with a traditional publisher.

Flora Morris Brown, a good friend of mine, recently self-published her non-fiction book entitled, Color Your Life Happy: Create the Success, Abundance and Inner Joy You Deserve. It’s sold through Amazon as well as through the book’s Web site.

I plan to interview Flora and share her insights here so that you can learn about self publishing from someone who’s successfully completed the project.

Publishing houses will open, and they will close. Best of all, you have the capacity, passion, and determination to get your book published without help from traditional means.

Are you considering taking the self-publishing route, or is working with a publishing house still your preference?

November 25, 2009 · Filed Under Self Publishing

Comments

5 Responses to “Is Self Publishing Your Book a Better Option?”

  1. Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. on November 25th, 2009 2:38 pm

    Shirley,

    I look forward to sharing information about self-publishing with your readers. I especially want to pull back the curtain on some of the best kept secrets about the differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing.

    Blessings,
    Flora

  2. Shirley George Frazier on November 25th, 2009 3:00 pm

    Hi Flora,

    I truly appreciate your acceptance and cannot wait to share your insights with budding authors.

  3. charlie on December 16th, 2009 4:23 am

    Nice that you came up with this cool stuff, this was something I am going to use it for my reference purpose. You have really shared a good deal of information, thank a lot.

  4. Yvette Stanton on March 17th, 2010 8:31 am

    Hi Shirley,

    I have had two books published by traditional methods, and since then, all four of my books (including the first two) have been self-published. My four books are on niche subjects and because of that, I have been able to market them well, and they have been very successful.

    For me, self-publishing is definitely the way to go. :-)

  5. Amy on April 23rd, 2010 1:30 am

    Shirley,

    I look forward to sharing information about self-publishing with your readers. I especially want to pull back the curtain on some of the best kept secrets about the differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing.

    Blessings,
    Flora