Self-publishing

Self publishing is a great way to experience a form of success with your manuscript, and the options are getting better and more affordable. There are many reasons for wanting to self-publish, including:

• You don't have time to work with an agent or publisher
• You only want a handful of copies of your book for family & friends
• You've been rejected by publishers, but you still feel your work has merit
• You want to have books (with a professional appearance) to hand out to your target audience for test reading
• You want to have control over your own product and over the marketing of your product

In the past, many have referred to self publishing as "vanity press." With today's options, you can produce quality finished products without spending a great deal of time and money. Consider these services:

Cafepress: You can see the free shop that I set up for my book by clicking here. Cafepress allows you may create books or cds, and a variety of supporting promotional products such as t-shirts, stickers and buttons. My newest store features products with a pirate theme. I have been impressed with the quality of the items that I have ordered through Cafepress.

iUniverse: This online publishing resource is an affiliate of Barnes and Noble.

Lulu: This resource helps you publish books, calendars, CDs and DVDs.

Click here to read an informative article about self publishing that appeared in USA Weekend.

If you've already self-published a book, and you need help with the task of promoting (spreading the word) your effort, you may want to hire help in the form of a company that specializes in book publicity or literary public relations. Such companies can help you create a promotion campaign for your book, which might involve creating and distributing press releases, lining up radio interviews, and setting up interviews with newspapers. Newman Communications is one company that offers such services (inclusion of the link does not signify an official endorsement).

The great challenge to finding broad readership and financial success through self-publishing is distribution.