Self Publishing?

[LinkPromo]

Anyone have experience with self publishing?

I've been looking at Lulu.com a lot lately.... wondering what my options are besides.

[DriftwoodJames]

Self publishing is career suicide in 99% of the cases. Try alternative publishers... Samhain publishers. Avoid self publishing.

J. Edward Nolan

[IRYS1]

I've heard the same thing about self-publishing, that most of the time it's not good for a writer to do that; and I've been to some agents who say that they are not looking to represent previously published work, particularly self-published work. I considered some self-publishing options in the past, LuLu, and some others came to mind. I decided against it. It's not for me, but maybe there are some others who have found/will find success with self-publishing.

My concern is that the quality of the book may not be taken seriously by the rest of the industry because self-published books tend to have very poor editing; or at least some of them that I have seem have been poorly edited. Perhaps self-publishing can hurt the writer's credibility with traditional agents or publishers.

[Silvamint]

Self-publishing can be a money pit. You should consider it only if you've exhausted all avenues to get your book published the traditional way, and only if you have the money or platform to promote your book yourself. Most self-published books have ugly covers that are instantly recognizable, and bookstores will not stock them. If you're counting on Amazon, know that the vast majority of book sales still take place in stores.

If you do have some money, you might want to consider taking the whole process into your hands, rather than using a company like Lulu. You'd hire someone to design a nice cover, you'd have it professionally copy edited, you'd find a printer, etc. You'll get a better quality book that way, if you do your homework.

[Eastwood]

Hello, all (My very first post, so I'm pretty excited )

I self-published a couple of years ago with AuthorHouse. Going into it, I sorta-kinda knew I was going to be spending some bucks, but I was okay with that. The main reason I was okay with it was because my main goal in putting out the book this way (instead of going the traditional route of shopping to houses/agents) was to see what a book with my name on the cover--as well as my words between the covers--would look like. Also, I wanted to get the feeling, to see how it would change me.

I did end up spending big bucks, and the primary reason was the product I submitted was nowhere near ready to be published. And I just could not see myself putting out something that was WAY less than I was able to do. So, I went to the bank and made the numerous corrections ($2.50/correction! Corrections could be made per every 5 words - e.g., to change "I went to the store" to "I walked to the mall" was considered 1 correction. Or to delete the sentence altogether cost $2.50 as well. So, if you had three consecutive sentences that you wanted outta there, you'd be looking at $10+, depending on length of sentences), and as the money was paid over time, it didn't really bother me too much.

As for choosing the route of self-publishing, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I wish I'd waited to hone my skills and been willing to shop it around after completion. But, on the other hand, I learned a ton from getting it done, and am glad that I have an actual published book (that's kinda tough to say with a straight face, but in the end I really do have a published book like any other...in a way .

As for the cover, please make sure you have some creative control. I submitted a story dealing with inner-city drugs and crime, etc., and they offered up a high-rise set in a financial district. Couldn't have been further from ideal. So I eventually had someone do the artwork for me, and it turned out okay.

[NYLee]

I'm going to publish my book. I'll do de graphic design, they just print it. I let you know how it's going.

[kaytie]

Hey,

Lulu.com isn't a bad deal if you know what you're getting into with self-publishing. You retain all the rights to your work (unlike many places) and they don't force you to buy a bunch of copies.

Still, there are a lot of reasons to consider why you're choosing the self-published route. While I'm not entirely convinced self-pub is a career killer, it's not the best way to advance your career either.

My opinion is based on my knowledge of the fiction/short story market. Nonfiction and poetry are different in this case.

[Eastwood]

Hey,

Still, there are a lot of reasons to consider why you're choosing the self-published route. While I'm not entirely convinced self-pub is a career killer, it's not the best way to advance your career either.

I agree with you on this, kaytie. Particularly regarding the advancing of the career. With self-publishing, you don't get that research-polishing the query-sending out and hoping-networking thing that I'm learning (incl. from kaytie's message up above) is the key to progressing thru this world.

[Julie20201]

It depends what you're looking for.
I did self publish and basically broke even, but it sets you back financially for a bit. Also, don't expect it to be like wow look at me, look what I can do...b/c anyone with $600 can publish pretty much anything.

[KirkhamsEbooks.com]

I love ebooks so I self epublsih them and use affiliate programs to sell

Rick
Affiliate Partner Programs for Merchants and Affilates New Submission Traffic Seeker Automatic Submission Software Affiliate Program

http://kirkhamsebooks.com/AffiliatePrograms/index.htm

[Scott]

The main problem with self-publishing is that you won't get paid before you write the book, and also you will have large expenses before you have a chance of making money. Once you have the book done and self-published, there is a good chance that you won't ever make money and may end up spending more than you make.

It's probably better to try and get an agent before you even start writing a book. If an agent accepts you, then they will most likely be able to find a publisher for you, and the publisher will give you an advance so you won't be broke while you write the book.

Does anyone have any experience self-publishing to verify this?

[kaytie]

Hey, Scott,

I totally agree with your comment about the large expenses a self-publishing author could incur with no publishing company to invest in a project. I'm not sure about your statement about trying to get an agent before writing a book. Again, my experience is based in the fiction realm, but here's what I learned in MFA-land:

Fiction
While it's not unheard of for a fiction writer to get an agent without having written much, and while it's supremely rare but not impossible to get a publishing contract without having written much (case-in-point Zadie Smith, who got an agent based on a short story publication and a book deal based on a few chapters of an unfinished work) it's much MUCH more common to get both and agent and a publishing contract after completing a novel.

It's always best to assume you are NOT the exception when it comes to fiction writing. And if you are, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Non-Fiction
Non-fiction is somewhat different. Depending on an author's platform and celebrity status, it is possible to get both an agent and a publishing contract without much work upfront as you say, but again, first-time authors are much MUCH more likely to have completed the work before getting an agent or a contract.

The reason is because a publisher is going to want to know the author CAN finish the book--something like 90% of the people who start to write books don't finish them.

Once an author establishes him- or herself, it's easier to get the money upfront, but establishing oneself is a very difficult thing to do and usually relates to what a person does aside from writing.

Most agents and editors want to read the whole thing before they decide whether to gamble on a new writer.

So if you're going to play odds, it's better to bet on the side of having a completed novel or non-fiction book ready and polished before querying agents, even though it takes more time on the front-end.

It's also worth noting that just because you have an agent, that doesn't mean the agent will be able to sell your work to a publisher. I have two friends with agents whose novels were submitted to editors over the last year, and neither one sold.

This is a tough business.

[inkensoul]

It is a tough business. Some authors can spend years just trying to get an agent to take them on. By that time, the book is stale and no publishing house will look at it.

I self-published my travleogue for a few reasons. I'd already been down the query road and knew that no publishing company in the world would be as passionate about my book as me. Inspired by the several authors who published independently before they were picked up by a major house, and because the cost of setting up a title with a POD company was relatively cheap, I went with Lightning Source.

Also, my book is rather timely and about independence in theme so I didn't want to wait for a company to get the hint.

Only time will tell, but I think the only true way I will experience career suicide is if I stop writing.


Just the same, I only really want people to read the book, and though I've broken even on my investment, I still want more people to experience it.

[epm1013]

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[magicantewriter]

I have published with lulu, and honestly, for charging nothing up front, I am pretty happy with my product. Whenever I need assistance they have live chat and get back to you right away! You can upload your own covers, or choose one of theirs, and the books look great. After spending 2 years trying daily to find agents or publishers, I decided to self publish and get back to writing! Which in the end, is more important to me than anything, and I am slowly growing a fan base. And really, for me, I'm quite happy to have control of everything!

That said, its a lot of work whether you self publish or have it done the traditional way. So make sure your good and rested, because the real work starts once your book is in hand! Writing is the easy part