Things to Consider When Self-publishing a Novel, Book, or Story

By Christopher Pascale

Getting one’s work in print is a dream many have. Some writers go the traditional route of working in the writing industry, either freelancing or having regular columns. Others love to write, pursuing it as a hobby.

For those who do not approach writing in a traditional manner, publishing a book or novel will be near impossible. As any writer who is sending queries to agents knows, many form letters come back saying that they are receiving dozens (or more) solicitations every day.

For this reason, many people do not want to wait for traditional publishers to discover them. And there are any number of reasons that include:

• Belief in the success of a project
• Simply wanting a book published
• Having the work to pass on as an heirloom

But before authors pursue self-publishing, it’s important to research publishers according to one’s own reasons for doing so.

Upfront Costs can add up Fast

Some subsidy presses offer services individually, giving clients the option of not paying for editing, photography, and listing the product with an ISBN#.

Other publishers offer a package that is not negotiable and can be very expensive. Vantage Press, for example, which operates out of New York City, is a subsidy press with more than 60 years of experience. Authors who publish through them pay premium prices, but get the services of a publicist as well as national distribution.

For the stay-at-home mom looking to put her personal recipes into print that she intends to give out to family members, paying thousands of dollars would be outrageous. But for the aspiring novelist or poet with no contacts in the world of writing, having a publisher that is going to list the book on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Borders.com while contacting many newspapers upon the book’s release could be very attractive.

Marketing Costs Should be Budgeted

Even authors who use larger subsidy publishers will have to have a marketing budget of their own. This can be cut down by emailing newspapers and other media outlets about the book’s release, but when it comes to selling a book, getting into stores to sign copies will be a must.

Authors should be prepared to call bookstores while having copies on hand to send to the stores for their review. For more on this read: How to Produce a Book Tour.

Having said all this, none of it can happen if a manuscript is not ready to be submitted.

Manuscript Readiness for Publisher Submissions

Some authors find out the hard way that subsidy presses are not in the business of releasing the highest quality of content for the reading public, but, rather, they are there to serve their client, the author.

For this reason, some will accept typos, lacking continuity, and writing that is just plain bad. Writers who are going to put their work on the open market need to do so with a critical eye and maybe the assistance of other people to make suggestions as well.

For those who wish to skip this step, it might be at the sacrifice of much quality. But for many, self-publishing is not about producing the best work; it can be about simply having a compilation of one’s work in a more permanent form. Remember, it is all about the work’s purpose.