Book Publishing Information

Whether you want to self-publish your book, or use traditional book publishing methods, be sure to use the resources on this page to help you determine which is best for you.

Self-publishing is the publishing of books by the authors of those works, rather than by established, third-party publishers.

New authors always need a little help in getting their books published and into the marketplace.  Use the resources and information below to help you to successfully publish your work.

Publish your book today! Our authors earn 100% royalties & control all rights.

Self-publishing

True self-publishing

True self-publishing means authors undertake the entire cost of publication themselves, and handle all marketing, distribution, storage, etc. All rights remain with the author, the completed books are the writer's property, and the writer gets all the proceeds of sales. Self-publishing can be more cost-effective than vanity or subsidy publishing and can result in a much higher-quality product, because authors can put every aspect of the process out to bid rather than accepting a preset package of services.

Subsidy Publishing

A subsidy publisher distributes books under its own imprint, and is therefore selective in deciding which books to publish. Subsidy publishers, like vanity publishers, take payment from the author to print and bind a book, but contribute a portion of the cost as well as adjunct services such as editing, distribution, warehousing, and some degree of marketing. As with commercial publishers, the books are owned by the publisher and remain in the publisher's possession, with authors receiving royalties for any copies that are sold. Most subsidy publishers also keep a portion of the rights from any book that they publish. Generally, authors have little control over production aspects such as cover design.

Print on Demand (POD)

POD publishers generally do not screen submissions prior to publication, and many are Internet-based. They accept uploaded digital content as Microsoft Word documents, text files, or RTF files, as printing services for anyone who is willing to pay. Authors can choose from a selection of packages, or design a unique printing package that meets their requirements. For an additional cost, a POD publisher may offer services such as book jacket design with professional art direction; content, line, and copy-editing; indexing; proofreading; and marketing and publicity. Some POD publishers offer publication as e-books in addition to hardcover and paperback. Some POD publishers will offer ISBN (International Standard Book Numbers) service, which allows a title to be searchable and listed for sale on websites. One major difference is that POD publishers have a connection to retail outlets like Amazon and Barnes & Noble that vanity presses generally do not.

Examples of popular POD publishers include iUniverse (bought by Author House), Lulu.com, Xlibris.com, WheatMark,com, as well as Amazon's BookSurge.com and their newer CreateSpace.com.

Traditional Book Publishing

This involves the author submitting book proposals or full manuscripts to commercial publishing houses in hope that their work is accepted. Once a work is accepted by a publishing house (the vast majority are not) a contract is signed between the author and the publishing house. This kicks-off a complex process involving printers, shippers, wholesalers, distributors, marketers, and finally, booksellers, all managed on the author’s behalf by the publishing house. Typically, it takes anywhere from 18 to 24 months from the time the author finishes a book manuscript, until the actual book gets onto the bookshelves. As an author, your earnings on a traditionally published book are low, however, your upfront financial risk is also very low as the publisher foots the bill for editing, artwork, layout, printing, shipping, and marketing.

Publish your book today! Our authors earn 100% royalties & control all rights.

Book Publishing Resources: Check out these books below for starters:

Book Publishing Advice

The Rules of Book Publishing Have Changed The Ongoing Battle Between Self (Fee-Based) And Traditional Publishing Business is Booming (Bookstores/Authors) Business is Booming and What It Means to Bookstores, Author! s and Cr eative Entrepreneurships. (And What Walmart has to do with it!) I've spent my life surrounded by drug addicts and degenerates Unfortunately, who you surround yourself with and the environment you exist in greatly influences your writing. Breaking Free of the Norm in Writing How many times a day do you get an idea for a story and then stop and think the idea is too strange, the plot so out-there, that publishers would quake in their boots if they were to buy it? If you’re a writer, how many times have the rejections said ‘not a saleable story’ to something that is not poorly written, just not mainstream enough? Well, I’m here to say, screw it! Write what you want! Forget Mainstream Publishing And Write What You Want My latest novel, PULP is a prime example of a book that would never see the light of day in commercial publishing yet still manages to capture a large indie audience with its strange, off-the-wall storyline. Originally rejected because of its “extremely bizarre content” by several major publishing houses who had requested partials, the book is now running strong in the online community.

more>>