For new authors, getting published by an established publishing company is one of the most difficult things to do. Most new authors find themselves facing rejection after rejection due to the apprehension of publishing companies to print a book written by an ‘unknown.’ This has led to situations wherein new authors are forced to use ‘tested’ or ‘sellable’ formulas in writing so that they can get the attention of the publishers. In response to this, smaller publishing companies offer authors the option of publishing their own books. Self-publishing gives the author full control of the entire creative and selling process of the book.
How it works
Authors who choose to self-publish pay for the full cost of the work, and they are also responsible for selling, marketing and distributing the book. Although this may seem very tedious, such a set-up gives the author exclusive rights to all proceeds of the book, rather than having to share the proceeds with a publishing company. Self-published authors can also test the market for their books by having only a small quantity of books published and sold. If the author sees that the book sells well, he can choose to have more books published. The companies that offer self-publishing services can usually print around 2,000 to 5,000 books for an author, just enough to test the market and enough to cut back on losses, if any.
The process
After they are done with their manuscripts, authors who self-publish usually work on various matters involving their book, such as its cover, the paper to be used and even the copyright.
The first decision the author must make involves the binding style for the book. After this, he must choose the paper and ink that will be used for it. In this step, it is important that the pages have been proofread already. After this, the next thing he needs to think about is the cover design.
A few of the most important things that the author should procure for his work are the copyright, the barcode and the ISBN number. After working on the necessary requirements, the author can then submit his order to the publishing company. The publishing company will prepare a proof of the book and will ask the author to proofread it when it is done. Once the author approves it, the publishing company can then print the actual book and send the author copies.