Some of our most famous authors, including Sam Clemens
and Ben Franklin, published their own books. It was, during their time,
an honorable, and profitable, way to get their works in front of the
public. With new printing methods, self-publishing has again become a
viable and honorable way to get your book in front of the public.
Self-Publishing Isn't Subsidy or
Vanity Publishing
The simplest definition of subsidy or vanity
publishing is that the intent is to make money from the author rather
than from selling books as traditional publishers do.
The manuscript may or may not be edited, but little
attention is paid to quality or marketability.
Some of these schemes included 'marketing plans' which
generally meant the books would be listed in the vanity press' catalog.
Vanity press/subsidy publishing is, by and large, a rip off. You'll
still see ads for this kind of operation. The usual result is the author
ends up with boxes of unsold books.
Technology Has Legitimized
Self-Publishing
Today, technology means we again have legitimate
self-publishing.
It's grown out of four market forces:
The first is the purchase of major trade
publishers by conglomerates and mega-corporations. These mergers
have meant publishers now have to focus more on profits than ever
before, and the result is, among other things, fewer new authors
published and fewer truly thoughtful books released.
The second is the personal computer. As computer
memory has grown and software improved, it's become possible for
almost anyone to design and 'typeset' a book.
The third is changes in printing, including
high-speed copiers that come close to mimicking the printed page.
These presses mean that runs as short as a single book are
economically possible - hence POD or Print on Demand. Even the term,
POD, is broadening as more and more trade publishers also make use
of the technology.
Finally, the Internet has given individuals a way
to reach a world-around market. With their own web sites, and by
working with online booksellers like Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobel (Bn.com)
and others, it's possible for a writer to publish her own books and
actually make a small profit.
It's now possible for an author to publish their own
works, perhaps even setting up their own mini-publishing company to do
so. Production set-up costs are often under $500.
It's also worth noting that at least some of the major
companies offering POD, blur the line with vanity publishing by
encouraging the authors to spend thousands of additional dollars on
marketing schemes that may or may not result in profits.
Short-run Printing
Technology has also made short-run printing a viable
option for self-publishing. In this case, after the book is completed,
copy-edited and maybe designed, the author purchases copies of the book
in bulk - generally in increments of 500 or more. The advantage to short
run printing is that the cost of printing can be scaled. Unlike POD, the
more books you print at a time, the lower the cost of each book.
Requirements for a Profitable
Self-Published Book
Of course, simply publishing your book yourself
doesn't guarantee profits or fame. Everything that applies to a trade
book also applies to you, including:
A book with a truly marketable subject.
Knowledge of your market an how to reach it.
A well written, well edited (including copy
editing) book.
A great cover
A well produced book
Distribution and Marketing
In some ways self-publishing is rather like the
recycling symbol - you know, arrows chasing their own tails. Marketing
is so key that it effects every other part of your book, even the
writing.
Key to Profits
The key to profits with both POD and short-run
printing is the marketing and it's the author's responsibility entirely.
Sure, the 'net makes it easier, but marketing is never a snap. It takes
dedicated work and usually considerable investment. But, when the
marketing is in place, the profits can be considerable.
