So this month we’ll talk about self publishing...something I
haven’t done so don’t know much about, but I’ll do my best.
There are a lot of places where you can publish your own
work. I googled it and found a slew of places. A few I recognized were Lulu,
Createspace, IUniverse, Xlibris and of course Amazon, but there are a ton more
out there. I found out there is even a Readers Digest book on self publishing
companies. Each has their good and bad points and you need to find the one that
works best for you.
After you’ve done your research you should reach out to
other authors who have self published. Find out why they went that route and
what worked and didn’t work for them. Which publishers they have tried and
which ones they ended up using.
You’ll also need to find a cover artist and editor. Most of
these publishers will offer a package deal that cover most, if not all, of what
you want. Others seem to do things ala cart. You can also find companies that
make covers, have editors – they do everything but publish your book. I did
search but couldn’t6 find what I was looking for so those of you who know
companies like this please chime in...
I asked some of my self published friends out there what an
author should do and Kayelle Allen gave me these five suggestions:
1.
Create a company name for your publishing endeavor (she uses Romance Lives
Forever Books).
2.
Set up accounts well ahead of your first book. You'll want to be on Amazon KDP,
Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, etc.
3.
Create a PayPal account you can use for your books, especially if you want to
sell them yourself from your site or at conventions.
4.
Find a good cover artist and a good editor. Don't skimp on either one.
5.
Make a marketing plan for your books that goes from pre-release through to the
next book.
Next month – more on editing...
Barb:)
Bio:
Barbara Donlon Bradley wears many hats. She’s a mother, wife, care-giver, author, and editor. She’s a senior editor for Melange Books, and writes for Phaze and Melange books/Satin Romances with over twenty titles under her belt.
Barbara Donlon Bradley wears many hats. She’s a mother, wife, care-giver, author, and editor. She’s a senior editor for Melange Books, and writes for Phaze and Melange books/Satin Romances with over twenty titles under her belt.
Author Sites:
Website: http://www.barbaradonlonbradley.com/
Publisher: http://www.phaze.com/author.php?author=21
Twitter: https://twitter.com/barbbradley
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/barbaradbradley/