Self Publishing Success Trumps Vanity Press

Self-Publishing Replaces Old Publishing Model

Recent reports of self publishing success ia proving the idea of vanity publishing to be a thing of the past. Remember the term vanity publishing? Vanity publishing has given self-publishing a bad reputation. Let’s face it. Vanity publishing says ego-publishing. Vanity publishing says you aren’t good enough for a real publishing company.  It says you are not a good enough writer. To use a vanity press company to print your book was borderline public embarrassment. This is no longer the case, if it ever really was.

This image developed when traditional book publishing companies were married to academia. People with Ph.D’s or highly educated with a high measure of honor, knowledge, and reputation were published. In modern times, media personalities, celebrities, and politicians qualified for this set. Anyone who wasn’t scholarly, yet published anyway, was considered vain. After all, they did not earn the credentials to educate the masses with writing and publishing a book. This was an honor reserved for a privileged few. Certainly, the main publishing houses perpetuated this idea to counter their competition. With verified facts and reports of self publishing success that has all changed!

Enter Digital Publishing

The New Look of Book Publishing

With the invention of the digital printing press, a large investment to cover the expenses of inventory of books is no longer necessary. With digital publishing, the main thing required is to set up a digital file. Using print on demand, books are printed as ordered, as few as one at a time. Self publishing success is just a digital file away!

“Self-publishing is now supported by a sophisticated and highly accessible support structure,” said Beat Barblan, Director of Identifier Services for Bowker. Bowker Books is practically the Bible in the book publishing industry. They produce a yearly directory of books, entitled Books in Print which is a book catalogue with ISBN numbers, to help identify books for ordering. Creators of products and services that make books easier for people to discover, evaluate, order, and experience, Bowker also conducts research and resources for publishers.

Beat Barblan goes on to remark positively on today’s self publishing success: “It’s provided everyone who has a story to tell with a method for sharing it and leveled the playing field to an unprecedented degree. This is no longer just vanity presses at work – self-publishing is out of the dark corners and making its way into the mainstream. Notable success stories include a number of self-published authors landing their titles onto the prestigious New York Times bestseller list for e-book fiction.” Bowker has done extensive research on the state of self-publishing. To see the rest of their research, you may read their article entitled, “Self-Publishing Sees Triple-Digit Growth in Just Five Years, Says Bowker.”

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Debate Over Self Publishing vs Traditional Publishing Goes On

Self Publishing Vs. Traditional Publishing–the Rumbling, the Pros and Cons, Plus a Little More

By Deborah S. Nelson, Author-Book Coach-Speaker

The debate rages on: Self Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing? Who will win? Having worked in both sides of the industry, I can tell you without a doubt that self publishing is winning. What makes me say so? Do you remember in photography the debate between film and digital cameras? There was the idea that film was superior and was the proven standard. And also the idea that digital cameras were cheap and not up to par, and the photos could never be as good. However that debate has gone by the wayside. As a case in point, have you shopped for a roll of film lately? Have you tried to develop a roll of film lately? Good luck on that! The same will soon be true of the self publishing vs traditional publishing. The debate may go on and on, but one day we’ll look up and offset presses will be sitting in antique shops! That day is coming closer than we may realize.

Traditional publishing companies are going out of business and side-by-side with their sales arm, the bookstore. In 2011, Borders, one the largest bookstore chains in history, closed its doors to bankruptcy. What people may not realize is that online book purchases are surpassing brick and mortar book sales. This, in turn, creates a bigger problem for traditional publishers who market their books through the bookstore venue. They can sell books online as well, but there’s only one problem–Amazon Books, a behemoth larger than all the bookstores put together, and online books sales mostly go through Amazon, which Barnes and Nobles (the remaining large traditional book store chain) considers as its largest competition. In fact, many traditional bookstores refuse to carry any “self-published” books printed by Amazon’s print on demand arm, CreateSpace. That’s how fierce this debate can get. While the self publishing vs traditional publishing debate rages on, some traditional publishing companies are buying print on demand equipment and offering print on demand services to authors, now blurring the lines between the self publishing and traditional publishing. Basically self publishing involves the writer making and financing the publishing decisions all along the way. These decisions are many, such as book cover, interior book layout, editing, marketing and distribution. However, what allows this to be more possible than ever, is print on demand, digital printing, which makes publishing just one book affordable. A writer can now publish without the financial backing of a large publishing corporation. With the offset press of traditional publishing, the set-up costs to print that first book are beyond the means of most writers. Thus the partnership with writers and traditional publishers began.

How to Self Publish a Book Yourself

I have written many specific articles on this site on how to self publish a book yourself. Before you make a decision to do that, I suggest you get a clear idea of the landscape of self publishing vs traditional publishing.  The video above is simple and a great explanation of digital publishing, print on demand, and traditional publishing. If you want to learn how to publish a book, or have started publishing a book, study this site before you leap. It isn’t easy, but it is not that hard either. Do your homework before you get involved because once you get started, it is difficult to stop in the middle. You may even want to be the publisher of your own books. See my article about Becoming a Publisher in Seven Strategic Steps if you want to write and publish a multitude of books. Just keep in mind, if you do not know what you are doing, you could spend a small fortune trying to finish a frustrating and difficult project. I am passionate about self-publishing and if you would like a half hour consultation, let me know, I would like to help.

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Introduction to How to Self-Publish a Book

By Deborah S. Nelson

How to Self-Publish a Book, Step by Step

In this article I will give a short overview of how to self-publish a book. Today, many options are available for self-publishing, but the one we are addressing here is the printed book. The printed book is still alive and well! Publishing a printed book to sell on Amazon through other online booksellers or even in bookstores or in person is a key step to becoming a self-published author. Once you organize the concept, content and flow of your book, and set up the basic file for printing, you will easily be able to created the other digital versions from that foundation.

Digital Publishing Options

Once you create the digital file for printing a physical book, the options are almost endless. From here, you may create an audio book (either downloadable or on a DVD), an e-book, Kindle or Nook, and many other options which can be distributed from various book publishing online networks. You can also create a digital flip book version and make it downloadable from your website. Consider the many top book publishing platforms which include Kobo, Kindle, Smashwords, and CreateSpace. Do your research to find which options are best for your book. Books which are graphic intensive, four-color, or with photos are not suitable for Kindle. However, you can create a four-color digital version of these types of books to be read from a computer screen with animated pages that flip and turn. Some of the digital publishing platforms are helpful to bring your book to market, but with self-publishing you will need to be involved in marketing and sales of your books.

Basic Phases of How to Self-Publish a Book

Through my curriculum, courses, and private coaching I have taught many writers how to self-publish a book. As a publishing coach, I first explain to clients and students the three phases of bringing a book into the world:

1.WRITE THE BOOK

2.PUBLISH THE BOOK

3. MARKET THE BOOK

After self-publishing and assisting many self-published authors to self-publish some 100 plus books, I strongly suggest any self-publisher to focus on each stage separately. You may experience overlap between the phases, but these are best limited to transitional only. Similar to building a custom home as your own general contractor, you can unknowingly and quickly create a nightmare situation if you are not clearly focused on each phase of the process. Each one depends on and is defined by the earlier phase. Finish one phase completely before moving onto the next. When building a home, you pour the foundation first and then let it cure before proceeding. When writing a book, write the book first. To go back and change the foundation once the framing is finished is not a good idea. Likewise, to go back and rewrite your book once you are in the publishing stage is an invitation for disaster. Write your book. Pause. Publish Your Book. Pause. Market Your Book. Pause. Carefully learn the steps of how to self-publish a book before embarking on this compelling mission.

Editioral, Copy-Editing and Proofreading Services

Learning how to self-publish a book is easiest if you start with a small project first. Digital publishing is not a simple matter if you have never done it before. Many steps are involved which need to be taken in chronological order. For example, many people confuse editing with proofreading and copy editing. These are three distinct and separate skilled tasks. Learning how to self-publish a book and therefore becoming an independent publisher is no less complex than becoming a general contractor to build your own home. To proofread a manuscript before your content edit would be like painting walls before you put the wall plastic on top of the sheet rock. The beautiful paint would get covered up by the plaster finish. The same is true if you proofread before the content edit is completed. First hire the content edit, next the copy-edit, and lastly, at the very end, you may have the proofreading done (i.e., painting). Of course, you are absolutely encouraged to run spell check after you have completed the writing of your manuscript, but after that, forget about proofreading until the very end. Concentrate on organization, content, and flow. The Once Upon a Book Video Series outlines the ten basic steps of how to self-publish a book.

How to Publish a Children’s Book or Other Four-Color Book

Starting with a four-color book is more complicated and difficult to carry out for a first self-publishing book project. If working on a children’s book which requires color illustrations, to increase your chance of success I suggest first you start with a creating a book blueprint in black and white. The reason four-color is complex is because instead of printing one color (black on white paper) we have introduced the spectrum on colors, and this requires a more time-consuming and expensive process. The books are from three to five times as expensive as the black and white counterpart. The set up and printing job is more challenging. To get this right, I suggest that you first create a book blueprint. Be your own architect and get this part right before you print in expensive four-color book run. First create the book in black and white and use one of the print on demand companies such as CreateSpace of LuLu. Then simply print a black and white proof for about $10 on CreateSpace (sign up here for a free CreateSpace Account); and work out all the bugs on this black and white blue print. Next you can enter into the four-color phase of printing your children’s book or other four-color book. First learn the steps of how to self-publish a book before you publish a complex book. Another way create a full-color book blueprint sample is join www.blurb.com. They do four-color books one a time. However, Blurb is not a good option for a final print run if you plan to sell and market your book.  Although reasonable for producing one four-color book, the price per book is quite high, but well-worth doing as a book blueprint, to get the bugs worked out before moving forward in your book project.

Editoral Services

Hiring Book Publishing Specialists

Selecting and hiring book publishing services is a key part of learning how to self-publish a book of professional quality. Do your research and your homework. The level to which your sub-contractors do will define the end quality of your self-published book. First you will need to decide which areas to hire done, and which you will do by yourself. You may possess skills that make you qualified to take on a certain part of the work, which may save you money or time. The only process that I would recommend that you absolutely hire, is the proofreading process. A phenomenon occurs when writing a book. As writers we become immune to our own errors because we are focused on the content and the concept. After reading and writing, rewriting, and self-editing we can no longer see the missing words, the duplicate words, misspellings, or formatting issues. I recommend  you hire a proofreader, even if you are a professional proofreader! The following is a list of the areas you may need to hire an outside contractor:

1. Content Editor

2. Copy Editor

3. Proofreader (emily@thevacationrentalguide.com)

4. Book interior layout artist (highly recommended hiring a specialist)

5. Book cover designer specialist (highly recommended you not do this yourself)

6. Illustrator

7.  Headshot photographer (for author bio photo)

8. Promotional writer (synopsis of book and author bio)

9. Indexer

10. Printing Company

Trials and Joys of Learning How to Self-Publish a Book

Learning how to do anything has its risks and rewards. Learning how to self-publish a book is a phenomenal economic skill to develop. By becoming a published author once, it is easy to repeat time and time again. entrepreneurs, home makers, artists, and grandparents are discovering the joys of publishing their own books. Take the steps and you, too, can feel the exhilaration of becoming a published author, and share your inspiration with your circle of influence.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Have a Dream to Publish a Book—

But Lack the Time or Know-How?

Includes a downloadable interior template
Displays parts of a book in chronological order
Gives 10 easy steps to print on demand publishing
Sets up free ISBN number & self-publishing account
Gets a blueprint published in 3 days! (shipping extra)

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By Deborah S. Nelson

The Self-Publishing a Book Debate Ends Here!

What are the benefits of self-publishing a book? As a publishing and writing coach, I am often queried about the idea of self-publishing a book or e-book. Many writers hold that traditional publishing is the way to go. However, the evolution of digital publishing has begun to see the diminishing of traditional publishing more each day. With electronic book readers, the success of online booksellers; millionaire self-published authors surfacing–the traditional model of bookstores, book signings, and agents are quickly fading. This system relies on bookstores to make books sales and to work as the marketing arm.

Now that the majority of books are purchased online, this model is failing. With first-time authors practically begging to be published agents filled the role of screening and bringing talent to publishers. With the cost of publishing exponentially cheaper with print on demand, writers no longer need an agent to connect with the most unavailable traditional publishing companies. Yet, many writers are still attracted by the allure of becoming a best-selling author, making the TV and radio circuit, followed by book signings while backed by a large publishing house.

Are You Ready to be the Star of Your Own Show?

As self-publishing millionaires surface and online booksellers outpace their retail counterparts, traditional publishing houses that rely on bookstores to sell books are experiencing difficulty. Many have gone out of business or bought out by larger publishing houses. Borders completely shut its doors in 2011, nearly 400 stores, leaving only Barnes & Nobles almost the only outlet for marketing traditionally published books. Left only were about 1500 independent local book stores.

Benefits of Self-Publishing a Book

SAVE TIME: Avoid the lengthy time involved in finding an agent to represent you to publishing companies. Many agents will expect you to have been previously published, so this is a tricky situation and a bit of a “Catch 22.” New writers may find that self-publishing a book will save them a lot of precious time.

SAVE REJECTION: One of the top benefits of self-publishing a book is skipping the rejection phase. Become your own self-publisher to avoid the lengthy rejection process and emotional turmoil involved before you may or may not find a publisher committed to publishing your book. Most often, their rejection has more to do with their assessment of their ability to make a profit on the book, than it has to do with the quality of your writing.

COPYRIGHTS: Keep your copyrights. When you sign with a traditional publisher, they own most of your copyrights most of the time. One of the most important benefits of self-publishing a book is that you own all your copyrights, forever!

CREATIVITY: As the author of a self-published book, you will enjoy complete creativity and the ability to harmonize the book cover, interior design elements, and images to your satisfaction. Your creative control is maximized and is a key benefit when self-publishing a book.

ROYALTIES: 100% of royalties go to you. You do not split them with the publisher at all. Since you are the publisher, the self-publisher, you will receive all the royalties, and they will be much more than .25 per book.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Publish a Book

Have a Dream to Publish a Book—
But Lack the Time or Know-How?

Look no further. This potent learn-by-doing guide grants you the time and know-how. Learn how to self-publish a book by doing it! Once you become a published author friends, family, and peers see you in a whole new light! This unique new system guides and propels both aspiring and seasoned authors step-by-step through the digital publishing process. You won’t even need your completed manuscript to get started!

Includes a downloadable interior template
Displays parts of a book in chronological order
Gives 10 easy steps to print on demand publishing
Sets up free ISBN number & self-publishing account
Gets a blueprint published in 3 days! (shipping extra)

Self-Publishing Basics–What it Really Takes

By Deborah S. Nelson

What, Where, Who, Why, When, How–Figuring out Self-Publishing

Self-Publishing in the digital publishing age is an amazing option for those who have always dreamed to publish a book. But what are the real self-publishing basics you need to know to get started? Using print on demand is almost a miracle when compared to the traditional way of publishing a book. Since I have self-published (or helped writers) with nearly 100 books, I am extremely familiar with the process. As a publishing coach, I find a lot of confusion surrounding the use of the term “self-publishing.” So before I go any further in this article, let’s define the term “self-publishing.” Self-publishing is the process of bringing a work to market by its author. There are many so-called “self-publishing” companies online purported to be self-publishers, when in reality this is not possible. The true definition is that the creator/author is the person who brings his or her works to final printed form. This means that you as an author, take on the role as publisher.

Self-Publishing a Paperback Book

Self-Publishing a Paperback Book

We all have our niches.  I specialize in guiding people through the self-publishing process for a physical book. The e-book trend is starting to subside, and the good old-fashioned printed physical book remains a standard. New reports are show that the growth of e-books is slowing, and the printed book is showing a stronger trend. This article and site provides tools and resources for those publishing a book, a physical book.

Print on Demand

Print on demand is the most recent development in digital technology that has made self-publishing possible and affordable to the masses. Basically print on demand is a digital method of being able to print one book at a time without costly setup charges. Digital art and digital printed presses make it possible for the print on demand company to print books as they are purchased, thus avoiding a large investment in inventory, and expensive set up costs.

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What Self-Publishing Really Takes

The biggest problem in the self-publishing arena right now, besides the fact that the terminology is misunderstood, is the fact that many of the print on demand printers are representing themselves a “self-publishers.” This is quite misleading, and for those “who don’t know what they don’t know,” which is most of us; they easily go down a path fraught with unexpected technical frustration and over-spending in order to finish their book. It becomes like a remodeling project gone bad. Is is better to know what it requires to be your own publisher. Below is a list.

1.Project Management: As your own publisher, you become the “general contractor,” the project manager. You make the decisions, oversee the different aspects, pay the subcontractors, and guide the quality of each separate piece.

2. Comittment to Complete: You will need a very strong comittment to complete the book publishing project.  It could take up to a year, depending on the size of the project and how much time each week you have to devote. Traditional publishing companies require that authors sign an agreement before they begin the publish. You may do the same. See or Intent to Publish Agreement.

3. Timeline Finesse: You will juggle the interior editing, copy editing, proofreading, design, layout and preparation of the digital art file to submit to the printer, on a timeline, with the book cover design, and the  author website needed to market the book. Timing is essential is getting the book published in a reasonable period. Refer to our Self-Publishing Checklist. It could take from three months (if experienced and super organized) to publish your books up to a year or longer, depending on the size of the project.

4. Digital Expertise: You will need to understand basic digital terminology related to digital printing. You may refer to our Dictionary of Publishing Terms, which defines a few basic terms. You’ll need to understand art software, specifications, and basic print on demand terminology.

5. Marketing and PR Ability: These days over 73% of books are sold online, which means you’ll need to market your book online. Having book signings in stores and promoting book sales in that way is quickly fading out, as such  small percentage of books are being sold through book stores, so you will need a website. You will also need to learn how to market yourself and your books online. This would be if selling books is important to you. Some people increase their fees to do consulting, workshops, and seminars, and do not have a need to sell a lot of books. Certainly, if selling books is part of your goal, you will need to learn some online marketing skills in order to promote yourself as an author, and to sell books.

Have a Dream to Publish—
But Lack Time or Know-How?

Look no further. This potent and detailed DIY publishing guide grants you the time and know-how. Learn how to self-publish a book by doing it! Once you become a published author, friends, family, and peers see you in a whole new light! This unique system propels both aspiring and seasoned authors through the digital publishing process step by step. You won’t even need your completed manuscript to start!

Includes downloadable template
Free ISBN number & POD account
10 steps to print on demand publishing
Displays book parts in chronological order
Publish your book blueprint proof in a week

Those who have completed Ms. Nelson’s Courses are raving fans. See Videos Reviews & Author Library.
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