How to Write and Self-Publish a Book
You’ve decided that you want to write a book. Congratulations! This is the first step to your success. You have decided to do everything on your own. No agent and no commission fees. You should make more money in the long run. Here is how you can write and self-publish your book.
Write
This requires time and organization. You should be prepared to spend a great deal of time writing, thinking and writing some more. You will probably spend hundreds of hours writing. Most writers cannot complete a book overnight. It usually takes about a year to write and edit a book.
Self-Publish
If you decide to self-publish your book, you will need to follow these guidelines.
Determine how you want to publish your book. The book can be published in hardcover, softcover or ebook. Ebook is the new way to publish a book online. There are very few publishing costs to upload a book to the web.
Contact printers. There are many print-on-demand printing facilities throughout the nation. You can find a reputable printing company by searching the communities of MerchantCircle.
Be prepared to spend money upfront for printing costs. Printers will usually charge a set-up fee and a price per printed book. You can expect to pay at least $3 - $4 per printed book, if you order a minimum number of books, usually 200.
You do need to consider how you will sell your book, as you don’t want to end up losing money on your book. Amazon usually charges a 55% fee to sell your book on the website.
Researching publishing and printing companies can help you save money in the long run. Spend more time researching for the best company to publish your book. You will be happier with the final product, even if you have to pay a little more money.
You will also want to apply for an International Standard Book Number (ISBN). Go to the ISBN to get information about an ISBN. The cost for 10 numbers is $150, plus a $75 processing fee.
Be prepared to not only self-publish your book, but also self-promote your book. You will need to contact book stores and distributors to sell your book. You may also want to set up a webpage, where you can sell your book online.