Break Into the Publishing Biz: DIY Style

More and more people are self-publishing now. And why not? Becoming a published author has become easier and easier. It gives you the opportunity to be in control, and to carry your vision from start to finish.

Author Cara Bruce published her first book herself. “It was a great learning experience. It teaches you every part of the book business. After publishing two books, I decided to stop. I found I didn’t have enough time to write. But, publishing myself helped me to build my reputation. Without it, I wouldn’t have found someone else to publish my next books.”

Before you start any kind of publishing venture, make sure you do your research. This is very important so take your time and do it right.

1. What do you want? Do you want to sell a million copies or do you just want to publish a few books for your friends and family? Do you want hardcover, paperback, or an ebook?
2. Check out all of the books similar to yours. Try Bookscan.com to see how many copies have been sold.
3. Look into print-on-demand and vanity presses (these will publish your book for a fee). Some of the bigger ones are iUniverse.com and Xlibris.com. I’m sure a few minutes on Google will point you to many more. These can handle the layout, printing, and/or production for a fee.

If you would like to publish a “traditional book” you should look into starting your own publishing company. You first have to decide between sole proprietorship and limited liability corporation (LLC). Then you get a federal tax I.D. number. Figure out what you need to do for where you live, some places require you to publish a notice in a newspaper (a county clerk can give you a list of the cheapest papers to do this in), others require a certificate.

Tip: Make sure you choose the right name for your company. This name is going to stick with you for a long, long time—maybe for the rest of your life. You want to make sure you don’t choose a name based on one subject matter. Your name has to be able to expand with you.

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