Different Ways to Self-Publish a Book Explained by HG Nadel
So you have written a book, and are ready to publish it! But the first hurdle for any aspiring author is to get past the publishing barriers and get your book out in the world. In the traditional system, an author usually has two options to publish their book:
Send the manuscript to the publishing house and wait for months for editors to review your book. Most of them will toss away your hard work without even looking at it for a second, and if you are really persistent they will make you a lowball offer.
Hire a bunch of agents to help your book reach the right hands. Now this is not only an expensive method, but there is no guarantee that you will land up with a hefty contract.
Various self publishing companies and a myriad of tools have helped to take down these barriers, and help self publishers publish their book. With the increasing list of self-publishers, this has become a popular medium to get your book out in the real world.
So, what are the different ways to self publish your book?
Publishing an EBook
With the popularity of online mediums such as Epub, PDFs, and MOBI gaining traction, it has become fairly easy to publish an eBook. Many online publishers such as Kobo's writing life, Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords, and others will let you publish your hard work in eBook format.
Advantages of publishing online:
Publishing online is less expensive than hiring agents.
It is less time consuming than waiting for an uncertain amount of time for the big publishing houses to publish your work.
Almost all eBook retailers let you upload your work at any time and make it available for sale. In addition, you can also take it down anytime at your free will. Also, it gives you the choice to upload a new version, change the cover art, and even change the price, depending on the changing demand for your book.
You have the advantage of possessing all the rights of your book instead of giving it up to a publisher.
Major portals offer automated tools for converting your book into an appropriate format, listing your book for sales, as well as free tips and guide on how to best market your book.
You can sell your book through multiple services, or through your own website. Here are the most commonly used formats for eBooks:
EPUB: This is globally accepted format for all e-books and almost works seamlessly across all devices. All you need is special software that directly creates an EPUB file from a Word document.
PDF: PDFs are sometimes difficult to convert to standard e-book formats; however, they are quick to load and do not consume much storage space.
MOBI: This format is popularly used for Amazon's Kindle, although Kindle can also read an EPUB file.
Self-Publishing by Print on Demand
Print on Demand or POD is the process wherein you submit an electronic copy of your book to self publishing companies who then prints the book for you. These vendors usually submit your book for online sales, but many also distribute your book to other sellers and stores.
Benefits of print-on-demand
No major upfront investment.
Easy and straightforward process to get a printed book.
Good quality print which almost feels like 'real' books, as most readers are unable to tell the difference between a POD book and an offset printed book.
A great marketing source that helps to sell your book worldwide.
Possibility of selling your book as a print edition at the major online retail outlets.
Plenty of POD vendors available to help new writers get a physical copy of the book.
With an increasing list of self publishers, it has proved to be a great way to give your work a global exposure. It allows you offer your book at a lower cost, retains more rights over your final book, and also gives you an option to traditional marketing approach. No matter what your reason, self publishing makes your book available to anyone who is interested.
HG Nadel is a screenplay writer, self published author, recording artist, and a musician. Nadel has been in the film and television acting business for many years. She started as a child, when she was a singer signed by EMI France. Nadel has written numerous screenplays. HG Nadel also runs a performing art institute where she helps young artist to raise their work to professional standard and has been working with children in voice placement, voice projection.
To know more about Nadel, visit here: https://hgnadel.tumblr.com/